Acts 8:5-6 (NIV) Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.  When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 

Famous actors and actresses along with popular sports figures are followed nonstop by relentless paparazzi. Paparazzi are photographers who take pictures, usually while public figures are going about normal life routines. They are tracked down like prey, stalked for a chance at a candid photo of them in a compromising situation.  

People are always watching us too.  Not for our picture, but maybe to catch us acting contrary to our beliefs. Once we let the world know we are Christian we allow ourselves to be placed under a microscope. Proclaiming Christ as our Savior is an invitation for the world to try and trip us up.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; it can be very good if we are walking a straight path.

Folks watch us living out our faith. When they see us handling challenges in positive ways, we are setting a good example.  When trouble trips us up but we don’t give in to condemning God, we may cause them to want to learn about our God.

These two verses in Acts 8 tell how Philip’s behavior affected the people in Samaria. They all paid close attention to what he said. Is there someone you observed during the early days of your walk?  Did the actions or words of a person of faith cause you to want to know more about them?  Praise God and ask Him to use you in a similar fashion.

Acts 8:5-25