~ Word ~

"It's All Up In Flames" by David Ortega

November 7, 2023

1 Corinthians 3:11-13

“For no other foundation can anyone lay 

than that which is laid, 

which is Jesus Christ. 

Now if anyone builds on this foundation 

with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 

each one’s work will become clear; 

for the Day will declare it, 

because it will be revealed by fire; 

and the fire will test each one’s work, 

of what sort it is.”


my twocents…

can you imagine if there was a literal fire that burned away everything in your life? everything in your material world, up in flames, and nearly all of what you know disintegrating before your very eyes. we can’t deny that we do become attached to material things in this life. even those of us who strive to detach from ‘secular’ things and embrace relationships, we still have ‘things’ that we cherish, whether it’s our grandpa’s classic car in the garage or a sentimental teddy bear that has been around since our first memories. or maybe it’s the bank account that has been diligently invested in over years, or the home that has gone under multiple renovations to make it exactly perfect. we invest in a lot of things in our worldly lives to make our surroundings comfortable, to nurture our families, and to simply experience ‘life to the fullest’. but imagine everything up in flames. God’s Word says that the Day will come and fire will reveal. fire will separate the wheat from the chaff and all that is not built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ will turn into ash. it sounds intense and a little scary, but those of us who have built on the foundation of the Lord, will truly prevail and not only survive but proceed into an eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

what do you feel you lean into too much in this material world? how can we build on our solid foundation, brick by brick? how do we plant seeds or water plants and grow fruit of the Spirit? invest in relationships. invest in spiritual growth by reading the Word. pray and praise to the Lord. invest in the Church body and spread the gospel by loving others. there is only one way. it is a narrow path and a narrow gate and that one way is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.