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If you’ve been in church leadership any amount of time, you’ve faced criticism. Sometimes, criticism has an underlying hint of truth in it. It’s usually how it is presented that turns us off to the critic and even hurts us deeply. However, sometimes deacons face backbiting, gossip, and even direct false attacks on their character…
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Stephen started out helping to feed widows, but he didn’t stop there. When given the opportunity, Stephen faithfully witnessed about his faith to those with whom he came in contact. Acts 6:9-10 tell us, “But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia…
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The word “deacon” means “minister or servant”. Acts 6:2 says, “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.’” The words “to wait on” in this verse come from the Greek word…
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The second quality Luke says the 1st century church saw in those they chose as deacons was wisdom. Acts 6:3 says, “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.” Wisdom is a necessary characteristic of not just those that are deacons, but those…
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Acts 6-7 show several qualities required for deacons. Over the next 7 days, we’re going to take a look at each of these displayed in the life of Stephen, one of the first seven chosen as a deacon in the first century church. The first one necessary for deaconship is full of the Spirit. Acts…
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One of my favorite times each day is helping my six year old son wake up in the morning. I have learned he has to ease into the morning or look out everybody! Can I get a witness? I typically climb up the ladder to his loft bed and crawl into the bed and the…
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Jesus is the central figure of Scripture. He is the hero. Sometimes people make themselves the hero and steal the glory from Jesus. We tell the stories like that of David and Goliath and say we are the David’s that defeat Goliath’s like sin, addictions, and hurts. But it is Jesus alone, not us, that…
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I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my lifetime. I’d like to say, “Hasn’t everybody,” just to make me feel better. Once, I was considering getting a new wedding ring, but my old one wouldn’t come off. Now I had not planned to take it off in that particular moment, but since I was already…
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Most of the commentaries I have read on Psalm 21 stated the victories it was praising God for were those prayed for by David in Psalm 20. One of the great things about keeping a prayer journal is having the ability to go back and rejoice when God answers prayers! Psalm 20 is the prayer…
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Once while shopping with my wife, I waited in the car while she went in to return an item. While waiting, I noticed a married guy from my church pull up on his motorcycle. As he sat on his bike, he intently watched three young women walk in the store at different times. The last…
stephen R Harrison 