• 
• EXTEND Capital Stewardship Campaign
• EXTEND Sermons
• EXTEND Documents
• EXTEND FAQ
• Devotional Guide
• Day One
• Day Two
• Day Three
• Day Four
• Day Five
• Day Six
• Day Seven
• Day Eight
• Day Nine
• Day Ten
• Day Eleven
• Day Twelve
• Day Thirteen
• Day Fourteen
• Day Fifteen
• Day Sixteen
• Day Seventeen
• Day Eighteen
• Day Nineteen
• Day Twenty
• Day Twenty-One
• Day Twenty-Two
• Day Twenty-Three
• Day Twenty-Four
• Day Twenty-Five
• Day Twenty-Six
• Day Twenty-Seven

Saturday, November 10th (Day Twenty-Seven)

Read:
1 Kings 8:22-61

"...when [the foreigner] comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you..."

Reflect:
Before we begin to consider this passage in earnest, let's be straight about one thing: The Temple Solomon constructed in Jerusalem and the permanent facility we hope to construct in Houston are two different things. We do not plan to build an ark of the covenant, nor do we plan to offer sacrifices.

We do, however plan to have at least one thing in common with the Temple in Jerusalem according to the prayer of Solomon in verses 41-43. We plan for it to be a place where "foreigners" can come in - both those foreign to the city and our country, but especially those who are foreign to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although, the Temple in Jerusalem was exceedingly beautiful and not utilitarian, it did not exist for itself. It existed, in many respects, for those who had no use for it.

We are not building a facility only for ourselves. It is important for us to care for the ministries and people that are in place at Christ the King, and we can no longer do that as effectively as we would like in a non-permanent facility. However, we would be making a grave mistake not to see the facility as a beacon of light to those who may not even know they are in the dark. That is a mission worth having; and that is a mission worth sacrificing for.

Apply:

1. When you think of Christ the King having a permanent facility what comes to mind? Are you focused mostly on existing ministries or does your mind gravitate to those outside Christ's kingdom?
2. Building the Temple was an arduous process that required great sacrifice on the part of Israel. With the mission of Christ the King and Solomon's prayer in mind, what sacrifices are you prepared to make to build a kingdom-extending hub in Houston?

Pray:

1. That Christ the King's facility would never exist as an end unto itself or simply for the use of its members and regular attenders.
2. That the Lord would be pleased to call in those who are outside of Christ and find the message of life through ministries of Word and deed.