Bible ReadingActs 6:1-7 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, 'It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.”
[49:29] [54:29] [55:25]Acts 7:51-60 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, 'Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
[01:14:28] [01:19:37] [01:22:34]Acts 6:8-10 “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”
[01:05:54] [01:06:02]Luke 23:34, 46 “And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' And they cast lots to divide his garments. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last.”
Observation questions- In Acts 6, what specific complaint was brought to the apostles, and which group of people was being overlooked in the daily distribution? [49:29]
- What qualities were the church told to look for in the seven men chosen for this work, and what were the apostles determined to keep doing themselves? [55:25]
- What words are used to describe Stephen in Acts 6:8-10, and what kind of response did his ministry create around him? [01:05:54]
- In Acts 7:55-60, what does Stephen see just before his death, and what are the last two things he says while being stoned? [01:22:34]
Interpretation questions- The apostles did not ignore the neglected widows, but they also refused to abandon prayer and the ministry of the word. What does that show about the difference between caring about a need and personally being the one assigned to meet it? [54:29]
- Stephen first appears as a man serving tables, and later he becomes a bold witness before hostile leaders. What does that suggest about how God uses ordinary, faithful service to prepare someone for harder and more visible moments? [01:07:59]
- Stephen’s speech keeps showing that God worked in many places and through many rejected people. How would that challenge people who thought God’s work was tied mainly to their land, their temple, or their group? [01:12:11]
- Stephen speaks like Jesus when he is suffering. What does that reveal about suffering—does it usually create something new in a person, or expose what has already been shaping the heart? [01:24:39]
Application questions- Growth often exposes cracks in care and communication. Where might someone be easy to overlook in this church, this group, or this season of life, and what would it look like to notice that person on purpose? [50:56]
- Delegation is not laziness; it makes room for other people to serve. Is there an area where someone may be holding too tightly to a task, or avoiding a task that really should be shared? What would healthier shared responsibility look like? [58:03]
- Waiting tables is kingdom work. What is one ordinary act of service that might feel small right now, but could actually be part of God’s deeper shaping work in a person’s life? [01:08:13]
- The faithful nail may get hammered. Where is someone tempted to stay quiet, blend in, or soften obedience because faithfulness might cost something? What kind of cost feels most real right now? [01:07:04]
- Stephen relied on the Holy Spirit in a high-pressure moment. What would it look like this week to attempt something that cannot be handled faithfully by natural strength alone? [01:16:04]
- Stephen’s final words were full of grace toward the people hurting him. Is there someone who has caused real pain and still needs forgiveness? What makes that hard, and what would the first honest step toward forgiveness look like? [01:22:34]
- Pressure reveals what fills the heart. When life squeezes hard—through stress, conflict, fear, or exhaustion—what usually comes out first? What habits might help Jesus shape the heart more deeply before the next hard moment arrives? [01:25:05]
