Study Questions for April 26, 2026

Keeper of the Flame by Pastor Dale Beaver
Read Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-13; John 14:17; and John 20:19-22.

1. Pastor Dale describes this new sermon series as starting with "passion up front" rather than a mechanical strategy, following the leading of the Spirit. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit prompting you to do something that didn't fit your "step-by-step" plan? How did you respond?.
2. "Do for one in the name of the One." Pastor Dale emphasizes that Jesus is the "One" we ultimately serve. How does the humble act of offering a "cup of cold water" to one person in Jesus' name redefine your definition of "success" compared to the world’s view of fame or social media influence?.
3. Read Acts 1:4-6. Even after the resurrection, the disciples were still focused on their own expectations of a restored political kingdom. In what ways do we sometimes get distracted by our own "agendas" for God instead of waiting for the power and timing of the Father?.
4. Read Acts 1:7-8. Pastor Dale uses the image of a pebble hitting a still lake to describe the "ripples" of the gospel moving from Jerusalem to the "ends of the earth". Who is in your immediate "neighborhood" or "Samaria"—the people or places you might normally avoid—that God is calling you to reach?.
5. The Mystery of the Spirit. Pastor Dale admits that at 61 years old, he has sometimes been "afraid" of the Holy Spirit because He is hard to quantify or control. What makes the Holy Spirit feel "mysterious" to you, and how does knowing He is here to illuminate Jesus rather than draw attention to Himself ease that fear?.
6. The Role of the Godhead. The sermon explains that the Father wills, the Son accomplishes, and the Holy Spirit applies. How does it help your faith to see the Holy Spirit as the one who actively "applies" the victory of Christ to your specific daily life?.
7. Read Acts 2:1-4. The text moves from the "all" (the group) to the "everyone" (the individual), as tongues of fire settled on each person present. How does the reality that the Holy Spirit indwells you personally change your sense of responsibility as a "keeper of the flame"?.
8. Read John 20:19-22. Pastor Dale connects Jesus "breathing" on the disciples to Genesis 2:7, where God breathed life into Adam. Just as God breathed physical life into humanity, how is Jesus breathing "mission and purpose" into your life today?.
9. The Reversal of Babel. Pastor Dale notes that while the Spirit confounded languages at the Tower of Babel because of human pride, at Pentecost, the Spirit helped everyone understand the "wonderful things God has done" in their own language. How can we use our words to foster understanding and unity rather than confusion and pride?.
10. Lighthouse in the Daytime. The sermon concludes by warning against being like a "pretty lighthouse in the daytime"—great for postcards but failing its true purpose. In a "dark world," what does it look like for you to keep your light lit this week through your service to others?.
11. Close in Prayer: Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit who "lives in you". Ask the Father to help you stop trying to quantify your own success and instead focus on doing for the one in the name of the One, trusting that your service will not be forgotten.

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Analogy for Understanding: A believer without the Holy Spirit is like a lighthouse with a beautiful exterior but a cold, dark lamp inside; it looks impressive in the sun, but it provides no guidance to those lost in the storm. Keeping the flame means ensuring the "fire" of the Spirit's power is always burning, so that our lives serve the purpose for which they were built: pointing others to the safety of Jesus.