Nobody is Beyond God’s Reach (Acts 8-9)

This week we keep moving through the Book of Acts, landing on chapters 8 and 9, two stories that together say something radical: nobody is outside the reach of God’s love. Not the outsider, and not the enemy. First comes Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, a man who was both a racial and a sexual minority, welcomed and baptized on a desert road. This is the moment the gospel breaks past Jerusalem and the Jewish community and starts heading for the ends of the earth. Every non-Jewish Christian today traces back through that act of welcome. Then comes Saul, a man who approved of killing Christians, knocked off his horse and remade into the church’s greatest missionary. His story, and the courage of Ananias and Barnabas who dared to receive him, becomes a picture of reconciliation strong enough to hold hope even for those the world has written off as the worst of the worst. Along the way the conversation turns honest about the modern church: the fear of people who are different, the reflex to cancel over disagreement, and the temptation to lean on titles and resumes rather than our true identity as one simply belonging to Jesus. As always, remember that we love you, but most importantly, God does. Readings for next week: Acts 10-11 Links mentioned in this episode: Dr. Tony’s notes on the Acts of the Apostles (https://www.stmartininthefields.org/w...) Dr. Tony’s notes the First Century Church (https://www.stmartininthefields.org/w...) Check us out on YouTube (   / @biblelovepodcast  )