This is part 4 of "Built Different," our series at Fusion Christian Church about how Christians are different from the world and how we should act because of that. In this message, Pastor Matt teaches us how we can build our faith in a way that's different. Starting with 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, we will walk through how to build our faith.

You need a foundation before you can build

In our main passage, we read that each of us must start with the foundation of Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone, and we must build our faith beginning with him. We can and will and should build on top of that foundation using good materials, but it is essential that the building begins with Jesus.

We need to build wisely

Again, returning to our main passage, we see the admonition for each of us to "take care" how we build upon our foundation. Once we have Jesus Christ as our starting block, we must choose carefully how to build after that.

We need to build with materials that will last

When the day of judgment comes, what we have built will be tested. We need to be sure to build with good materials so that when testing comes, our work stands the test.

What material will last?

The first material which lasts is the word of God. When we build our faith using God's Word, we build a faith that will last. There are four steps to building our faith with God's word, the first being to simply read it. If we do not read it, how can we make any use of it? The second step is to meditate on the scriptures, keeping them always in mind so that we can fully digest their meaning. The third step is to memorize it. Obviously, memorizing the whole bible is a tall task, so start small and memorize what you can! Any scripture memorized can be a benefit to the believer. The fourth step is to apply God's word. Knowing what God's word says is not much help if we don't ultimately put it into practice.

The second material which lasts is people. To build our faith with people, we need to participate in the ministry of reconciliation which Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5. God designed us to be in relationship with him, and our duty as Christians is to bring as many people as possible back into that relationship.