We have been reading about Philip’s ministry opportunity with an Ethiopian eunuch on a desert

road. Philip followed God to this point in time. He then took the time to be with the man and

listen to his questions and needs.

This opened the door for Philip to minister further:

Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture. (Acts 8: 35)

It was that simple! Philip and the man were alone on this desert road, so Philip told him about

Jesus!

How did Philip do it? He did three things:

1. Philip was prepared. He knew this man was interested in learning more about the faith,

and Philip knew what to say.

2. Philip was mindful of the setting. Although it was a road, it was likely a quiet road where

they wouldn’t be disturbed.

3. Philip listened first and then answered the man’s questions. This allowed him to ask

further questions that led to their conversation about the good news of Jesus.

When we see people preaching on the street to people they don’t know, it usually isn’t effective.

One big reason why is because it’s so impersonal. The people involved don’t know each other,

so they don’t feel any connection to each other. It’s easy to dismiss each other in this noisy

setting.

Philip and this man took time in a quiet setting to listen to each other and share what they had to

offer. We will see tomorrow how that approach was effective.



How can you prepare yourself for these ministry opportunities? And how can you create a

personal setting in our busy world to share the gospel effectively?

By Jason Grace

Jason is a software engineering manager. He and his wife, Karen, have two children and have

been active members at Immanuel for over 22 years. His service includes roles in the deacon

ministry, children's ministry, technical team, financial coaching, and leading Bible studies. He

loves traveling with his wife and family throughout the US.