


Date: July 6, 2025
Stephen: A Religion That Advances God’s Kingdom
The Level: Daring religion helps advance the dominion of God.
Get Into the Research
As an alternate to The Bible Meets Life, share the next:
Christian leaders from throughout Europe and around the globe gathered Might 27-30 in Berlin, Germany, for the European Congress on Evangelism. Methods for spreading the gospel in an more and more secular age have been shared. Europe particularly has seen declining church attendance and rising secularization, making evangelistic efforts difficult.
Convention audio system addressed:
- Rising spiritual skepticism amongst younger generations
- Immigrant populations with totally different spiritual backgrounds
- Church planting in city, secular environments
- Interfaith dialogue whereas sustaining biblical reality
- Political tensions affecting spiritual freedom
Day by day prayer classes have been held, underscoring the conviction that evangelism is finally God’s work, not the results of mere human effort.
Greg Laurie preached: “Now each Christian is named to evangelize….” In line with him, a way of ordinariness is vital for the effectiveness of evangelism. Whereas an individual would possibly dismiss an evangelist and never hearken to what he says, in an on a regular basis setting a Christian might meet somebody, construct a relationship with him, and win him to Christ simply by being pleasant, loving, form those who others would need to be round.
So each Christian is named to brazenly stay out his religion and go away the outcomes to God. We’re to obey God and what he has referred to as us to do, end our race effectively, stay a lifetime of integrity, not contradicting our message by dangerous selections.
“… there’s a whole lot of methods to outline final success,” Laurie mentioned, “however I believe that the straightforward reply is faithfulness to the calling that God has given you.”
Draw consideration to The Level and clarify that in the present day’s examine will have a look at Stephen, whose daring religion was a religion fairly keen to be trustworthy to the decision of God and evangelize.
Info from this publish was gathered from:
Dwell It Out
Earlier than discussing the Dwell It Out concepts, share this story of Jamie Sanchez’ daring religion:
As a toddler Jamie Sanchez lived in a homeless shelter in Denver together with his mom and three siblings. He remembers his mom serving to the poor even then. After he grew up, he realized his want for Jesus and accepted Christ! On account of a Bible examine Jamie began, he and others ready meals of their houses and went to the streets each Sunday at hand out meals to the homeless. The ministry Recycle God’s Love was born in 2012.
Later Jamie launched The Drip Café, as a part of that ministry. Café workers members present godly mentorship, neighborhood, and prayer to Denver’s homeless neighborhood. In addition they train the way to interview for jobs, handle cash, and construct a resumé.
Jamie by no means anticipated the non secular assault that adopted the café’s opening. Triggered by a doctrinal assertion affirming heterosexual marriage on the ministry’s web site, the LGBT protesters got here, defaced property and screamed lies. Consequently, would-be patrons scattered in concern.
Jamie mentioned all he knew to do was pray. “If it wasn’t for the fixed prayer of [those] round me, there isn’t a means I’d’ve gotten by means of it,” he mentioned. Via the protests, Jamie and the workers found the that means of loving their enemies and praying for individuals who persecute them.
After the café’s story of survival amid opposition turned recognized on information platforms, believers internationally began praying for and donating to the ministry which has expanded. Partnering with church buildings, it now offers as much as 300 homeless individuals with meals, IDs, Bibles, hygiene, clothes and provides at their bimonthly occasions the place volunteers share the Gospel.
Info from this publish was gathered from: https://decisionmagazine.com/standing-strong-despite-persecution/
Carole Waina wrote these Chief Extras. Carole is a retired instructor and veteran author for LifeWay. She loves touring, strolling, biking, studying, and being with household. She and her husband are lively at First Baptist in Celina, Texas.
Further Questions
Icebreaker
- When have you ever seen somebody’s private sacrifice profit others?
- Who do you imagine are the true heroes in our world in the present day?
- What’s your favourite setting to really join with a good friend?
- Whose life has strongly impacted you or your neighborhood?
- When have you ever completed one thing unusually daring and out of character for you?
- When have you ever seen daring motion result in the nice of many?
Acts 6:3-7
- Who’re some individuals in our church whose ministries affect the neighborhood?
- How would you clarify the idea of servant management?
- In what methods does our church household observe and affirm the methods one member impacts and blesses others?
- How would our church buildings change if we took every small space of service within the church as severely because the disciples did?
- How ought to we view the stability between prayer (our relationship to God) and sharing our religion (our relationship to others).
- Who in your life reminds you of Stephen?
Acts 6:8-10
- What position does the Holy Spirit play when God works by means of believers?
- Who have you learnt who has a contagious religion?
- When have you ever confronted opposition to your religion?
- When sharing our religion, how ought to we perceive the values of successful arguments versus displaying God’s grace?
- Who have you learnt that has a way of life of inviting God to work by means of them? (BG)
Acts 6:11-15
- What does opposition to our religion appear like in our tradition?
- What are applicable responses for believers when going through opposition?
- What can we study from Stephen about the way to react after we’re actively opposed or maligned?
- How does our group assist put together us to face opposition?
- What sort of opposition have you ever encountered in your religion journey?
Podcast
Click on right here for a 20-minute podcast for each the group member and the chief.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Obtain
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS