Acts 5-7
Stephen's martyrdom is a powerful moment in the early church. Up to this point the people had faced some moderate persecution such as being flogged and being placed in jail. When Stephen speaks the truth of the history of the nation of Israel and then tells the Jewish leaders that they are cold to the Holy Spirit and they killed Jesus, the persecution turns ugly. Stephen is martyred while saying to forgive the very people who were stoning him. Luke writes this story so masterfully because he inserts Saul into the story at just this moment. Will we stand up for the gospel and speak it boldly even in the face of persecution? I hope we will.
Tomorrow's reading: Acts 8-9
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Great short read with plenty of insights for trying to turn around a declining church. The premise of the need for gospel witness from the pulpit, biblical expositional preaching, and prayer is crucial to understanding revival movements....
An interesting portrayal of Abraham and the three monotheistic religions that include him in their traditions. I found the book lacked some depth in the area of Christianity in terms of conservative views. I understand the author probabl...
- Jeff Dowdy
- Jeff Dowdy is the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Swannanoa, NC. He graduated from Houston Baptist University with a B.S. in Christianity and Speech Communications. He also earned his Masters of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002. In December 2008, He earned his Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Administration from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeff has been married for 14 years to Melody and has two children. He likes to play golf and race triathlons.
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