Acts 8 is a fast paced and exciting chapter in the unfolding story of the early church and the spread of the Gospel into new territory. Its four primary characters are Saul, Philip, Simon Magus and an Ethiopian eunuch. They represent a full spectrum of responses to the Gospel. What was God up to in each of their lives? What does this tell us about God’s love for each one of us? And what can we learn from their responses? Join Pastor Jim as he unpacks the timeless truths of the Gospel from Acts 8.
Sermon Notes
1. A Vicious Antagonist (v. 1-3, Saul)
2. A Gracious Evangelist (v. 4-8, Philip)
5 Principles for Sharing Your Faith with Others
- Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Meet people where they are.
- Listen first, speak second.
- Communicate clearly.
- Seek to win the heart, not just the argument.
3. A Spiritual Opportunist (v. 9-24, Simon)
4. A Curious Convert (v. 25-40, Ethiopian)
“Our lifelong nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation.”
C. S. Lewis
Transposition and Other Addresses aka The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses
“In the stories of extravagant grace given to us by Jesus, there are no loopholes disqualifying us from God’s love. Each has at its core an ending too good to be true – or so good that it must be true.”
Philip Yancey
What’s So Amazing About Grace?