As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 2:4-5, NIV
These words from the Bible are some of my favorite verses. They talk about Jesus being "the living Stone" who is like a cornerstone and the foundation of a building. It also says that we, as followers of Christ, are like "living stones" whom God is building into a "spiritual house" - which is the church. But, Jesus is the foundation and the solid rock on whom our faith rests.
In Matthew 7:24-27, it talks about the importance of building our lives on the solid rock foundation that results from doing the things Jesus tells us to do. And only a few verses before that, Matthew records Jesus' words about the importance of prayer, culminating in The Lord's Prayer. (Matthew 6:5-13)
In the very beginning of Mark's gospel it tells us how Jesus got up early in the morning to go off alone and pray. (Mark 1:35) Prayer formed the foundation of his day and deepened his relationship with God the Father.
As we begin the construction of our new Multipurpose Building, we are asking folks to fill out a "JCPC New Building Foundation Prayer Card." The plan is that we will take these prayers and place them in the foundation of the new building. This will express our hopes to God for what will happen in these new buildings, our church, and our lives. The foundation is actually being poured the week of January 25, so we need your prayers as soon as possible - by this Sunday, January 24 at the latest. You can pick up these Prayer Cards in the Welcome Center and place them in the box right there. Or, you can email them to prayerrequests@jcpcusa.org.
May your life be grounded in Jesus Christ -- the solid rock on whom we stand!
Prayer for Today
Thank you, Lord, for providing a firm foundation that can help us withstand the storms of life. We especially thank you for sending Jesus - the solid rock. As the hymn reminds us, when "all other ground is sinking sand" we know we stand "on his unchanging grace." Amen.
