Have you ever had a Gospel moment—a conversation with a stranger—that completely caught you off guard?
I think I’ve shared this before, but I was flying home from a trip and found myself seated next to a woman, probably around my age. She had her AirPods in, which, in airplane language, usually means “Please don’t talk to me.” So I didn’t. I was focused on my stuff—reading, writing sermon notes, and planning random things. I wasn’t paying attention to her. But I didn’t realize… she was paying attention to me.
As we prepared to land, I started putting my things away. I took out some gum for my ears and noticed she had removed her AirPods. I offered her a piece, and she accepted. Then came a simple exchange of pleasantries: I told her I was from the OKC area, heading home. She said she was from Wyoming and coming to visit her daughter and grandkids.
Normal. But then—I felt prompted to ask something more. I said, “I know this may sound strange, but… are you okay?”
That’s when the tears welled up. “No,” she said. “My life is not good right now. My marriage is rocky. I’m uncertain about my job. We might move. I’m not in a good place.” Then she added something I’ll never forget: “I’ve been thinking about going to a church, but I have no idea how to start, or where to even go.”
So I asked her gently, “Are you a believer? Have you ever made a profession of faith in Jesus? Do you know what that means?”
She told me a story I’ve heard many times—she had grown up going to church off and on, never really understood what it meant to follow Jesus, and never made it her own. She’d visited Catholic churches, but nothing seemed to connect.
So I asked her what she wanted. “Do you want religion, or do you want a relationship with the living God who sees your pain, who knows your questions, and who’s been pursuing you?”
And through tears, she whispered, “I want to know…” At that point, people around us were starting to notice. The flight attendant looked over a few times, probably wondering what in the world was happening. I reached into my bag, handed her some tissues, and she said, “I’m sorry… I don’t know why I’m opening up like this. Maybe because we’ll never see each other again.”
I smiled and said, “Or maybe… just maybe… God knew you needed to hear about His love today. And He placed someone beside you who could point you to Jesus.”
I told her my name was Ryan, that I’m a pastor, and I’d be honored to answer any questions she had. For the next ten minutes, she asked about Jesus, about the church, about healing from emotional scars. I shared Scripture with her and told her about the hope that’s found in Christ.
In the end, I asked if she was ready to place her faith in Jesus. She wasn’t—not yet. She said she needed time to think and learn more. So I prayed with her. I gave her my card with our church info and encouraged her to keep searching—and to bring her daughter and family with her if she ever visited.
She never showed up. But I wasn’t discouraged. I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t disappointed. Because I was given a front-row seat to the work of the Holy Spirit in a moment I didn’t plan, with a stranger I’ll never see again.
That’s the kind of life the Spirit invites us into. As powerful as that moment was, I’m not the first one to experience something like that. In fact, in Acts 8, we find a nearly identical moment—Philip, a traveler, a stranger, and the Spirit of God arranging a divine appointment.
Palm Sunday—a day that stands out both physically as one of the most recognized moments in the Christian year. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week, the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry leading up to the cross. It’s the moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, welcomed as a king with palm branches and shouts of praise. But we know how quickly the tone of that week shifted. By Friday, He would be crucified. He would be buried. And by Sunday, He would rise again.
After His resurrection, Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples and others. He spent 40 days teaching them about the Kingdom of God, preparing them for the mission: to teach, to preach, to disciple, and to baptize those who believe. This was the fulfillment of the long-awaited Messianic promise. Before ascending to heaven, He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit—the Helper who would guide, empower, comfort, and equip them with gifts to expand heaven, build the church, and deplete hell.
This Palm Sunday is no different in spirit than the one two thousand years ago. Jesus still comes in peace. He is still worthy of celebration and honor. And yet, even now, He is still so often rejected and denied. The tension we face is real. Many of us would have been in the crowd that marveled at His miracles. And, if we’re honest, we also have moments where we’ve missed the mark—times where we’ve chosen silence or sin over faithfulness.
But the good news is this: our failures do not define us. We don’t sit in our shame. Instead, we turn to Jesus for forgiveness and strength. And through the Holy Spirit, we find grace, power, purpose—and so much more.
One Conversation Can Bring Clarity and It Changes Everything
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Today, I want to highlight how the Spirit of God used one ordinary person to speak to another ordinary person—and it changed everything. We often look for mountaintop moments or signs in the sky, but more often than not, God moves in small, seemingly random encounters. A conversation on an airplane. A word of encouragement in the hallway. A simple act of obedience that, unknown to us, becomes a divine appointment.
I believe there’s something inside every person—a longing to be loved and valued, and a desire to love and value others in return. We want to make a difference. We want to leave a legacy. But sometimes, there’s a wide gap between desire and dedication.
This morning, as we come to the third story in Acts featuring Philip, we’ll uncover a fresh set of lessons. Lessons that call us to be prepared:
To be used by God.
To obey the Spirit’s prompting.
To ask meaningful, Spirit-led questions.
To connect everyday life to Jesus Christ.
And to do it all again—faithfully, obediently, and joyfully.
Obedience to the Mission, not the Momentum
Acts 8:25-28
The One is Just as Important as the Many
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Obedience is Stronger than Being Comfortable
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God Sent His Servant to Speak to a Searching Soul
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Opportunities to Ask the Right Questions
Acts 29-31
When We Spend Time in God’s Word, the Spirit Writes Opportunities into Our Day
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God Sets the Stage, But It is Up To Us To Ask the Questions
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Reading the Bible isn’t about Impressing God, it is about Knowing Him and it Leads to Spiritual Breakthroughs in our Lives and in the Lives of Others
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When we give space for the Spirit to highlight truth through repetition and meditation, the Bible comes alive—and our lives open up to conversations, moments, and people we never expected.
Open Our Eyes and Mind to Jesus
Acts 8:32-35
The Pages in Scripture Point to the Name of Jesus
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Let me give you a quick background: the book of Isaiah mirrors the whole Bible in structure. There are 66 chapters in Isaiah, just like there are 66 books in the Bible. The first 39 chapters focus on judgment, sin, and rebellion—just like the Old Testament. But starting in chapter 40, there’s a shift toward hope, comfort, and redemption—paralleling the New Testament. That section is even called “The Book of Consolation” in Jewish tradition.
Isaiah 53 stands right in the middle of that message of hope. It points directly to Jesus—the Suffering Servant. This passage describes His birth, life, humility, innocence, suffering, death, and ultimate victory. And what’s powerful is this: Jesus Himself quoted Isaiah 53 multiple times.
In Matthew 8:17, when He heals people, it’s said He was fulfilling Isaiah 53:4.
In John 12:38, Jesus references Isaiah 53:1 to explain why some still didn’t believe despite His miracles.
In Luke 22:37, right before His arrest, Jesus reminds the disciples of Isaiah 53:12, declaring that He would be “numbered with the transgressors.”
The Greatest Question Ever Asked…Who Is This Man?
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Isaiah 53
Authentic Revival Starts When Our Hearts Burn Again for the Word of God
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Obedient to the Mission, Opportunities Happen, Eyes are Opened, and Life Change Takes Place
Acts 8:36-40
Obedience is a Front Row Seat to Life Change
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Now, you might notice that verse 37 isn’t in every Bible translation. The New King James Version includes it, while others, like the ESV, omit it due to manuscript differences. But I’m thankful it’s there. It gives us a beautiful example of the kind of bold, sincere faith we long to see in others and ourselves: “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Life Change in Jesus is Exciting
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As we reflect on this powerful passage of Scripture on Palm Sunday, let’s lean in a little further to see something that is often overlooked—not in the words we use—but in the way this moment connects the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Spirit of God is both powerful and personal. Philip left Jerusalem due to persecution and began preaching in Samaria. We’re not explicitly told whether that journey was fully directed by God or if Philip was simply being faithful to share Jesus wherever he went. But what we do see, unmistakably, is the Spirit’s specific guidance: an angel tells Philip to go to the road leading to Gaza, the Spirit tells him to run to the chariot, and then, after the Ethiopian eunuch is baptized, the Spirit transports him to Azotus.
This is significant. Both Gaza and Azotus were two of the five stronghold cities of the Philistines—longtime enemies of God’s people. From Joshua to Judges, and into the reigns of Saul and David, we read of battle after battle in these cities.
But now—on this Palm Sunday—we see something incredibly beautiful: Jesus changes everything. The same cities that once stood as symbols of resistance, rebellion, and opposition against God are now destinations of redemption. Why? Because Jesus came not just to defeat strongholds—but to transform them.
Because of Jesus, because of the Servant’s Song in Isaiah, forgiveness is no longer limited. It is for all. This is what makes the Gospel so powerful and so personal. Just like the Ethiopian eunuch—someone once kept at a distance from temple worship—many today feel like outsiders. And yet, in Jesus, they are welcomed, wanted, and fully valued in the Kingdom of God.
Philip understood this. He was not like Jonah, who resisted God’s call and resented God’s compassion. Philip went to the people others ignored—first the Samaritans, now a Gentile eunuch—and soon, he’s preaching in historically hostile cities. Philip embraced God’s vision, mission, and values, seeing people not by their labels, but by their souls.
And here’s the truth for us today: The strongholds we carry—whether shame, fear, bitterness, or doubt—are not stronger than God’s Word, God’s Son, God’s Spirit, or God’s love.
Through Jesus, those strongholds can be broken.
The pain that has bruised your heart…
The burdens that have weighed you down…
The labels you’ve believed or been given…
All of it can be cast down in the name of Jesus Christ.
And because we know this truth, we must proclaim this truth:
To those who feel too far gone.
To those who’ve messed up and think forgiveness is impossible.
And even to the reflection in the mirror.
“God loves me. He sent His Son for me. Jesus rose from the grave. And because I believe, the Holy Spirit now lives in me.”
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Today’s Takeaways:
Obedience opens doors for connection. Asking and answering spiritual questions can lead people to Jesus—are you willing?
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Kingdom impact starts with preparation. Are you spiritually ready to be used by God?
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Everyday moments carry eternal weight. Are you alert and available for gospel conversations today?
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We don’t need a microphone or a title. Just a heart that listens, a spirit that obeys, and eyes to see the opportunity. Because even in the ordinary moments—everyday conversations can turn into divine appointments. So let’s be ready— To obey. To ask. To respond. And to celebrate the life-changing power of Jesus.