Evangelist J. John: Listening Matters More Than Winning Arguments

Most people don’t become a Christian because someone won an argument. Rather, they begin opening their heart to Jesus because someone built a bridge.

Evangelist J. John has this story himself, trading what looked like an agnostic lifestyle for Christianity because a friend took a personal interest in him.

Years later, he did the same for an angry university student named Christine Caine over five cups of coffee. On The Greg Laurie Show, he shared both stories.

Here’s what we covered:

• A Friend Who Built a Bridge to Jesus
• Investing in People
• How Five Coffees Led Christine Caine to Christ
• Listen Before You Argue
• The Loudest Objection May Come From the Person Closest to Faith

A Friend Who Built a Bridge to Jesus

Greg Laurie: So what’s your story, J. John? …

J. John: … We were not religious as a family. We went at Christmas Day, Easter Day. I didn’t really know anything. I didn’t go around saying I’m an agnostic, but I was probably an agnostic.

But when I went to college in London—and interestingly, my first day of college, this guy comes up to me. He introduces himself as a Christian. I don’t think I’d ever met one before, or I’d never met one that actually told me. And in my first year, Greg, he bought me a Bible. He basically helped me come and understand and encounter Jesus.

When I got baptized, I remember this is what I said: “My friend Andy built a bridge from him to me. And when he did, Christ Jesus walked over it.” And that’s, Greg, what happened. I was transformed.

… But then there was this cultural [rift] with my family, because they thought I joined a cult. And so it was difficult, and it was hard. And there were battles to try and be faithful to the Lord when, you know, my family opposed it.

Investing in People

Greg Laurie: So, you know, what Andy did for you, I know you’ve done for many others. I know that you have relationships with people that are well known, that you have influenced privately, doing everything you can to encourage them in their faith. You know, sometimes preachers will meet celebrities and they’ll kind of name-drop them a lot and talk about them all the time. But I think what you’re trying to do is work behind the scenes and actually help these people. And one person that you played a key role in them coming to Christ—I just interviewed her—was Christine Caine.

J. John: Oh, I love Christine.

Greg Laurie: And what an amazing story, because she, too, is Greek. … She had the most insane childhood and upbringing, very tragic. But yet you took a personal interest in her and built a bridge to her, and it resulted in her coming to Christ. And now Christine influences people around the world.

How Five Coffees Led Christine Caine to Christ

J. John: Well, I don’t know how she told you the story, but let me tell you my version. So I was leading this mission, Greg, at Sydney University, and the auditorium was not big enough. So we had to move the meetings to the outdoors. Now, I know you’re like me, Greg. We’re very reluctant to kind of say it’s a revival. You know, we’re very cautious. But there were like 4,000 students at the meetings, and I was preaching every day.

Anyway, I finished preaching. I got off the stage and stepped down. Students were talking to me. And this girl comes. She interrupts everyone, and she says, “I hated what you said.” I said, “Oh, I’m very, very sorry.” And she says, “Well, I can tell you that church ruins people’s lives.” And I said, “I’m very sorry that you feel that.” And I said, “Well, look, have you got a few minutes?” And she’s like, “Why?” I said, “Well, if you’ve got a few minutes, how about you and I just go to the university cafeteria and we’ll just have a coffee together.”

And so she agreed. And we literally just strolled, went into the university cafeteria, just got a coffee. By the way, Greg, can I reassure you, I don’t do that with everyone that I meet. It was one of those moments where I felt the prompting of the Spirit.

Listen Before You Argue

J. John: And I sat with her. I said, “Why are you so angry?” And, you know, all this stuff came out. And I didn’t try and defend. I didn’t try and argue. I listened. And then I gave her a few pointers.

And I said, “Look, I’m speaking tomorrow.” That was a Monday. I said, “Come Tuesday, hear me preach, and we’ll have a coffee.” We did. I said, “Come and hear me Wednesday, and then we’ll have a coffee.” She did. “Come and hear me Thursday, and we’ll have a coffee.” She did. I said, “There’s one meeting left, Friday. Come and hear me Friday, and we’ll have a coffee.” Friday, she’s ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven. That is Christine Caine.

And I sometimes say, Greg, you know, I preached five times. I think it was the five coffees. It’s the five coffees that did it!

The Loudest Objection May Come From the Person Closest to Faith

Greg Laurie: Yeah, the personal interaction and involvement in her life. And, you know, she was under the conviction of the Spirit. Sometimes we think when someone argues with us, that’s a bad thing. They may be closer to the kingdom of God than the pleasant, passive person who says, “Well, I liked your speech. Thank you.”

But there’s an expression: When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that barks the loudest is the one that got hit. And it reminds us of Saul of Tarsus prior to becoming Paul the apostle. What was he doing? He was going out of his way to persecute Christians, starting with the martyrdom of Stephen.

Get the full interview here.