#1279. Today you are a hope giver (4/6/25)
- Matt Beaney
- Jun 4
- 4 min read
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) as we continue our Ready and Willing series, reflecting on the life of Philip.
Today we return to Acts 8 to consider how we can become people who bring the hope of Christ in every season of life.
You can listen to this devotional below
i. Sometimes hope is hard to come by
After a season of revival and rapid gospel growth, Philip and the early church suddenly faced severe persecution:
‘And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.’ (Acts 8:1-3)
This was a moment of grief, fear, and deep uncertainty. When Stephen was killed and Saul began tearing the church apart, hope must have seemed far away.
ii. We give hope when there is little hope
Philip didn’t hide, give up, or grow bitter. He carried hope wherever he went:
‘Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralysed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.’ (Acts 8:4-8)
Even when scattered, displaced, and surrounded by need, Philip became a hope-giver. He pointed people to Jesus—the only true source of healing, joy, and lasting hope.
Like Philip, we are also scattered in this world—placed in schools, homes, workplaces, communities. You may not have chosen your current season, but you are still sent. You are still called to bring the hope of Jesus to those around you.
Most people you meet are facing struggles, often unseen. And yet God invites you to be His missionary right where you are—not by force or pressure, but by faith, compassion, and love.
‘But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.’ (1 Peter 3:15-17)
God is gracious and we may not be here yet, but, like Christ and the great Christians of history, including Philip, we are called to give the hope of the gospel, and hope in the love of God, to others, no matter how dark things are around us.
This is a high calling. This is a call to be like Jesus. This is too much for any of us, but, if we are filled with God’s Spirit and walking with Him, we can all learn to give hope when hope is hard to come by.
In response:
How is my hope right now? Am I letting God’s love strengthen me in my current circumstances?
Am I grateful for the gospel? Does the joy of my salvation inspire me to share it with others?
Am I praying for opportunities to serve, invest, invite—and am I actually taking those opportunities?
Let’s pray together:
“Lord Jesus, in your love, you died to save sinners. Help me to serve this world and bring your hope wherever I go. Fill me with your Spirit. Lead me today to bring your love and hope to someone in need. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
For your diary: Our next weekend away will be 19th-21st June 2026!!
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we finish our Ready and Willing? series by looking at a number of aspects of Philip’s life under the theme: Are you ready and willing?
We reviewed some aspects of Philip's life and reflected on our own readiness and willingness to serve Jesus wholeheartedly.
Using the main texts that were used during Sunday's message, discuss:
Main Message – What do you think are the main ideas that God wants us to learn from this passage?
Personal Reflection – What did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?
Keys from the series - What key lessons from the life of Philip have inspired you during this series?
God's word to us? What do you think are the key applications that God wants us, as individuals and as a church, to apply from this series?
SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)
Mission inspiration from the text - Is there anything else in this week's texts that inspires or instructs us in our mission—how we approach people, how we listen to the Spirit, or how we respond with obedience?
Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.
Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation? Take time to name them and pray for them.
Let’s pray together:
Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.
Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.
Pray specifically for the “people of peace” in our lives—asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.
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