100 Days to a Healthier ChurchSample

Day 71 (Saturday)

Today is the last Saturday without a scheduled meeting. Again, it has been left open so you can use it for Project Team meetings, if needed.

Today’s Big Idea: Built on the Rock. This coming week, as we continue to work on our team projects, we’re going to explore some Bible passages that convey important biblical principles about planning, building, and preparing.

Key Verse: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

Thoughts to Consider: In this passage, Jesus contrasts two builders—a wise one who builds their house on the rock and a foolish one who builds their house on sand. But no one builds a house in the middle of the sand, right? Actually, people do, especially in the Middle East, where Jesus taught. It’s the desert, so sand is everywhere! So what is Jesus talking about here? You can build a house in the middle of the sand but still anchor it to the rock.

Take a look at the culture around you. Sand is everywhere—shifting values and beliefs that change from year to year, if not from day to day. Just like any house you build in the desert will have sand all around it, any ministry you build will have sand all around it. But you don’t have to anchor yourself to the sand. Churches are built within neighborhoods, communities, and cultures that are constantly shifting around us like sand. But even while we live and minister in that desert, we can stay anchored to the rock. We just have to dig a little deeper.

As you work toward building a stronger church, don’t be tempted to chase after the latest fads or stay stuck in stale traditions. That’s sand. Dig one level deeper to find Jesus again, and anchor everything in Him.