Episode 83 - The Acts Series: Ready With Your Testimony (Acts 7:1-16)

Episode 83 - The Acts Series: Ready With Your Testimony (Acts 7:1-16)

Stephen is on trial, the room is tense, and he chooses a surprising strategy: he doesn’t start with self-defense. We read Acts 7:1–16 out loud and slow down to notice how Stephen builds a rock-solid foundation by retelling Israel’s story, beginning with Abraham. That opening isn’t filler. It’s a deliberate move to meet religious leaders on shared ground, lower defenses, and show that faith in Jesus is not a random break from the Torah but the fulfillment of God’s long-running promise. From Abraham’s call and covenant to the meaning of “sojourner,” we talk through why Stephen’s “big overview” matters for anyone who feels lost in the Old Testament. Then the story turns toward Joseph, and we sit with a hard truth: God is with his people, and they still face real troubles. The patriarchs don’t get edited into heroes without flaws, and that “prickles and all” honesty is one reason the Bible feels like history instead of propaganda. We also name the ache of unanswered questions when suffering hits close to home, and why the Word gives us something firm to hold even when we don’t get explanations. We end where the conversation gets intensely practical: Stephen was ready because Scripture was already stored in him. We challenge ourselves to practice our testimony, stay in the Word, and start memorizing verses for the exact places we struggle, including Isaiah 41:10 for fear and worry. If you want a Bible study podcast that blends careful reading, real life, and doable next steps, pull up a seat with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review telling us what verse you’re memorizing next. Please take advantage of our FREE resources below to help you along your health and healing journey: The Bible App HealingStrong Bible Plans [https://www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong] Support Group Directory [https://healingstrong.org/group-directory] Listen to Previous Episodes [https://healingstrong.org/around-the-word-podcast] Holistic Curriculum - Participant Guide [https://healingstrong.org/start-here] Refresh Your Spirit [https://healingstrong.org/refresh] Support Our Mission - Donate [https://healingstrong.org/donate] Please visit our website at healingstrong.org [https://healingstrong.org/] to learn more about our mission and visit our groups tab to learn more about our community groups [https://healingstrong.org/groups]. HELP US GROW: Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here. [https://healingstrong.org/donate]

Episode 82 - The Acts Series: Grace and Power (Acts 6)

The early church doesn’t wait long to face a messy problem: people are being overlooked. Reading Acts 6 together, we wrestle with the tension between practical care and spiritual priorities when the Hellenist widows are neglected in the daily distribution. We love how honest this chapter is about church conflict, because it sounds like real community, not a polished story.  From there, we watch wise church leadership take shape as the apostles call for seven trusted, Spirit-filled men to step into service so prayer and the ministry of the word stay central. That decision isn’t about avoiding people’s needs, it’s about building a healthier system for discipleship, church unity, and care for the vulnerable. We also pause on the surprising detail that the word of God keeps spreading and many priests become obedient to the faith.  Then Stephen comes into focus: full of grace and power, doing wonders and signs, speaking with wisdom the opposition can’t withstand. When debate fails, accusations begin, and we talk about how the enemy twists a little truth into a convincing lie, plus how that connects to church hurt and division today. We end by looking ahead to Stephen’s upcoming sermon and why knowing the Old Testament matters if we want to understand Jesus and spot spiritual counterfeits.  Subscribe to Healing Strong’s Around the Word, share this with a friend who loves Bible study, and leave a review so more people can get around the table and around the Word. What part of Acts 6 feels most relevant to your life right now? Please take advantage of our FREE resources below to help you along your health and healing journey: The Bible App HealingStrong Bible Plans [https://www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong] Support Group Directory [https://healingstrong.org/group-directory] Listen to Previous Episodes [https://healingstrong.org/around-the-word-podcast] Holistic Curriculum - Participant Guide [https://healingstrong.org/start-here] Refresh Your Spirit [https://healingstrong.org/refresh] Support Our Mission - Donate [https://healingstrong.org/donate] Please visit our website at healingstrong.org [https://healingstrong.org/] to learn more about our mission and visit our groups tab to learn more about our community groups [https://healingstrong.org/groups]. HELP US GROW: Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here. [https://healingstrong.org/donate]

Episode 81 - The Acts Series: Counted Worthy in the Suffering (Acts 5:12-42)

Peter’s shadow falls across the street and sick bodies get up. That’s where our table talk lands today, right in the middle of Acts 5:12–42, where the early church is impossible to ignore and impossible to intimidate. We read the passage out loud and pause to notice what’s actually happening: believers gathering in the temple courts, unity replacing greed and jealousy, crowds forming because they believe God can heal. Then the mood snaps. The Sadducees and the high priest get filled with jealousy, the apostles get arrested, and the story turns into one of the most startling jailbreaks in the Bible as an angel opens the doors and sends them straight back to preach “the full message of this new life.” From there we follow the courtroom tension before the Sanhedrin and Peter’s blunt line that still challenges modern discipleship: “We must obey God rather than men.” We talk through the claim at the center of Christian faith and Christian apologetics: Jesus is risen, repentance and forgiveness are real, and the Holy Spirit is a witness. We also slow down for Gamaliel’s counsel, because it’s a timeless filter for spiritual discernment: if it’s from God, you cannot stop it without fighting God. When the apostles are flogged and still rejoice for the Name, we ask what kind of Spirit-powered courage makes that possible, and why they keep going day after day. If you’ve ever wondered what bold faith looks like under pressure, press play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Please take advantage of our FREE resources below to help you along your health and healing journey: The Bible App HealingStrong Bible Plans [https://www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong] Support Group Directory [https://healingstrong.org/group-directory] Listen to Previous Episodes [https://healingstrong.org/around-the-word-podcast] Holistic Curriculum - Participant Guide [https://healingstrong.org/start-here] Refresh Your Spirit [https://healingstrong.org/refresh] Support Our Mission - Donate [https://healingstrong.org/donate] Please visit our website at healingstrong.org [https://healingstrong.org/] to learn more about our mission and visit our groups tab to learn more about our community groups [https://healingstrong.org/groups]. HELP US GROW: Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here. [https://healingstrong.org/donate]

Episode 80 - The Acts Series: One in Heart and Mind (Acts 4:32-37; 5:1-11)

A church where nobody is in need sounds like a miracle, until you realize it starts with something simple and brutally hard: being one in heart and mind. We open Acts 4:32-37 and talk about the early Christian community, where unity and generosity flow out of the Holy Spirit’s power and the apostles’ testimony about the resurrection of Jesus. This isn’t a theory of money, it’s a picture of discipleship and biblical stewardship that shows up in real choices, real sacrifice, and real care for people. Then the tone shifts as we step into Acts 5:1-11 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira. We slow down to name what the passage actually says: the problem isn’t that they didn’t give every dollar, it’s that they pretended they did. We explore why deception is so destructive in a faith community, how “small” lies train our hearts toward performance, and how fear can reveal a deeper lack of trust in God’s provision. Along the way, we reflect on Barnabas as the “son of encouragement,” why his background matters, and what it means to live with open hands. By the end, we’re left with a question that hits close to home: what are we withholding from God right now, and how might that hidden place be keeping us from freedom and fullness in the Spirit? If you care about Christian unity, generosity, integrity, and the fear of the Lord, come join us around the Word. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Please take advantage of our FREE resources below to help you along your health and healing journey: The Bible App HealingStrong Bible Plans [https://www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong] Support Group Directory [https://healingstrong.org/group-directory] Listen to Previous Episodes [https://healingstrong.org/around-the-word-podcast] Holistic Curriculum - Participant Guide [https://healingstrong.org/start-here] Refresh Your Spirit [https://healingstrong.org/refresh] Support Our Mission - Donate [https://healingstrong.org/donate] Please visit our website at healingstrong.org [https://healingstrong.org/] to learn more about our mission and visit our groups tab to learn more about our community groups [https://healingstrong.org/groups]. HELP US GROW: Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here. [https://healingstrong.org/donate]

Episode 79 - The Acts Series: Don't Stay Quiet (Acts 4:23-31)

The fastest way to lose your courage is to believe the loudest voices get the final word. We pick up Acts 4:23–31 right after Peter and John are threatened and ordered to stop speaking about Jesus, and we watch what the early church does next: they run to their people, lift their voices together, and pray a Scripture-soaked prayer that asks for boldness instead of safety.  As we read the believers’ prayer out loud, we slow down and notice the pattern: they start by declaring who God is, they remember Psalm 2 and the reality of spiritual opposition, and they make a clear request. “Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,” and then they ask God to stretch out His hand to heal, with signs and wonders in Jesus’ name. That mix of courage and compassion reframes what Christian witness is supposed to look like, especially when culture, policies, or peer pressure try to keep faith conversations quiet.  We also bring it into real life: fear of speaking up in a public school, in the military, in an office, or around family members who shut you down. We talk honestly about intimidation, the inner voice that says you are unqualified, and why we believe the Holy Spirit is the difference between silence and steady, loving truth. We close by praying for you to be emboldened, share a listener encouragement story, and tell you how to support the mission if you want to give back.  If this encourages you, subscribe for more Bible reading and practical prayer, share the episode with a friend who feels pressured to stay quiet, and leave a review so more people can find Healing Strong’s Around the Word. Please take advantage of our FREE resources below to help you along your health and healing journey: The Bible App HealingStrong Bible Plans [https://www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong] Support Group Directory [https://healingstrong.org/group-directory] Listen to Previous Episodes [https://healingstrong.org/around-the-word-podcast] Holistic Curriculum - Participant Guide [https://healingstrong.org/start-here] Refresh Your Spirit [https://healingstrong.org/refresh] Support Our Mission - Donate [https://healingstrong.org/donate] Please visit our website at healingstrong.org [https://healingstrong.org/] to learn more about our mission and visit our groups tab to learn more about our community groups [https://healingstrong.org/groups]. HELP US GROW: Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here. [https://healingstrong.org/donate]