Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario

www.wearecornerstone.ca

Speaker: Pete Naylor

Title: On Mission with Christ 

Passage: Acts 8:1-8; 26-40

Know

• What encouraged you about Pete’s message today?

Grow

• Trace the connection between the descriptions given in Acts 8:1 and 11:19-20 - What effect does persecution have on the Mission?  (see also Paul’s words in Philippians 1:12-13).

• Likewise, Acts 8:3 says that “Saul began to destroy the church.”  What was really happening?

• The intense persecution that resulted in Stephen’s death also resulted in intense proclamation of Christ(8:5).  In Canada, when we experience various forms of persecution, does it cause us to speak up, or shut up? 

• Can you think of some current happenings in Canada where Christians have (or should be) taking opportunities to proclaim Christ?

• Philip started proclaiming Christ in Samaria with amazing results. How does this differ from what we might have expected from what we previously know about Samaria?

• Yet, the Holy Spirit was clearly leading, preparing the way! What does John chapter 4 show us about the work of Christ in preparing this region to receive the Gospel?  (see especially 4:39-42).

• Acts 8:26, the Lord sends Philip away from the very place where he is experiencing the greatest ministry success. How would you feel about this? What does Phillip’s willingness teach us about his relationship with Christ?

• What passage for scripture did Philip use to teach the Ethiopian about Jesus?  What does this teach us about the use of scripture in the Mission of the Gospel.  (Consider also Jesus’ technique in Luke 24, especially v.27.)  (see also, John 5:39-40)!!

• Philip proclaimed the Gospel to the Ethiopian man. In what way does the Ethiopian then make his proclamation of faith in Christ?

• Bottom Line: Philip is attentive to Sprit’s leading and submissive to where/when/how God calls him to go. Not surprisingly, we see amazing Gospel-Mission results!  It seems that all too often our Missional efforts produce too few results. What are some things that could change about us as individual Christians and Churches, that we too could experience empowered and impactful Christ-centred Mission in our communities?

Show

• Pete said how his church “Finds the needs in the community that aren’t being met and tries to meet them”. Try to apply that to North Gower and area. What are some needs that we as a church could be meeting?