Construction sites interest me. I like them so much that they become tourist attractions to friends and family who visit me from Brazil. There are several stages in the home-building process. The foundation always comes before the roof goes up. Plumbers, masons, and electricians all help build the homes we admire so much. In the same way, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers help build the body of Christ. Each one of these gifted people is important and necessary to equip us for the work God gave us. When I was a child growing up in Brazil, my Sunday school teachers laid a strong foundation of Bible knowledge. Each Bible story and song taught me about God’s love and helped build my faith. We would learn a new Bible story and talk about how to apply the truth of scripture to our lives.
I see those years as the foundation stage of my faith. As an adult, I still rely on spiritual leaders to help me continue building on my childhood foundation. Because the foundation has already been laid, I can go on to different stages in my faith-building process. Just as building a home takes time and many stages, so does building a disciple of Christ. God provides people who help us grow in the knowledge of God in each stage of discipleship. I am grateful for those who equip us with what we need in each stage of our faith-building process so the truth of God’s word will be evident in our lives.