The Whole Gospel to the Whole World

What does it truly cost for the gospel to reach us, and are we taking that cost for granted? This message pulls us into the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose faithfulness under the most brutal of circumstances helped ignite the spread of the early church. Drawing from Acts 7 and 8, we are reminded that the gospel is a free gift, but it arrived at our doorstep carried by generations of men and women who suffered, bled, and died to pass it on. Stephen's final words, spoken from his knees while rocks were being hurled at him, echo the very words of Christ from the cross, and they challenge us to examine the depth of our own devotion. Three powerful lessons emerge from his story: the gospel came to us with a cost, our pain can reveal our purpose, and the gospel can thrive even in the most unfavorable conditions. If we have grown comfortable with the good news, this is an invitation to recover a sense of awe and gratitude for what it took to get here.