“Convictions Worth Dying For (and Living For)”
Teaching Text
Acts 7:54-8:1-4
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Sermon Synopsis
Stephen’s death marks a turning point in Acts. Through his courage and faithfulness, the gospel begins to spread beyond Jerusalem — not through apostles or famous leaders, but through ordinary believers scattered across the world.
Stephen was a waiter, not a preacher. His story shows that God’s mission doesn’t depend on titles or platforms but on Spirit-filled people with deep convictions. These convictions shaped the early church and can shape us today:
God wants to use me.
The Holy Spirit fills me.
I will do for others what Jesus did for me.
Jesus is worth it.
The church’s expansion began through anonymous believers who simply said “yes.” Their small, unseen faithfulness became the seed of a global movement. The same Spirit now sends us — students, professionals, families, and neighbors — into Los Angeles to embody the gospel in everyday life.
Key Takeaway: God writes His global story through ordinary people who live with extraordinary conviction. Your “yes” may seem small, but in the hands of the Spirit, it can change the world.
Reflection Prompts
*(As we are on Thanksgiving Break from Cell, here are a few reflection prompts that we encourage you to reflect on this week)
Where has God already placed you (work, home, friendships, neighborhood) that might actually be a mission field?
What is one small nudge or prompting from the Holy Spirit you sense right now? How can you say “yes” this week?
Who has played a quiet, ordinary role in your faith story? How might you reflect that same love toward someone else?
What area of your life shows that Jesus is worth everything to you — and what area reveals that something else has taken priority?
Who is one “sojourner” in your world — someone new, isolated, or far from home — and what is one simple way you can extend welcome?
Practice: Hospitality Toward the Sojourner
From the beginning, God shaped His people through the experience of being sojourners. Israel wandered without a home, learning trust and dependence, and God commanded them to welcome immigrants because “you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (Deut. 10:19).
Rosaria Butterfield captures this beautifully: “Let God use your home… to make strangers into neighbors and neighbors into family.”
As an immigrant church community, we are invited to extend that same welcome — especially to international students, refugees, and undocumented neighbors who now call Los Angeles home. Through ordinary hospitality, our tables and living rooms become places where strangers can belong.
Practice This Week:
Read: Reflect on the experience of international students in L.A.—many spending holidays alone. Consider how God may be inviting you to see them as neighbors, not visitors.
Reflect: Remember a time when you or your family were welcomed or helped. Ask the Spirit to show you how your home could become a place of refuge for someone else.
Prepare: Make a simple plan to host or care for an international student during the holiday break. It could be a meal, sharing traditions, or offering rest. Email missions@tapestry.la for opportunities.
Pray: Ask God to help you notice those who feel alone and to give you courage and creativity as you extend His welcome.