God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Don’t buy the lie that cultivating condemnation and wallowing in your shame is somehow pleasing to God, or that a constant, low-grade guilt will somehow promote holiness and spiritual maturity. It’s just the opposite! God is glorified when we believe with all our hearts that those who trust in Christ can never be condemned. It’s only when we receive his free gift of grace and live in the good of total forgiveness that we’re able to turn from old, sinful ways of living and walk in grace-motivated obedience.
One could successfully argue that most of the problems experienced by churches in building programs have their roots in poor planning and preparation. Poor preparation fosters a lack of unity and confidence, can ruin pastors, increase building costs, and in general, make an already difficult task much harder. Poor preparation will result in more confusion, wasted time, increased stress and effort, and at worst, cause a church split. A key part of proper planning is to first correctly understand your needs, abilities and limitations.
