Heart for the House: Building God’s Church Together

Devotional

Day 1: We are God’s children, loved and secure in Him.

God’s love is so great that He calls us His children, inviting us into a real relationship with Him through faith. This identity is not something we earn or achieve; it is a gift that anchors our souls and assures us that we are not orphans, but beloved sons and daughters. In every season, no matter what we face, we can rest in the truth that we belong to God’s family, fully accepted and cherished. [01:03:40]

1 John 3:1 (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Reflection: Where in your life do you struggle to believe you are truly God’s beloved child, and how might embracing this truth change the way you approach your day today?

Day 2: God has more for us—our future is full of hope.

While we are God’s children now, Scripture reminds us that what we will be has not yet been revealed. God is always speaking to both our present and our future, calling us to live with expectation and hope. Even when we see God moving in amazing ways, He invites us to stay moved, to believe for more, and to trust that His plans for us are greater than we can imagine. [01:04:27]

1 John 3:2 (ESV)
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you’ve settled for “good enough” instead of believing God has more for you—how can you invite Him to expand your vision today?

Day 3: We are better together—God’s design is community.

None of us can fulfill God’s mission alone; He calls us into the body of Christ where we are stronger, more effective, and able to make a greater impact together. Whether serving, giving, or encouraging one another, we experience the fullness of God’s purpose when we link arms and move forward as one. In community, we find support, belonging, and the joy of seeing God work through all of us. [01:06:25]

Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Reflection: Who is someone in your church family you can encourage or serve alongside this week to strengthen the sense of “better together” in your community?

Day 4: It’s all for God’s glory—our lives point to Him.

Everything we do as a church and as individuals is meant to reflect God’s greatness, not our own. When God blesses us or uses us to make a difference, we are called to lay our crowns at His feet, recognizing that all good things come from Him and are for His glory. This posture keeps our hearts humble and our focus on honoring God above all else. [01:07:05]

Revelation 4:10-11 (ESV)
The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Reflection: In what practical way can you shift the focus from your own achievements to God’s glory in your actions or conversations today?

Day 5: Generosity is a journey—trusting God with what we have.

God’s original design was for us to live with an abundance mindset, freely giving and receiving as He leads. But fear and scarcity can creep in, tempting us to hold back. True generosity is not about the amount, but about trusting God enough to let go and sow into His kingdom as He directs. As we pray and listen for God’s voice, He leads us into a life of generosity that blesses others and brings miracles we could never orchestrate on our own. [01:10:49]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Reflection: What is one area—big or small—where you sense God prompting you to be generous this week, and how can you take a step of faith in response?

Sermon Summary

What a joy it is to gather together as a church family, to welcome new faces, and to celebrate all that God is doing in and through us. Today, we took time to reflect on the vision God has given us for Resonate Church—how He is building His church both locally and globally, and how each of us is invited to play a part in that story. From the very start, we set our hearts on meeting with God, not just attending a service, and invited the Holy Spirit to move among us with fresh expectation and faith.

We celebrated the many ways God is using our church to make a difference: through our partnerships in Nepal with Himalayan Life, in Uganda with Cornerstone Christian University, and through Compassion’s Moms and Babies program. We rejoiced in the impact of our local outreach, like Love My City Saturday and our new partnership with Holloway House, where simple acts of service are opening doors for the gospel and transforming lives. These stories remind us that God’s love is not confined to our walls but is meant to overflow into our city and the world.

As we look ahead, we sense God calling us to even greater things. We’re believing for a permanent facility—a home for our church that will serve as a beacon of hope in our city. Even as we face obstacles and delays, we trust that God is sovereign and will open the right doors in His timing. Our role is to stay moved, to keep our hearts soft and expectant, and to be ready to step out in faith when He calls.

Scripture reminds us in 1 John 3 that we are God’s children now, and yet there is more to come—what we will be has not yet been revealed. God speaks to both our present identity and our future potential. He calls us to live not from a place of scarcity or fear, but from the abundance and generosity that flows from knowing we are His. Generosity is not about the amount we give, but about the posture of our hearts—trusting God to provide and using what He’s given us to bless others.

As we enter this Heart for the House season, I invite you to pray and ask God how He would have you participate. Let’s be a people who listen to His voice, who give from a place of faith, and who celebrate every story of transformation as a testimony to God’s greatness. Together, we are better, and together, we will see God’s vision for His church unfold.

Key Takeaways

1. We Are Better Together God’s design is for us to live and serve in community, not isolation. The impact we see—locally and globally—could never be accomplished by one person alone. When we join our gifts, resources, and faith, we become the body of Christ, each part playing a vital role. True spiritual growth and kingdom impact happen when we link arms and move forward together. [66:07]
2. It’s All for God’s Glory Every act of service, every gift, every story of transformation is ultimately about making much of God, not ourselves. Our achievements are not for our own recognition, but so that we can lay every crown at Jesus’ feet. When we keep God’s glory at the center, our hearts remain humble, and our motivation stays pure. [66:36]
3. Generosity Flows from Trust, Not Fear God’s original design was for us to live with open hands, trusting Him to provide more than enough. Sin and fear tempt us to hold back, but true generosity is birthed from faith in God’s abundance. When we give, not out of compulsion or emotion, but from a place of prayerful trust, we step into God’s ongoing provision and see miracles unfold in our lives and in others. [67:23]
4. God Speaks to Who We Are and Who We Will Be Scripture affirms both our present identity as God’s children and the future He is shaping in us. God anchors us in His love, but also calls us to greater things yet unseen. Living in this tension keeps us expectant, humble, and always moving forward in faith, knowing there is more He wants to do in and through us. [64:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:34] - Honoring First Song People
[06:08] - Kids and Junior High Programs
[06:40] - Creating a Distraction-Free Environment
[07:17] - Inviting the Holy Spirit
[28:06] - Worship and Declaring Dependence
[29:26] - Vision Presentation Introduction
[36:48] - Heart for the House: Global Partnerships
[44:41] - National and Local Outreach
[49:41] - Holloway House Partnership
[53:39] - Stories of Transformation
[57:31] - Believing for a Permanent Facility
[63:40] - 1 John 3: Our Identity and Future
[65:48] - Three Takeaways: Together, Glory, Generosity
[70:49] - Heart for the House: Prayerful Generosity
[72:37] - Invitation to Faith in Jesus
[76:09] - Celebrating Generosity and Next Steps
[77:35] - Prayer and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 John 3:1-2 (ESV) — See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Observation Questions

According to 1 John 3:1-2, what does John say about our current identity and our future?
The sermon mentioned several ways Resonate Church is making a difference both locally and globally. What are some specific examples of this impact? [[44:41]]
What is the significance of the church seeking a permanent facility, and what challenges have been faced in this process? [[57:31]]
The sermon described generosity as a posture of the heart rather than the amount given. What story did the pastor share to illustrate this? [[01:08:57]]

Interpretation Questions

What does it mean that “we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed”? How does this shape the way we see ourselves and our future? [[01:03:40]]
The sermon emphasized that “we are better together.” Why is community so important for spiritual growth and making a difference, according to the message? [[01:06:07]]
The pastor said, “It’s all for God’s glory.” How does keeping God’s glory at the center affect our motivation for serving and giving? [[01:06:36]]
The message talked about moving from a scarcity mindset to a generosity mindset. What are some reasons people might struggle to trust God with their resources? [[01:07:53]]

Application Questions

The sermon invited everyone to pray and ask God how to participate in the “Heart for the House” season. What is one practical step you can take this week to listen for God’s direction in your giving or serving? [[01:10:49]]
Think about a time when you felt tempted to hold back instead of being generous. What was at the root of that feeling—fear, uncertainty, or something else? How can you address that with God this week? [[01:07:53]]
The church is believing for a permanent facility despite obstacles and delays. Is there an area in your life where you’re waiting for God to open a door? How can you keep your heart soft and expectant during the waiting? [[58:23]]
The message highlighted stories of transformation from simple acts of service. Is there a local outreach or partnership (like Love My City Saturday or Holloway House) that you feel drawn to? What’s one way you could get involved or support it? [[47:41]]
The pastor shared about giving out of faith rather than compulsion or emotion. When you consider your own giving—whether time, money, or talents—do you tend to give from a place of trust or out of obligation? What would it look like to shift toward trust? [[01:08:57]]
“We are better together” was a key takeaway. Is there someone in the church or your life you could link arms with to serve or encourage this week? What’s a specific action you could take? [[01:06:07]]
The message said God speaks to both who we are now and who we will be. What is one area where you sense God calling you to grow or step out in faith? How can the group support you in that? [[01:04:50]]

Sermon Clips

There's something really beautiful about staying moved. I hope that's not just a video to you, and I hope that that does not say to you, Resonate Church is a great church. I hope what you got from that is God is a great God, and we need to stay really moved. [01:01:39] (17 seconds) #StayMovedByFaith

Before he knows another believer, he's even become a believer, he's actually calling out to God and saying, God, I need you to come rescue me. And God, would you meet me in this place? And isn't it kind of interesting that there are people in your life right now that might have been calling on God last night? And you might not even know. [01:02:39] (24 seconds) #CallingOnGod

We're God's children. We're made to experience a real relationship with God through faith. And in that relationship, you're not an orphan. You don't have to try to please God through your duty. God invites you into the family, and you are a child of God. [01:03:50] (17 seconds) #ChildOfGod

We're a place where God is moving. But what we will be, God's saying it hasn't even been yet revealed. He's already done it. He's already put it in us. The potential is there. But God is saying there is more for you. And I want you to stay moved as a church. I want you to stay moved with a vision that goes beyond you. [01:05:26] (15 seconds) #VisionBeyondNow

This is not about us being a great church. This is about God being a great God. This is not to say, wow, pat us on the back. Look what we did. That's not, that's what the world would do. That's not what we do. When we do something great, Scripture says that one day we'll stand before God. And what will we do? He's going to give to you a crown of righteousness. So God, we get into the presence of God and God gives you a crown of righteousness. But then Scripture goes on and says, and then we'll lay all our crowns at his feet. So the goodness of God bestows upon you a blessing. But then you look at God and you're like, okay, here you go. This was all just for you. [01:06:36] (33 seconds) #CrownOfRighteousness

Sin comes into the world. And the moment sin and selfishness and flesh comes into the world, we start to think, oh, there's a limited number of resources. And I've got to get mine. And if I don't get my piece of the pie, then maybe I'm at risk of not having a good enough life. And we pull ourselves away from God's ongoing design for how we were to operate on this planet in this life. And we go from a generosity mindset to a scarcity mindset. And we live our lives from this place of fear. [01:07:45] (25 seconds) #FromScarcityToGenerosity

Giving a lot is not generous. Giving a lot, but you still think, oh, I still have to hold on to it. And you're living from fear. Giving a lot in fear is not giving generously. So giving half of all that we had was not generosity for me. It was, I want to do the, like, duty thing, but I'm still really afraid we're not going to have enough. And what's the right amount to hold back? [01:08:57] (20 seconds) #FearlessGiving

God wants something for you, not from you. And he wants to lead us on this journey. And so God, we pray these next few weeks would be filled with life, hope, and a change in direction as it comes to how we engage in what goes through our hands. [01:12:19] (16 seconds) #GodLeadsGenerosity

Jesus didn't come to make bad people good. He came to make spiritually dead people come alive. And if that's where you are today, you say, I feel spiritually dead and I want to come alive. Well, the answer is faith, by faith in what God did for you in Jesus. And it's that simple. Salvation is a gift received by your faith. [01:13:19] (17 seconds) #FaithBringsLife

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