The Big Idea
Stephen's moment invites us to never miss our moment: our moment to serve, our moment to speak and our moment to stand.
Remember Sunday’s message
Sermon reminders
Moment to Serve
Stephen was full of faith, the Spirit, grace and power, and he was busy doing good among the people. Austin said to plug into the Holy Spirit's power and look for ways to serve the people in our circle.
Moment to Speak
Stephen's public faith brought the high priest's question, and he answered with the longest recorded sermon in Acts. Austin said to live in a way that invites curiosity about our faith and to speak with clarity: know your audience and know your message.
Moment to Stand
Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he died praying for his accusers and giving his spirit to Jesus. We can stand for Jesus because Jesus stands for us.
Wednesday’s conversation
Reflect & discuss
Read Acts 6:8, Acts 7:1–2 and Acts 7:54–60 together in the ESV.
Doing and among
Austin said what stood out to him in Acts 6:8 was not the signs and wonders but "the word doing and the word among." Where are you among people most often in an ordinary week, and what is one thing you could do there to serve someone before next Wednesday?
Curiosity and clarity
The high priest's question gave Stephen his moment to speak, and Austin said his own brother's "curiosity presented an opportunity for clarity" on their backpacking trip. When has someone's question about your life opened a door to talk about your faith, and what helped you speak or held you back?
Jesus standing
Stephen saw "Jesus standing at the right hand of God," and Austin said, "you can stand for Jesus because Jesus stands for you." When has standing for your faith cost you something, and what helped you hold steady?
Praying for accusers
As they were stoning him, Stephen asked the Lord not to hold this sin against them, and Austin pointed out that Jesus prayed the same way from the cross. Where is it hardest for you to pray for someone who has wronged you, and what would praying for them the way Stephen did look like this week?
Carry it into the week
Next Steps
From the sermon
- Plug into the Holy Spirit's power: learn what Scripture teaches about who he is and what it looks like to walk in him.
- Adopt William Carey's mindset this week: "expect great things from God and attempt great things for God."
- Look for opportunities in your circle to do great things for God and good things for people.
- Know your audience and know your message, so you are ready when your moment to speak comes.
- If the Old Testament is unfamiliar to you, read Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 again and notice how it points to Jesus.
- Be ready this week for your moment to serve, your moment to speak and your moment to stand.
Application
Each evening before next Wednesday, write down one moment from that day when you had a chance to serve, speak or stand, and what you did with it.
My notes
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible, © 2001 by Crossway. Text Edition: 2025. Used by permission. Permissions. Prepared for this small group from the July 19, 2026 sermon; questions and applications are editorial study material.