Building Material
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:10–15, ESV)
When I was Wilderness Director at Camp Eagle, each summer I taught staff how to set up a tarp shelter on our first night of training. And nearly every year we would experience a storm that same night while backpacking. In the morning the quality of everyone’s work would become painfully apparent. The few whose shelters survived were rewarded with a dry sleeping bag, clothes, and a good night's rest. Those whose setup was fraught with weak spots, found themselves dripping, cold, and red-eye tired.
Two things were absolutely necessary for their success: having a foundational knowledge of how to set up a tarp shelter (aka listening well) and bringing the right materials. In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul tells us there are two keys to building a church. First, Christ must be its foundation and second, the materials used atop that foundation must be durable, capable of surviving the fire. These two key elements frame my prayers for church planting this week.
Christ as the Foundation.
Christ is a costly foundation, purchased with blood by the death of Jesus on the cross. When Paul talks about the foundation of the church he doesn’t name any other options. The only foundation is Christ. If Christ is the only sure foundation, then all labor outside of him is done in vain (Ps. 127:1). Pray that we would secure our work in Christ instead of our own ambition. That we would build on the rock that the builders rejected instead of the strategies and wisdom of mere men.
Building Materials
There is more to a building than a foundation and Paul speaks of something exciting and dreadful all at once. He tells the church in Corinth that if anyone builds on the foundation, his work will be tested by fire. But the work that lasts will be worthy of reward.
As one attempting to plant a church in the near future, you might imagine this passage catching my attention. I feel a lot like one of those kids I used to lead out into the woods and teach how to sleep under a tarp in a rainstorm, seems risky. But instead of rain and wind Paul talks about fire! And I’m afraid that much of my own building material is dangerously combustible: my fragile ego, my quick frustration, my guise of wisdom, and the shallow waters of my experience will quickly be licked up by the flames.
Please pray that I will go to the deep well of the gospel for material worthy of Christ. That is a broken and contrite heart, a mustard seed of faith, humility, the widow's mite, a hunger and a thirst for righteousness and a desire to see the nations join proclaiming that he alone is worthy!
Ongoing prayer requests:
Kirsten is taking 12 hours of credit this semester as she works toward her Masters in Christian Counseling. Please pray for encouragement, energy, and balance as she also volunteers in many ways at our church, continues lifeguarding at the YMCA and continues to be a stellar mom and wife!
We are getting closer to making a decision on where to plant a church, please pray for wisdom and clarity as we zero in on a few different locations.
Pray that Adam would soak up the opportunities to glean wisdom and knowledge from his time in residency at Mitchell Road and that God would prepare him to plant a faithful church in the near future.
Pray that our boys Morrow (8) and Louis (6) would witness faithfulness in their parents as we pray with them and include them in this process. Pray that this would be a time they look back at later in their lives and recognize the provision of God in their lives.
