How to be a Christian When Persecuted

June 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In October 2022, Jackie Hill Perry posted a calm, one-sentence response to someone who publicly wished her a happy Pride Month: she said she would use the opportunity to point people to Jesus, pray for those who are lost, and remember that Christians are not called to defend themselves but to preach the gospel. The thread exploded. Thousands of comments poured in, and Perry watched it unfold from a distance, mostly unbothered. Her husband, Preston Perry, later told friends that Jackie was probably at home researching how to turn the controversy into an evangelism opportunity. That moment became the catalyst for this episode, which is less about the specific incident and more about a framework for how Christians should think about persecution, opposition, and the people who oppose them.

Persecution is a platform, not a problem

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What you'll learn

1 (01:17) **Opening Banter and Name Confusion** - Preston and Jackie joke about camera angles, clothing, and the common mistake of calling Preston "Perry" or mixing up their names
2 (04:14) **The "Happy Pride Month" Incident** - Jackie describes a viral social media moment where someone posted "Happy Pride Month" to her, which sparked a large online debate
3 (05:29) **Biblical Framework: Persecution Positions You to Preach** - Jackie and Preston establish the core thesis: persecution should be leveraged to point people to Jesus, not to defend oneself
4 (10:06) **Personal Discouragement vs. Persecution** - Jackie distinguishes between discouragement from trials and the specific experience of persecution
5 (13:49) **The Danger of No Opposition and False Persecution** - The hosts warn that absence of persecution may indicate a compromised witness, while manufactured persecution is narcissistic
6 (16:44) **The Missional Mindset: Every Moment is Part of the Mission** - Paul's example shows that persecution is not a distraction from the mission but part of it
7 (18:02) **Early Christian Persecution Stories** - Jackie and Preston share their first experiences of opposition after conversion

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Preston Perry

Show Notes

Earlier this month, Jackie found herself at the center of a Threads post that generated a whole lot of conversation. It got her and Preston thinking about the opposition we face as Christians because of a worldview that is confusing to unbelievers.

NOTE: For most of us, the persecution we face is social in nature – that’s different from persecution others face around the world when they risk their lives professing Christ.

As Christians, we’re not supposed to defend ourselves. We’re supposed to preach the gospel and leverage opposition as an opportunity to point others to Jesus. Jackie and Preston discuss a helpful framework for approaching unbelievers, why it’s important to lead with compassion, and the reason why both prayer and patience are required for those conversations.

Scripture References:

2 Corinthians 4:4-6
1 Peter 3:15-16
Nehemiah 4:17–18

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