Living Examples - Build a Good Testimony with Your Life

Pray – (1/2 minute)

Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8)
      Passage: 1 Peter 2:13-17

        Stephen was one of the seven men who were the prototype for the office of Deacon in a local church, but his impact as a living example for Christians through the centuries went beyond what he did in helping address the disunity that was occurring over the perceived treatment of a group of widows in the church. He became the first martyr of the early church, and his life is a star witness for us in how to live our lives fully for Christ. One of the things Stephen shows us is the importance of building a good testimony with our lives. Stephen was known for displaying the grace of God and serving other in the power of God.
        Grace is God’s kindness extended freely without an merit on the receiver’s part. It is a gift that God gives to us, and it is a gift we ought to give to others. Extending grace does not mean we affirm sinful behavior. It does mean that we don’t attack and condemn the individual, as we know that all of us are sinners. Stephen also blessed people by serving them in God’s power. He served “among the people”, meaning he was out in the community and didn’t just do good things for those inside the church family. God wants us to be a witness for Him out in the world through our words and our actions. Build a good testimony and be a blessing to others in every way you can.

Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)