Stephen: Things Get Tough
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
8 God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. 9 But some men from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves “Free Men.” They started arguing with Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. 10 But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. 11 So they talked some men into saying, “We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!” 12 They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed him and dragged him in front of the council. 13 Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. 14 We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses gave us.” 15 Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
Acts 6:8-15
Memory Verse
Isaiah 41:10
10 Don't be afraid. I am with you. Don't tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.
Imagine you are Stephen, a leader in the early church. The twelve apostles prayed over you and sent you into the city to tell people about Jesus. You’re so excited to share the good news! God is performing miracles, and people can see the love of Christ in you.Â
But then some people start saying things about you that aren’t true. You answer their questions correctly, but they keep telling lies. Even though others can see that you’ve done nothing wrong, the lies don’t stop. These people want you to stop talking about Jesus.
How would you feel? What would you do?
Stephen’s enemies brought him before a judge, and Stephen continued to tell them about Jesus. That made the crowd even angrier. They started yelling mean things and even threw rocks at Stephen. But right then, Stephen looked up and saw Jesus in heaven, watching over him. Jesus knew what it felt like to be hurt by others—he had crowds yell at him too. He died on the cross and came back to life. And he was right there with Stephen in that scary moment.Â
Stephen must have felt peace knowing that Jesus was with him. He wasn’t alone.
Have you ever felt scared or hurt? Maybe someone was mean, made fun of you, or left you out. Even then, Jesus is with you. He knows how you feel. Jesus loves you so much and will never leave your side. He will help you be strong and even carry you when you need him.Â
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being with me even in difficult moments. Open my eyes to see you in those moments. Open my ears to hear you reminding me of your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.Related Resources
Philip Vander Windt
Philip VanderWindt is the pastor at Champlain Valley Christian Reformed Church. In his free time he enjoys building “tall-tall towers” with his kids, analyzing worldviews of films and music with his wife, photographing the beauty of God’s creation, dabbling in leathercraft and woodwork, and writing.