Would you like to be known as somebody who’s “full of it”? I know that phrase usually has a negative connotation, but I would like to make the case that this is actually a really good thing. Check out this episode of The Podcast.
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would you like to be known as somebody who's full of it welcome to the podcast with your host Craig T. Owens Craig's new book when she bite is available now at Craig T. Owens .com I know a lot of times when we hear that phrase it is very negative in its connotations isn't it you look at somebody and you go oh well they're really full of it or sometimes we say they're really full of themselves but I want to make a case that that phrase can actually be used in a really good way there is a man that we meet in the New Testament he only appears on the pages of the New Testament scripture for just a brief moment but what a bright shining moment it is his name is Stephen and there is a word that describes him consistently and that word is full right at the very beginning we meet him in Acts chapter 6 the apostles have gotten to a spot where their plate is full they've been preaching the word the church is growing there's a lot of responsibilities and one of the responsibilities that they have taken on that has now begun to overwhelm them a little bit is caring for the widows that need to get a distribution of food and so they say we need to select some guys to oversee this feeding program and here's the qualifications that they have for I find this is very interesting because the job description doesn't start off with somebody who is really good with logistics and it has a knowledge of food but it just says this we want to pick men who are known to be full of the spirit speaking of the Holy Spirit and wisdom full of the spirit and full of wisdom and the very first person that they choose is this man named Stephen so that is how we meet him at first as he is described as being full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom now that word for full there means absolutely permeated so you can't put anything else in it think of a glass that has been filled all the way to the very brim and you can't put anything else into it it's already as full as it possibly can be that is this word here for Stephen but it doesn't just stop there just a couple of verses farther down we read again that it says because he was full of God's grace and power then he was able to speak very persuasively God did miracles through him again because he is just full of the spirit of God later on in the word full isn't there but I think it's implied it says that the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gave him allowed him to continue to speak very persuasively to people that were now starting to attack him people that were coming against him they're false witnesses there are people that wanted to pull him down and he didn't lose any of his joy in the process but he has this wisdom and then all the way at the very end of his life so he he preaches a sermon we have this brief glimpse of him in Acts chapter 6 almost the entirety of Acts chapter 7 is his sermon where he's addressing the religious leaders because he's been called in by these false witnesses and at the very end the religious leaders are upset with them they want to stone him to death and listen to what it says still at the very end full of the Holy Spirit at his death full of the Holy Spirit he was able to look up it to heaven and pray the similar words to Jesus from the cross where Jesus said Father forgive them for they don't know what they're doing Stephen prayed the same thing he says Father don't lay this charge against them as they are killing him as they're stoning him to death full of the Holy Spirit he's able to speak these words so that's the case that I want to make is that we should be full of it full of what what was Stephen full of the Holy Spirit how do you know that you're full of the Holy Spirit well in Galatians chapter 6 we are excuse me Galatians chapter 5 we have this great list it says the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace forbearance kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control now let me ask you a question when you are carrying a glass that is full to the brim what happens when you get jostled what comes out of the glass whatever is in the glass whatever the glass is full of this is a great way for you to find out what you're full of how do you respond when you're bumped when you're jostled when somebody runs into you when you weren't expecting it what spills out of your life that is the indication of what you were full of so pay close attention don't excuse it and say they caught me off guard or that was a Freudian slip or I just wasn't at my best right then be brutally honest with yourself and with the Holy Spirit what are you full of when you're jostled are things like love and joy and peace and patience and self-control spilling out of you if they are then you can say like Stephen I'm full of it let's be full of the power and the fruit of the Holy Spirit Craig's new book when sheep bite is available now to order go to CraigTowens.com [Music]
