It is important to know the culture that you’re trying to engage with the gospel. We can’t see into others’ pasts as Jesus did in His earthly ministry. But we can inquire. We’re often tempted to just blast people with the gospel without knowing any of their life circumstances or the culture they were raised in.

The woman at the well was a Samaritan, and Jesus engaged her as such. He knew her past and drew near to her despite the hindrance her past could be seen as. People today tend to be more emotional, experiential, skeptical, and relational than generations before. They often value appeals to their experience rather than brute logic.

Remember that the gospel is better employed as a scalpel than as a hammer. Learn about a friend’s suffering and struggles with sin. Listen more than speak. See where the scalpel is best applied. Often times, your friend will show you the places that are most clearly hurting. In the process of getting to that point, they will feel loved and be more receptive to what you say.