Build the church. Why? How? What, me? Through a parable of Jesus we look at the powerful potential of the gifts he gives us and our responsibility to use them well.

 

Some Christians seem perpetually weighed down by feelings of guilt about their sin, while others don’t seem to care at all about living blatantly ungodly lives. Neither are very appealing, so is there a better way?   

Jesus often spoke about his followers being fruitful, like a thriving plant or tree.  How can we live the fruitful life he talks about, and how can we be fruitful in seeing other people become fruitful disciples of Jesus as well?

Are you feeling tired and weary? Exhausted from the treadmill of life, and the challenges of this past year? We can be prone to think that Jesus has more burdens to put on us, in living the Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When God promises there will be a glorious future for the church what should we expect? What exactly does that sort of glory look like? 

Getting started on building the church is one thing, keeping going and building well is another. This week, Haggai delivers three encouraging challenges which help us keep going and building well.

How can we handle those times when God doesn’t seem to be doing very much? It’s easy to become deflated and discouraged, but our disappointment can also mean we miss seeing what God is actually doing. 

Getting back to rebuilding the temple in Haggai's time was a big ask, just like when we commit to building the church today. How did the people respond back then and what can we learn about how God reassures us and enables us today?