Is God Too Big for Your Building? What Stephen Saw That Changed Everything (Acts 7:44-56)

In today’s episode of the Daily Bible Refresh, Dr. Brad Miller reads Acts 7:44–56 from The Message and reflects on it from a progressive faith perspective. He explores how God cannot be contained in any building or institution, using Stephen’s dramatic vision of “heaven wide open” as a call to move beyond rigid structures and into a living, present encounter with the Divine. Drawing on personal stories from hiking in nature and his work with cancer-impacted people, Dr. Brad highlights how moments of unexpected wonder can break into even the hardest seasons of life. He then offers a simple daily practice to train our “eyes for the holy,” inviting listeners to pause, notice where God might already be at work, and cultivate spiritual awareness in the middle of ordinary—and even chaotic—moments.

Key Takeaways

1. God cannot be contained in buildings or institutions

• Acts 7 and Isaiah’s words underscore that heaven is God’s throne and earth His footstool, reminding us that no building, tradition, or system can fully contain God’s presence.

1. Structures are good, but not the point

• Churches, communities, and buildings have real value, but from a progressive perspective, the danger comes when the institution becomes the focus instead of God it was meant to point toward.

1. God is present in everyday, ordinary places

• Dr. Brad shares how he often feels closest to God on wooded trails and in nature, emphasizing that God is already present in our homes, cars, walks, and daily lives—not just in sanctuaries.

1. Stephen’s vision models “eyes trained for the holy”

• While the crowd riots in chaos, Stephen sees heaven wide open and Jesus standing at God’s side, illustrating a life oriented toward something bigger than self-preservation, reputation, or winning arguments.

1. Spiritual awareness can emerge even in suffering

• From his “Cancer and Comedy” podcast, Dr. Brad notes that people in cancer treatment and hard seasons often report unexpected moments of wonder and transcendence, like a sunset or a deep conversation, showing that holy awareness is possible even in pain.

1. A simple daily practice: one intentional minute

• He invites listeners to pause for 60 seconds each day, perhaps at a set time, and ask, “Where is God showing up right now that I might be missing?”—a practice he calls a “heaven wide open” moment.

Links referenced in this episode:

• voiceofgoddaily.com

The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).

He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.

Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.

He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)

The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...

• Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
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• A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
• A prayer for your day.

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