Welcome to our new project, the Daily Bible Devotional. The goal is to help you understand and apply

scripture as you go through a New Testament Bible read five days a week, Monday through Friday,

as we move from Matthew straight through to Revelation. In under four minutes each morning, we will recap the chapter,

make some application, present thought questions for the day, and offer a prayer together.

I'm excited about exploring God's word with you, so let's get started.

Thank you for joining with me today as we investigate Acts chapter 6.

The early church is growing rapidly.

This creates a problem where the Greek-speaking believers claim their widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

The apostles respond by having the church choose seven men full of faith and the Holy Spirit

to oversee the task and ensure fairness among all those in need. The work of these men

enables the apostles to remain fully engaged in prayer and preaching. One of the selected men is

named Stephen. He is full of grace and power and performs

many wonders. He is the first non-apostle in the book of Acts to perform miracles. The Jewish

counsel falsely accuses him of blasphemy and drags him away. Stephen's face then shines like that

of an angel as he prepares to defend himself.

Before we get into his defense in the next chapter, let's look a bit more closely at these events.

God's people care for one another in every possible way.

The hungry widows receive food as an essential ministry of the church.

It is crucial that this process promotes fairness throughout the fellowship and that no one is overlooked.

It is God's will that every child of his is cared for within his family.

The apostles appoint leaders to ensure success while they focus on spiritual work.

Some will have more physical responsibilities in the kingdom, while others will be spiritual leaders and teachers.

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