The Blood of the Martyrs Is the Seed of the Church

In one paragraph

This message worked through Acts 8:1-25, following Philip's mission to Samaria after the persecution that scattered the Jerusalem church. Pastor Carl traced three things happening at once in the passage: a spiritual awakening among the Samaritans, an unusual visit from Peter and John, and the exposure of a sorcerer named Simon whose heart was not right with God. The scattering of believers after...

Read together

1. Acts 8:1-25 the main passage being preached through the sermon
2. Acts 1:8 Jesus tells the disciples they will be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth
3. John 4 cited as the source for the statement that Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans
4. Matthew 26:26-30 read during communion, Jesus taking bread and the cup at the Last Supper

Talk about it

1. Pastor Mark pointed out that the believers were 'scattered' in the same way a farmer scatters seed, not the way you scatter ashes into the wind. What difference does that picture make to how you think about hard seasons that push you out of your comfort zone?
2. Philip went to Samaria even though, as a Jewish man, he had every reason not to. Where have you felt cultural or personal pressure pulling you away from sharing the gospel with someone, and how did you handle it?
3. Pastor Mark described Simon as a man who looked at the signs Philip performed the way a baby looks at a pointing finger, fixing his eyes on the power rather than on what the power was pointing to. In your own faith life, where are you tempted to chase the sign instead of looking at what it points toward?
4. Peter told Simon to repent and pray directly to God, but Simon asked Peter to pray for him instead. Pastor Mark said Simon could not bring himself to face God in his own sin. Have you ever found yourself doing something similar, putting someone or something between you and an honest conversation with God about where you really are?
5. Pastor Mark closed by asking whether the Holy Spirit is actively changing who we were, and he tied that to preparing for communion. As you examine yourself, where do you see evidence of that change, and where do you sense you are still holding something back?