Happy Aloha Friday, October 17th, 2025! Today’s reading marks a turning point in the story of the Church. It’s here that followers of Jesus begin to face open and consistent persecution for their faith. We meet Christianity’s first martyr—Stephen—a man full of faith, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit.
From this moment on, the Church will face growing opposition… but also greater expansion. The more they were pressed, the more they multiplied. It’s why the early church father Tertullian wrote:
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Today's Reading:
Job 1,2; Acts 6,7
Scripture
“At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (Acts 7:57-58)
Observation
The believers prayed for boldness and God answered. Stephen stood before the council with courage that could not be silenced. His boldness brought opposition, but his death sparked something far greater: the expansion of the Church.
The persecution that began that day scattered believers, spreading the gospel wherever they went. And standing nearby, holding the coats, was a man named Saul — soon to become Paul — author of half of the New Testament.
Application
After walking through the footsteps of Paul — standing in the places where he preached, where he witnessed, where he was imprisoned, where he baptized a guard, and where he was finally beheaded — I have a deeper appreciation for what Tertullian wrote.
The gospel we freely share today was watered by the blood of those who refused to be silent.
Their courage birthed the Church we now belong to. The bolder we are, the more opposed we will be — but the greater the opposition, the greater the witness.
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the faith of those who stood firm when the world turned against them. Thank You for those who were willing to lay down their lives for what they believed. And thank You for those who responded to their sacrifice with faith. If it weren’t for the blood of the martyrs, most of us would never have known You.
Amen.
-Chris Kiriakos
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