Podcast Summary

Focus on the Family with Jim Daly

Episode: Best of 2025: Three Ways to Introduce Your Friends to Jesus (Part 2 of 2)
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Jim Daly, John Fuller
Guest Speaker: J. John

Overview

This episode features renowned evangelist J. John, delivering a heartfelt and practical message on how Christians can intentionally introduce their friends, neighbors, and even strangers to Jesus. With a blend of humor, real-world stories, and biblical teaching, J. John outlines three key ways to engage others: praying, caring, and sharing. He reinforces the idea that our own communities are mission fields and encourages listeners to build bridges—one intentional act at a time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Our Mission Field is Right Next Door

• J. John challenges the perception that evangelism requires traveling far.
  • “[Churches] will often encourage their congregations: ‘Go on a missions trip.’ And I say, yes, go on a missions trip. Walk next door. It's cheaper. You don't have to spend a year fundraising. Walk next door.” (J. John, 01:02)
  • Insight: Everyday encounters in local communities present daily opportunities to share Jesus.

2. Be Intentional in Praying

• J. John recounts his routine of praying for guidance: “Quiver in the liver. Talk to her, go and see her son, pray for him, keep visiting, he passes away. Speak at the funeral. 800 people at the funeral... You just walk around. Your kingdom come, your will be done... You don't have to say, ‘Where are the non-Christians?’ They're everywhere.” (J. John, 08:07)
• Example: Persistently prayed and visited Johnny, an atheist, gradually witnessing transformation through prayer, ending with the privilege of sharing Jesus at his funeral for a crowd of 800.

3. Be Intentional in Caring

• Story: J. John always carries socks, a toothbrush, a cross, and a booklet to give practical help to the homeless—demonstrating love before sharing the gospel.
  • “People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care.” (J. John, 06:50)
  • A homeless man validates J. John’s efforts: “God loves you.” — “I know he does...because you came.” (J. John, 07:47)
• Every interaction is an opportunity: Whether with an Uber driver whose mother has Alzheimer's or a stranger at a mall experiencing tragic loss, J. John makes time to listen, care, and pray.
  • “You gotta be prepared. If you're not prepared, then you're not going to be able to do it.” (J. John, 07:15)

4. Be Intentional in Sharing

• Bridge-Building

  • “When I got baptized, I said this. My friend Andy built a bridge from him to me. And when he did, Christ Jesus walked over it. Let’s build bridges.” (J. John, 12:30)

• Everyone is a Witness

  • J. John distinguishes between being a witness (“let me tell you what I know”) and an evangelist (“get the jury to make a decision”).
  • “We're not all evangelists, but we're all witnesses. Every single one of us is a witness.” (J. John, 17:29)

• Share Stories, Not Arguments

  • Story: A skeptical student, angry over church hurt, is met with empathy and invites for coffee. After five coffees and honest conversation, she embraces Christ.
    • “Five coffees. A bit of preaching and five coffees.” (J. John, 19:19)

• Bible Example: The Samaritan Woman

  • Jesus broke tradition to speak with the Samaritan woman, overcoming moral, social, racial, and religious barriers simply by focusing first on common ground—water.
    • “He only had one thing in common with her. H2O.” (J. John, 13:45)

• On Superstition and ‘Agnostics Anonymous’

  • Example from a chat with his hairdresser: after a conversation about the futility of a rabbit’s foot for luck, he invites the woman and her husband to a faith discussion group—"Agnostics Anonymous”—for 16 weeks.

5. Practical Advice & Encouragement

• Live with Expectancy:
  • “Lord, give me eyes to see things. Our responsibility as Christians…is to go into God's orchard and we check the fruit...If the fruit is right for picking...pick the fruit.” (J. John, 22:00)
• Hope in Christ:
  • “Without Jesus, we have a hopeless end. With Jesus, we have an endless hope. We have good news. Good news.” (J. John, 22:53)
• Invitation to Respond:
  • J. John references Revelation 3: “Jesus stands at the door and he knocks. If you hear the knock, open the door. Let Jesus in.” (J. John, 23:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Missions:

  • “Walk next door. It’s cheaper.” (J. John, 01:02)

• On Evangelism:

  • “We gotta be more intentional in praying...in caring...in sharing.” (J. John, throughout)

• On Empathy and Connection:

  • “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” (J. John, 06:50)

• On Transformation:

  • “The first Christian I ever met, I became a Christian, the first person to speak to me about Jesus, and I come to Christ. What if he hadn’t told me—I’d be running a Greek restaurant in London. I wouldn’t be here, would I?” (J. John, 12:56)

• On Every Christian’s Role:

  • “We're not all evangelists, but we're all witnesses.” (J. John, 17:29)

• On Prayerful Expectation:

  • “Lord, give me eyes to see things. Our responsibility as Christians…is to go into God's orchard and we check the fruit...If the fruit is right for picking...pick the fruit.” (J. John, 22:00)

• On Hope in Jesus:

  • “Without Jesus, we have a hopeless end. With Jesus, we have an endless hope.” (J. John, 22:53)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Description | |-----------|---------|----------------------------------------------| | 01:02 | Missions Field | "Walk next door" story and main challenge | | 02:26 | Praying & Johnny's Story | How prayer led to evangelism in suffering | | 06:50 | Caring | Practical ways to love and help others | | 09:51 | Divine Appointments | Uber/mall story, God-arranged meetings | | 12:30 | Building Bridges | Becoming intentional in relationship-building | | 13:45 | Sharing / Samaritan Woman | Overcoming barriers, sharing Jesus | | 17:29 | Witness vs. Evangelist | Roles in sharing the Gospel | | 19:19 | Five Coffees Story | Transformation through repeated kindness | | 22:00 | Practical Advice | “Check the fruit”/Being available for God | | 22:53 | Hope in Christ | "Hopeless end" vs. "Endless hope" | | 23:12 | Invitation | Jesus at the door, call to respond |

Flow & Takeaways for Listeners

• Engaging and direct, J. John intertwines honest personal stories with biblical truth.
• The message is clear, accessible, and often humorous, encouraging a practical, everyday approach to evangelism.
• No one is exempt; evangelism is not just for “professionals” but for every Christian.
• Evangelism begins with loving prayer, followed by acts of caring, and finally, sharing the hope found in Christ.
• Divine appointments abound if we are attentive, available, and willing to act on a nudge from God.

Final Encouragement (From Jim Daly, 24:18)

“I think we should all take J. John up on his challenge to pray for each specific person we know who doesn’t know the Lord...It might take weeks, months or years, but I am sure you will have a story to tell." (Jim Daly, 24:18)

Summary:
This episode is a powerful and practical guide for listeners eager to share their faith authentically. J. John’s stories illuminate how prayerful intention, compassionate action, and genuine sharing of personal stories can introduce friends (and strangers) to the hope of Jesus. The challenge is simple yet profound: mission starts right next door.