Pastor’s Thoughts – 02/01/2026

As I have grown older, I find myself looking back at my personal history. Sometimes I am amazed at certain situations that God has taken me through. I am mindful of how David proclaimed, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Ps. 23:4). David’s history contained so many trials, ups and downs, and sins but God was with Him. I am foremost thankful that God captured my heart in my early 20’s. My life has consisted of trials, difficulties, and blessings and I cannot imagine a different life or a life where God is not present.

Ultimately, our lives are all very challenging. Living in many ways can be compared to riding a roller coaster. We have our times of being in a flat area of calm, or at other times slowly moving up enjoying the scenery only then to suddenly find ourselves being hurled at breakneck speed through overwhelming difficulties. How can any person with our sinful nature, all our weaknesses and vulnerabilities handle life? There is only one answer, and that is a life built upon Jesus Christ. Our Lord spoke of this as He concluded His Sermon on the Mount addressing us as home builders either building on sand, or on Christ, who is the Rock. Those homes built on sand do not and cannot survive the storms of life.

Paul reminds us of this same essential. “According to the grace of God, which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:10-11). Paul declares that we must all build our lives upon Christ. He alone is the only sure ground of which to live our lives. The comprehension of what it means to build upon Jesus Christ is exclusively found in a right understanding of His Word. There are some people who think they are building their life upon Christ. They are engaged in religious activities, social issues, and benevolent projects, and yet are not built on His foundation. Some of these we know as cults, and others have missed the truth of God or abandoned it for what they think is a better way. If we abandon God’s truth, we are abandoning Christ as our foundation. And the foundation is the essential in determining whether anything of true value can be erected.

It is also true that people can build on the right foundation, but with a poor quality of work. Paul puts the structure on the foundation to give clarity to his instruction by discussing the category of the materials used. “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:12-14). This is a reminder of our accountability. We don’t just have a claim on Christ and then live as before or as anyone without Christ, but we have an obligation as His bond-slave children to build our lives according to His design and to actively live for Him. The materials are a reflection of the quality of our building. We can build more easily with straw than with gold, cut corners and compromise, but who are we building it for? Or for whom are our lives to reflect? We are to reflect our Savior, our Lord, and our King! Is He worthy of our best or our secondary efforts? This is what Paul is reminding us, and that Christ Himself will be the sobering Judge of how we have handled the construction of our lives being lived in His grace by faith on His glorious foundation.

The key verse for our righteous thinking is, “But each man must be careful how he builds on it” (1 Cor. 3:10b). This is a simple but profound statement. It is not only sobering to make us think in terms of how we live each day in relation to God’s revealed truth, but to also recognize the wonderful opportunity we have to live for Christ now. Our time in this life is temporary and uncertain. It is unreasonable not to think in terms of filling our lives with the privilege we have to be the Lord’s ambassadors. Paul said, “We have as our ambition… to be pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9).

Brethren, we are not just living daily as others who know not Christ, but we are laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Importantly, we should recognize each day that this world is not our permanent home. We are here for God’s purposes and we are to live in a manner to prepare us for eternity. And in doing that so that we serve as living testimonies of God’s grace to those around us. What an infinite privilege to have the God given time and opportunities to live for Him. We should ask ourselves; Would our present living be considered gold, silver, and precious stones before Christ, or are they only wood, hay, and straw? May God help us to be constantly and prayerfully seeking to be pleasing to Him.