When Coffee Gets Personal
1 Corinthians 9:16–17 - For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
You meet an old friend for coffee. For twenty minutes, the conversation stays where it usually does: work, family, how busy everything has become. Then your friend looks down and says, “Honestly, things haven’t been good.” You could ask what they mean. You could also offer a sympathetic comment and move back to safer ground. Maybe the opportunity you prayed for arrives as a conversation you feel unprepared to have.
Paul understood his preaching as a responsibility entrusted to him. He didn’t invent the gospel or appoint himself its owner. Christ had commissioned him, and he was accountable to carry that message. His “woe to me” expresses the seriousness of that apostolic calling. And his words challenge the idea that the gospel is something we can receive without ever considering how to share it. The reality is that we’ve been given the best news worth telling! The news that Jesus entered our world, died for our sins, and rose from the grave. The news that through Him, people can be forgiven and reconciled to God. The news that following Him brings a new standing and a new life, sustained by His presence.
See, our friend won’t necessarily discover those truths simply by noticing that we’re a nice person. Kindness matters, and it should accompany and support what we say, but at some point, someone needs to hear Whom we trust and what He has done. And that starts simply by listening. “What’s been happening?” may be the most loving next question. Let them finish their answer without searching for the fastest route to the point you want to make. As the conversation develops, you might ask, “Has this changed the way you think about God?” Or, “Would you be open to hearing why Jesus has become so important to me?”
This is what it means to be a Winsome Witness, one who is committed to sharing the good news of Christ with sensitivity, while inviting others to follow Him. When the opportunity comes, speak plainly. You can explain that Christianity begins with what Jesus has done for us, that our sin is real, and that He offers forgiveness and life through faith in Him. You can acknowledge that trusting Him hasn’t removed every struggle while telling the truth about His peace and His grace and His goodness and His faithfulness. You don’t have to borrow someone else’s dramatic testimony and you don’t need an answer to every objection. If a question exceeds what you know, you can say, “I’d like to look into that with you.”
The risen Jesus is at work through His people. Ask Him for courage, clarity, and genuine attention to your friend. Then trust Him with the response. The conversation may continue another day. For now, your friend has heard something more than the worldly advice to hang in there. They’ve heard why you believe there’s a Savior worth turning toward.
Head: The gospel is good news entrusted to us, and people need words that explain what Jesus has done.
Heart: What fear most often keeps me from speaking about Jesus when a natural opportunity comes?
Hands: The people living around you have names, burdens, and stories you may not know yet. Begin making room for them in prayer. Sign up for Bless Every Home to receive daily reminders to pray for your neighbors by name. As you pray, ask Jesus to deepen your love for them and open opportunities to listen, serve, and share the hope you have in Him.
Prayer: “Jesus, thank You for the people who helped me hear Your good news. Give me courage to speak and patience to listen and keep my words clear and centered on what You have done. Work through my conversations and help me entrust the outcome to You. Amen.”
-PK