Sermon
Do You Want the Torch? | Acts 8:1-25
Treeline Church
Speaker: Austin Smith
February 2, 2026 · 42 min
Summary
Acts 8:1-25 reveals how persecution scattered the Jerusalem church, propelling the gospel into Judea and Samaria as Jesus promised. Through Philip's witness to the Samaritans and the contrast with Simon the magician, the sermon challenges believers to carry the torch of the gospel—sacrificially and joyfully—as countless martyrs did before them.
Highlights
The thing that propelled the gospel out of Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria wasn't a great speech that gathered a lot of crowds. It wasn't a clever marketing campaign. No, the thing that God used to propel the gospel was a death—the death of a faithful saint.
Being a great mom is a lot like being great in the kingdom of God. The ones who are great in the kingdom of God are not the ones who always aim up in the world. They're the ones who aim low. They're the ones who, like Jesus, come to serve, not to be served.
Friends, I would submit to you that there is nothing better than carrying the torch. Even if it costs you something, even if it costs you everything.