From Receiving God's Fire to Spreading It: The Acts Challenge
By Erik Kingsley · · Imagine Church, Pembroke Pines, FL
Picture this: You've just experienced an incredible moment with God. His presence was tangible, prayers were answered, and you felt His fire in a way that left you changed. What happens next?
If you're like most of us, you want to build a monument to that moment. Take a picture. Tell the story over and over. Maybe even worship the room where it all happened.
But Pastor Erik Kingsley challenged our church family with a different response: It's time to act.
We Were Filled to Be Sent
Starting our new 12-week series through the book of Acts, Pastor Erik reminded us of a crucial truth about God's presence in our lives:
"We were filled to be sent. God's presence comes to live in you for a mission, not just for us to sit around and hang out."
The early church didn't receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost just to sit around talking about how amazing that Sunday was. They were empowered for a purpose. The same fire that fell on them is the same presence living in us today — and it comes with the same mission.
As Pastor Erik put it: "We are not a cruise ship. We are a battleship."
Fire Is Meant to Spread
One of the most powerful images from Sunday was Pastor Erik's description of how fire works:
"Fire is not meant to just stay still, it's to spread. Fire touches everything. When it touches it, it starts to light up and burn."
The presence of God in your life isn't just for your comfort or blessing. It's meant to spread to your coworkers, your neighbors, your family members who don't know Jesus yet. The fire in you is meant for them.
This is exactly what happened in the early church. Acts 17:6 describes them as "men who have turned the world upside down." That's not hyperbole — that's what happens when filled people actually act on what they've received.
The Four Pillars of a Sent Church
Pastor Erik walked us through Acts 2:42-47, highlighting four habits that kept the fire burning after Pentecost:
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers... And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
1. Teaching — They stayed in God's Word
2. Fellowship — They stayed connected to each other
3. Breaking Bread — They worshiped and remembered God together
4. Prayer — They stayed connected to God
These weren't just nice activities. Pastor Erik explained that "devotion is what keeps the fire burning. You can't receive the fire on Sunday, ignore God all week, and wonder why you don't have the fire."
Generosity Flows from the Spirit
One of the most convicting parts of Sunday's message was about generosity. The early church didn't just hoard God's blessings — they distributed them.
Pastor Erik shared a personal story about his mom teaching him to choose between buying a toucan for himself or helping hungry kids at a tent revival. That early lesson shaped his understanding of what happens when God's Spirit fills you:
"When you receive something you didn't deserve, you can't hold on to things like you used to."
A filled church is a generous church — not just with money, but with time, attention, presence, and the gospel itself.
The Acts Challenge
Pastor Erik didn't just preach about acting — he gave us specific ways to live this out over the next 12 weeks:
1. Write down one person's name who doesn't know Jesus and pray for them every morning by name
2. Fast one meal per week and use that time to pray for South Florida and the lost
3. Invite someone to church — 82% of people come because they were invited
4. Read through Acts together as a church family
"We're gonna fill this room with people that need Jesus," Pastor Erik declared. "We're gonna pray for them by name."
Your Jerusalem Starts Here
Jesus told His disciples they would be witnesses "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). For us, Pastor Erik explained:
Your Jerusalem is Pembroke Pines, Miami, wherever you're at. Your Judea and Samaria is Broward County, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach. And the ends of the earth start with the person right next to you.
The question isn't whether you have something to give. If you've been filled with God's presence, you absolutely do. The question is: What are you going to do with it?
Time to Act
As Pastor Erik reminded us, we're not here to build monuments to past moves of God. We're here to spread the fire He's already given us.
The early church turned their world upside down not because they had great marketing or big budgets, but because they were filled and they moved. They were filled and they acted. They were filled and they shared Jesus with people.
It's time for us to do the same.
Want to hear the full message? Check out the podcast or watch it on YouTube once it's uploaded. And if you're in South Florida, we'd love to see you in person on Sundays at 10 AM — doors open at 9:30. There's a seat waiting for you at Holiday Inn Pembroke Pines.