Read Acts 8:26-39 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. Who led Philip to the desert road? Who led him to the eunuch’s carriage?
2. What did the eunuch need?
3. Who did Philip tell the eunuch about, and what did the eunuch do when Philip left him?
Reflect
Eunuchs weren’t allowed to enter the temple. They were “de-sexed” individuals, either because they were born that way or experienced forced castration to feminize them. This man had traveled all the way to the temple, saw the sign barring him from entrance, and was reminded of his scars. But God loved him so much that he sent Philip to tell him, “Your scars don’t define you. Jesus’ scars do.”
So many people wrestle with some sort of internal scar, whether from gender identity issues like the eunuch or some other wound in their past or present. They might ask, “Does God still love me?” Perhaps people who claim to represent God have shunned, shamed, or stiff-armed them away from Him. But today’s passage represents God’s true heart.
Whatever you’re experiencing, have done, or have been through, your scars don’t define you. Jesus’ scars do. You’re a child of the living God, made in His image, intentionally, fearfully and wonderfully made! He gives you a name, an identity, and a place in His house. Only Jesus gets to tell you who you are, and He always welcomes you in.
Respond
• Do you have any “scars” that you’re carrying from your past or perhaps from a present circumstance? How does today’s reading change your view of them?
• Have you ever been the person who stiff-armed someone because of the way they look, act, or think? How does Philip’s example challenge you to respond differently?
• What would it look like to let God define you rather than the world? How would it change your perspective?
Pray through these questions, and write down what God is prompting you to do next. Share with a friend, and take a step to apply it.
Want to go deeper? Visit the Traders Point app or this link to see our recommended resources for this week’s topic. If you want to catch Sunday’s message again, you can find it here.