Devotional: Building by Faith

A call for Christ’s church throughout history has been to believe Him for the continued growth of His church—not just numerical growth, but also growth in faith. As we consider the Beyond Project, we conceptualize this continual growth in three primary values. First, God is calling us to go Beyond Our Walls. Second, The Holy Spirit is leading us to raise up the next Spirit-filled generation, and to go Beyond Our Generation. Third, God is inviting us to believe in Him to work well Beyond Our Imagination. 

As we transition from the 24-month Beyond Campaign where monthly updates were given, to the next phase where breakthrough updates will be given, we look to the biblical story of Noah and his ark for a sense of guidance. Noah, in spite of the distracting noise around him, built an ark that led to the preservation of his family—and ultimately, humanity. He built the ark and then waited for God to send the rain. We, likewise, have heard the Lord speak to us to continue to build for His glory. Now, in the meantime, we need to continue to have our hands in the Lord’s work as we wait for the Lord to send the rain. 

Questions for Meditation

1. Begin your time by reading Ephesians 3:14-21 (esp. vv. 20-21) and Hebrews 11:6-7. What do we learn when reading these two passages of Scripture in tandem with each other?
2. The Beyond Project is not just a future endeavor. God is going beyond our walls, generation and imagination in this very moment. Where have you seen Jesus working and going beyond your imagination in the past 2 years?
3. We all play a crucial role in raising the next Spirit-filled generation of Christ-followers and leaders. Who has God placed in your life to be the benefactor of your wisdom, skill and faithfulness?
4. A major component of faith is full-fledged personal trust in the promises of God that are yet unseen. We are challenged to continue to keep believing God for those “yet unseen” promises. With this in mind, why is it so important to be persistent in faith? 
5. When the city’s crises are on full display, how do we, as the church, both stand above the crisis while also serving people into greatness in the midst of the turmoil?
6. As the Beyond Project continues to be a church-wide mission, pray for God to open up the heavens of blessing on the resources still needed for the physical establishments, and commit to consistently praying for it in the coming days.