Building What Matters More
Pastor Doug Heisel - February 15, 2026
I Corinthians 3:10-15 – By the grace God has given me,I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, their work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Isaiah 43:19 – For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Today’s Key Application
Ask the Lord to help you SEE, what He has put in your HANDS, and wants you to LEVERAGE, for His purpose.
Examples From Nehemiah Chapters 2 & 3
1. Nehemiah: A Marketplace Leader whose heart for God pushes him beyond mere SUCCESS to God-honoring SIGNIFICANCE.
Nehemiah 2:4-5 – The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
2. King Artaxerxes: Someone with greater RESOURCES who understands they have been ENTRUSTED with more to do more.
Nehemiah 2:7-8 – “If it pleases the king…may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.
3. Parents and family members: People willing to do THEIR PART, building God’s wall in spite of the perceived COST.
Nehemiah 2:17-18 – Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
See Nehemiah 3
vs 3 – The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah…
Next to him…next to him…next to them…
vs 12 – Shallum…ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.
vs 20 – Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
vs 5 – The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
NEXT SUNDAY: Persisting In Spite of Problems
Life Group Discussion & Questions
BREAKING THE ICE:
Can you recall something you really wanted (a meal, a possession, a job, an experience, etc.), but once you had it, it didn’t come close to your expectation? Explain.
DIGGING IN:
Today’s study involves one of life’s important questions: Am I building what matters most? For years, God’s people neglected rebuilding the temple and later rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Both of these mattered to God, but were not a priority for His people.
Begin with reading Haggai 1:1-15. What’s going on here, and what application can we draw from it for today?
Read I Corinthians 3:10-15. This passage illustrates how everyone is building something, but not every activity holds equal value. And although the Apostle Paul does not give examples of what wood, hay, and straw are, or even what gold, silver, and precious stones represent, it is clear that he is challenging people to pause and think about what they are putting high value on (or not). How does this passage challenge your thinking?
Review the application and three examples from these notes. They show various ways people can get in on what God cares about. Share what stands out most to you and why.
BRINGING IT HOME:
We all can settle with a current way of thinking about ourselves and what God can do in us, for us, and through us. Let the Lord stir up new thoughts for what’s ahead. Lean in rather than miss out.