SCRIPTURE:  Read Acts 1:14 and Acts 2
            
STUDY: In Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit.  While the disciples waited, they prayed.  They followed Jesus’ example of spending time with the Father and then obeying His commands.  This is as applicable to us today as it was to the early Christ followers:  pray and get ready to obey.

Just as a single match or spark can ignite an enormous fire, so the Holy Spirit can start something within us that will spread to other people around us.  In Acts 2, we see how the Holy Spirit can do tremendous things through us if we allow Him.  Remember Peter?  He was the man who followed Jesus and walked on the water. Peter was also one of the disciples in the Upper Room, obeying Jesus and waiting.  When the Holy Spirit came and filled him up, Peter went out his front door and started telling people about Jesus.  After he finished talking, 3000 people believed in Jesus!!  God’s Holy Spirit ignited a spark in Peter that caused a big fire to grow!

CHALLENGE: We too need to listen to God.  We can do this by prayer, reading our Bibles, or going to a quiet place and asking God to speak to us!  We may not hear an audible voice, but we can definitely get a sense of what He is saying and then choose to obey Him.   Remember, God can cause a small spark to ignite a fire that spreads to everyone around us.

Here is a fun activity you can do as a family to illustrate this lesson.  You will need:
•    2 liter bottle of Diet Coke
•    package of Mentos candy

Drop a Mentos into the Diet Coke and watch the chemical reaction that occurs (you might want to try this outside first before doing it on the newly cleaned white rug!).  The more Mentos you put in, the more “explosive” the reaction will become.  The concept here is that by our simple obedience to God (adding the Mentos), He can cause a big reaction to happen.  What are some of the things God has asked you to do?

Go to www.biblegateway.com and look up “one another.”  In the New Testament books, look for verses where God tells us we can obey Him by getting along with one another or by treating others as He would have us treat them, leading them to begin to wonder why we are treating them so well*.  You can ignite a reaction leading to a decision to follow Jesus.

*Examples:
Serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13
Forgive each other.  Ephesians 4:32
Do not grumble against each other.  James 5:9

KEY POINT:  Movement:  Ignite a Reaction

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, my prayer to you today is that I would become what you want me to be…to make a “big fizz” that will cause other people to know You.  I want to love more, forgive more and serve other people more.  I want to obey Your Word and the instructions given to me to be a successful Christian.  I know Your Spirit is in me to help me be a really big light to others around me.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.