Bible ReadingActs 6:1-7 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
[26:39]Acts 8:4-8, 26-40 “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city.
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.’ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: ‘HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.’ The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.”
[42:20] [50:21] [53:18]Acts 21:8-9 “On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.”
[01:03:59]Observation questions- In Acts 6, what specific problem started the conflict in the church, and what qualifications were used to choose the seven men who would handle it? [28:38]
- According to Acts 6:1-7, what happened after Philip and the others took responsibility for the daily food distribution?
- In Acts 8, what two very different places did Philip go, and what was happening in each place when he arrived there or left there? [50:21]
- When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch, what question did he ask him, what passage was the man reading, and what did Philip do with that starting point? [54:13]
Interpretation questions- The apostles would not neglect prayer and the ministry of the word, but they also would not ignore hungry widows. What does that show about how the church should view both spiritual ministry and practical care?
- The seven were chosen for a food distribution problem, yet they had to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Why would those qualities matter so much in a task that might seem ordinary? [31:26]
- Philip crossed into Samaria, a place loaded with old suspicion and dislike. What does his willingness to go there suggest about how the gospel confronts tribal loyalties and inherited prejudices? [46:41]
- Philip left a fruitful ministry in Samaria for one man on a desert road. What does that reveal about how God measures fruitfulness, success, and obedience? [01:01:57]
Application questions- A life that matters is first a surrendered life. Where is control being guarded right now—plans, reputation, comfort, schedule, money, or something else—and what might it look like to place that area back into God’s hands? [29:44]
- No God-given job is unimportant. What part of serving others has started to feel small, unnoticed, or beneath consideration? How might Philip’s table-waiting reshape the way that work is viewed this week? [39:29]
- The gospel crosses tribal lines. Who is harder to move toward with love—someone from a different background, political tribe, class, race, age group, or someone with a painful history? What would one step of Christlike love toward that person actually look like? [48:44]
- Obedience may mean leaving what feels successful. Has there been a time when God seemed to redirect attention away from something visible and toward one person, one conversation, or one quiet act of service? What made that hard to trust? [50:51]
- Philip began with a real question, opened Scripture, and moved the conversation to Jesus. When people around you raise confusion, pain, or spiritual questions, is there a tendency to ignore the question, argue, or rush past it? What would it look like to listen better and answer from God’s word? [58:17]
- Hidden faithfulness still matters to Christ. If much of life feels ordinary or unseen right now, what helps keep a person serving with joy instead of drifting into resentment or weariness? [01:07:00]
- Philip was still serving decades later, still hospitable, and still passing faith to the next generation. Who is watching your walk with Christ right now, and what kind of example is being set for them in the long run? [01:09:20]
