Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God.

56 "Look!" he said. "I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!"

57 With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once,

58 threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a young man named Saul.

59 They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

60 He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!" He said this and died.

2 Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

3 As the scripture says, "You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is."

4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.

5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For the scripture says, "I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed."

7 This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe: "The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all."

8 And another scripture says, "This is the stone that will make people stumble, the rock that will make them fall." They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them.

9 But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

10 At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.