08/09/2026 Weekly Bible Lesson: Bold and Courageous Faith

Almost everything we know about Stephen comes from Acts 6 and 7. In Acts 6, the church was growing, and some of the widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. To solve this problem, the apostles told the church to select seven men from among the congregation whom they could put in charge of making sure the widows were taken care of properly. These seven men had to have a good reputation and be full of the Spirit and of wisdom. The apostles could’ve handled this themselves, but they needed to focus on their ministry of prayer and preaching the word of God (Acts 6:4). Stephen was one of these seven men selected to serve the widows.

Acts 6 tells us several things about Stephen. Verse 5 reveals that he was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Verse 8 informs us that he was full of grace and power and that he could perform wonders and signs. Finally, we learn that some of the Pharisees get upset with Stephen. They accuse him of speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God. They had put forward false witnesses who said Stephen spoke against both the temple and the law of Moses. They said they had heard Stephen say Jesus would destroy the temple and alter the customs that Moses handed down to them.

Stephen was brought before the religious leaders in the Sanhedrin and asked to defend himself. His entire defense was a lengthy sermon recorded in Acts 7. Stephen is known as the first Christian martyr—a person who willingly dies rather than abandoning their faith in the face of persecution. He is the first example we have of someone dying for their belief that Jesus rose from the dead. His martyrdom led to the spread of the church outside Jerusalem. Now that we have covered who Stephen is, let’s talk about his defense of his faith.

Remember, this sermon in Acts 7 is Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin. He had been accused of speaking blasphemy, and he was asked by the high priest to defend himself. His sermon went through hundreds of years of Israel’s history. His sermon did three main things. Every good sermon has three main points, right?

1) It exposed Israel’s pattern of rejecting God’s messengers. 2) It showed that God can be worshipped anywhere, not just in the temple. And 3) it confronted the leaders for rejecting Jesus.

Stephen reviewed Israel’s history by referring to Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. Stephen was communicating that God did not have to be worshipped in the temple or in Jerusalem. He made this point from the lives of Abraham and Joseph. He reminded them that God was active and was worshipped in many places outside of Jerusalem. This included Mesopotamia, Haran, Canaan, and Egypt.

Next, Stephen focused on Moses. He showed how the Israelites rejected Moses’s leadership, both before and after being delivered out of Egypt. Stephen used Moses as an example to show a pattern.  The pattern is that Israel often rejected the leaders God sent to them. Just like they rejected Moses and so many other prophets, Stephen’s point was that they had now rejected God’s man again: Jesus. The main thrust of Stephen’s sermon comes in Acts 7:51-53.

Stephen systematically went through the history of Israel. He exposed Israel’s pattern of rejecting God’s messengers. He showed that God can be worshipped anywhere, not just in the temple. He finally confronted the leaders for rejecting Jesus. If Stephen’s sermon had a title, maybe it would be “History Repeats Itself.”

Stephen was exceptionally bold in the conclusion of his sermon. He called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in the heart and ears. He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit, just as their forefathers did. He accused them of persecuting and rejecting God’s prophets and not keeping the law, just like Israel had always done. As you might guess, this sermon made the Sanhedrin angry. The rest of Acts 7 tells us that they gnash their teeth at Stephen, drive him out of the city, and stone Him. Unquestionably, Stephen serves as a great example for us of having a bold and courageous faith!

Discussion Questions: What stands out to you about Stephen’s attitude while being stoned?

Stephen looked to heaven and saw the glory of God. He saw Jesus “standing” at the right hand of God. Usually, Scripture says Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God. Some have suggested that Jesus is standing to cheer on the first martyr to victory. We don’t know for sure.

How is Stephen an example for us to face persecution with the right perspective?

Stephen gazed intently into heaven. We must keep an eternal perspective in our suffering.

What connection do we see in Stephen’s death and Jesus’ death? Compare Acts 7:59 with Luke 23:46 and Acts 7:60 with Luke 23:34.

How can we as the church encourage one another to be bolder and more courageous in our faith?