It’s bad enough to be wrong. Worse is not even knowing you’re wrong.

That was my experience from speaking with Randy Newman, a veteran of campus evangelism and author of the new book Unlikely Converts: Improbable Stories of Faith and What They Teach Us About Evangelism. I thought I knew something about evangelism. I talk about Jesus for a living! I even lecture on the subject in seminaries.

But Newman’s book pushed back on some of my assumptions and experiences. For example, we should avoid getting sidetracked with debates about sexual ethics, right? Stay focused on the resurrection, I thought. But no, Newman says. Unlikely converts report that conversations about sexuality helped them see the truth and beauty of the gospel.

Ok, let’s try a different approach, then. Surely now we should be building friendships with non-Christians so we can establish credibility for our evangelism. Not so much, Newman says, at least in the experience of some unlikely converts. Saying something about Jesus to someone you don’t know well is better than waiting for a right moment that never arrives.

Newman was a good sport in this Gospelbound interview as I shared how his book proved me wrong. Listen to the whole thing to learn from this insightful evangelist.