Teaching Text

Acts 6:1-7

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 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. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Jon continued the sermon series, God Comes Where He’s Wanted, with a teaching on the altar of the church. Drawing from Acts 6:1-7, Pastor Jon highlighted how the church is meant to be the place where God dwells, yet too often we miss this reality not because of outright rejection, but because of neglect. Like new parents who become so consumed with their baby that they neglect their relationship with each other, we can become so busy with good things that we lose our hunger for God.

Throughout Scripture, two fundamental realities unleash God’s presence in the church: prayer and the Word. When we neglect prayer, we suffer in profound ways. Prayer releases our identity, grounds us in who God says we are, and releases discernment, helping us invest our energy in what God has actually called us to rather than operating out of guilt and obligation. Pastor Jon reminded us that most of our exhaustion comes from things God never asked us to do. Beyond this, prayer releases power, revelation, and relief from anxiety, inviting us to cast our cares on Him because He genuinely cares for us.

The Word of God is equally essential to cultivating God’s presence in our lives. Pastor Jon reminded us that the Bible is not just information, but living and active, designed for our participation. The Word releases promises we can claim and walk in, and it releases destiny, unlocking the future God has for us. If we neglect these fundamentals, we will not be living the life God has called us to, and the good news is that God doesn’t require us to stir ourselves up to earn His attention. He simply invites us to respond in surrender. This is the year of devotion, a season of responding to the One who devoted Himself to us. The teaching concluded with a call to open our hearts to the Lord this week and let the love of God reignite what was growing cold.