The Spirit Makes Us Bold
Month 11: Living It Out · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Memory Verse
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”— Matthew 5:16 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 58-60
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 305 of 365 — "Arise, shine; for your light has come!")The Heart of It
This week we have learned that we are light and salt. But here is the honest truth. Shining out loud can feel scary. What if people laugh? What if we don't know what to say? Jesus knew His followers would feel that way. So just before He went back to heaven, He made a promise. "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" (). Notice the order. First the power. Then the telling others. Jesus never asks us to be brave all on our own. He gives us His own Holy Spirit. The Spirit fills us with courage we did not have before.
We see it happen right after this verse. Peter had been so afraid that he said he did not even know Jesus. Then he gets filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He stands up and preaches to thousands (). Same Peter, brand-new boldness. The difference was the Spirit. This is good news for shy kids and nervous grown-ups alike. You do not have to be bold to ask God to make you bold. The Holy Spirit is a gift Jesus loves to give to those who ask (). So living our faith out in the open is not about gritting our teeth and trying harder. It is about being filled with the Spirit and letting His courage carry us. Then our light shines. Not by our willpower, but by His power.
Around the Table
Sometimes being brave for Jesus feels hard. But the Holy Spirit helps you be braver than you could be by yourself!
Let's do it: Hand on your heart and pray: "Holy Spirit, make me brave to shine for Jesus today!"
Jesus gives power first, then asks us to be His witnesses. We don't make our own courage. We ask the Spirit for it.
Let's talk: When is it hardest for you to be brave about your faith? Will you ask the Spirit to help you there?
Peter went from saying he never knew Jesus to preaching to thousands. The difference was the Spirit filling him at Pentecost. That same power is a gift for every believer who asks.
Let's go deeper: Have you ever asked Jesus to fill you with His Spirit for boldness? You can do it today ().
💬 Conversation Starter
When have you felt braver than you expected to be? That might have been the Holy Spirit giving you His courage!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes people say, "Christians only believed because they were scared and wanted comfort." But remember, the disciples were terrified. Then the Spirit made them bold enough to die for the truth. People don't risk their lives for a comfort story they made up. Share that fact gently and confidently ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching reads as a real, repeatable empowering for mission. It is not just a one-time event for the first apostles. It is a gift Jesus offers your whole family. The crucial pastoral point is the sequence. Power comes before witness. Most fathers try to manufacture evangelistic courage by sheer willpower. They end up either silent from fear or pushy from guilt. The Spirit-filled alternative is to come to the Father empty, ask to be filled, and then witness from fullness. As Robert Menzies argues, Luke presents the Spirit mainly as the empowering presence for mission. Your children will not catch boldness from a lecture on courage. They will catch it from watching a dad who admits he is naturally timid, yet keeps asking the Spirit for power and keeps shining anyway. Lead them to the Helper, not just to the task.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Empowered for Witness.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, we are not brave enough on our own. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Give us power to shine for Jesus at school, at work, and with our friends. Make us bold and kind. In Jesus' name, amen."
I don't have to be brave on my own. The Holy Spirit gives me His power to shine.