Covenant Baptist Church

Sermon Series: Acts of God
Sermon Title: Let’s All Be Filled-Up Ministers and Straight-Up Martyrs
Sermon Text: Acts 6:8-15
Preparation Question: Is anything holding you back from completely entrusting your life and future to Jesus?

Three encouragements from the life and ministry of just a regular guy named Stephen:
1. Every believer is called to and equipped for Holy Spirit empowered ministry.

2. Our lives should be forfeited to Jesus long before we may have to become actual martyrs.

3. Stephen, just a regular guy who loved the Lord and was led by the Spirit, shined like Jesus, and so can you.

Response Questions
1. Are clergy members more called by God to ministry than other believers? Why or why not?
2. How is it that we are completely and continually filled with the Holy Spirit as believers, and yet the Bible speaks of some believers being more full of the Spirit than others?
3. What does Jesus mean when he says in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves (or, die to self) and take up their cross and follow me."?
4. What is the significance of Stephen's face shining in Acts 6:15, both that his face was shining and that it was Stephen whose face was shining?
5. How will you shine like Jesus this week?