Living as Christians for the Week of January 18-24, 2027

Do Not Forget to Return

What did Apollos do to help those who showed interest in the truth?

1 Corinthians 3:6 — I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow,

Comment 1: Apollos continued caring for those who had received Paul’s teaching. His work is compared to watering what had already been planted. It was not enough for those people to have heard the truth once; they needed continued help to grow spiritually.

Comment 2: I am struck by the fact that Apollos was not the one who started that work, but his help was important. This reminds us that we can take a genuine interest in someone even if another publisher was the one who first spoke to them. What motivates us is not that we started the conversation but the desire for the person to continue learning about Jehovah. Caring for interest that someone else found is also a valuable way to help.

Comment 3: The comparison to watering highlights the need to continue the teaching. Apollos helped care for what had already begun to grow. In our case, a pleasant conversation should not be the end of our help. We can think of a question that was left unanswered and prepare to answer it when we return. In this way, the next visit is connected with what the person is already learning.

Comment 4: Although Apollos did his part, Paul made it clear that the growth came from God. This helps us maintain balance: We do not minimize the importance of following up, but neither do we think that everything depends on our ability. Our responsibility is to continue teaching and care for the person’s interest, trusting in Jehovah. That trust can help us return even when we feel that we still have much to improve as teachers.

Comment 5: Apollos complemented Paul’s work. One had started the teaching and the other continued it. This seems to me a good reason to value both initial conversations and follow-up visits. They are not activities that compete with each other; both allow us to help people learn the truth.

How do we show that we are genuinely interested in those who have paid attention to Bible truths?

Comment 1: We demonstrate it by making specific plans to continue the conversation and carrying them out. We do not leave the return visit as a vague intention. Before saying goodbye, we can agree on when to talk again. In this way, our interest is translated into giving the person time and attention.

1 Corinthians 3:6 — I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow,

Comment 2: Apollos’ work reminds us that interest needs attention. So, in addition to returning, we ask Jehovah to help the person continue progressing. Prayer and our efforts go hand in hand: We do not merely wish that the person will learn more; we look for ways to continue teaching. At the same time, we recognize that we are not the ones who produce spiritual growth.

Comment 3: Leaving a question unanswered and answering it on the next visit gives continuity to the conversation. It is a simple way to show that we remember what we discussed and want to continue helping. I find it useful to prepare the answer with the person in mind, not just what I would like to explain. Thus, the reason for returning is related to the person’s interest.

Comment 4: The box mentions several ways to keep in touch: a visit, a letter, a phone call, a text message, or an email. This encourages us not to think of only one way to make follow-up visits. We can look for an appropriate way to continue the conversation. What matters is not using all those means, but making sure that our desire to help does not remain unfulfilled because we lack a plan.

Comment 5: Using the person’s name when greeting them and explaining why we have returned are details recommended by the Workbook. We can use that greeting to naturally resume what we had discussed. We do not want our visit to seem disconnected from the previous one. We are interested in the person and want to continue a conversation with them, not simply present a subject without considering what they had already told us.

Comment 6: One very concrete way to show interest is to choose a Bible thought that would interest the person. Before returning, we can ask ourselves: What subject did we discuss? What would the person like to understand better? This helps us prepare something useful for them. The goal is not to say everything we know but to share a Bible thought that gives the person a good reason to keep learning.

Comment 7: The Workbook also emphasizes being respectful and friendly and trying to remain calm. It is not enough to bring a good explanation. We want to take care in the way we converse so that our manner reflects the same genuine interest that moved us to return.

Comment 8: Offering a Bible course as soon as the opportunity arises is another suggestion in the box. Our desire to help does not have to remain limited to isolated conversations. We can give the person the opportunity to continue learning through a course. At times, by thinking so much about how to make the next visit, we might overlook an opportunity to offer this help.

Comment 9: It is good to keep that possibility in mind while we converse.

How did the sister in the video change the way she made follow-up visits?

Comment 1: Pending manual review. The available material does not make it possible to identify the changes the sister made. To prepare reliable comments on this question, the official subtitles or a verifiable transcript of the corresponding video are needed. The sister is not being credited with the general suggestions in the box.

Why are all the efforts we make to return to visit people worthwhile? (Eccl. 11:6)

Ecclesiastes 11:6 — Sow your seed in the morning and do not let your hand rest until the evening; for you do not know which will have success, whether this one or that one, or whether they will both do well.

Comment 1: Because we do not know beforehand which efforts will produce good results. Ecclesiastes encourages us to keep sowing instead of deciding in advance that something will not work. Speaking again with someone who showed interest gives that person another opportunity to learn from the Bible.

Comment 2: It helps me to remember that I do not need to be sure that a follow-up visit will succeed in order to make it. The text specifically acknowledges that we do not know the outcome of our efforts. So rather than waiting for a guarantee, we can concentrate on doing our part: preparing something useful, keeping our appointment, and continuing to care for the person’s interest. This attitude enables us to act with hope, without promising results that are not in our hands.

Comment 3: The image of sowing in the morning and continuing to work afterward highlights perseverance. As applied to follow-up visits, we do not want to give all our attention to the initial contact and forget what comes afterward. It is worth setting aside time to return. A new conversation allows us to answer an unanswered question or share another Bible thought that helps the person continue learning.

1 Corinthians 3:6 — I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow,

Comment 4: Our efforts have value even though we are not the ones who make the interest grow. Paul acknowledged both the work of planting and that of watering, and attributed the growth to God. This gives us reason to keep returning and, at the same time, to do so humbly. We can provide teaching and attention, and ask Jehovah to help the person. We do not have to carry the idea that everything depends on us.

Comment 5: Ecclesiastes leaves open the possibility that several efforts may produce good results, not just one. This encourages us not to limit our attention only to the conversation that seemed most promising to us. When different people show interest, it is worth thinking about how to continue helping each one. We cannot know from one initial conversation everything that someone will come to appreciate about the Bible.

Comment 6: Returning allows us to do more than remember a good conversation; we can continue the teaching. We may have an opportunity to clarify a question or offer a Bible course, as the Workbook suggests. That is why it is worth the effort to prepare for the visit and look for a time to talk. Without taking the outcome for granted, we are doing our part so that the person can continue receiving help.

How to Make Productive Follow-Up Visits

During the initial conversation, before leaving, make specific plans to return, and then keep the appointment (Matt. 5:37).

Leave an unanswered question about what you discussed, and answer it on the next visit.

Ask Jehovah to help the person’s interest continue to grow.

Visit the person or contact them by letter, telephone, text message, or email.

Use the person’s name when greeting them. Tell them why you are visiting again.

Be respectful and friendly. And try to remain calm.

Show the person a Bible thought that would interest them (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

Offer a Bible course as soon as the opportunity arises.

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