June 3 Sermon — Stiff-Necked or Soft-Hearted? Learning to Follow God's Lead

In this message from Acts 7, Pastor DJ explores Stephen’s final sermon before his martyrdom and the challenging accusation that sparked outrage among the religious leaders: “You stiff-necked people.”Drawing from his recent mission trip to Mexico, DJ reflects on the subtle ways pride, self-reliance, and fear can cause us to resist God’s leading, even when we believe we are serving Him. Tracing the theme of stubbornness from Exodus through the prophets and into Stephen’s confrontation with the Sanhedrin, he shows how Scripture repeatedly reveals humanity’s tendency to push back against God’s guidance.But the message doesn’t end with condemnation. DJ points listeners to Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to take on His yoke — a way of life marked not by striving, resistance, and exhaustion, but by trust, humility, and rest.This sermon is a call to examine where we may be resisting God’s voice and to discover the freedom that comes from becoming pliable in the hands of a loving Father.