TODAY’S VERSE
Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (ESV)
This is probably a hot take, but beach vacations are my least favorite vacations. There’s all the sand, the sun that makes me burn way too quickly, and the unknowns of the ocean... But my biggest pet peeve is that I am really bad at building sand castles. I try so hard, but they always fall down, or someone knocks them down (most of the time, my family). The kingdoms I try to build always fall and break.
Luckily, the Kingdom of God is different because the Builder has defeated all forces that try to come against it. No power of the enemy will prevail against the Kingdom of God. But we have an invitation from the Lord to join Him in building His Kingdom because He wants us to be a part of His mission.
Building the Kingdom of God takes a resilient follower of Christ, one who is passionate about people knowing and following Christ. If you truly believe that God saved your life, why wait to share that truth with the people around you? To build the Kingdom of God means to have more disciples of Christ, so we have to do our part in sharing the Good News that saves us and gives us new life.
To live in a Kingdom that is secure and will not fail is a comfort we get to hold onto. Everyone would love to feel that same security, so share with them the security that is found in Christ. There are no sandcastles in God’s Kingdom; there’s only a Castle of brick surrounded by the protection and victory of Christ. We will not fall when we are found in Him.
APPLICATION
Scott challenged us with this question: “Whose Kingdom are you building, God’s Kingdom or your own?” Answer this question for yourself and then talk about it with your community. How can you all join in to build the Kingdom of God bigger and stronger?
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for bringing me into Your Kingdom that will not fall. Help me to build up Your Kingdom and not one of my own. Keep my eyes focused on You and the end goal of all nations knowing You. Thank You for giving me a purpose outside of myself.