Stephen preached the gospel with wisdom and boldness and was faithful to Jesus even at the cost of his life.

Scripture: Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-60 

Central Truth

Boldness is for everyone. Although many of us are shy in certain situations, God equips us with the words and strength we need to stand for the truth.

Key Question

What steps can you take to gain wisdom from god?

Keep in Mind

Our students likely won’t be placed on trial and threatened with their lives for following Jesus. While this does still happen to Christians all over the world, many of us only know persecution in other forms. Our students may be put in a position to sacrifice their reputations or popularity. They may face a choice to sacrifice their time, future plans, or relationships. But these feel big to them, and we can encourage them by acknowledging that all of this is sacrifice. None of it is small. Because Jesus is who He says He is, we can loosen our grip on all of this. We can trust Jesus when He asks us to make sacrifices for Him. 

APPLICATION

Why is it sometimes difficult to tell people when they’ve done something wrong? What do you worry about?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: If you’ve ever had to speak up when a friend sinned or hurt you, then you know it isn’t easy. And it isn’t easy for our students. They risk friends and family members getting angry or even pulling away from them. But we can encourage them that Jesus will always reward their boldness even if they encounter pushback. He will always be faithful to them. 

FOR THE LEADER: Many times we want to know the cost of being bold or making sacrifices. We focus on what we will give up instead of what we’ll gain, or we consider who we may offend. But maybe the better question to ask is what the cost would be for not doing these things. Who won’t come to know Christ? Who won’t hear the gospel? How will our faith not grow?