Looking for a church in Lakeland? Come join us at Neighborhood Church! Our mission is simple: We're inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus.
Learn more at www.lakelandneighborhood.church
Summary: Dragged before the Sanhedrin—the same court that condemned Jesus—Stephen doesn't beg for his life. He preaches. Full of the Spirit, he walks Israel through her own history, from Abraham to Moses, and exposes the pattern: God's people have always rejected the deliverers God sends, and now they have murdered the Righteous One himself. The council rages, but Stephen sees what they can't—heaven opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Stoned while praying for the men killing him, Stephen dies exactly like his Lord: commending his spirit, forgiving his enemies. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, and Christ's truth is worth every cost.
Question:
When your faith costs you something—your comfort, your reputation, or the approval of people you love—what does your response reveal about where your ultimate loyalty truly lies, and are you willing, like Stephen, to say with your life that Christ's truth is worth every cost?
To learn more, visit
lakelandneighborhood.church (http://www.lakelandneighborhood.church/)
To support us financially, click here. (https://assistcx.z2systems.com/np/clients/assistcx/donation.jsp?campaign=15&&test=true)
To follow along with the small group notes, click here. (https://diggingdeeper.church/)
Music: On Our Own Again by Blue Dot Sessions (https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/150518)
12 Oct 2026
Sparking the Flame: The Seven
Summary:
Rapid growth brought a problem to the young church in Jerusalem: Hellenist widows were being overlooked in the daily food distribution, and complaints began to fly. The apostles saw the danger—urgent logistics can crowd out what matters most. So they appointed seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom, to serve tables while they devoted themselves to prayer and the preaching of the word. Serving practical needs protects the preaching of God's word. The result? The word multiplied, and even priests—men once hostile to Christ—came to faith. No one is beyond the reach of grace, and every believer is needed in the work.
Question:
When you examine your own posture within the church, are you more often a source of friction—through grumbling, consumerism, or demanding your preferences—or are you stepping into the gaps like the seven, faithfully shouldering practical needs so that the ministry of the word can flourish? What is one specific way God is calling you to serve this week?
To learn more, visit
lakelandneighborhood.church (http://www.lakelandneighborhood.church/)
To support us financially, click here. (https://assistcx.z2systems.com/np/clients/assistcx/donation.jsp?campaign=15&&test=true)
To follow along with the small group notes, click here. (https://diggingdeeper.church/)
Music: On Our Own Again by Blue Dot Sessions (https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/150518)
5 Oct 2026
Sparking the Flame: Prison Break
Arrested for preaching, the apostles are freed by an angel and immediately return to the temple to preach the very thing they were jailed for. Standing before the Sanhedrin (the same council that condemned Jesus) Peter declares, 'We must obey God rather than men.' Beaten and warned to be silent, they walk away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name, and keep preaching daily in the temple and house to house. You cannot cage the life that conquered the grave. This message challenges us to show up for Christ even when it costs us, and to settle our allegiance before the trial arrives.
The apostles were willing to be beaten and shamed because they valued Jesus above everything else. The level of suffering we're willing to endure reveals what we truly treasure—so what does your willingness (or unwillingness) to be inconvenienced, embarrassed, or even penalized for the name of Christ say about His worth in your life, and is there a place where you need to settle your allegiance before the pressure arrives?
<p>To learn more, visit<br>
<a href="https://www.lakelandneighborhood.church">lakelandneighborhood.church</a><br>
To support us financially, <a href="https://assistcx.z2systems.com/np/clients/assistcx/donation.jsp?campaign=15&&test=true">click here.</a><br>
To follow along with the small group notes, <a href="https://diggingdeeper.church">click here.</a><br>
Music: On Our Own Again by <a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/150518">Blue Dot Sessions</a></p>
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4 ratings
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