14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:14, 36-37

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as a gift and guarantee to those believing in Him. Jesus said that "I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7). And on the day when the resurrected Lord was taken up to heaven, the Spirit came. Choosing to listen closely is the first movement toward experiencing heart change and interacting with the promised Spirit.

Peter commands the attention of the crowd, asking them to listen carefully. He then launches into the good news, connecting all the dots of who Jesus is and what just happened. Those who hung on his words with thoughtful consideration were able to hear the truth and respond accordingly. Their attentive hearing led to a heart-cutting response. We have all be guilty of less-than-stellar attention to the truth. To see your heart respond, give God's Word your full focus. Drill down your time in God's Word; don't sacrifice quality listening in the most critical area of your life.

DO THIS TODAY: Listen carefully to the gospel message.