BUILDING MATERIALS

Bible Verse:
For through Jesus we (Jews and Gentiles) both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18-21 (NIV)

Devotional:
What a great passage about building! It gives wise instructions — to build on a strong foundation. To measure it against the perfect cornerstone. To join each part together as the building rises to become a dwelling place. If you’re like me, you envision bulldozers and cranes, with construction workers laying steel beams and surrounding it with concrete. I can’t help but look ahead to the excitement as the dirt flies and our new children’s building is constructed.
But that’s not what this passage is about. Paul writes to non-Jewish believers and reminds them that everyone has access to God because of Christ’s death on our behalf. God’s household is made up of people. That is us — you and me. We are the dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
As we pray about a physical building project for our church, let’s remember first that the church is not made up of bricks and mortar. The building materials are God’s people. We must align our lives and our plans against Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. Otherwise, whatever we do will be crooked. And that’s no way to build.
Finally, we need to seek unity in this decision, so that we are joined together as the building rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus — through Him we have access to You. Help us remember this building project is about much more than square footage. It is about creating a place where Your people can grow. Help us to align our desires with Your plan. We pray for unity as we move forward. God, if we move forward with this project, may it always be about You and Your glory — the building up of Your people into a holy temple where You live by Your Spirit. Amen.

Written by Paul DeHaven, our children’s minister. Paul and Jill have attended Northwest for two months. They have two children: Johanna (18) and Kari (16).