Watermark Sunday Messages Stephen’s Defense: An Invitation to Follow the Spirit’s Lead | Acts 7:1-53
Mar 22, 2026
A preacher unpacks Stephen’s defense by tracing Israel’s history and a recurring pattern of resisting the Spirit. Stories of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus show God working beyond expected boundaries. Listeners are urged to pray, persevere, and consider why people reject Jesus. The message closes with an invitation to yield to the Spirit and embrace new life.
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Restaurant Reviews Led Into Stephen's 'One-Star' Review
- Jermaine shares a personal story about reading restaurant reviews before choosing where to eat during a trip to Austin.
- He uses the everyday habit of trusting reviews to introduce how a 'review' (Stephen's speech) leads to a response from listeners.
Religious Leaders Often Resist The Spirit
- Stephen indicts the Sanhedrin as people who 'always resist the Holy Spirit' even though they were Israel's religious leaders.
- Jermaine highlights the paradox that those supposed to know God best were the most resistant to God's Spirit, setting the sermon’s theme.
History Used As A Call To Repentance
- Stephen refuses a legal defense and instead recounts Israel's history to expose a recurring pattern of resisting God.
- Jermaine explains Stephen's tactic: showing the pattern might prompt repentance from leaders who think they're exceptions.