The Person in Front of You

A Person, Not a Project

Have you ever prayed for an opportunity to talk about Jesus and then miss the person right in front of you? Maybe you were busy. Maybe you were rehearsing what to say. Maybe you were so focused on getting the conversation right that you barely heard the other person speaking. I know that feeling. We can turn a gospel conversation into a project in our minds. But the person across from us is not a project. This is someone made in God’s image, carrying a story we do not yet know. Welcome to CrossTalk Unleashed. I’m Craig Marvin Johnson. And this is where we learn to pray, prepare, notice, and speak, equipping every believer for gospel conversations. Today, I want to take the pressure off the perfect opening line and put our attention on where it belongs, on the person in front of us. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a simple way to pray, ask a sincere question, listen, and be ready to point to Jesus when a door opens. Our main passage is Acts chapter 8, verse 26 through 40. Philip has been proclaiming Christ in Samaria, and then an angel of the Lord directs him to a desert road. So Philip goes. On that road, he meets an Ethiopian court official returning from Jerusalem reading the prophet Isaiah. That setting is unusual. Most of us will not receive directions from an angel or meet someone reading Isaiah in a chariot. But Acts is telling us what God did in this particular moment. It’s not promising that every encounter will look like this one. But watch Philip’s faithful availability. He obeys the direction he is given. He draws near to one person, he pays attention to what that person is already doing, and he begins with a question. Sometimes we want God to show us the entire outcome before we take the first step. Philip was simply faithful with the step in front of him. Jesus saw people with compassion. And Matthew chapter 9 says that when he saw crowds, he had compassion for them. Then he told his disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest. So begin there. Pray for people with compassion, not as targets. Ask God to make you attentive to the people he has placed near you today.

Ask, Then Listen

In Acts chapter 8, Philip hears the official reading Isaiah. His first words are not a speech. He just asks whether the man understands what he’s reading. The official admits that he needs someone to guide him and invites Philip to sit with him. Then the man asks his own question about the passage. Philip does not have to force an opening, he listens to the opening that’s actually there. Notice the order. Philip comes near, he observes, he asks, he listens, then he responds. That order can help us too. You might ask a neighbor, “How have you really been doing?” Or ask a friend, “What has been weighing on you lately?” Or when someone raises a spiritual question, “What brought that question to mind?” The question is not a trick, it’s an invitation. And the answer may surprise you. You may hear grief, gratitude, anger, curiosity, or a question you’re not ready to answer. Stay with the person. Do not rush past what they have entrusted to you. James chapter 1, verse 19, calls us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Listening is not a delay before the real ministry starts. Listening can be an act of love and part of a faithful witness. Of course, asking a good question doesn’t mean we remain silent about Jesus. Philip did speak, but he spoke into the conversation the other man was actually having. Not the one Philip had imagined in advance. Some people will not want to continue a spiritual conversation. You can respect that. Be a good neighbor anyway. Someone’s willingness to talk is not a measure of their worth, and it’s certainly not a measure of your faithfulness. Our aim is not to steer every exchange toward a rehearsed conclusion. It’s to be present, truthful, and ready when there’s room to speak.

When the Door Opens, Point to Jesus

The official asks Philip whom Isaiah is talking about. Acts chapter 8, verse 35 tells us that Philip began with that Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Philip’s question did not replace the gospel. It made room for a conversation in which he could explain it. That matters. We are not merely encouraging people to have warm conversations. We are hoping, praying, and preparing for conversations that can lead to Christ. When someone asks, “What gives you hope?” you don’t need to deliver a polished lecture. Just speak clearly about the person at the center of that hope. God made us for Himself. We have sinned and cannot make ourselves right with Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He calls us to turn from sin and trust Him. Forgiveness and new life are gifts of His grace, not rewards for winning an argument. Then leave room for the other person’s response. You might say, “Would you like to read this passage together?” Or, “Can I tell you why Jesus matters so much to me?” First Peter chapter 3, verse 15 calls believers to be ready to give a reason for their hope with gentleness and respect. And Colossians chapter 4 tells us to pray for an open door, walk wisely, and let our speech be gracious, so that we know how to answer each person. Each person. That means we don’t give the same canned answer regardless of what someone has said. We prepare in Scripture so we can respond with truth and care. Remember, preparation is not having every answer. It is knowing Jesus, knowing His gospel, and being willing to learn when we don’t know something. Purpose is not controlling the outcome. It is taking the next faithful step. And prayer is not an afterthought. The Lord can be at work in a person’s life long before we recognize it. We can ask Him for wisdom, courage, and love, and entrust the result to Him. First Corinthians chapter 3 reminds us that we may plant or water, but God gives the growth. So ask, listen, and when the opening comes, do not be afraid to speak about Jesus.

The CrossTalk Challenge

So here is this week’s CrossTalk Challenge. One person, one prayer, and one honest question. Within the next 24 hours, write down the name of one person you expect to see or speak with this week. Pray for that person by name. Ask God to give you compassion and attention. Not a clever strategy. Before the week ends, ask one sincere question and listen to their whole answer. Put your phone away. Do not plan your reply while the person is still talking. If a natural door opens, take one more step. Ask permission to share a passage of Scripture or to explain why Jesus gives you hope. If the door does not open, keep loving that person. You have not failed. This is simple enough to remember. Pray for one person, ask one question, listen to one answer, and be ready to speak of Jesus. Prayer, preparation, purpose. Pray for the person, prepare by returning to Scripture, and purpose to be faithfully available. We cannot manufacture a gospel conversation. We can be present for one. The person in front of you matters to God. Let that shape how you see, how you listen, and how you speak. Father, give us eyes to see people as You see them. Forgive us when fear makes us withdraw, or when our eagerness to speak keeps us from listening. Teach us to pray for the people near us, and to ask sincere questions and to hear their answers with patience and compassion. Make us ready to explain the good news of Jesus clearly and graciously when the door opens. And keep us from treating people like projects or outcomes like trophies. Help us be faithful with the next person and the next step. Trust You for the growth. In Jesus’ name, amen.