Lighting a $20 bill on fire—and observing that the fire does not harm it—is something you absolutely have to see to believe. It ignites a great discussion of trusting God when the heat is on.

On Your Own

Things You’ll Need

•Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%), available at any pharmacy

•Empty glass

•Measuring cup (in ounces)

•Salt, ½ teaspoon

•Pair of tongs

•Lighter (a stick lighter is best)

•Safety glasses, one pair for each of the kids—­and for you too

•$1 and $20 bill

•Bucket of water (just in case)

Advance Prep

You will be working with fire on this one, so keep that in mind when choosing a spot to do this. I’d suggest doing this outside the first time. You’ll also want a bucket filled with water nearby, just for an added safety measure. Over the kitchen sink or bathtub works well too. Just stay clear of curtains, okay?

1. Put on your safety glasses.

2. Use the measuring cup to measure out 3 ounces of rubbing alcohol. Pour it into the glass. Put the cap on the bottle of rubbing alcohol and move it out of your way.

3. Next, measure out 1 ounce of water. Pour it into the same glass with the rubbing alcohol.

4. Add ½ teaspoon salt to the glass. Mix well with the rubbing alcohol and water.

5. Now, use the tongs to stuff the $1 bill into the alcohol solution. Be sure the bill gets completely soaked. I suggest you use the $1 bill here to build your confidence. When you do this with the kids, the $20 bill will be much more impressive.

6. Once you’re certain the entire bill has been soaked, use the tongs to remove the bill from the glass. Lift it by one corner, if possible. By doing it this way, the bill will be in a perfect position to light. Wipe up any drips of the alcohol solution that may have pooled below the bill.

7. Move the glass with the rubbing alcohol solution far from where you will light the dollar bill. Have that bucket of water handy if you’re not doing this over the sink or tub, just in case something doesn’t go exactly right.

8. Hold the top edge of the bill by the tongs—­and at a slight angle away from you if possible. Fire travels up, so you don’t want your hand in the path of the flame. Light the bottom corner of the bill with the stick lighter.

9. The bill should become enveloped in flame but remain undamaged itself. The flames should go out by themselves, leaving a perfect bill behind.

Isn’t this a great experiment? Now you’re ready to do it with the kids . . . but with a $20 bill this time!

With the Kids

Running the Activity

I’d have the alcohol solution already in the glass. Gather the kids up, have them put on their safety glasses, and get started. If your kids have their own stash of money, consider asking them to give you a $10 or $20 bill. That may increase their interest in the experiment just a little bit.

Go through the procedure as you practiced it, having the kids do as many steps as you feel they safely can based on their ages and level of responsibility. The more they do, the more deeply the lesson gets etched in their heads.

Once the flames have engulfed the bill and been extinguished, you’re ready to move on.

Teaching the Lesson

Something valuable, namely the $20 bill, was at stake here. If one little thing didn’t go perfectly, that money would have been gone. And sometimes, we face situations like that in life. We may feel something bad will happen unless everything goes just right.

In Daniel 3, we have the story of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow down to the pagan king’s image. The penalty was death—­by means of a very nasty fiery furnace.

Something valuable was definitely at stake here: namely, their lives. The king gave them one more chance to bow down. Listen to their answer here. The level of trust Daniel’s friends had in God was fantastic.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve can deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. (Dan. 3:17–18 NIV)

These men trusted God. They knew he was capable of rescuing them. But even if his plan meant they were to die, they committed themselves to remain loyal to God.

When the heat is on, and we are in trouble, under pressure, facing hardship or nasty people, or when we face a culture that is increasingly hostile to genuine Christians, we often find out just how real our faith in God is.

Do we really trust him?

Will we follow him, even if he doesn’t answer our prayers the way we hope?

Hard times often reveal where our faith is at. And if we see our faith isn’t all it should be, we can ask God to help us with that.

Summing It Up

When we dipped the bill in rubbing alcohol and took out the lighter, it must have looked like that money would go up in smoke. But you trusted I’d get that money back to you or pay you back another way, right?

Sometimes things look dark. Bleak. Like we’re in a tunnel, and there is no light at the end of it. Let’s trust God, even though we don’t see a solution. God often works in unexpected, unpredictable ways. Like the flaming $20 bill that was unharmed in the fire, or like Daniel’s three friends, God can rescue us. But even if he lets the hard times continue for us, we must hang on all the tighter to him.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me. (Ps. 63:8 ESV)

This is true in both the good times and the hard. When we are facing fires, this verse reminds us of the need to cling tight to God, knowing he is holding us the whole time.

Remember, God has a way of doing the unexpected, at just the right time.

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light. (Ps. 18:28 NIV)