Last week, I promised to share a bit about how I felt inviting my friend Shihab* to my house to talk about the Bible.

But before you read further I was wondering how you are going on equipping one or two other people to talk about Jesus.  Remember the challenge from a few weeks ago?  The Thanksgiving - Christmas season is a great time to help people learn to share the Gospel.

The apostle Paul told Timothy, "And the things you have heard me say entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).  I believe God wants us to entrust the things we are learning about sharing our faith with others.  What is God teaching you as you start this journey?  I'd love to hear your lessons.

 And now for the story I promised:

To give you some background — my wife, Chris, is a natural inviter. Over the years, we’ve had all kinds of gatherings at our home — Christmas parties, Valentine’s parties, birthdays, St Patrick’s Day, graduations, Epiphany parties, even Thanksgiving celebrations (though we’re in Australia!). Any reason to have people over. We often have anywhere from 8 to 20 people — both Christians and those who are not yet Christians. Together we enjoy good food, good conversation, and many opportunities to talk about Jesus.

I’m more of an introvert. I can happily work all day by myself and feel fine. When people come to the house, I can engage well — my natural ability as a storyteller kicks in. But inviting someone to come over and talk just with me — that’s scary. Still, it’s something I want to grow in.

So, I decided to start the easy way. I chose a friend I already knew fairly well — Shihab*. I asked if I could come over to his house to talk. When I got there, his mother-in-law prepared some masala chai and snacks. We talked about all sorts of things, including the Bible. It was clear he was open to spiritual conversations.

A couple of weeks later, I invited Shihab to my house to continue our conversation about Jesus. I’ll be honest — I was nervous! I wanted to be a good host but knew I could never measure up to his mother-in-law. When he arrived, I offered him coffee and something to eat, but he’d just had breakfast, so he said no. We talked about family and work for a while, and then I said, “Let’s look at what we read last time — the story of Adam and Eve — and see what comes next.” I read the passage aloud, and then we talked about what it tells us about God, about people, and what we should do differently if it’s true. He asked thoughtful questions — including how the message of Jesus spread into Europe. I told him that story is found in the book of Acts, and I gave him a Bible with the page marked so he could read it.

I invited him to meet again the next week. I was feeling more confident now that we’d done it once. I was looking forward to hearing what he discovered in the book of Acts. But when we met again, I found he hadn’t read anything. I tried to hide my disappointment and move on gracefully to the next passage.

When I invited Shihab last week, he said he was too busy to meet, but I’ll send him a text later today to see if we can meet this week.

One thing I’ve noticed is that once I began inviting Shihab, I became more confident about inviting others too. I’m 73 — but it’s never too late to learn new skills. At first, inviting people can feel uncomfortable. That’s normal. But as we keep practising, we grow more confident — not in ourselves, but in God, who gives us strength.

My challenge to you this week is simple:
Think of one or two people you’d like to spend more time with. What could you invite them to?
Maybe for coffee, a meal, or to watch something together.
Be creative. Have fun. And trust God to work through your invitation.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the many people you have placed in our lives. Please make it clear to us which ones you want us to spend more time with this month. Prepare the right places and moments for us to have meaningful conversations — times where we can truly get to know one another better. Help my friends sense that I am a safe person to talk with — someone who will listen without judging, even when they share their questions or doubts about the Christian message. Teach me how to invite people in a way that helps them feel valued as individuals, not as projects I am trying to convert. Amen.

P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email?  Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement