Pastor Scott Silcox invites us to reconsider the true purpose of church gatherings as he explores the concept of God's presence in his "Build the House" series. Looking at the return of the Israelites from Babylonian exile, he reveals how their first priority wasn't building temple walls but establishing an altar—securing God's presence before anything else.

• Worship is the first purpose of the church, not a precursor to the "real" content
• The Israelites built an altar before rebuilding the temple because presence precedes programs
• Consumerism in church culture leads to spiritual deformation rather than formation
• Sacrifice forms us into Christ's likeness while consumerism deforms us into the world's likeness
• The modern church often lacks the language of consecration and set-apartness
• We must stop treating church as something to consume and start seeing it as a place to contribute
• As "living stones," we gather to form an altar where God's presence can dwell

Come ready to give, not just receive. When we approach worship with a sacrificial mindset, we create space for God to move powerfully in our lives and community.