Building Together

There are moments in life when you can sense that something new is beginning — not because everything is easy, but because the work is worth doing. That is the spirit I carry as I look ahead to working with the Christians at Cornerstone.

“So we built the wall, and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” — Nehemiah 4:6

That phrase captures something remarkable. God’s work has never depended on perfect people; it has always depended on willing people — people who trust Him and put their hands to the task. That is what excites me about Cornerstone.

The story of Nehemiah reminds us that great things happen when God’s people come together with a united purpose. The walls of Jerusalem did not rise because conditions were ideal. There was opposition from without and discouragement from within (Nehemiah 4:1–3, 10). Yet the work continued, because the people refused to quit. They prayed. They watched. They labored (Nehemiah 4:9). That is the kind of spirit I long to be part of.

Cornerstone is not merely a place or a building. Cornerstone is a people — a people with the opportunity to rise up, to build, and to strengthen one another. Nehemiah called the people to see the need: “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach” (Nehemiah 2:17). That same call still stands. There are souls to reach, hearts to encourage, and lives to build up in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The work begins with prayer. Before Nehemiah ever lifted a stone, he prayed: “O Lord God of heaven… let Your ear now be attentive” (Nehemiah 1:5–6). He depended on God for success, and so must we. If anything lasting is accomplished, it will be because we trust in the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5–6).

The work requires unity. When the people worked together, each building near his own house, the wall rose quickly (Nehemiah 3:10, 23). But when conflict arose, the work slowed (Nehemiah 5:1–7). The same is true today. We must be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

The work demands perseverance. There will be challenges and moments of weariness. Paul reminds us, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9).

What God accomplished in fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15) shows what He can do through willing hearts. That is why I am excited to labor, to grow, and to see what God will build among us. May we be a people who say, “Let us rise up and build” (Nehemiah 2:18).