FOLLOW HIM  ·  Week 4

His Plans Over Mine

Acts 8:26–38  ·  May 17, 2026

BIG IDEA

Following Jesus means surrendering to His plan — not just in word, but in daily trust and action.

Key Passage

Acts 8:26–38 (NLT)

Philip is in the middle of a fruitful ministry in Samaria when an angel redirects him to a desert road with no explanation. He obeys immediately and encounters the treasurer of Ethiopia — a powerful official and a eunuch who had traveled 1,200+ miles to worship in Jerusalem, yet likely could not enter the temple courts due to his deformity (Deut. 23:1). He’s reading Isaiah 53 and can’t understand it. Philip explains the Good News about Jesus. The Ethiopian believes, asks to be baptized on the spot, and church tradition holds he brought the gospel back to Ethiopia — planting the first church in Africa.

Key Verses:

Acts 8:26–27  —  “”Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out…”

Acts 8:29–30  —  “”Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over…”

Acts 8:35  —  “Beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.”

Acts 8:36, 38  —  “”Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and Philip baptized him.”

The Gospel in Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:6  —  “”All of us, like sheep, have gone our own way. We have traded God’s plan for our own.””

Isaiah 53:10–12  —  “This was not an accident. It was the Lord’s plan. Many will be counted righteous because He bore their sins.”

Main Points

1.  Following Jesus Means Trusting His Plan Over Yours

Philip was in the middle of a thriving revival — healings, salvations, baptisms — when God said: “Go to the desert road.” No explanation. No outcome. No destination. And he went.

This isn’t blind faith. It’s evidence-based faith. Philip had seen God’s track record firsthand — the miracles, the changed lives, the faithfulness. He didn’t need all the answers because he trusted the One asking.

Like Abraham, who trusted God enough to offer Isaac — believing God would keep His promise even beyond death (Heb. 11:17–19) — Philip trusted God’s character more than his own understanding.

Many of us pause following Jesus until we have the full picture. But you don’t have to understand God’s plan to trust God’s heart.

Reflect:  Where are you waiting for more information before you obey? What would it look like to trust God’s character more than your own understanding?

2.  Following Jesus Means Acting on His Plan

God says: “Go stand next to the chariot.” Verse 30: Philip ran. He didn’t know why — he just knew who was asking. Surrendered people move when God speaks.

The Ethiopian had power, wealth, and influence — but also exclusion. As a eunuch, he could get close to God but never fully belong (Deut. 23:1). He had traveled over a thousand miles to worship, only to stand at a distance.

He’s reading Isaiah 53 — a passage about someone rejected, excluded, humiliated. That was his story. He just didn’t know yet it was pointing to Jesus.

Philip stepped into the moment God had already been preparing. The Ethiopian wasn’t just seeking — he was being pursued. God had orchestrated the road, the chariot, the passage, the timing.

When Philip explained the Good News, the Ethiopian responded immediately: Look, there is water! Why can I not be baptized? Everything in his life had said he did not belong. Now nothing was stopping him.

Reflect:  Following Jesus means stepping into moments where God is already at work. Where is God opening a door in front of you right now that you haven’t walked through yet?

Application

The question isn’t just “Do you believe in Jesus?” It’s: “Are you following Him?”

Philip trusted and acted. The Ethiopian trusted and acted. Never underestimate what God can do through one surrendered yes.

Your next step:

•  If you need to surrender — stop negotiating and start trusting. Pursue God in Scripture. Pray for His will over your own. Say yes when it’s inconvenient.

•  If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus — today may be your moment. Like the Ethiopian, you’ve been searching. Jesus is the answer.

•  If you’ve said yes to Jesus but haven’t been baptized — the Ethiopian saw water and asked, “What is stopping me?” That’s still the right question.

When God opens the door — walk through it.

Stop asking God to fit into your life.

Step into the life He has for you.

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