Living Life
The Church Acts
Acts 7 Stephen
Living Life
READ: Living life apologetically isn't about winning debates or having a flawless answer for every theological riddle. It is about a lifestyle so aligned with Scripture that your daily actions serve as the primary evidence of the truth of the Gospel.
Faith Influencers Roll Call
Name some people who have directed you to faith in Jesus or a deeper faith in Jesus.
Example of a Christian Person Who lived a life that would bring others to Jesus
My Grandfather Arthur Reams
My Dad, Gary Reams
Childhood Mentor Alvin Friend
My Aunt Betty Reams
A LIFE THAT FORCES OTHERS TO ASK WHY
When people see a life that doesn't make sense by the world's standards—showing radical peace in a crisis, or choosing self-sacrifice over self-interest—it forces them to ask why. That curiosity opens the door to belief.
The Story of Stephen
Acts 6:1-15 1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
Stephen Is Arrested
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.
13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
Acts 7:1-4, 51-60 1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”
2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. 3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.
51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
ASK: What was it about Stephen that made him different?
LIVING LIFE: Here is how that lifestyle translates into concrete, biblical practice:
In the New Testament, the ultimate defense of the faith isn't a philosophical argument; it is relational. 1 Peter 3:15 is the classic "apologetics" verse, telling us to always be ready to give a defense (apologia) for the hope within us. But the context of that verse is crucial: it demands we do so with gentleness and respect, backed by a good conscience and upright behavior.
1 Peter 3:15 NLT 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
If a Christian is doctrinally flawless but lacks love, the Bible itself calls that lifestyle "a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1).
1 Cothinians 13:1-3,13 NLT 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
READ: A biblically accurate life prioritizes the virtue of love as the foundational starting point for every interaction, because God is love. When people experience unconditional love and radical grace from a believer, the intellectual barriers to the Gospel often begin to melt away.
To lead others to belief, the biblical model focuses on a few distinct, everyday markers:
- Veracity and Integrity: In a culture cynical of institutions, a Christian’s word must be absolute. Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no (Matthew 5:37). Integrity means your private life matches your public witness.
Matthew 5:37 NLT 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
- The Power of a Transformed Life: In the Gospel of John, when Jesus healed a blind man, the religious leaders tried to trap him in a theological debate. The man’s defense was beautifully simple: "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). Your personal story of how God met you, healed you, or changed your heart is an empirical piece of evidence that others cannot easily dismiss.
John 9:25 NLT 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
- Servant Leadership: Jesus inverted the world's power structures, stating that "the greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). Intentionally serving colleagues, neighbors, and strangers without expecting anything in return creates a profound, attractive contrast to the self-promotion dominant in modern culture.
Matthew 23:11 NLT 11 The greatest among you must be a servant.
Living an attractive, biblically accurate life requires a dual commitment:
Good works that prompt curiosity,
Back to Love: John 13:33-35 NLT 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
and
Spoken truth that points to the source of those works.
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." — Matthew 5:16
Actions draw people in, but words explain who is doing the transforming. When someone notices your integrity, your peace, or your love and asks, "How do you do it?", a biblically accurate response deflects the credit away from personal grit and directly toward God's grace.
ACTS 2:42-47 NLT 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Arguments don’t bring people to Heaven: Ultimately, you cannot argue someone into the Kingdom of God, but you can live in such a way that it makes it easier for them to believe a loving God exists.
READ: It’s your job to share the gospel 100% of the time and God’s job 100% of the time to do the rest.