1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: Let us pray, and they stoned Stephen calling upon God 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit aacts seven fifty 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: nine my God. In the same way, Stephen displayed an 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: unwavering commitment to his convictions. Unlock this level of conviction 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: in my life. In the face of authorities with the 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: power to execute. Stephen remained strong as he stood and 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: expressed what he knew to be the truth, both about 8 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: Jesus and the religious leader's stubborn hearts. In the same way, 9 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: allow my life to resemble the same spirit and strength 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: that Stephen possessed. May my life prove that I have 11 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: the presence of God in it. May my life prove 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: that I base my commitment on a biblical foundation. Allow 13 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: me to spot out and see the error of past 14 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: thinking and old ways of being. Allow my life to 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:14,199 Speaker 1: stay steadfast as I keep my eyes on You, Jesus, 16 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: for I declare that commitment moves past the mind and 17 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: emotions and go straight to the will. Thank you for 18 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: my commitment that brings my mind and emotions into alignment 19 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: to achieve my purpose at all cost. Like Stephen, I 20 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: will look up to the heavens to gain my strength 21 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: and encouragement in Jesus name. Amen. Listening to these daily 22 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the 23 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: Lord by listening to to day's Bible in a Year, 24 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot. 25 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 2: Com a new enemy. 26 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 3: In our last story, the Apostles were beaten and imprisoned 27 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 3: for preaching the name of Jesus, healing the sick and 28 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 3: feeding the poor, just as their Lord before them. The 29 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 3: Apostles found themselves suffering for the sake of restoration. Now 30 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 3: we see a new character arise. A man named Stephen 31 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 3: comes onto the scene to boldly proclaim the good news 32 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: of Christ. However, there is an evil lurking near. A 33 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 3: man by the name of Saul watches and waits for 34 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 3: his opportunity to strike Stephan and any Christian who dare 35 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 3: mention the name of Jesus. Inspired by the Book of. 36 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 4: Acts, Hello, I'm Pastor Jack grayel with today's episode of 37 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 4: the Bible in a Year. Thanks so much for joining us. 38 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 4: In our last time together, we heard about the religious 39 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 4: leaders as they threatened the Apostles teaching and put them 40 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 4: in jail. God then sent an angel to open the 41 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 4: prison gates and send them to the temple again preaching 42 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 4: the Gospel of Jesus. Their opponents could find no real 43 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 4: reason to keep them in prison, and at the council 44 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 4: of one of their own Gamaliel, they released the apostles, 45 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 4: but only after beating them and warning them to never 46 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 4: speak about the name of Jesus again. Of course, the 47 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 4: apostles would never stop. You might as well tell the 48 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 4: sun to stop shining. And they continued preaching the Gospel 49 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 4: of Christ and winning more and more people to a 50 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 4: relationship with Christ, more souls for Jesus. Today we'll hear 51 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 4: about Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who spoke boldly of 52 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 4: Christ and paid the ultimate sacrifice. And Christ will also 53 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 4: meet a new enemy to the Gospel, a zealous young 54 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 4: rabbi named Saul, who will lead the hunt for any 55 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 4: would proclaim the name of Jesus persecuting Christians. So let's 56 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 4: listen now to this reading from the Book of Acts. 57 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: Jews, Greeks, Romans, and many others were catching on to 58 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 3: the story of Jesus. One by one they joined the 59 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 3: Apostles of Jesus. Together they served their communities and one another. 60 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 3: They were committed to the feeding of orphans and widows, 61 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 3: and daily they met with one another to pray and 62 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: seek the truth of God. The church was becoming so 63 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 3: large that the disciples could no longer meet the needs 64 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 3: of everyone on their own. So they appointed men of 65 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 3: good reputation and strong faith to meet the needs of 66 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 3: the poor and destitute. Among these men was a man 67 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 3: named Stephan, a man filled with God's spirit and boldness. 68 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: Daily Stephan would enter into the temple gates and preach 69 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,679 Speaker 3: the Gospel. His words were like sweet honey to weary hearts. 70 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 3: He spoke of forgiveness, empowerment, and repentance. However, the enemy 71 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: was at work among the religious leaders. They conspired against 72 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 3: Stephan and spread false rumors about his character. Yet Stephan 73 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 3: seemed immune to such dissension. He continued to serve, preach, 74 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 3: and love. No argument could come against the truth he proclaimed, 75 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 3: and no rumor could undermine his good reputation as an 76 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: honest man. They brought him before a court of leaders 77 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 3: and judged him for his words. Do you speak out 78 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 3: against Moses and Abraham? They asked, isn't your devotion to 79 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 3: this Jesus an affront against our ancestors? Stephan looked around 80 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 3: the room and saw scowls like wolves. Jesus was brought 81 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 3: before this very court before he was crucified. He boldly 82 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 3: stood before them and spoke only the truth. So Stephan 83 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 3: would do the same, no matter the cost. Stephan closed 84 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 3: his eyes and prayed to the Lord for a moment. 85 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 3: Then he lifted his eyes to all the men, You 86 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 3: stiff necked people, You are unclean in your hearts and ears. 87 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: How long will you. 88 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 3: Resist the spirit of God speaking to you. It was 89 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 3: your fathers who killed the prophets of old, and it 90 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 3: is you who follow in their footsteps by slaying the 91 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 3: Messiah himself. You hold to the words of Moses so tightly, 92 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 3: but you have missed their true meaning. The entire room 93 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 3: erupted in anger. Stephan could not even take a second 94 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 3: breath before he was stormed by temple guards. A club 95 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 3: flew straight to his jaw as he fell to the floor, 96 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 3: and he was bound in ropes. Stephan was tackled to 97 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 3: the floor as he took kicks to his face and ribs. 98 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 2: He peered towards the door. 99 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 3: A man was standing at the entrance, smiling at him 100 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 3: with a crooked grin. The man who had conspired against 101 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 3: him and many others, the terror of all Christians, Saul 102 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 3: of Tarsus. Stephan was drugged by his feet out beyond 103 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 3: the gates of Jerusalem. An angry mob of temple goers 104 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 3: and pharisees followed as the gods tied Stephan to a pole. 105 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 3: Facing the crowd, Stephan scanned his surroundings. They were outside 106 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 3: the city gates, which could only mean one thing. Stoning 107 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 3: Stephan's bruised eyes watched as men picked up rocks the 108 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 3: size of their fists. Evil grins and angry scowls surrounded him. 109 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 3: Stephan breathed in deeply and looked up to Heaven. He 110 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 3: fixed his gaze firmly to the skies, directing his heart 111 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 3: towards his lord. I see the King of Glory, Stephan said, 112 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 3: his tears streamed down his face. I see the heavens 113 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 3: opened in the Son of God standing at the right 114 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 3: hand of the Father. As Stephan yelled this, the crowd 115 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: erupted in battle cries and through their stones. One stone 116 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 3: was hurled directly at his chest, cracking his ribs in sternum. 117 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 3: Another cracked his knee in shin. Stephan gave out a 118 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 3: blood curdling scream. Stephan had his gaze firmly fixed towards heaven. 119 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 3: As the barrage of stones flew through the air. Stephan whispered, 120 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 3: Lord God, do not hold this against them, until another 121 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 3: stone hit his temple, knocking him out. Stones continued to 122 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 3: fly towards Stephan's lifeless body until he was reduced to 123 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 3: a pile of flesh. 124 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: And broken bones. 125 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 3: There behind the crowd holding people's coats and garments was 126 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 3: Soul of Tarsus. As people took back their clothes and 127 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 3: walked away, Paul stepped forward to observe Stephan's mangled corps. 128 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 4: Paul spat at. 129 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 3: It, blasphemous Christian. He hissed, then he turned away, hell 130 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 3: bent on destroying and murdering every last man, woman, and 131 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 3: child who dared to proclaim the name of Jesus. 132 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 4: As we begin today's reading, we find a growing number 133 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 4: of Christian believers. The Holy Spirit is working through the 134 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 4: disciples to bring more and more people to faith in 135 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 4: Christ and into the fellowship of the Church. This church, 136 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 4: the community of Faith, loved one another and served with 137 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 4: the heart of Christ, caring for those in need, including 138 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 4: the widows among them. As the church grew, this task 139 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 4: became too much for the apostles to take on alone, 140 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 4: so seven godly men were selected and appointed as deacons. 141 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 4: These deacons would handle the care of the community and 142 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 4: the church. But just as the size and influence of 143 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 4: the church was growing, even winning many religious leaders and 144 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 4: priests to Christ, so also was the hatred of those 145 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 4: who opposed the Gospel, who wanted to destroy this movement, 146 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 4: the movement of Jesus Christ. We learned that one of 147 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 4: the seven men chosen to serve the church was a 148 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 4: man named Stephen. What a man. He was filled with 149 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 4: the Holy Spirit and had a desire to spread the 150 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 4: good news of the Gospel. Soon Stephen began facing stiff opposition, 151 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 4: and those trying to discredit him brought false charges of 152 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 4: blasphemy against because they could not tear down his arguments. 153 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 4: They accused Stephen of speaking against Moses and the law 154 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 4: and saying Jesus would destroy their customs and places of worship. 155 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 4: It is a reminder to us that the enemy does 156 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 4: not fight fair. The devil knows he is no match 157 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 4: for God's truth, and so he often attacks with lies, 158 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 4: just as he did with Adam and even the garden 159 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 4: these lies and half truth are an attempt to stop 160 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 4: God's plan in God's purposes. Stephen was taken before the 161 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 4: High Priest and ask if he was, in fact saying 162 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 4: such things. He could have simply denied Jesus and tried 163 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 4: to walk away by explaining himself, but Stephen saw this 164 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 4: as an opportunity, an opportunity to boldly preach Jesus before 165 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 4: a crowd of people, and that's exactly what he did. 166 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 4: He went all the way back in the scriptures to 167 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 4: Abraham and trace the line of God's promise to the 168 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 4: father of the Jewish faith, all the way to the 169 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 4: Jewish Messiah. It is quite a Bible study when you 170 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 4: hear it, when you read it. He was showing them 171 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 4: that everything written in the scriptures, both the Law and 172 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 4: the prophets, was leading up and pointing to Christ, who 173 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 4: is the fulfillment of it all. And yet the people listening, 174 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 4: so many of them were still blind to the truth, 175 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 4: rejecting Jesus, rejecting God's word. And just as they killed 176 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 4: the prophets who spoke God's word and announced the Messiah's coming, 177 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 4: they will now kill one of God's preachers. The words 178 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 4: of Stephen enraged the council and those gathered and were 179 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 4: told that they were grinding their teeth. They were just 180 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 4: filled with rage. This is how much they hated hearing 181 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 4: the truth. Then, in Acts seven fifty five, here's what 182 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 4: we read. But he that is Stephen, full of the 183 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 4: Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of 184 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 4: God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 185 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 4: What encouragement just to see a little bit of heaven, 186 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 4: a glimpse of God's glory. But rather than keep the 187 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 4: vision to himself and hold on to the comfort of 188 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 4: knowing that he was right, Stephen again spoke to the crowd, 189 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 4: telling them what he was seeing. It was too much 190 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 4: for them, so they rushed him, took him outside the 191 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 4: city to be stoned, and there he was martyred. Stephen 192 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 4: became the first of many Christian martyrs that day, Just 193 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 4: as Jesus had told the disciples before he ascended that 194 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 4: soon they would be taken where they did not want 195 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 4: to go, they would face persecution. Stephen was then led 196 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 4: to his death, and yet even in that moment, he 197 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 4: echoed the very words of Jesus from the Cross, Father, 198 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 4: forgive them receive my spirit when we face opposition and resistance, 199 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 4: or cancelation, even persecution and suffering for preaching the truth 200 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 4: of the Gospel, How are we going to react? How 201 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 4: will we respond? Will we be courageous and confident or 202 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 4: will we be cowardly? Will we keep sharing Christ no 203 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 4: matter the consequences. Will we boldally stand for Christ in 204 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 4: our generation? Will we see the glory of God and 205 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 4: experience the grace of God and share that with others 206 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 4: without compromise? And what is our attitude to those who 207 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 4: hate the Gospel or the gospel that we preach? Do 208 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 4: we fight back? 209 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 1: No? 210 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 4: In Christ, we submit our lives to God's hand and 211 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,319 Speaker 4: seek forgiveness, even for those who may oppose us and 212 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 4: could even hurt us. Stephen, in the midst of these 213 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 4: tragic circumstances, did not waver. He gave his life to 214 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 4: follow Jesus all the way to heaven. Finally, as we 215 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 4: closed out today's reading, we met a man who would 216 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,680 Speaker 4: soon break onto the scene as the most fierce enemy 217 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 4: of Christ and the Church. A young man, a rabbit 218 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 4: rabbi by the name of Saul, who stood and watched 219 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 4: as Stephen was stoned, even held the garments of those 220 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 4: who stone them. He watched Stephen die. All hated the 221 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 4: followers of Jesus, and he was about to unleash a 222 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 4: level of persecution that early believers had not yet experienced. 223 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 4: But nothing could stop the movement of God's spirit. Nothing 224 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 4: could stop the Church of Jesus Christ. And the next 225 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 4: time we'll hear how God worked through Philip to take 226 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 4: the good news to Samaria and even to the ends 227 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 4: of the earth. Let's pray together, Dear God, how we 228 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 4: thank you for the example of Stephen's courage. May our 229 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 4: faith be fearless. May we boldly proclaim the good News 230 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 4: of Jesus. May we live and stand for our faith 231 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 4: no matter what we may face. Give us your strength, 232 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 4: O God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, 233 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 4: may we live and die for you and for your glory. 234 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 4: In Jesus' name. Amen. Again, we thank you for listening 235 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 4: to the Bible in the Year podcast. I'm personally grateful 236 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 4: for the incredible response that we're receiving. As now twenty 237 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 4: three million and people have downloaded the Bible in a year. 238 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 4: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. I want to 239 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 4: encourage you to pass the podcast along to others by 240 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 4: telling people about what they can find at pray dot 241 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 4: com and making prayer and Bible study and Christian living 242 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 4: a big, big part of their lives. If you enjoyed 243 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 4: this podcast, then share it with someone you know, and 244 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 4: I want to thank you for being with us each day. 245 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 4: And if you want more resources as to how you 246 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 4: can grow in your faith, how you can share your 247 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 4: faith and boldly stand fearlessly for the Lord Jesus Christ, 248 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 4: then visit Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot 249 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 4: org and there you will find resources for Christian growth 250 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 4: and maturity and witness. God bless you, and we look 251 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 4: forward to the next time together.