Rising Up in Love for the Lost - Part 2

Rise Up Series - Part 15

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place.  27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship  28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.  29 And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot."  30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"  31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.  32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.  33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."  34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"  35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.  36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"  37   38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.  39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”

- Acts 8:26-39

Rising Up in Love for the Lost

Rise Up Series - Part 14

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place.  27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship  28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.  29 And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot."  30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"  31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.  32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.  33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."  34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"  35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.  36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"  37   38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.  39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”

- Acts 8:26-39

Rising Up in Love for One Another

Rise Up Series - Part 13

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

- Ephesians 4:7-16