The Temple Together

There is value in the church.

There is protection in the church.

There is reward in the church.

We are the church.

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have — Jesus Christ.

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials — gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in (among) you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

What value do you place on the church?

Worthy of Cake

Wow. I am in agreement with so much of what Pastor Jason Render preached on Sunday! I’ve been thinking on it all week and being inspired.

I must admit that I have also felt guilty sometimes when I consider how blessed I am. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair that there are good things happening in my life and that God is opening doors and showering me with gifts when others are struggling to keep food on the table or a roof over their head, while yet others are in situations to dire for me to even imagine.

I feel so unworthy – I know myself and what I’ve done and the kind of person that I am – and that kind of person doesn’t deserve such favour.

And yet, when God looks at me, all He sees is His beautiful child, the work of His Hands, His Creation and He can’t help but love and give and shelter. This is not because of anything that I have done or possibly could do, but because when He looks at me, He sees me through His Son. He sees me through a Jesus-filter that purifies me and polishes me until I glow with value and worth, like a diamond in a coating of coal.

Imagine rough, coarse and dirty flour – it may be suitable for baking the casual bread, but one would never consider it worthy of baking into a cake. Yet if it is sifted – meticulously and painstakingly sifted – it will be rid of impurities and dirt, resulting in a soft, smooth, pure flour that is perfect and worthy for cake-baking.

Without Jesus as my sieve I am, and always will be, rough, coarse and dirty flour. There is nothing I can do to change it, except ask Jesus to sift me every day – decontaminating, purifying and justifying me – to make me useful and worthy. So that when God looks at me through the Jesus-sieve He sees something good and pleasing.

So that when He looks at me He will say, “Yes, this I can make into a big, creamy, chocolatey cake.”