Acts 7 contains Stephen’s speech before the council in Jerusalem, a sweeping review of Israel’s history that ends in his death as the first Christian martyr. This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study, so you can move through the whole chapter without preparing a separate summary.
Acts 7 at a Glance
The high priest asks Stephen whether the charges against him are true, and Stephen answers with a long retelling of Israel’s story: God’s call of Abraham, the sufferings of Joseph, the rescue of Moses from Egypt, and the wilderness years of rebellion. He shows again and again that God acted outside the expected places, and that Israel’s people often resisted the very leaders God sent.
He then turns to the temple, reminding his hearers that the Most High does not live in houses made by hands. His accusation is sharp, and the crowd reacts with fury. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, sees heaven opened and Jesus standing at God’s right hand, and he dies asking the Lord to forgive his killers.
Observation Questions
Use these to slow the group down and read the text carefully before anyone offers an opinion. Ask one question at a time, let several people answer, and point back to the verses named. Good observation sets the foundation for everything that follows.
Acts 7:2
He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran…
(WEB)
Reading the opening words of Stephen’s speech sets the tone. It shows he is addressing his hearers respectfully before he challenges them, and it establishes that his story begins with God’s glory appearing to Abraham.
Acts 7:30-34
30 “When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and dared not look. 33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’
(WEB)
This passage describes God’s call to Moses at the burning bush. Reading it aloud lets the group hear the divine voice and the instruction to remove sandals, which underlines the holiness of God’s presence.
Acts 7:48-50
48 However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, 49 ‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest? 50 Didn’t my hand make all these things?’
(WEB)
Stephen’s quotation from the prophets is central to his argument about the temple. Hearing it read together helps the group see that God is not confined to any structure built by human hands.
Acts 7:55-56
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
(WEB)
These verses describe Stephen’s vision of heaven opened and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. Reading them aloud brings the emotional and theological climax of the chapter into the room.
Acts 7:59-60
59 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
(WEB)
Stephen’s final prayers, asking the Lord to receive his spirit and to forgive his killers, close the chapter. Reading them slowly gives the group a chance to reflect on the kind of faith that is willing to die well.
Memory Verse for Acts 7
Acts 7:55
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God…
(WEB)
This verse captures Stephen’s Spirit-filled steadiness and his fixed gaze on God’s glory. Memorizing it gives you a short reminder that even in violent opposition, the believer can look up and see the Lord.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you were with Joseph, Moses, and Stephen when people turned against them, and that your purposes were never stopped by human resistance. Forgive us for the times we have been stiff-necked and slow to listen to your Spirit. Give us Stephen’s willingness to speak truth plainly and his trust in Jesus at the right hand of God. Help us to pray for those who wrong us as he did, and to keep our eyes on you in every season. Amen.
