I hope you’ve had a great week talking with people about Jesus!
Remember how last week I mentioned I was preparing to tell the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official at a Nepalese event? ChatGPT had encouraged me to use that story—but when I arrived at the event the music was too loud, and there was no opportunity to talk with anyone.
But I’m glad I prepared it—because over the next week, I ended up telling the story three times!
1. Dinner with a Hindu friend
We were chatting over pizza about our trip to Melbourne to help our daughter prepare for the birth of our new granddaughter. Of course Suria* wanted to know all the details of the birth and see pictures of the newborn. I mentioned that in the middle of the preparations I took a train back to Sydney to give a talk in a church. Then I asked, “Want a 3-minute version of it?”
So I told her the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. She listened intently, and it opened up a great conversation.
Afterward I thought about other ways to end the story:
- What stood out to you?
- In what ways are you like the people in this story?
- How important is spiritual truth to you?
2. Afternoon tea with a spiritual know-it-all
This one was harder. I went to Suchin's* house, and after listening to him talk for ages about how amazing he is, I asked, “Can I tell you a short story?”
I shared the same Bible story—and straight away, he launched into all the spiritual things he knew: how he’d read the Bible, studied other religions, and how they all basically say the same thing.
That was a clear sign to me—he wasn’t really open or teachable. And when someone’s not willing to listen, there’s not much point in trying to argue. I know not all religions teach the same thing—but he wasn’t ready to hear that.
3. Coffee with a Muslim friend
Chris and I popped in for what we thought would be a quick half-hour visit with Fatima*. Two hours and one strong coffee later, we were still talking! During our visit I told her the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official.
Fatima's* response?
Islam is better, it’s scientific, and Jesus never said, “I am God, worship me.”
Fatima continued:
“Unless someone can show me where Jesus said, ‘I am God, worship me,’ I will never become a Christian.”
That’s a big one.
So what do you do with that?
I paused and said, “Let me do some research and get back to you on that”—just to buy time and come up with a good answer.
And honestly? No—Jesus never said those exact words.
But He also never said, “I’m a man,” or “I was born in Bethlehem.”
Still, the evidence is everywhere. It’s easy to miss it if you're only looking for a specific phrase—but Jesus clearly showed who He was through His words, actions, and authority.
The next day I mentioned my conversation with Fatima* to my friend Mitch, and right away he said,
“I’ve got an article that might help.”
He sent it through—and it’s really good. It explains how Muslims are being trained to ask that exact question, and it helps Christians know how to respond clearly and thoughtfully.
If you’ve got Muslim friends, you might find this resource helpful too. Download the article
Let’s pray
Lord Jesus, Thank you for the opportunities we have to interact with people of different religious backgrounds. Help us be wise in our words, loving in our tone, and truthful in what we say. Remove the roadblocks that stop people from seeing who You really are. We want our friends to know that You are God, worthy of worship, and that You alone can save. Amen.
Have a great week talking to your friends about Jesus,
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