Crossroads Church
Campfire Stories :: Part 7
Philip and the Variant :: Ryan Howell
Locations & Times
Crossroads Church Loveland Campus
5420 N Taft Ave, Loveland, CO 80538, USA
Thursday 6:30 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Anchor Verse “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” John 21:24
What’s the Issue Anyway?
Many of us know the feeling of the ________________ label.
In our fear, variance quickly becomes __________________ which ends with ___________________.
That Reminds of the Story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8
The Ethiopian was a triple _____________ a gender-variant foreigner from a racial minority. (Acts 8:26-28)
Philip started with a question not an ___________________. (Acts 8:29-30)
Philip _________________ the Ethiopian’s invitation. (Acts 8:31)
The Eunuch __________________ deeply with Isaiah’s suffering servant. (Acts 8:32-34)
Philip (Luke) equated Isaiah’s suffering servant with ______________. (Acts 8:35)
Baptism was the early Christian symbol of __________ _______________. (Acts 8:36-38)
The Spirit gives the Ethiopian a ______________ update. (Acts 8:39)
Don’t Miss This
Jesus labels _________________ those we label variant.
Jesus labels _________________ those we label variant.
Wisdom for my everyday, peacemaking life?
When you are made to feel like a variant, remember, so was ________________.
_______________, not religious conformity, is the prerequisite for inclusion.
When you are tempted to label someone a variant, remember, _____________ are one too.
How can this make me a better human and our world a better place?
Inclusion teaches us __________________.
What is God inviting you into today?
1. To become more like Philip, loving and inclusive of those I think of as variants.
2. To believe that I am loved and accepted by God regardless of what culture or religion might say.
3. To make Crossroads a community marked by the good news of Jesus that is always including the religious and cultural variants.
Thought Provoking Questions for Groups or Personal Reflection
1. Have you ever felt the label of variant? What part do you think fear plays in labeling people and excluding them?
2. If you were writing this story today what “label” would you give the Ethiopian that would bring hope to people generally excluded by Christianity and that would also teach the inclusive nature of the gospel to those seeking to be exclusive?
3. What demands did Philip put on the Ethiopian? What do you think the story is trying to teach us by telling us that Philip was taken away instantly post-baptism?
4. Where can humility pave a path for more expressions of unconditional love in your life?