How many of us go camping, tent or trailer, it doesn’t matter? We enjoy the outdoors and love sitting around a campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, telling tall-tale fishing stories, and talking with friends and family. If you’re like me, you could sit and watch the flames of the fire all night long as they seem to dance for you, and the feeling of pure peace comes over your soul.

Strange thing about a fire, though: it continually needs more wood to produce the brilliant flames that we enjoy watching. If we don’t keep the fire stoked, it will die down and eventually go out completely. A few things to remember about the wood we use to build this beautiful fire and keep it going. First, we need to find a kind of wood that burns a bright flame, lasts a long time, and produces BTUs (heat)!

In our Christian walk, when we come to Christ, we seem to have a beautiful and strong fire for the Lord. Then as time goes on, we begin to get distracted or discouraged, and we forget to stoke the fire with some really good wood. Satan is always trying to put our fire out as we’re reminded as we sing the children’s VBS song “This Little Light of Mine,” in which we sing the words, “don’t let Satan “puufff it out, I’m going to let it shine.”

In II Timothy 1:5-8, Paul encourages Timothy to stoke the fire that was started by his mother and grandmother. It says, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”

Sometimes we may get distracted or discouraged about our relationship with the Lord and we forget to stoke the fire. This scripture not only applies to Timothy, but to us as well, as we should continually fan into flame the gifts that God gives each and every one of His children.

Another thing about the wood we use to build and stoke this fire is that we not only need a good wood to burn strong and long, that wood needs to be dry and not wet. We cannot burn wet wood, it is dead or of no use to us, which is like our faith, when it is wet, it is useless.

In James 2:16-18, it says, “If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

This scripture explains to us what wet wood looks like, and that, my friends, is saying we have faith in Jesus, but are not busy with the work of the kingdom. We are created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), which is what a good, strong and bright fire looks like.

Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage all of us to build and maintain a brilliant fire, one that can be seen for miles and miles. No one lights a fire and puts a bowl over it, Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” We are to keep the fire, the light of the Lord, going for all to see and hopefully come to the light to inherit salvation.

We invite you to join us at College Hill Church of Christ, 1102 College Ave., each and every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. for worship.