The death of Stephen as it mirrors the death of Jesus gives us two essential elements to finishing well, forgiveness and surrender.

Humanity is changed because Jesus came. He loved the world, lived in the world, died for the world, and is working redemption in the world, and will one day remake the world. His love for the world is so immense, but only the faithful will experience it!

Jesus surprises us again and again with His choice of companions, friends, the objects of His compassion, and the instruments of His grace. Jesus came to reveal the love of God for the unlovely.

Darkness does not intimidate God. Rather, He is drawn to it! He loves to expose the untapped potential of a dark place to the light of His redemption. In Jesus, a people sitting in darkness have seen a GREAT light!

The God of the universe wants to be known by name by His people. What is even more remarkable, however, is His willingness to KNOW His people, not by sovereign or divine knowledge, but by personal experience as one of us.

We are all given white garments to wear- the Righteousness of Christ. Some, however, WALK WITH HIM in white and are living a life worthy of His name. The great need today is for believers to hear the call to WAKE UP! and stop sleepwalking their lives away.

For our faith to grow, we have 3 essential needs: To be made good, to do good deeds (out of the overflow), and for those deeds to be done in power!

God loves YOU. If you have wandered away from God, becoming entangled and trapped; the Shepherd wants to bring you back home.

The political arena is not a holy place like a church, nor is it an unholy place like a pagan temple. It is the Areopagus, a theater of ideas, where a battle is taking place for the soul of a nation. Christians must repent of the sin of apathy toward public affairs and begin to pray and serve and vote.

Earthly worship prepares us for heavenly glory. What we practice here, we will do forever on that beautiful shore. Worship can be hard here, but it’s easy over there! Sin is removed, Satan is vanquished, and we are free to praise!