What if you were in an elevator and overheard someone asking about God or wrestling with a spiritual question? You know you only have a brief moment, what would you say? How would you share hope, truth, and the Gospel in those short moments?
Every Small Window is a Big Opportunity to Talk About the Gospel of Jesus Christ
(MULTILINE)
That’s why I love Acts 26:28. Agrippa looks at Paul and says, “Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” In other words, Paul gave what I like to call an elevator speech of the Gospel. It wasn’t long. It wasn’t drawn out. But it was powerful.
A few years ago, we took our daughter, Londyn, on her milestone trip when she turned sixteen. We wanted to invest in her faith and character, so we went to five different locations, had five unique experiences, and shared five devotions. When my son Heston turned sixteen, we did the same. This trip took us to Mount Rushmore, and while we were there, I ran into an evangelistic opportunity that has stuck with me.
Two Mormon missionaries were standing in the park with a giant map of the world. They invited people walking by to place a colored pushpin in their hometown. While folks leaned in to put their pin on the map, the missionaries used that moment to build conversation: “Where are you from? Is this your first time here? Did you fly or drive? What’s the weather like back home?” Then, of course, they would transition to their real purpose, introducing their version of God’s plan.
Now here’s the truth: most Christians, myself included, tend to keep walking when we encounter moments like this. We pretend not to hear. We look the other way. We avoid what could be the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel. And the question is, why? Why do we do this?
When We Remain Silent, We Reveal Either Doubt in the Gospel’s Power or Fear in Our Weakness
(MULTILINE)
It usually comes down to two reasons.
First, some Christians simply don’t fully believe in the power of the Gospel. Deep down, they doubt that it really changes lives, regardless of background, race, gender, or sin. If we avoid opportunities, it reveals that, at some level, we don’t trust the Gospel to do what God promises it can do.
Second, we are afraid. We tell ourselves, “I don’t know what to say. What if I mess up? What if they ask me something I can’t answer? What if I embarrass myself?”
But here’s the thing: when we land in that second category of fear, it actually circles us back to the first category. Because fear is rooted in doubt. We are doubting the promise that Jesus made, that the Holy Spirit will give us the words when we need them (Luke 12:12). Yes, we should be prepared with basic answers. Yes, we should study and be ready to give a defense o the hope that we have in Jesus, (1 Peter 3:15). But when fear shuts us down, what we’re really saying is, “I don’t believe the Gospel is enough.”
So, back to Mount Rushmore. One of the missionaries caught my eye and asked me to put a pin on the map so they could pray for me. In that moment, I had two choices: I could decline and walk away, or I could step into the moment and trust the power of the Gospel. I chose to engage.
I said to him, “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going to put a pin on the map because your prayers don’t work with the God I serve.” That opened the door. He asked, “Do you not believe in prayer? Do you not believe in God?” And I replied, “I believe in prayer. But I believe in prayer to the Father through the name of Jesus Christ—the true Son of God, not just a prophet or a good man (John 14:6). Your prayers go nowhere because your faith is based on man, on works, and on a false hope of an afterlife that does not exist. My prayers go to the living God who sees, who knows, who understands, and who sent His Son to die for our sins and rise from the grave. That’s the only reason we can pray with confidence.”
By this point, my family had already walked a good distance away, and I could tell by their looks that they were wondering how long this was going to take! But in my heart, I knew this was a seed moment. This wasn’t going to turn into a long conversation. But it was a chance to drop truth and let the Spirit take it from there. I wasn’t rude, I wasn’t demeaning, I wasn’t arrogant. I was just clear. I wanted those young men to know that my belief in prayer flows directly from my belief in Jesus, His mission, His title, His death, and His resurrection.
Paul was also faced with moments that felt rushed or a small window that was closing. After being imprisoned for two years, he had these brief moments where he could share the Gospel. Sometimes it was just a window. Sometimes just a conversation. But every chance he got, Paul used it.
That’s why this chapter is so important for us. It’s not just about knowing Paul’s story. It’s about learning from Paul’s example, how to use even the smallest opportunity to point someone to Jesus. So here are five things we should all think through when it comes to giving our own “elevator speech” of the Gospel.
Big Picture
Acts 25:17-22
Politicians Play the Polls, But Faithful Servants Trust the Promises of God
(MULTILINE)
But Festus didn’t bite. Instead, he asked Paul what he wanted. And that’s what good politicians do—they keep everyone guessing while keeping themselves safe. Festus didn’t want to make enemies on his third day in office. He knew how to read public opinion. But the newly appointed Governor was not prepared for Paul’s response; it shocked everyone. He requested an audience with Caesar himself. Why? Three reasons:
He knew he would never receive a fair trial in Jerusalem.
He knew Jesus had already told him, “You will testify for Me in Rome.”(Acts 23:11)
He knew his rights as a Roman citizen, and one of those rights was the ability to appeal directly to Caesar.
So here’s Paul—falsely accused, imprisoned for two years, and yet God is setting the stage. Every politician thinks he’s controlling the outcome, but in reality, God is the one moving the pieces. Paul is not a prisoner of Rome; Paul is an ambassador for Christ, standing in the exact place God promised he would stand.
Five Key Statements for an Evangelistic Conversation
Acts 26:1-23
Statement One:
My Old Life
Paul Didn’t Hide From His Past
(MULTILINE)
That’s powerful. And it’s something we can learn from. Paul didn’t hide his old life because it wasn’t the point. His story wasn’t about glorifying his past—it was about magnifying God’s grace.
The same is true for us. Every single one of us in this room has a story. But here’s where the tension comes in: too often, we convince ourselves that our story isn’t good enough. Or worse, we let someone else convince us that our story doesn’t matter.
Different Details, Same Ending: Once I was lost, Now I’m found; Once I was blind, Now I See
(MULTILINE)
Some think: “I grew up in church, but I was more focused on rules and rituals than on mercy and grace.” Others think: “I never drank, I never cursed, I never got in trouble—but I was eaten up with bitterness, jealousy, and anger until the Spirit broke through.” For others, the story is darker—addiction, brokenness, prison, shattered relationships—living for selfish desires until the weight of sin crushed the soul, and only Jesus could lift it. And for still others, the story is marked by trauma—abuse, betrayal, deep wounds. You wondered, “How could a good God allow this?” until Christ began healing those hidden scars.
Every story is different in the details—but every story is the same in the ending. Once I was lost, but now I’m found. Once I was blind, but now I see. Once I lived for self, but now I live for Christ.
And that means this: don’t downplay your story, and don’t complicate your story. The power isn’t in your testimony—the power is in the Gospel. Your story is just the doorway to show how Christ transforms lives. Paul knew that. And so must we.
Statement Two:
I Saw the Light
Paul tells Agrippa about the day he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. He says, “At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun.” Now, that sounds so simple when Paul says it, doesn’t it? But if we’re honest, this is where many of us start to overcomplicate things.
Every Believer Has a Story about Light Shining into Their Life
(MULTILINE)
Why don’t we share the Gospel? Often it’s because we’re afraid people will think we’re crazy. “You really believe God spoke to you? You really believe Jesus showed up in your life?” Paul could have thought the same thing. But instead, he told his story with confidence: “I saw the light.”
Now you may say, “I never saw a literal light from heaven.” That’s okay. Because every single one of us who has come to Christ has seen the Light differently. The moment you realized you were lost in sin and could not save yourself, that was the Light breaking in. The moment you saw the Gospel clearly for the first time, that was the Light. The moment forgiveness washed over you, that was the Light.
Without the Light, we are left wandering. We chase sin. We live selfishly. We hurt others and ourselves. We carry scars and wounds without even recognizing how deep they go. But when the Light of Jesus shines into our darkness, it changes everything. Even in the bleakest of nights, His Light cuts through. Even in the hardest of seasons, His Light breaks in. And when that happens, every believer can make the same claim Paul made: “I once was lost, but now I am found. I once was blind, but now I see. I once lived in darkness, but now the Light of Christ has shown me the way.”
That’s not crazy, that’s the Gospel, and that’s the second step in our elevator speech: tell them about the Light.
Statement Three:
I Heard a Voice
Paul continues his testimony before Agrippa by saying that when the Light blinded him, he also heard a Voice. And this wasn’t just any voice. It was the voice of Jesus Himself: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Think about that. Paul thought he was fighting for God, but the Voice revealed he was fighting against God. That’s what truth does: it confronts us. It exposes the lies we’ve believed and it redirects the path we’ve been walking.
Truth Calls Us Out and Moves Us Forward
(MULTILINE)
And that Voice didn’t just call Paul out, it called Paul forward. Jesus gave Paul both a new purpose and a new mission: “I am sending you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”
That is as clear a mission statement as you will ever find. And here’s the good news: the same Jesus who spoke to Paul still speaks today. His mission hasn’t changed. His message hasn’t changed. His purpose hasn’t changed. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and He still calls His people to join Him in that work (Luke 19:9-10)
Here at Kingsview, we put it this way: we exist to expand Heaven and deplete Hell. But how do we do that? Not by clever strategies or programs. Not by our strength. We do it the same way Paul did it, by connecting people to Jesus Christ, the only One who forgives, the only One who saves.
A Great Tragedy in the Christian Life Isn’t that God Stops Speaking, It’s that We Stop Listening for His Voice
(MULTILINE)
But here’s the danger: we hear the Voice, but we don’t always obey it. We know what God is calling us to do, but we push it to the back burner. We drown it out with busyness. We silence it with doubt. And when we ignore the Voice, regret follows. Regret breeds cynicism. Cynicism breeds spiritual frustration. And before long, we can look religious on the outside but be wandering in darkness on the inside.
That’s why this step of your story matters. When we share the Gospel, we don’t only talk about our past life, what we saw, but also what we heard. Because at some point, every believer has heard the Voice of God call them to repentance, to salvation, to mission. Your story counts because it reminds others that God is still speaking today. Your story matters because in it someone will hear: God still speaks today.
Statement Four:
I Obeyed
Which leads Paul to admit before the Roman Governor and King Agrippa: “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Paul is saying clearly, “I obeyed this command from Jesus—the same Jesus who called me out of the life I was living, whose presence shone like a bright light, whose voice I heard so clearly that I can still repeat His words to you now.”
This is where Paul’s testimony becomes vulnerable. And in our own stories—our “elevator testimonies”—this is the same moment where our vulnerability must shine through. It’s the place where we say plainly: “I am following the Lord. No matter what people think. No matter what people say. No matter what it costs me. I am a believer. I am a follower of Christ. I am obeying the Lord.”
But Paul’s obedience reveals something that many of us fear. He is honest enough to admit that obedience to Jesus is the very reason he is standing in chains before them. Obeying the Lord had opened him up to criticism, divided him from his people, and even changed the course of his relationships. And isn’t that often why we hesitate? We fear what obedience will cost us. We fear what others will say. We fear what might change if we step out and take Jesus at His word.
Obedience May Cost Us in this World, But Disobedience Has Eternal Effects
(MULTILINE)
Yet those fears only show that our eyes are still fixed on this world, not on eternity. Paul, standing accused, speaks boldly but respectfully, refusing to shy away from the reality of repentance and obedience. He reminds us that the Christian life is not simply about belief—it is about surrender. It is not only about hearing the voice of Jesus—it is about obeying the call of Jesus.
Statement Five:
I Am Continuing
The last statement Paul makes—and maybe the most overlooked—is this: “I am continuing.” Paul emphasizes that he is not preaching some new religion, nor is he inventing something radical or unheard of. He has not created a new sect or rewritten the story of God. Instead, he is pointing to what was already written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, and showing how Jesus is the fulfillment of it all. Paul says, in essence: “I am simply stepping into the next chapter of God’s plan. I am continuing the story that God Himself began.”
We Don’t Carry a New Story, We Continue the Same Story: Jesus Crucified, Risen, and Reigns
(MULTILINE)
This is such an important truth for us to remember in our own “elevator speech,” because this is exactly where we stand today. You and I are not starting something new. We are not selling an idea, and we are not inventing a system. We are continuing in the same Gospel that has been preached for more than 2,000 years.
We are simply carrying forward the message of Jesus—the One whom God promised through the Scriptures, the Messiah who fulfilled every law, who freely gave His life so that sins could be forgiven, who conquered death so that we no longer need to fear the grave, and who restores us to a relationship with our heavenly Father, our Creator.
Paul stood before kings and governors and said, “I am continuing.” And we stand before neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family with the same declaration: “This is not about me—it is about Jesus. And I will continue to tell His story until He comes again.”
Not Everyone Will Say Yes to Jesus
Acts 26:24-29
As Paul finishes sharing his testimony, Governor Festus begins to feel the weight of Paul’s words. He cannot deny that Paul has made a logical case. Paul has given his premise and backed it up with five clear statements, arriving at a sound conclusion. But instead of being persuaded, Festus dismisses it. He says, “Paul, your great learning is driving you out of your mind!” In other words: “You sound too smart for your own good. You’ve built a conspiracy theory out of thin air. Your reasoning doesn’t add up.”
Festus could not find fault in Paul’s logic, so he attacked Paul’s sanity. That’s often the response when someone does not want to deal with the truth—they attack the messenger.
But I love how Paul responds. He turns to King Agrippa and says, in effect, “You know what I’m saying is true. You’ve been tracking with me. You understand the prophets. You know I’m not speaking nonsense.” And then Paul takes a bold step—he puts the king on the spot. He asks: “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do.”
This was not a political move, though it could have been seen that way since the Jewish leaders were present. Paul was not playing politics—he was appealing to common ground. He knew that Agrippa’s heritage and his knowledge of the prophets gave him a starting point, and from there Paul could point to Jesus as the fulfillment of all God had promised.
Say Yes to Jesus, Don’t Stop at “Almost”, Almost Persuaded is Still Lost
(MULTILINE)
But Agrippa takes the exit ramp. Instead of stepping into faith, he steps away from it. He says, “Paul, do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Some translations capture it more personally: “You almost persuade me.” Almost persuaded, but not convinced. Almost ready, but not willing. Almost there, but still lost.
And here Paul makes his final appeal—not just to Agrippa, not just to Festus, not just to the council and the officials in that courtroom, but to all who would ever hear his words. He says: “I wish to God that not only you, but all who hear me this day might become as I am—except for these chains.”
Paul’s heart was laid bare. He did not want them to share his suffering, but he desperately wanted them to share his salvation.
So what do we do with this? We’ve walked with Paul through this powerful moment—his defense before kings and governors, his five key statements of testimony, and the sobering reminder that not everyone will say yes to Jesus. Now the question comes back to you and me: What will you do with what you’ve heard today?
Maybe you are here, and like King Agrippa, you’re almost persuaded. You’ve heard the truth, you’ve felt the Spirit tugging at your heart, but you’ve never fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. Friend, “almost” is not enough. Almost persuaded is still lost. If that’s you, then don’t put it off any longer. Today is the day to trust Christ as your Savior. And if you have questions, or if you’re wrestling with what that means, then let’s talk—today, this week—about your soul, your salvation, and the power of Jesus Christ to change your life.
Maybe for you, the takeaway is about your own story. You’ve been challenged by Paul’s five statements, and you realize you need to sharpen your own “elevator speech.” You need to be ready to share who you were, how you met Jesus, and what He’s doing in your life right now. Bring that to the Lord today: “God, give me clarity and boldness to share my story for Your glory.”
Or maybe you see yourself in Festus or the Jewish leaders—you’ve been living your faith like a negotiation. You’ve been wheeling and dealing with God, giving Him part of your heart but holding back the rest. Today, the call is simple: stop negotiating and start surrendering. Bow to Him as Lord—fully, freely, completely.
Wherever you find yourself in this story, don’t leave this place unchanged. Take the step God is calling you to take. Obey Him. Say yes to Jesus. And then rejoice in the incredible ways He will begin to transform your life.
Don’t stop at almost. Don’t walk away like Agrippa, saying, “Maybe another time.” Every small window is a big opportunity—and this is yours. Say yes to Jesus today. Say yes to forgiveness. Say yes to eternal life. Say yes to the One who said yes to the cross for you.
