STATION 1: IGNITING THE SPARK

Let Your Faith Be Seen

James 2:17 (NKJV)
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

THE SURVIVAL SKILL

A ferro rod produces extremely hot sparks capable of igniting properly prepared tinder.

For best results:

• Place the ferro rod close to your tinder.

• Hold the rod steady and control your strike.

• Use the sharp edge of your striker.

• Direct concentrated sparks into one location.

• Always prepare your tinder and fire materials before striking.

At VALOR, you practiced this by using your ferro rod to ignite cotton balls.

THE FAITH CONNECTION

Remember being told that the ferro rod was an incredible fire starter?

You didn’t just want to hear about it. You wanted to see it work.

The same is true of our faith.

We can tell people what we believe and how much Jesus means to us, but our lives should provide evidence that our faith is real.

Good works don’t earn our salvation. They are evidence of a living faith.

REMEMBER THIS

A ferro rod proves itself when it throws sparks. Our faith becomes visible through the way we live.

Let your faith throw sparks.

Ask yourself:
What evidence would someone see in my life that I follow Jesus?

STATION 2: PROCESSING THE TINDER

Prepare Your Heart

Luke 8:15 (NKJV)
“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

THE SURVIVAL SKILL

At this station, you tried to ignite a piece of jute twine.

Jute is highly flammable—but tightly twisted jute is difficult to ignite with a spark.

Once you separated, shredded, and fluffed the fibers, everything changed.

Processing tinder:

• Increases surface area

• Allows oxygen between the fibers

• Gives sparks more material to ignite

• Makes ignition significantly easier

The spark didn’t change. The condition of the tinder did.

THE FAITH CONNECTION

Jesus compared God’s Word to seed and our hearts to soil.

The seed was good. What determined the harvest was the condition of the soil receiving it.

Our hearts can become crowded with distractions, sin, unhealthy habits, busyness, and noise.

Preparing our hearts may mean spending time in prayer, consistently reading Scripture, confessing sin, removing distractions, or surrendering something God has been asking us to release.

REMEMBER THIS

Sometimes you don’t need a better spark. You need better-prepared tinder.

Prepare your heart to receive what God wants to say.

Ask yourself:
What might be preventing my heart from being good soil right now?

STATION 3: EXTENDING THE FLAME

Obedience Builds Lasting Faith

John 14:21 (NKJV)
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

THE SURVIVAL SKILL

Cotton and processed jute ignite quickly—but they also burn quickly.

In a survival situation, your flame needs to last long enough to ignite larger fuel.

That’s why we use a flame extender.

At VALOR, you worked petroleum jelly into a cotton ball. When ignited, it burned significantly longer and gave you much more time to build a sustainable fire.

Other flame extenders can include petroleum-based lip balms, certain first-aid products, and natural pine resin or pitch.

THE FAITH CONNECTION

A powerful moment with God can create a spark.

But what keeps that spark burning after the event is over?

Obedience.

Jesus connects loving Him with keeping His commandments. As we obey God, we put ourselves in a position to experience His faithfulness firsthand.

And every experience of God’s faithfulness gives us another reason to trust Him.

Obedience → Experience → Trust → Deeper Faith

REMEMBER THIS

Obedience is a flame extender for faith.

Don’t just leave VALOR inspired. Take the next step God is asking you to take.

Ask yourself:
What is one thing I already know God is asking me to do?

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