STIR UP THAT GIFT

     Here is an illustration that will create a lot of excitement. 
All you need is a small bottle of plain club soda and a dish tub.

TRUTH ILLUSTRATED:

     The power for good in the lives of God's children must be
stirred up through Bible study, prayer, worship, and obedient
service.

MESSAGE:

     A fun thing to do with carbonated drinks is to shake them up
and watch them fizz! I have a bottle of carbonated water right
here. I use carbonated water because if any of it gets on you, it's 
not sticky like sweet soda pop.
     There is a lot of power resting in a bottle of soda like this.  
If you just let it sit, and do nothing to it, it's not very exciting,
nothing happens. However, if I were to shake it up . . . [Hold 
your thumb over the opening and shake the soda while you talk. If 
your audience is children or youth, let some water spray over them.  
This will create a lot of excitement, and the kids love it! If this 
is not appropriate for your audience then have a dish tub to catch 
the water as it foams over the top of the bottle.] There is so much
power being released that I can't hold it anymore! Look at all that 
activity and action! That's exciting!  Something's happening, where
before it was just boring.
     I want you to consider that this is how it is with Christian
people. The Apostle Paul, in II Timothy 1:6, tells Timothy, ". . . 
stir up the gift of God, which is in you . . ." Each believer has 
the gift of God's spirit within him. There is a tremendous power for
good in every child of God. But like this soda, we have to stir up
the gift within us, to release that power. We can do this by praying,
studying the Bible, and obeying what God tells us to do. If 
we don't, our Christian lives will be like this soda, sitting here 
full of power but not very exciting. [Start shaking the soda again.] 
But if we worship and praise God, pray, study the Bible, and obey
God's word to us, things will start happening. Power will be
released, and you will discover the exciting joy of serving and
walking in a power filled Christian faith!