Kids - LIFE
Purpose: The Suffering of Stephen - Week 1
May 4-5, 2019 |
This four-week series will show kids the best way to live – that’s a life with Jesus. Jesus promises that he brings life to the full, which doesn’t necessarily mean a life that is easy or without problems. It means a life with purpose, joy, protection, adventure, and so much more.
WORSHiP
BIBLE VERSE
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” John 10:10.
GROUP Q&A
- That story with Stephen was crazy, huh?! What was Stephen doing that made the religious leaders so mad? (He was telling people the good news that Jesus came to save them.)
- When the religious leaders were mad at Stephen, he looked up and who did he see? (He saw Jesus standing right by God.)
- How did Stephen experience life to the full? (Stephen had hard things happen but because of Jesus he had a life of purpose.)
- Do you believe God created you for a purpose? What do you think some of our purposes are? (Discuss.)
PARENT BIBLE STUDY
Read: Acts 6-7
A common thread through the acts of the first followers of Jesus is how well they listened to and allowed the Holy Spirit to move them. Scripture describes Stephen as “full of the Holy Spirit.” FULL. As in consuming, dominating, and leaving no room for anything against the Holy Spirit. So, when he was faced with extreme persecution there was no other option aside from yielding to the Holy Spirit. And it wasn’t normal, but look what happened.
Those persecuting and rejecting him witnessed “his face like the face of an angel.” Imagine seeing someone’s face with the resemblance of an angel. That’s not normal; there’s no way those men could ever get that image out of their heads. Then Stephen looked up and saw the glory of God. The glory of God?! Even after performing a Google image search on that there’s still no way to fully visualize it. What would it be like to see his infinite exaltation, power, prestige, honor and strength? We don’t fully know yet. And again, it’s not a normal sight.
The other image he paints is something that we can visualize. It’s of Jesus. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God’s glory. Multiple times in scripture we hear of Jesus seated at the right hand of God, but here he is standing. Jesus stood to see his cherished, brave servant Stephen being brutally murdered for his name. Picture that sight one more time; the savior of the world stood to watch him courageously die. Not a normal sight, but what an incredible honor for Stephen. He endured persecution until death, but we know his reward was great in Heaven.
We’re offered that same promise. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for GREAT is your reward is great in Heaven,” Matthew 5:11-12.
Persecution looks different for most of us reading this, but we’re guaranteed to face it. For instance, in our culture, biblical authority doesn’t align with trends of this world or popularity, so how do we represent God with strong character and courage? By filling up. When we’re full of the Holy Spirit and yielding to him, it’s not “normal.” But it leads to an experience with our maker that gives us a glimpse of what we will experience for all eternity.
How would your best friend end this sentence about you? “They are full of _______!”
What would you look like if you were full of the Holy Spirit?
God saw Stephen’s heart and chose him to play a key role in spreading the Good News of Jesus. Stephen had purpose. Why would God choose you to represent him in this world? Do you believe you have God-given purpose?
