The Early Church's Power
From Lugoff Bible Fellowship by Larry Fraser
May 23, 2026 · 28 min · Season 2026 · Episode 17
About this episode
This episode discusses how conflict in the early church revealed character and strength, focusing on the apostles' response to challenges in Acts 6:1-7.
May 17, 2026 When Conflict Reveals Character: The Early Church's Surprising Strength Rarely does a church conflict become the very thing that makes it stronger. In this episode, the speaker walks through one of the most instructive moments in Acts 6:1-7, where tension between Hellenistic and Hebrew Jewish believers over widow food distribution threatened to fracture a rapidly growing movement. What did the apostles do when conflict threatened to derail everything they had built? Wisely, they delegated. By appointing seven men to handle practical administration, the apostles freed themselves to focus on prayer and studying Scripture. (This principle still challenges pastors today who get buried in administrative demands.) Even temple priests who once opposed the gospel eventually converted, demonstrating the undeniable power of a unified church. Larry draws on thirty years of ministry experience to argue that dysfunctional people, genuinely submitted to the Holy Spirit, become an extraordinary force for the gospel. He illustrates this through his uncle's marriage, transformed from near-divorce to an exemplary relationship through Christian counsel and mutual submission to God…
People in this episode
Host: Larry Fraser
Topics covered
- early church
- conflict resolution
- apostolic delegation
- church growth
- Christian counseling
- character development
Keywords
- early church
- conflict
- apostles
- Hellenistic
- Hebrew
- widow food distribution
- Christian counsel
- Holy Spirit
- church unity
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Acts 6:1-7
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- From Ancient Persecution to Modern Witness · May 24, 2026 · 39 min
- What Real Faith Actually Means · May 24, 2026 · 26 min
- SS: Why Christians Need Creeds and Deep Theology · May 23, 2026 · 17 min
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