True Or False

Devotional

Day 1: When Amazement Replaces True Surrender

Simon marveled at spiritual power but missed the Savior. His fascination with miracles became a substitute for genuine faith, craving control rather than Christ. Like crowds drawn to card tricks, he prioritized spectacle over surrender. The problem wasn’t his belief in God’s existence but his refusal to bow before God’s authority. Signs should point us to Jesus, not become idols we manipulate. When we fixate on blessings more than the Blesser, we repeat Simon’s error. [41:23]

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. (Acts 8:9-13, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to chase spiritual experiences more than Christ Himself? What practical step could shift your focus from seeking signs to seeking the Savior?

Day 2: 18 Inches Between Heaven and Hell

Belief that stays in the head never transforms the heart. Simon’s intellectual agreement with Philip’s message didn’t produce repentance or renewal. Like demons who shudder at truth yet rebel, he admired God’s power but resisted God’s lordship. True faith bridges the gap between mental assent and surrendered trust, where knowledge becomes allegiance. Eternal life begins when Christ’s truth moves from our thoughts to our deepest desires. [40:45]

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19, NIV)

Reflection: Are there areas where your knowledge about God hasn’t become trust in God? How might you invite Him to transform information into transformation today?

Day 3: The Acid Test of Obedience

Simon wanted spiritual authority without submitting to spiritual accountability. His refusal to repent revealed counterfeit faith. True conversion always produces obedience—not perfection, but a trajectory toward Christlikeness. Like soil responding to seed, genuine believers bear fruit through willing surrender. What we do after saying “I believe” proves whom we truly serve. [46:12]

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10, NIV)

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to replace religious activity with radical obedience? What one command have you struggled to fully embrace?

Day 4: When Religion Masks Empty Rituals

Church attendance and good deeds became Simon’s disguise for a heart still chasing personal glory. He confused proximity to believers with intimacy with Christ. Like workers rejected in Matthew 7, he performed spiritual acts while missing the Savior. True faith wears no masks—it’s raw, real, and rooted in daily dependence on grace alone. [54:24]

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23, NIV)

Reflection: Have any spiritual routines become substitutes for authentic relationship with Jesus? How could you approach your next church gathering with fresh intentionality?

Day 5: Fixing Eyes on the Finger or the Feast

Simon stared at the apostles’ hands distributing the Spirit, blind to the God they served. Like tourists gaping at a tour guide’s pointer instead of the Grand Canyon, he missed the glory. Every miracle, sermon, and blessing exists to direct our gaze to Christ alone. When we stop demanding new signs and start seeing the Savior, wonder becomes worship. [53:39]

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)

Reflection: What spiritual “fingers” (people, methods, or experiences) might you be idolizing instead of fixing your gaze on Jesus? How will you recenter your focus this week?

Sermon Summary

Acts 8 puts a true or false test in front of churchgoing religion. The question is not whether a person has heard about God, grown up around church, or said the right words. The question is whether belief has moved from the head to the heart, from religion to relationship, from being impressed by power to trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The Holy Spirit’s work in Samaria shows that the gospel is for everybody. Peter and John went where Jewish people usually did not want to go, because God so loved the world, not just the people some folks naturally like. Philip proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, and men and women were baptized. The gospel was not pointing to Philip. The gospel was pointing to Jesus.

Simon’s belief looked real on the outside. Acts says Simon believed and was baptized, but his heart soon showed what his eyes had really been fixed on. Simon had practiced sorcery, amazed the people, boasted that he was someone great, and enjoyed being seen and heard. The signs and wonders had his attention, but Jesus did not have his heart.

The difference between believing there is a God and believing in God becomes the main issue. James says even the demons believe, and they shudder. A person can believe facts about Jesus, that he came, died, and rose again, and still never truly trust him. Most people may miss heaven by 18 inches, the distance from the head to the heart.

The signs and wonders were a finger pointing to Jesus, but Simon kept looking at the finger. Simon wanted the ability to lay hands on people and see the Spirit given, and he offered money for it. Peter’s answer was plain: “May your money perish with you,” because the gift of God cannot be bought. Simon’s problem was a crooked heart, not lined up with God, full of bitterness and captive to sin.

Repentance is what Simon was missing. True faith in Scripture is tied to turning around, going one way and then choosing God’s way instead. Obedience shows that God’s word is trusted as true. Jesus did not come to amaze people, but to seek and to save the lost.

Christ alone is great. Christ alone has all power. Christ alone paid the price, “paid in full,” with perfect, pure blood. Religion cannot save, church attendance cannot save, and being impressed cannot save. A real relationship with Jesus can.

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Key Takeaways

1. Belief can stop at the head A person can know true things about Jesus and still not belong to him. Simon believed enough to follow the crowd and receive baptism, but his heart remained aimed at himself. Saving faith does more than agree with facts, because even demons know God is real and tremble before that truth. [39:56]
2. Signs are only a finger Signs and wonders were never meant to become the main thing. They pointed away from themselves and toward Jesus, but Simon stared at the power and missed the Savior. A heart can love spiritual excitement and still resist surrender to Christ. [53:39]
3. Repentance turns faith toward obedience Repentance is not just feeling bad after being exposed. It is turning around, leaving the old direction, and walking in the way God says is right. Obedience becomes the evidence that trust has become more than talk. [51:18]
4. God’s gift cannot be bought Simon’s money exposed the way he thought about God’s power. The Holy Spirit is not a tool for building a name, gaining control, or impressing people. The gift of God humbles the receiver because grace cannot be purchased, managed, or used for self-promotion. [37:31]
5. Only Jesus is truly great Simon boasted that he was someone great, but Acts tears that lie wide open. There is only one who has all power, only one who can save, and only one who laid down his life for sinners. The cross leaves no room for self-glory, because Jesus has already said, “paid in full.”

## [55:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:29] - True or False Belief
[35:19] - Simon the Sorcerer in Samaria
[38:23] - Peter and John Go to Samaria
[39:56] - Simon’s Non-Saving Belief
[41:23] - Believing There Is God
[44:34] - Philip Points to Jesus
[45:11] - True Faith and Repentance
[48:22] - Amazement Becomes a Downfall
[51:18] - Repentance and Obedience
[53:39] - Looking at the Finger
[54:24] - Simon’s Crooked Heart
[55:34] - Jesus Alone Is Great
[59:42] - Do Not Miss What Simon Missed

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 8:9-25
“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.’ Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.’ After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.” [35:35]

James 2:19
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” [41:49]

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” [39:19]

Observation questions

In Acts 8, what are the different things Simon is said to do and want—before Philip arrives and after he sees the apostles lay hands on people? [37:31]
What words or phrases in Acts 8 show that Simon was used to attention and wanted to be seen as important?
What do Peter’s rebuke and commands to Simon reveal about Simon’s heart condition? [54:32]
In this passage, what are Philip, Peter, and John doing in Samaria, and what does that show about where the gospel was going? [38:23]

Interpretation questions

Acts 8 says Simon believed and was baptized, yet Peter says his heart is not right before God. What does that suggest about the difference between outward religious activity and genuine faith in Christ? [39:56]
James 2:19 says even demons believe that God is real. How does that help explain the difference between believing that God exists and actually trusting him? [41:49]
Simon was amazed by signs and wanted power, while Philip proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Why is that difference so important? [44:44]
Peter tells Simon to repent, and repentance is tied to turning around and obeying God. What does that show about the kind of response Jesus calls for, beyond just being impressed or interested? [51:18]

Application questions

It is possible to be around church, know true things about Jesus, and still never truly trust him. When that warning is taken seriously, what helps a person examine whether faith has reached the heart and not just the head? [40:30]
Signs can become a distraction when the eyes stay on the finger instead of on Jesus. What tends to capture attention most easily—spiritual excitement, appearances, influence, knowledge, or something else? How can the eyes be turned back to Christ? [53:39]
Repentance means turning around. Is there an area of life right now where there is clear knowledge of what God says, but hesitation to obey it? What makes that turn difficult? [45:38]
Simon wanted the gift of God for his own advantage. Where might the temptation show up to use spiritual things for image, control, approval, or personal benefit? [46:15]
Christ alone is great, and the cross leaves no room for self-glory. In everyday life, what are the usual ways the heart still tries to say, “Look at me”? [55:34]
Jesus did not come merely to amaze people, but to seek and save the lost. How can a person tell when following Jesus has become more about being moved emotionally than being changed obediently? [50:46]
God so loved the world, and the gospel went even into Samaria. Who are the people most likely to be avoided, overlooked, or quietly written off? What would it look like to remember that the good news is for them too? [39:19]

Sermon Clips

45s

“``And my prayer is is that if you're here today or you're listening online or whatever it is, my prayer is that you know for sure that you've given your life to Jesus. You're not your own anymore. You've been bought with a price. Therefore, we are to glorify him in our mortal bodies. Don't miss what Simon missed. He didn't have a relationship with Jesus, but you can and so can I? And I encourage you to call upon him this morning. If you've not done so, please think about doing that today.”

44s

“``Let me just tell you this folks. There is only one who is great. There is only one that has all power. There is only one that can save you. There is only one who is willing to lay down his life for you. And his name is Jesus. And when he died on the cross, he said it like this, to tell us die paid in full. Your sins have been paid in full. Nothing you can do to make your sins go away.”

78s

“``Folks, it's critical for us. I believe absolutely important that we understand the difference between religion and relationship. There are many religious people in this world, but there will also be many people who were religious who stand before God and he will look at them and say, depart from me. I never knew you. Simon's crooked heart was the problem. I say he had a heart problem. He had an issue. It was all about him. The Greek term here by the way is Enthia, not lined up with god. Not seeing god like we need to see him. Not calling upon the only one who can do anything for us. Keeping our eyes fixed on the author and the perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before him laid down his his life for our sins.”

65s

“``Simon may have professed to a religion but not to a relationship. This is the scary part that that I'm I'm pushed back to about what somebody had said. That many people believe they're saved going to church thinking that that's what that's what saves them. That does not save you. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian just like going into McDonald's now to make you a hamburger. Amen? Amen. He may have professed to religion but not a relationship because his eyes were on the hand rather than the bird. He was fixated on miracles and signs and wonders. You see, the devil doesn't really care whether you believe there is a god. He cares whether you believe in god.”

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Calvary Baptist Church Craig Colorado This sermon · AI assistant

How does belief differ from saving faith

How are repentance and true faith connected

What indicates a counterfeit conversion