Small Shifts, Big Faith: A Man of Great Faith (Part III, Father’s Day)
Sermon Title: Small Shifts, Big Faith – A Man of Great Faith
Good News Statement: Jesus encourages his church to be alive
Summary: The church isn’t perfect but yet is willing to grow in faith, practice love, and be alive today and tomorrow.
Preached: Sunday, June 21st, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): Acts 7:54-60 Today’s scripture passage comes from the Book of Acts. At the end of Chapter Seven, we are introduced to the stoning of Stephen. At this moment in Stephen’s life, he teaches us to speak strongly, speak of sin, and to speak of the Savior. Our scripture reading comes from the Book of Acts Chapter Seven, Verses Fifty-Four thru Sixty. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life?
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
Introduction:
The ministry of Jesus Christ has been shared. Healings have been performed. The blind were able to see and the lame able to walk. Those demon possessed were set free. The chains of the oppressed were broken. People began to believe and prayed to have their “unbelief turn into belief” (Mark 9:24). Some were even raised from the dead to breathe again. And some were welcomed home after being outcast to the dark, damp, tombs outside of the city walls.
Then, after riding into Jerusalem on a never before ridden donkey and being praised as the people laid their cloaks on the ground as shouts of “Hosannas” filled the air, Jesus is turned over to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus is questioned and tortured by the Roman soldiers—beaten nearly to death—prior to receiving a crown of thorns and a purple robe as a sign of earthly mockery. He was presented to the people in the presence of Pontius Pilate, who said, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free” (Luke 23:22, GNT). To which the people responded, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:20, GNT). Luke 23:24 states, “So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for.”
Jesus is marched from the palace to Calvary, bearing the weight of the cross—most likely the horizontal beam—as excruciating pain shot through his body with every step, as blood dripped from his head to the ground, soaking the dirty road beneath his feet, and as both cries and shouts surrounded him. On Calvary, he hung on the cross for six hours before taking his last breath and proclaiming “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then he was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Three days later he rose from the dead to prove that death does not have the last word, that a tomb sealed by a large stone could not withhold him, and that an instrument of death—the cross—is a promise of hope and salvation. And now, after 40 days of walking this earth in his resurrected form, he has ascended to heaven; but before leaving this earth, he gave his apostles and disciples a challenge: to keep the church alive.
This is where the Book of Acts comes into play. For those that are unaware, the Book of Acts (or sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles), written during the time of 33AD to 62AD, is a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician back in the day and has been credited to write the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The theme of Luke’s writing after the ascension of Jesus Christ is focused on how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to declare the gospel among both Jews and Gentiles. In doing so they establish the church, which is the fulfillment of God’s promises from the beginning of time. Jesus states in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Luke’s purpose for writing the Book of Acts—the journey and testimony of Paul and the rise and growth of the early church—was to give an orderly account of the early church after Christ’s resurrection; and to highlight the notion that keeping the church alive was not, is not, and will not be easy. But keeping the church alive is necessary. So, for the next several weeks, we are going to explore certain themes sprinkled throughout the Book of Acts which I believe remind us of how important it is to keep the church alive today for tomorrow. And the question I propose to you is this: “What are we doing and could be doing to keep our church and the whole Church—the body of Christ—alive?”
Body:
Today is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father-like-figures who are here in person as well as those joining online! Since it is Father’s Day, I thought it would be interesting to share with you a little about the history of Father’s Day; and our journey begins 4,000 years ago. It has been documented that a Babylonian youth named El-mesa carved the first known Father’s Day card in clay nearly 4,000 years ago. His special message wished his father good health and a long life. Fast-forwarding several centuries, William Jackson Smart of Spokane, Washington, a man ahead of his time, is the inspiration for our modern-day Father’s Day. Smart was a widower and Civil War veteran who was both father and mother to his six children for 21 years after the death of his wife. Smart’s daughter, Sonora Louise (Mrs. John Bruce Dodd), got the idea for Father’s Day in 1909 while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at church. She encouraged local churches to institute a Father’s Day observance the following year in 1910 on one Sunday in June, the month of her father’s birth. Through her efforts, interest in the celebration of Father’s Day grew and spread to other cities and states. Although many congressional resolutions proclaiming a national Father’s Day were introduced through the years, the holiday was made official in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a presidential resolution that declared Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June.[1] As of the June 2025 census, there are roughly 1.5 billion fathers worldwide, with 66.3 million living in the United States.
It has been said, depending on the resource, that Father’s Day is the fourth-or-fifth-largest card-sending holiday in the United States, with 72 million cards exchanged annually.[2] About 50% of Father’s Day cards are purchased for biological or adoptive dads.[3] The rest are sent to husbands, grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, or other special father figures.[4] The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects that a record high of $27.9 billion (dollars) in the U.S. alone will be spent on Father’s Day this year, with the average expenditures coming in at $226.58 per father which is about a $27.00 increase from last year. The National Retail Federation also noted that “Approximately 77% of consumers plan to celebrate the holiday, a rate that has remained steady in recent years.”[5] The top spending categories for gifts remain clothing, electronics, and gift cards. Nearly half of fathers, about 46%, say they want to celebrate by spending quality time with their families, followed by going out for a meal. How do you plan to celebrate this Father’s Day?
Today, as we continue our look at the early church from the Book of Acts, we encounter an individual who isn’t a father, but yet demonstrates father-like qualities as he becomes the first martyr—the first person to die for the faith—of the church. This person is named Stephen. And the question Stephen gives us to answer is, “Have you ever been afraid to do something because the outcome may not be what you want it to be?” When has the church be afraid? And when has the church taken a leap of faith?
Movement One: Introduction…
I want to begin by setting the stage for our message today. In Acts Chapter 6, the twelve apostles seek to resolve an issue regarding the daily distribution of food amongst the widows. Acts 6:2-6 reports, “And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’ What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” These seven could have been what we call in the church today deacons—connecting the church to the community and world.
In this particular passage, Stephen is described as a “man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). He is the first of seven chosen to serve and is later noted for performing great wonders and signs among the people. His name in Greek means “crown.” He is known for his spiritual qualities of faith, wisdom, grace, and power and for the Spirit’s presence in his life. He was an outstanding leader, teacher, and debater. He is also recorded as being the first one to give his life for Jesus Christ. Stephen is mentioned in the Bible later on in Acts 11 and Acts 22.Today, Stephen is celebrated on his Feast or Saint Day on December 26th.
Furthermore, authors Philip Comfort and Walter A. Elwell note in their book, The Complete Book of Who’s Who in the Bible, that Stephen teaches us two vital lessons. Comfort and Elwell state, “First, Stephen teaches us that we are called to strive for excellence in small assignments as these assignments prepare one for greater responsibilities. Second, Stephen teaches us about how the real understanding of God always leads to practical and compassionate actions towards people.”[6]
As I mentioned earlier, Stephen was one of seven chosen to not just resolve an issue about food distribution and taking care of those who have been neglected, but to share the mission and message of Jesus Christ while the twelve apostles go off praying and serving Christ in other “nations.” Upon being chosen, Stephen takes it upon himself to directly address the Israelites. He essentially calls them out and calls them a “stiff-necked people” (Acts 7:51). While calling them out, he recalls the history of Israel by quoting Genesis and Exodus, highlighting stories of powerful leaders who weren’t perfect, who sinned, who didn’t believe in God at first, to show them that even if they originally chose one path, God was still present and calling them to return to Him. Essentially, Stephen was hoping that the Israelites would 1) seek repentance and 2) understand that having differences doesn’t mean that people can’t co-exist together. Stephen sought unity in the name of Christ. However, his message wasn’t greatly received. He was rushed upon, dragged out of town, and stoned to death by the Romans.
Before taking his last breath, Stephen prayed. He compassionately prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59-60). Stephen died for his faith. Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, sacrificed himself for the sake of keeping the message of Christ alive. Jesus told his disciples that they would be tortured, flogged, and beaten for his name sake. Stephen chose to follow Christ not because it was going to be easy but because he had a message of Christ to share with others. Stephen, knowing the outcome of his ministry, found within his heart—as he prayed for those who sinned against him—to sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.”
It’s from Stephen that we can learn a lot about the church and about the fathers and father-like-figures in our life. Let me explain…
Movement Two: We will have Enemies and those who Hate Us…
We see both realities here in the martyrdom of Stephen. We see enemies. They hated Stephen. I mean, they really hated him. Not just the kind of, well, I’m upset or I’m disappointed. They were angry; I mean exploding with rage. The Greek phrase you hear the word, “kardias” – like “cardiac” or heart. “Diaprionto” means to “rip or to saw in two.” It’s as if their hearts were exploding with rage. You see here the typical expressions in the ancient world of rage. They grind their teeth at him. We don’t typically do this so it seems odd. They really shuffle their mouth and their teeth in a grimace in an absolute rage towards Stephen. And why did they hate him? They hated, despised, Stephen because at the end of his sermon he spoke strongly, spoke of their sin, and spoke of the Savior.
First, they hate him because he spoke strongly. Look at verses 51-53: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law and delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53). “You stiff-necked people. You of uncircumcised heart and ears. You who always resist the Holy Spirit.” He spoke very strongly to them. Their reaction may have been different if he had finished by saying as our culture teaches us to speak; “Now in conclusion, I just want to bring up a few points. I could be wrong about this. It’s just my way of seeing things. There’s a few—I’m not saying they’re problems, they’re growth edges. There are just some things, maybe some room for improvement. Maybe you could be more responsive to God—it’s just my opinion!”
That’s not what he said at all! That’s how the world wants us to speak—no conviction, just feelings; no truth, just thoughts; no virtue, just values. But this was a time for bold proclamation and that’s what Stephen did. You remember, of course, what it was about Jesus’ preaching that the crowds found so surprising? Not ultimately his intelligence or his ability to tell a tale or a story, but it was his authority. This is what people even today either love or loathe in preaching is it has authority, certainty to it. They did not like Stephen speaking so strongly to them.
As a church, there will be times when we need to speak strongly, especially if it’s for the sake of advancing and keeping the mission and message of Christ alive. There will always be people who speak out against the church, who strive to speak above us, who make it their goal to silence the church because they don’t agree with it. But church, it’s in those moments that we learn to wait and listen. It’s in those moments that we learn a greater need. It’s in those moments that we find our voice: a voice that doesn’t administer hate but seeks understanding; a voice that doesn’t seek judgment, but favors unity; and a voice that echoes the words of Christ, and not the words of the enemy. We are called to speak strongly in order to keep the church alive. When we speak strongly, needs are fulfilled, lives are changed, and the church discovers what it needs to do and can do to stay alive.
Second, Stephen spoke of their sin. His whole sermon was a recollection of their history that was marked with rebellion and being on the wrong side of God’s ways from Joseph and their betrayal to the prophets and Moses and how they mistreated God’s anointed. They were stiff-necked, hard of hearing, always resisting the Holy Spirit people. That’s who they had been. That’s who they were. And so that’s what Stephen called them. He had the audacity to call out their sin. To call them as they were.
You know why most people don’t follow the Lord or why they fall away from the Lord? Some people have very genuine intellectual objection. Some people are maybe hurt by the church or perceived to be hurt by the church. Some people have very emotional angst or suffering that is hard to comprehend. All of that is very real. But more often than not, my experience in pastoral ministry is that people do not want to follow the Lord because people simply want to follow their own way, although we read in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” Now I understand that sometimes people have very serious questions and we don’t want to minimize that, but it’s also true that on many issues in certain hearts it does not matter how soft you are, how many caveats you make, how much affirmation you put around the edges—if you call something sin that is sin that people do not want to know as sin, now I’m not just talking about other people’s sins but our sins, we get enraged. “Well this is not what we want to hear. We want to hear a message about how God is our God.” They didn’t like Stephen; they hated Stephen. He spoke strongly. He spoke of their sin.
I believe Stephen would be the person, off in the distance, asking us the question, “Should you be doing that? Is that what Jesus would do?” Church, Stephen isn’t giving us permission to go around and telling people “You sinned and giving them a label and judging them probably for the same things we have done.” Rather, he is giving us permission, as the church, to see the sin around us and to offer assistance to those in trouble because that is what Jesus would do. It’s not our job to talk about the sawdust in someone’s eye while there is a plank in our own eye (Matthew 7:3-5). Luke 19:10 quotes Jesus saying, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Luke 5:32 has Jesus saying, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Jesus shares in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick [do].” Sure, Jesus is calling out the sin, but he is doing so in a way that gives the people a second chance. He doesn’t ridicule them for not being perfect. He simply gives them a new path forward.
Stephen spoke of their sin, not to make them angry, but to help them understand where they messed up and could improve upon. If Stephen were here today, what sort of things would Stephen say we messed up on as a church? What sort of improvement would he offer us? In what ways would he be calling us out and saying, “What would Jesus do?”
Thirdly, Stephen spoke of the Savior. The Israelites hated Stephen because he called out their sin, but they killed Stephen because he called on the Son of Man. You see that in verses 56 through 58. He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” And it’s at that moment that they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, rushed together, came out to him and grabbed their stones to kill him. It might have been different if he had simply affirmed Jesus as a nice prophet or a wonder worker or a miracle man, but he claimed to see Jesus at the right hand of God, at the power of place and privilege, as the one who was the Messiah and the divine Son of Man. They didn’t want this sort of Jesus. They didn’t want to acknowledge a greater authority and power than their own beliefs.
That’s not terribly unlike today. People have a very positive view about Jesus all over the country. “I like Jesus. I’m pro-Jesus.” But what kind of Jesus? Jesus often of our own creation, not a Jesus who might confront us. Not a Jesus who says you have sins and you need a Savior. Well here they did not like this divine, exalted Christ, this unique one, this Son of Man. And so they killed him. Even though the law, their law, spoke against such deeds, even though they were not permitted under Roman law to execute capital punishment, yet they did. Here they are saying, “You do not follow the law.” And then they go and they violate it. When people are absolutely enmeshed in implacable rage, do not expect them to be consistent. They were not interested in consistency; they were interested in killing Stephen. He had enemies because he spoke the truth.
Church, do you have enemies? Now we don’t have enemies, most of us, in the same way, praise the Lord, that Stephen did. But you know Paul told Timothy anyone who desires to follow Christ Jesus in this life will be persecuted. Now let’s put that in a broad category. Let’s not kid ourselves that we are persecuted like other people around the world. Let’s just put it simply. Does being a Christian cost us anything? Is anyone ever upset? The early church thrived not because it sought to create enemies—to separate republicans from democrats, Cubs fans from Cardinals fans, Indiana fans from Illini fans, or even those who prefer red tractors from those who prefer green tractors. The early church thrived because, although it had enemies, it didn’t dismiss them but accepted them and loved them. The early church thrived because it spoke of the Savior—who he was, what he did, and why he walked this earth. The early church thrived because it trusted in Jesus Christ and was willing to discover a faith that would guide it and build it. The early church thrived because it had people like Stephen who simply wanted to help others find Jesus in their life, enemies. Because after all, doesn’t David tell us that the Lord will prepare for us a table in the “presence of our enemies” (Psalm 23:5)?
Church, unfortunately, we will always have enemies: people won’t agree with us and people won’t approve of what we do and how we help those in need. Some won’t like the hymns we sing. Some want a specific kind of church that fulfills their wants instead of what they spiritually need. But just because the church has enemies doesn’t mean we need to shy away—hide our light under a bushel—and stop doing what God is calling us to do. It means that we have more work to do because there are more people who need to experience the love of Christ. Stephen had enemies. If we follow Christ long enough and consistently enough we will accumulate some as well; but we can’t let our enemies prevent us from being the church we need and the church the community needs. Therefore, we must find ways to love our enemies and to talk about the Savior.
Movement Three: We Must Love Our Enemies…
Let me show you what I mean. First, Stephen could love his enemies because he knew God would vindicate—redeem—him. First Peter chapter 2:21-23 asserts, “For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” Do you see the connection? When reviled, when people hated him, and when they mocked him, he did not turn around and do what they did to him. Peter says because “He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.” In other words, Stephen, just like Jesus, understood that, “Though you may have concluded all of this about me and you hate me and you despise me, you are not the one to finally judge me.” And there is coming One, Stephen knew, who would redeem him and these charges. We can love our enemies because God will redeem us. It doesn’t matter what others think, what others say about us. What matters is if we believe that Jesus can redeem us and set us free from that which may hold us back. We can love our enemies because our enemies are no match for the One who will save us.
Second, Stephen could love his enemies because he knew God was glorious. You get this stunning picture here of Stephen gazing into heaven at the glory of God. Earlier it says his face was like an angel. There apparently was something Stephen was seeing so amazing that his face was transfixed and transfigured as he gazed into heaven to see this glory—almost similar to Moses’ face after he spent extensive time in the direct presence of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-35). Now we cannot be sure but I imagine that one of the reasons that Stephen could pray for his enemies here is because he knew what they were missing. He could see the glory that they did not know. He could see the beauty of the Son of Man at the right hand of God that they did not grasp. And so I think moved by love he prayed for them. If we were to see the glory, maybe we would pray, “O Lord,” for our enemies, “I want them to know what I know and experience the joy that I experience and see what I see. And so Lord, forgive them!” And so Stephen prayed, knowing that God was glorious. If we truly take to heart that we are to love our enemies, then certainly we can pray for them, not for bad things to happen to them, but to have their heart of stone be melted and given to Christ. Perhaps, the best solution to deal with our enemies is to pray for them. Jesus, from the cross, stated, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus was probably praying for his enemies when he had every right to curse them. Jesus chose to love those who put him on the cross. Can we do the same thing in our own life?
And thirdly, Stephen knew God’s Son was not to be trifled with and he knew that these people were in need of mercy and forgiveness. Do you notice something peculiar about verses 55 and 56? Stephen sees Jesus standing. Why is the Lord Jesus standing when everywhere else in Scripture confesses that he is seated? I think that he is standing because he is rising to receive Stephen’s testimony and to be his advocate suggesting that he is over and more powerful than our enemies. In short, Jesus is rising from his throne to come to Stephen’s defense, to receive his prayer, and to redeem his name. Stephen could love his enemies because he knew the glory of God, the redemption of God, and he knew the power of Christ.
Do you believe Christ is more powerful than your enemies? Do you believe Christ can conquer your enemies? Do you believe Christ can overcome your enemies? If so, say “Amen.” Stephen believed. Stephen had faith. And Stephen trusted that Christ would stand before his enemies and grant him freedom. Like Stephen, we should believe that our enemies are no match for Jesus. Church, we will have obstacles, we will encounter struggles, and we will embark on missional work that we can’t quite see the outcome of, but we must remain faithful and trust in the authority and power of Jesus Christ, who is standing before us, to overcome that which can cause us to give into the enemy. We are called to love our enemies because when we love we demonstrate the workings and doings of Jesus Christ in our life. What do we need to do to love our enemies?
Movement Four: Stephen, an example of a Father…
Aside from Stephen giving us, the church, instructions in how to continue to thrive and be alive—speaking strongly for the sake of growing the church, helping others find Christ, and speaking of the Savior—Stephen also provides us with an example of the fathers and father-like-figures in our life.
Growing up, my dad was never really one to yell at us kids. He was more of a passive person. The few times he spoke strongly were when he was helping me with a project and when he was coaching me in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. As my coach, he would yell from the dugout when I made a mistake, he would yell from the sidelines when I needed to do something, and he would yell if I needed encouragement—as in keep running, keeping going, don’t look at the ball. He spoke strongly not to make me feel bad but because he knew I could be doing better. At the time, I didn’t realize that so I tuned him out most of the time. But as I got older, his speaking strongly is what motivated me to do better, to not give up, and to keep going. Like Stephen, he spoke up because he believed in me and saw something inside of me that I didn’t see in myself. Did your father ever speak strongly to you in ways that motivated you to be a better person? Can we as a church be speaking strongly to encourage those around us?
Additionally, my dad never really pointed out my sins, but he did constantly remind me of the responsibilities I had. He knew when I made a mistake. He knew when I messed up. He knew when I was probably going to be in trouble or have my car keys taken away because I got a speeding ticket. My dad knew. He never called my mistakes sins, but he did remind me of what I did that was wrong. As much as I didn’t want to hear the truth, I needed to hear to hear it. Like Stephen, my dad spoke the truth not to punish me or to make me feel bad but because he wanted to help me. Did your father ever help you overcome some of the messes and mistakes in your life? Can we as a church be more willing to offer help than to point out each other’s sins?
Furthermore, for a few years, my dad was my Sunday School teacher. He taught me about Jesus. He spoke to me about the Savior. He demonstrated scripture. He prayed with me. He sat in the same pew as I did in church. To the fathers out there who have young children, your children may never express this but I strongly believe that seeing you sitting next to them in church is a memory that they will cherish for the rest of their life. If you talk to them about Jesus outside of church or pray with them before they go to bed, that’s wonderful—keep it up—but knowing that you are at church with them can truly change their life. There were many times as a child that I fell asleep on my dad’s shoulder during church and many times he carried me out to the car. Even though I was sleeping, I was glad that he was there. Like Stephen, my dad talked to me about the Savior and he demonstrated what that looks like in life? How often we you talk about the Savior?
Lastly, Stephen found the love of Christ in his heart and with this love he could withstand anything. I will never know or even be able to comprehend how my dad did it, but growing up—even with having a full time job, sometimes two jobs—made it to every game, concert, school event, and extra-curricular activity I was involved with. Even after working twelve hours, he would help me with my math homework. Even on his days off, when he had a list of chores to complete, he would stop what he was doing and play catch with me. When I was learning how to drive, he would let me drive him to the bank on Saturday mornings and afterwards we would go have a donut. A few times, we would go to the Wonder Bread Store, and he would let me pick out a Hostess treat, but only if he liked what I picked out. He even rode his bike with me to school on the last day of school for seven years—a 24 mile round trip. In college, I would raid the fridge in his office and use his computer and he wouldn’t complain. My last year of college, using his resources, he took me up into the dome of Old Main—the oldest building on campus—a place not open to the public. He did all these things and so much more because of the love in his heart. I hope one day I can share that same kind of love my kids because that love changed my life and still does today. Before the day ends, whether your father is present with you on this earth or in your heart, I encourage you to say two things: “Thank you” and “I Love You.” You can say those things in your own language and lingo! But don’t let today go by without sharing some appreciation for the fathers and father-like-figures in your life who did the impossible to make you feel loved.
Conclusion:
To bring this message to a close, I offer you a challenge. Church, if we want to be a church that thrives and stays alive, then we must be willing to love our enemies: we must speak strongly in our faith, we must help others find Christ, and we must talk about our Savior. Unfortunately, we will always have enemies in this life. People will disagree with us. People will attempt to put us down. People will try to distract us from Jesus. And people will do their best to tell us that we are wrong. But, if we are strong in our faith, then what they say will never be enough to keep us from being the church God needs us to be because God’s love for us is greater than our enemies. Our challenge is to go forth realizing that the love of Christ is what is needed to love our enemies and to keep the church alive today and tomorrow. Stephen died for his faith and in doing so gave us an example to live by. This example is to trust in Jesus! Don’t give into the enemy; rather give into the love of Jesus Christ.
Closing Prayer:
Let us pray… Dear Jesus, we long to be a “Stephen”: a faithful follower of you who wasn’t afraid of the enemy but trusted in you and was filled with grace and love. Help us to be a church that loves our enemies and learns to trust in you as we seek to speak strongly and speak about you. In your name we pray. Amen.
Benediction:
Church, on this Father’s Day, we give thanks for the fathers and father-like-figures in our life who taught us lessons, who encouraged us to do better, and who repeatedly saw something within ourselves that we didn’t see. And most importantly, we give thanks to the Father up above who extends His love to us so that we can do the same for others. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth being the church God needs all of us to be. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] “About Father’s Day,” Hallmark, https://www.hallmark.com/about-fathers-day/, Accessed June 15th, 2026.
[2] Ibid. Accessed June 15th, 2026.
[3] Ibid. Accessed June 15th, 2026.
[4] Ibid. Accessed June 15th, 2026.
[5] “Father’s Day,” National Retail Federation, https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/fathers-day, Accessed June 15th, 2026.
[6] Philip Comfort and Walter A. Elwell, The Complete Book of Who’s Who in the Bible, New York, New York: Chartwell Books (an imprint of The Quarto Group), 2025, pg. 571.