“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” – 2 Timothy 2:2.
There is no experience like going to church camp and gathering around a blazing campfire with other kids. The kids would chat and eventually somebody would start to strum their guitar and the group would sing songs. One popular song in years past was “Pass It On.” It was a simple, campfire-type song about starring a fire.
It only takes a spark to get a fire going
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it
You spread His love to ev’ryone you want to pass it on
Sparks are small but that doesn’t mean they stay small. One spark can result in a blazing, destructive fire. But the spark in Pass It On is entirely different in that it is positive and potentially life-giving. Some sparks may seem small. They may be done in relative obscurity in the context of our normal lives. It may seem like what we do is little and thus not really very important. But ultimately the gospel is spread one spark at a time. Our sparks may be small, but they are part of a worldwide movement in God in every part of the globe.
It only takes a tiny spark to ignite a fire and it only takes one individual filled with the Spirit of God to ignite others into becoming followers of Christ. It was one man, John the Baptist, who saw Jesus passing by and proclaimed, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ” (John 1:29) Two of His disciples, Andrew and Peter responded to Jesus’ call and began to follow Him. Jesus eventually had 12 disciples. Those 12 developed into seventy disciples who went out to the villages. From the 70 (Luke 10:1) came 120 (Acts 1:15) and on the day of Pentecost, that number burst through the roof to 3,000. (Acts 2:41) In Acts 4:4, we read 5,000 came to believe.
The Christian gospel is the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the two thousand years since, the account of Jesus’ victory over sin and death has been embraced by hundreds of millions of people. Each of us who are followers of Jesus are beneficiaries of this ripple effect of the gospel. We are asked to do our part to continue the ripple. It only takes a spark for God to cause a ripple through our communities.
In our lives, we all know people that from the outside look unlikely to turn to God. However, on the inside, they are desperately longing for someone to tell them about Jesus. All they need is a spark.
Discussion Questions:
- What are some ways we can be a spark in our communities?
- How can you be a spark in someone’s life this week.