“Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’

The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.” (Acts 8:30–31 NLT)

 

Philip, a leader in the early church, was given a remarkable opportunity to share the gospel. According to Acts 8, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to an Ethiopian official, who was sitting in a chariot, struggling to understand a passage from the book of Isaiah.

“Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him” (Acts 8:30–31 NLT).

As you explore the passage further, you’ll find that when Philip shared the gospel with the Ethiopian dignitary, he demonstrated something that’s often lacking in evangelistic efforts, and that’s tact.

Many Christians, when they sense an opportunity to witness to an unbeliever, opt for an all-out blitz. They fire away with everything they have in their spiritual arsenal. They don’t make an effort to engage the people they speak with. They don’t try to establish a dialogue. They don’t bother with building an interpersonal bridge. They simply present their arguments, make their statements, and walk away from the encounter feeling impressed with themselves. Meanwhile, the people they’re talking to are silently wishing they would just stop talking and going away.

Later, the Christian thinks, “Boy, I really blew them out of the water when they said this and that. Wasn’t that great?” No, it wasn’t great. In fact, it was quite foolish, because our job as believers is not to win the argument; it’s to win the soul.

If we want to effectively share the gospel with people, then we need to engage them. What did the master evangelist Jesus do as He talked with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation. He established some give-and-take. He spoke. He listened. She shared her heart with Him. He revealed the truth to her.

When we share the gospel with people, it must be as a dialogue—and not as a monologue. It’s not just a matter of talking; it’s also a matter of listening. Sharing the gospel involves offering appropriate passages from Scripture and genuine responses from a heart filled with love.

No one will ever be argued into the kingdom of God. No one will come away from an adversarial debate with a believer—after winning or losing—with a desire to “join the other side.” Ultimately, people are going to believe because the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin. Our job is to simply bring them the essential gospel message in a way that’s compelling, thoughtful, and personal.

 

Reflection question: How do you use tact when you share the gospel with others? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, &lsquo;Do you understand what you are reading?&rsquo;
The man replied, &lsquo;How can I, unless someone instructs me?&rsquo; And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.&rdquo; (Acts 8:30&ndash;31 NLT)
&nbsp;
Philip, a leader in the early church, was given a remarkable opportunity to share the gospel. According to Acts 8, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to an Ethiopian official, who was sitting in a chariot, struggling to understand a passage from the book of Isaiah.
&ldquo;Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, &lsquo;Do you understand what you are reading?&rsquo; The man replied, &lsquo;How can I, unless someone instructs me?&rsquo; And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him&rdquo; (Acts 8:30&ndash;31 NLT).
As you explore the passage further, you&rsquo;ll find that when Philip shared the gospel with the Ethiopian dignitary, he demonstrated something that&rsquo;s often lacking in evangelistic efforts, and that&rsquo;s tact.
Many Christians, when they sense an opportunity to witness to an unbeliever, opt for an all-out blitz. They fire away with everything they have in their spiritual arsenal. They don&rsquo;t make an effort to engage the people they speak with. They don&rsquo;t try to establish a dialogue. They don&rsquo;t bother with building an interpersonal bridge. They simply present their arguments, make their statements, and walk away from the encounter feeling impressed with themselves. Meanwhile, the people they&rsquo;re talking to are silently wishing they would just stop talking and going away.
Later, the Christian thinks, &ldquo;Boy, I really blew them out of the water when they said this and that. Wasn&rsquo;t that great?&rdquo; No, it wasn&rsquo;t great. In fact, it was quite foolish, because our job as believers is not to win the argument; it&rsquo;s to win the soul.
If we want to effectively share the gospel with people, then we need to engage them. What did the master evangelist Jesus do as He talked with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation. He established some give-and-take. He spoke. He listened. She shared her heart with Him. He revealed the truth to her.
When we share the gospel with people, it must be as a dialogue&mdash;and not as a monologue. It&rsquo;s not just a matter of talking; it&rsquo;s also a matter of listening. Sharing the gospel involves offering appropriate passages from Scripture and genuine responses from a heart filled with love.
No one will ever be argued into the kingdom of God. No one will come away from an adversarial debate with a believer&mdash;after winning or losing&mdash;with a desire to &ldquo;join the other side.&rdquo; Ultimately, people are going to believe because the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin. Our job is to simply bring them the essential gospel message in a way that&rsquo;s compelling, thoughtful, and personal.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How do you use tact when you share the gospel with others?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

No one will ever be argued into the kingdom of God.