Witnessing Christ

Truth in Love Ministry
  • 4.8 (18)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Witnessing Christ is a Truth in Love Ministry podcast designed to help biblical Christians witness to their Mormon family, friends, and missionaries. For more Bible-based witnessing resources, check out tilm.org. We have many resources to support you, including classes, witnessing scenarios, books, and so much more.

  1. 4h ago

    Listen to Jesus, then Listen Like Jesus - with Mark Paustian

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Mike and Molly are joined by Dr. Mark Paustian, professor at Martin Luther College, for a conversation about one of the most important—and often overlooked—aspects of witnessing: listening. With decades of experience in pastoral ministry, teaching, and Christian apologetics, Mark shares how learning to listen transformed his approach to evangelism. What began as an intimidating challenge for an introverted young pastor became a lifelong appreciation for genuine curiosity, meaningful questions, and the incredible opportunities that come from simply taking the time to understand another person. The conversation explores how Christians can approach their Latter-day Saint friends, family members, and missionaries with genuine love rather than an agenda to win arguments. Instead of focusing entirely on what we want to say, what happens when we begin by asking what another person believes, why they believe it, and what their beliefs mean to them personally? In this episode, you'll hear: How an unexpected conversation with an atheist helped shape Mark's approach to witnessing.Why listening can be more valuable than having the perfect argument.How introverts can use their natural strengths to share the gospel.What makes a question genuinely thoughtful, loving, and productive.Why curiosity should come from a desire to understand rather than a hidden agenda.How vulnerability and honesty about our own struggles can help build trust.Why sharing the certainty of forgiveness in Christ can open meaningful conversations with Latter-day Saints.How Christians can use LDS Come, Follow Me readings to begin respectful, Scripture-centered discussions.What to do when conversations with missionaries become uncomfortable or tense.How hospitality, friendship, and genuine compassion can communicate the love of Christ.Why spending time in God's Word prepares our hearts to share his love with others.Four essential qualities for meaningful conversations: curiosity, high regard, mutual openness, and carrying one another's burdens.One of the central lessons of this conversation is that we don't need to prove someone wrong before we can show them Jesus. Too often, witnessing becomes a contest of arguments. We prepare answers, study theological differences, and search for the perfect question that will finally convince someone to agree with us. But in doing so, we can forget the person sitting across from us. Mark encourages Christians to approach witnessing differently. Be genuinely curious. Ask questions you actually want answered. Listen without immediately preparing your response. And when the opportunity comes, share what Jesus means to you and the incredible peace that comes from knowing your sins are forgiven. For Christians witnessing to Latter-day Saints, this creates opportunities to discuss questions that go beyond theological definitions. How do you know God loves you? What does forgiveness mean to you? How can you be certain that God accepts you? These questions allow us to move beyond arguments and point to the beautiful promises of Scripture. And that is where our confidence ultimately rests. We don't have to manufacture the perfect witnessing experience. We have a Savior who has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has secured our forgiveness and given us peace with God. The more we listen to Jesus in his Word, the more his love, mercy, and promises fill our hearts. And when our hearts are full of Christ, we have something wonderful to share with the people around us. Listen to Jesus. Then listen like Jesus. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL  Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  2. Oct 2

    How a Year of Ministry Changes You - with TILM Interns

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Mike sits down with returning Truth in Love Ministry interns Charlie and Calvin after their year serving as vicars in local congregations. After a year of preaching, teaching, meeting new people, and having countless conversations about faith, they reflect on how practical ministry changed the way they think about witnessing. Although they served in very different places—Calvin in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, and Charlie near Greenville, South Carolina—both discovered something similar: effective witnessing is less about finding the perfect argument and more about listening, loving the person in front of you, sharing Jesus, and trusting God's Word to work. Calvin shares the story of a man who unexpectedly walked into his church after beginning discussions with Latter-day Saint missionaries. For several months, Calvin walked alongside him as he simultaneously studied with the missionaries and worked through a Christian Bible information course. Their conversations continually returned to the simple message of what Jesus had already done for him. Charlie reflects on how his previous work with Truth in Love prepared him to minister to people from many different religious backgrounds. Instead of immediately attacking beliefs he knew were false, he learned to slow down, listen, ask questions, and recognize how deeply personal someone's faith can be. In this episode, you'll hear: How a year of practical ministry shaped Charlie and Calvin as future pastors.How Calvin unexpectedly used his TILM training while working with someone studying with LDS missionaries.Why the biblical teaching of direct access to God through Christ stood out in those conversations.How listening can transform conversations with people from different religious backgrounds.Why attacking someone's beliefs often closes doors rather than opening them.What it means to let God's Word work instead of searching for the perfect “silver bullet.”Why Christians don't have to say everything in a single witnessing conversation.How face-to-face ministry taught them to become more comfortable thinking on their feet.Why witnessing often means planting and watering seeds whose growth you may never see.How simply being present in a community creates natural opportunities to talk about Jesus.Why Christians can take risks in witnessing without making the outcome depend on themselves.One of the biggest lessons from their year of ministry was learning to abandon the “silver bullet” mentality—the idea that if we could just find the perfect verse, argument, or question, everything would suddenly fall into place. Usually, witnessing doesn't work that way. Sometimes you're simply planting a seed. Sometimes you're watering one somebody else planted years ago. And sometimes you may never see what God eventually does through a conversation. Especially when witnessing to Latter-day Saints, spiritual change can take years. Our responsibility isn't to manufacture that change. We share God's Word and trust Him to work through it. That truth also takes enormous pressure off the witness. You aren't the most important person in someone's story—God is. You don't have to know everything, speak perfectly, or win every argument. You get the privilege of sharing the Savior who has already done everything necessary for sinners. So listen. Ask questions. Be willing to stay in someone's life for the long haul. Share Jesus. Plant the seed. And then trust God with the growth. As Charlie puts it, witnessing can feel risky—but sometimes the best thing you can do is simply go try something risky and see how the Lord uses it. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  3. Sep 25

    Make the Gospel Stick - with Pete Myers

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Mike and Molly are joined by Pastor Pete Myers of Manchester Lutheran Church for a conversation about contextualizing the gospel—communicating the unchanging good news of Jesus in ways that people can actually hear and understand. Through his ministry in Manchester, England, Pete began having conversations with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, poverty, and shame. As he listened, he discovered that simply saying, “God loves you” didn't always communicate what he intended. Many people assumed their circumstances were evidence that God was angry or frustrated with them. That led Pete to a simple way of expressing the gospel: “God is in a good mood with you, and you see that when you look at Jesus.” The conversation explores what Christians can learn from that approach when witnessing to Latter-day Saints. Rather than beginning with assumptions about what another person believes, Christians can listen, ask questions, identify where someone is placing their trust, and then bring the objective good news of Christ directly into that person's situation. In this episode, you’ll hear: What it means to contextualize the gospel without changing its message.Why listening is one of the most important skills in witnessing.How to approach someone as a human being rather than an evangelism project.Why Christians shouldn't assume they already know what another person believes.How law and gospel help us understand what someone needs to hear.Why theological debates can sometimes distract us from actually sharing Jesus.How to respond when someone comes into a conversation with prepared arguments.Why you don't need to have every theological answer before witnessing.How failure and awkward conversations can actually help us grow as witnesses.Why Christians themselves continually need to hear forgiveness and the gospel.How Christian community can encourage and strengthen us in our witness.Why the best preparation for witnessing isn't mastering every argument—it's returning to Jesus and what He has already done.Throughout the conversation, Pete reminds Christians that the power of witnessing does not depend on our ability to craft the perfect argument. We are weak people carrying an incredibly powerful message. That gives us the freedom to say, “I don't know,” to ask genuine questions, to listen, and even to make mistakes. For Christians witnessing to Latter-day Saints, that means we don't have to enter every conversation determined to correct every false belief. Instead, we can begin by listening. Ask questions such as, “How does God feel about you?” or “Why do you believe God will reward you?” Then listen carefully enough to understand where that person is placing their confidence. And when the opportunity comes, give them what the world cannot give them: the gospel. Jesus has already acted for sinners. Our forgiveness doesn't rest on how well we witness, how much theology we know, or how effectively we defend our beliefs. Christ died for us, and our sins have been dealt with completely in Him. That same gospel gives Christians the freedom and confidence to witness. We don't go because we've finally become qualified enough. We go because we have peace with God through Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Not our strategies. Not our arguments. Not social media algorithms. Not our ability to say everything perfectly. Jesus is Lord—and He continues to work through His Word. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL  Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  4. Sep 18

    Using Isaiah to Witness - with Ken Cherney Jr.

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Mike and Molly continue their conversation with Professor Ken Cherney of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary about the book of Isaiah. This time, the focus shifts specifically toward witnessing: How can Christians use Isaiah to have meaningful, gospel-centered conversations with their Latter-day Saint friends and family? Isaiah repeatedly emphasizes something fundamental about the biblical God: there is no one like Him. Against the idols and gods of the surrounding nations, Isaiah presents the Lord as utterly unique. He is not simply a greater or more advanced being. He alone is God, and there is no Savior apart from Him. That biblical picture creates opportunities for important conversations with Latter-day Saints about the nature of God, suffering, and why God does not always fit neatly within our human understanding. But these conversations ultimately lead somewhere even more important—to Jesus Christ and His finished work for sinners. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why Isaiah emphasizes the absolute uniqueness and incomparability of God.  How Isaiah’s descriptions of idolatry help us understand the difference between God and humanity.  How different understandings of God affect the way Christians and Latter-day Saints approach suffering.  Why we should be cautious of a God who always makes perfect sense according to human reason.  How Isaiah 55 combines God's incomprehensible greatness with His incredible promise of forgiveness.  What it means to receive God's gifts “without money” and without payment.  Why Isaiah 52–53 gives such a powerful picture of Christ’s substitutionary suffering.  How Christ’s complete work challenges the idea that we must contribute something toward our forgiveness.  Why Christians should bring witnessing conversations back to Jesus and the cross.  Practical passages from Isaiah that you can use in conversations with your LDS friends and family. One of Isaiah’s clearest messages is that God's ways are higher than ours—and nowhere is that more wonderful than in the way He saves sinners. Isaiah 55 pictures God giving His blessings without payment, while Isaiah 53 shows exactly what that gift cost: the Servant was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and punished so that we could have peace. Someone did pay. Jesus did. That means the gospel isn't an invitation to finish what Jesus started. It is the announcement that Christ stood in the sinner's place and accomplished salvation completely. Rather than beginning with an argument, Christians can simply open Isaiah with their LDS friends, read these remarkable passages together, ask questions, and let God's Word show them the gift Christ has already won. Ultimately, that is the goal of witnessing with Isaiah: get to Jesus. Get to the cross. Get to His substitutionary atonement. From there, everything else can be seen in the light of the free and complete forgiveness God gives through Christ. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  5. Sep 11

    Understanding Isaiah - with Ken Cherney Jr.

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Mike and Molly are joined by Professor Ken Cherney of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary for the first part of a special series on the book of Isaiah. As Latter-day Saints prepare to study Isaiah in their Come, Follow Me readings, this conversation helps Christians better understand Isaiah for themselves and equips them to use this remarkable book to point their LDS friends, family members, and coworkers to Jesus.  Isaiah can be challenging, but it is also one of the most important books for understanding the message of the New Testament. Professor Cherney walks through Isaiah’s historical setting, explains some of the principles that help us interpret biblical prophecy, and shows why recognizing poetry, metaphor, and context matters when reading the book.  The conversation also explores how Christians and Latter-day Saints can approach the same passages with very different assumptions. From Isaiah’s picture of the Lord’s temple to his remarkable prophecies about the Servant of the Lord, the episode demonstrates how careful reading continually brings us back to Jesus and His finished work.  In this episode, you’ll hear:   Why Isaiah is foundational for understanding the New Testament.  How Isaiah’s historical setting helps us understand his message.  What exegesis and hermeneutics are—and why they matter when reading Scripture.  How recognizing poetry and metaphor can prevent us from misreading biblical prophecy.  What Isaiah 2 teaches about the mountain of the Lord and the worldwide spread of God's Word.  How Isaiah 40 proclaims comfort and complete forgiveness to God's people.  Why Isaiah's Servant Songs point so clearly to Jesus Christ.  How Isaiah 53 describes Christ suffering in the place of sinners.  How Isaiah 61 presents the gospel as good news, freedom, release, and comfort.  Practical ways to use Isaiah to begin Christ-centered conversations with Latter-day Saints.  Throughout the conversation, one truth stands out: Isaiah is filled with Jesus. The suffering Servant is pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The promised Messiah brings good news to the poor, freedom to captives, and comfort to those who mourn. The gospel Isaiah proclaims is not another set of requirements we must fulfill—it is the announcement of what God gives freely through Christ. As you read Isaiah alongside your LDS friends, you don't need to turn every passage into a debate. Ask questions, examine the text together, and let God's Word speak. Again and again, Isaiah directs sinners away from themselves and toward the Savior who suffers in their place and brings them peace. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  6. Sep 3

    Introducing Mike Cherney!

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Molly sits down with Pastors Mike Cherney and Wayne Uhlhorn to talk about witnessing to Latter-day Saints, what they’ve learned through Truth in Love Ministry, and why Christians are more prepared to share the gospel than they might think. Mike introduces himself as Truth in Love Ministry’s new Director of Ministry Development and shares some of the experiences that led him into ministry to Latter-day Saints. One encounter in particular left a lasting impression: after Mike assured an elderly Christian woman of eternal life because of Christ’s finished work, her LDS nurse responded, “I wish I could have that kind of confidence.” That conversation helped Mike see the incredible blessing Christians have in the certainty of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus.  Mike and Wayne also reflect on their recent mission trip to Idaho Falls, what they learned from conversations with Latter-day Saints, and why successful witnessing doesn’t always mean seeing immediate results. Sometimes sharing one clear gospel truth and planting a seed is exactly what God has called us to do. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Mike’s background and what brought him to Truth in Love Ministry.  How conversations with Latter-day Saints shaped Mike and Wayne’s approach to witnessing.  Why Christians don’t need to be experts in Mormonism to share Jesus.  What makes certain LDS teachings appealing to people.  Why curiosity and good questions are often more effective than arguments and debates.  What Mike and Wayne learned from witnessing door-to-door in Idaho Falls.  Why planting a gospel seed can be a successful witnessing conversation.  How witnessing to others can strengthen and challenge your own faith.  Why every Christian who knows their sin and knows their Savior is more prepared to witness than they might realize. This episode is an encouragement for Christians who want to share their faith but feel nervous, inexperienced, or afraid of saying the wrong thing. You don’t need to know everything about Mormonism before you begin. Listen. Ask questions. Care about the person in front of you. And when God gives you the opportunity, share the simple and beautiful truth you already know: we are sinners, Christ has paid for our sins, and eternal life is His free gift. Not every conversation will end with someone agreeing with you or coming to church. Sometimes you simply plant a seed and trust God to make it grow. As Mike encourages listeners, count every conversation as a win and keep learning along the way. Music used in this episode under license. License code: BSIPX0EWJ87RCGZL  Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  7. Jul 31

    Witnessing Christ in the Old Testament: Esther

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Caleb continues the Christ in the Old Testament series by exploring the book of Esther. As Latter-day Saints study this book in their Come, Follow Me readings, this episode equips Christians to engage the same passages while clearly pointing to the biblical gospel.  Esther is a story of hidden identity, palace intrigue, deadly danger, and an incredible reversal. Although God's name is never mentioned, His providence is evident on every page as He preserves His covenant people through seemingly ordinary events. From Esther's rise to queen, to Mordecai's faithfulness, to Haman's downfall, every detail unfolds according to God's sovereign plan to preserve the people through whom the promised Messiah would come.  The episode focuses on a familiar lesson often drawn from Esther: having the courage to do what is right. While Scripture certainly commends Esther's courage, the conversation looks beyond her example to the deeper reality that she, like every believer, was weak, fearful, and in need of God's grace. Ultimately, Esther points us not to finding hidden courage within ourselves, but to the perfect faithfulness of Jesus Christ.  In this episode, you'll hear:   How God's providence quietly directs every event in the book of Esther.  Why Esther's hesitation reveals the same fears and struggles found in every sinner.  The difference between using Esther as a moral example and seeing how she points to Christ.  Why God's acceptance is never based on personal courage, obedience, or worthiness.  How Jesus identified Himself with condemned sinners far more completely than Esther ever could.  What Hebrews 4 teaches about confidently approaching God's throne through Christ alone.  The difference between biblical assurance and confidence rooted in personal worthiness.  A practical witnessing question to help guide gospel conversations with LDS friends and family.  The episode also highlights the contrast between Esther's uncertain approach to King Xerxes and the believer's confident access to God through Jesus Christ. Esther entered the king's presence not knowing whether she would live or die. Christians, however, approach God's throne with confidence because Jesus has already borne their judgment, fulfilled God's law, and secured full acceptance through His perfect righteousness.   This episode reminds listeners that the greatest comfort found in Esther is not that we can become courageous enough for God to use us. It is that God remains faithful even when His people are weak. Because Christ is worthy, forgiven sinners can rest in His finished work, confidently proclaim the gospel, and trust that God delights to work through imperfect people for His glory.   Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

  8. Jul 24

    Witnessing Christ in the Old Testament: Ezra and Nehemiah

    In this episode of the Witnessing Christ Podcast, Caleb continues the Christ in the Old Testament series by exploring the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. As Latter-day Saints study these chapters in their Come, Follow Me readings, this episode equips Christians to engage those same passages while clearly pointing to the biblical gospel.  After decades of exile, God moves the heart of King Cyrus to send His people home. The temple is rebuilt, Jerusalem's walls are restored, and God's Word is publicly proclaimed once again. Yet behind every human accomplishment stands a greater reality: God is faithfully keeping His promises and preserving the people through whom the promised Savior would come.  The episode focuses on a common theme in LDS teaching materials: "The house of the Lord is a place of joy." While affirming the joy surrounding the rebuilding of the temple, the conversation explores what the Old Testament temple was ultimately designed to teach—and how it points beyond itself to Jesus Christ.  In this episode, you'll hear:   Why the rebuilding of the temple was ultimately about God's faithfulness to His promises.  What the Old Testament temple revealed about God's holiness and humanity's sinfulness.  How the sacrifices and priesthood pointed forward to Christ's once-for-all sacrifice.  The difference between biblical confidence before God and confidence based on personal worthiness or covenant keeping.  Why Jesus is the true Temple, the perfect High Priest, and the final sacrifice for sin.  How Hebrews 10 explains believers' confidence to enter God's presence through Christ alone.  Why good works flow from God's grace rather than earning His acceptance.  A practical witnessing question to help guide gospel conversations with LDS friends and family.  The episode also highlights Nehemiah 8, where the people weep as God's law exposes their sin. Rather than leaving them in despair, Scripture points them to God's mercy and ultimately to the greater work Jesus would accomplish. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ did not simply make it possible for sinners to become worthy someday—He accomplished everything necessary to bring them confidently into God's presence.   This episode reminds listeners that the restored temple was never the final destination. It was a shadow pointing to Jesus Christ, the true Temple and perfect Savior. Because of His finished work, believers do not place their confidence in ceremonies, covenants, or personal progress, but in the completed redemption won through Christ's blood. Share this podcast with your Christian friends and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Witnessing Christ is a Truth in Love Ministry podcast designed to help biblical Christians witness to their Mormon family, friends, and missionaries. For more Bible-based witnessing resources, check out tilm.org. We have many resources to support you, including classes, witnessing scenarios, books, and so much more.

Information

  • Creator
    Truth in Love Ministry
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    147
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Witnessing Christ
  • Show Website
    Witnessing Christ

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