In Acts 6, we were told that Stephan was a man full of faith.  And so as Stephen nears the end of his life in Acts 7, it should be no surprise to us that we find him full of faith.  He is full of faith and we too should be full of faith in:

• The Promise of Heaven – He cries out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v59).  He is confident that his spirit is going to be with Jesus in heaven.  And his confidence is not found in himself or his good works, but in the one he addresses – in Jesus.  When the stones are flying in our lives, we need this faith in the promise of heaven.  We need to be able to look past the trials to the reward when there will be no more flying stones.  And when the final stone is flying, and it is our time to die, we need that faith in Jesus who promises heaven for his people.
• The Providence of God – Stephan prays that the Lord will not hold this sin against his attackers (v60).  How can he forgive as the stones are flying?  Because he believes God is in control.  Like in Joseph’s life, what they meant for evil, God would use for good.  He was trusting in God’s plan for him even if it meant his death.  When the stones are flying in our lives, we too need this faith in God’s providence.  We too need to trust God when the situation makes no sense to us.
• The Priority of Jesus – His approach to Christianity was not tacking Jesus onto his story to make his life better.  If his story was central, he couldn’t stand as the stones are flying because his story was ending.  But he understood the priority of Jesus.  It was all about Jesus – the one Stephen had been proclaiming.  Stephen had been tacked onto Jesus’ story, and that story would continue when Stephen died.  When the stones are flying in our lives, we need this faith in the priority of Jesus – that it is all about him, and our purpose is simply to point to him.
• The Presence of God – Stephen saw Jesus.  He knew God was with him, and that gave him strength to persevere.  When the stones are flying in our lives, we may not see a vision like Stephen did, but we need that firm faith in God’s presence with us.  And because God is with us, we can be strong and courageous when the stones are flying.