Philip, one of the 7, gets an angelic message to head south on the desert road, and is then prompted by the Spirit to walk near a chariot. He obeys the call, and being in the right place at the right time he is able to tell the man about Jesus. But would we recognise God’s voice if he called to us? And would we obey?

Today we look at the account of the first Christian martyr – Stephen. There’s much to learn and many challenges to take on board as we follow his example in proclaiming the gospel, facing persecution, and by God’s grace, play a part in the growth of the church.

The early church had been attacked by persecution, seduced by greed but in these verses it faced the challenge to remain faithful to their calling despite serious distractions. A short but challenging passage -especially when we apply it to ourselves and our calling to serve in God’s church today.