Head: Know God’s Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God’s Way

Read Acts 7:54-8:3

Head

Today, we are picking up right where we left off. At the end of our reading yesterday, Stephen had just given a long speech, remaining bold in his faith and standing up for Jesus. Unfortunately, the religious leaders that Stephen was speaking to were very angry and stubborn. They rushed at Stephen and dragged him to the streets. There, they threw rocks at him until he died. But before he died, Stephen once again showed boldness and faith. He looked up towards heaven, saw Jesus, and prayed, asking God to forgive those who were hurting him.

Heart

Did you catch that? Stephen did not pray for God to make his suffering end, to spare his life, to take away his pain, or for the ones who were hurting him to pay for what they were doing. No, instead he asked for God to forgive them. I don’t know about you, but I think what Stephen did at that moment would almost be impossible for me. In the Bible, Jesus makes it clear that Christians will face hard times. Matthew 7:14 says that the path that leads to life is difficult. Becoming a Christian does not mean life automatically becomes easy, but it does mean that we have the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through hard times. Just like Stephen asked God to forgive those who were hurting him, the Holy Spirit, can help us do things that may seem impossible too. God is always with us in the easy times and the hard times.

Hands

Because Stephen was doing good things for God and standing up for Jesus, you might have thought that Jesus would have been with him and saved him from being hurt, right? Well, Stephen was not alone in his suffering at that moment. Jesus was with him, and He did save him. In Acts 7:56 Stephen says, “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Stephen saw Jesus in heaven waiting for him. Jesus did not save Stephen’s earthly life, but He did save Stephen’s eternal life. Jesus can do that for you too! If you want Jesus to be your Savior, you must become a follower of Jesus. You can make that decision by completing these three steps:

1. Admit that you are a sinner (Psalm 32:5).

2. Believe that Jesus is God’s son and that He died for your sins (John 3:36).

3. Confess that you want Jesus to be the Lord of your life (John 11:40).

If you have never made the decision to follow Jesus, or you have more questions about becoming a Christian, talk to your parent or your KXP leader.

Prayer: God, thank you for loving us so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus to save us. Please help us to always follow You, and to tell others how wonderful You are! Amen.

Becoming a Christian

Have questions about becoming a Christian, baptism, the Lord's Supper, or growing as a follower of Jesus? If you want to know more about how to know, love, and follow Jesus, you can ask your Campus KXP Minister for a copy of the Becoming A Christian Book or check out a digital copy here.