What's Next?

Posted by: Chris Lake, On-Air Host | Monday, June 1st, 2026 ( 9:06am)

As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.— Acts 4:20 

I was 17 years old, sweating through a Mighty Mouse T-shirt in a packed gymnasium outside Washington D.C. when I felt the Holy Spirit change my life.

It was one of those hot, humid August afternoons on the East Coast where the air feels thick. I was at a yearly youth conference where thousands of teens gathered to hear the Word (and let’s be honest, to have some fun!). I remember the speaker talking about how the Holy Spirit gives ordinary people the courage to make a difference and boldly share the Good News of Jesus.

Then came the invitation to respond.

Almost in a dream, I remember walking down to pray and feeling a spiritual change in the deepest part of my soul. All the knowledge about faith learned in my home church dropped from my head into my heart. I still remember the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit entering my life.

But what I remember most about that moment was the walk back to my small group of friends and thinking, “What's next?”

I imagine the disciples asked the same question. After his resurrection, Jesus had been with them for 40 days until he ascended to heaven. Before leaving, Jesus told them to wait. So they waited. In fact, for 10 days they waited. I imagine they experienced moments of silence, nervous conversations, and maybe even fear about what the future might hold.

But then Acts 2 tells us about Pentecost…when a mighty wind suddenly rushed through the house. Tongues of fire appeared over the disciples’ heads. The Holy Spirit filled them. And Peter, the same Peter who once denied even knowing Jesus, stood and began to preach. Not just to the public, but in front of the religious leaders who ordered them to stop doing so.

Because of the Holy Spirit, fearful followers became courageous witnesses. While the disciples didn’t receive clear direction about what to do, what they did receive was the courage to take the next faithful step.

And maybe that’s what many of us need, too.

Sometimes we think following Jesus means having every answer before we act. But often, the Holy Spirit simply nudges us to move forward into what He has set before us.

Looking back now, maybe that old Mighty Mouse T-shirt was more fitting than I realized (in fact, I still have one that I wear every once in awhile!). Mighty Mouse was a tiny character who showed up with unexpected strength. We, too, are pretty small on our own. But when the Holy Spirit abides in us, we receive a new spiritual strength—though we’re not always aware of it. I’m guessing the disciples probably didn’t feel powerful after that initial encounter with the Holy Spirit. I know on that hot August afternoon I didn’t really feel any mightier than I did the day before.

To be honest, most days I still don’t. Maybe you can relate.

But Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit didn’t come simply to create a powerful moment. The Holy Spirit came to help ordinary people live differently. 

I’m now in my 50s, and I still don’t have every answer to “What’s next?” My wife Dawnette reminds me to open my hands and to have an adventure with the Holy Spirit. I’ve come to realize that life with God is much different—much greater— than what I had imagined. I’m still learning the journey is usually bigger, deeper, and more meaningful than anything I could have ever planned for myself.

But the question, What's next? I now view that with joyful anticipation.

The words of Peter and John in Acts 4 are powerful to me. Not because I have every answer, I still have plenty of questions. Not because I’m courageous, I still have fear. But because the Holy Spirit continues to lead one faithful step at a time. 

So, what’s next for you? 