Building Up The Temple Part I
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor John’s sermon from September 6, 2026
Let’s Break it Down
The gifts of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues, prophecy, and Spirit baptism, are not relics of the early church. They are active, available, and necessary for believers today. The idea that these gifts ceased with the last apostle does not hold up against Scripture, which points to their continuation until we see Jesus face to face.
Key Takeaways
-Both the individual believer's body and the gathered church are temples of the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit are meant to help God inhabit and dwell among His people.
-The gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues and prophecy, have not ceased. They are still active, necessary, and available to believers today.
-Speaking in tongues edifies the individual believer, while prophecy edifies the church. Both are forms of building up the temple for God's inhabitation.
-Praying in the Spirit is not only a devotional practice but also a piece of the armor of God, just as important as the other elements listed in Ephesians 6.
-Spirit baptism is a distinct experience from water baptism, and the Holy Spirit is freely given by the Father to all who ask in faith, as promised in Luke 11:13.
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5-Day Devotional
Day 1: You Are Not an Empty House
Devotional
Think about the last time you walked into a room and immediately felt at home. Maybe it was the smell of something familiar, or the warmth of people who knew your name. There was a presence there that made all the difference. Here is something worth sitting with today: if you have invited Jesus into your life, you are never walking into an empty room. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of you. Not visiting. Not passing through. Living there. Paul makes this plain in 1 Corinthians 6:19. Your body is not just yours. It is a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. That changes everything about how you see yourself, how you face your day, and how you handle the hard moments. You are not on your own. You are not running on empty willpower or good intentions. You carry within you the very presence of God. That is not a poetic idea. It is a spiritual reality. So when you feel overwhelmed, remember who lives in you. When you feel inadequate, remember whose Spirit you carry. You were not designed to do life alone, and you do not have to.
Bible Verse
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." - 1 Corinthians 6:19
Reflection Question
If you truly believed, moment by moment, that the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, how would that change the way you approach today?
Quote
"When you invite Jesus into your heart, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead takes up residence in you."
Prayer
Father, thank You for not leaving me on my own. Help me to live today fully aware that Your Spirit dwells within me. Let that reality shape every step I take.
Day 2: Stronger Together
Devotional
There is something that happens when believers gather that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It is not just community or shared values. It is the presence of God showing up in a unique and powerful way. Jesus said it plainly: where two or three come together in His name, He is there among them (Matthew 18:20). That is not a small thing. That is an invitation to experience God in a dimension that goes beyond your private moments with Him. You are not just a lone temple. Together with other believers, you form something even greater. Peter describes it as living stones being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Each person matters. Each person contributes. And when you gather, God inhabits what is being built. This is why showing up matters. This is why community is not optional. You bring something to the room that no one else can bring, and others bring something you cannot find on your own. Do not underestimate what God does when His people come together. He is not just watching from a distance. He is present, active, and at work in the middle of it all.
Bible Verse
"You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5
Reflection Question
In what ways might you be missing out on what God wants to do in your life by pulling back from genuine community with other believers?
Quote
"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the gathered church is also a temple where God dwells among His people."
Prayer
Lord, thank You for placing me in a community of faith. Help me to show up fully, knowing that You are present and at work whenever Your people gather in Your name.
Day 3: Built Up From the Inside Out
Devotional
We all want to grow. We want to be stronger in our faith, more grounded in hard seasons, more effective in how we love people. But growth does not happen by accident. It requires intentional investment. Praying in the Spirit is one of those investments. Jude 20 describes it as a way of building yourself up in your most holy faith. That word "build" is a construction term. It means to add layer upon layer, like raising a building from the ground up. Every time you pray in the Spirit, something is being constructed in you. Paul connects this same practice to the armor of God in Ephesians 6:18, describing it as praying in the Spirit on all occasions. This is not a niche spiritual discipline for a select few. It is part of how every believer stays strong and stands firm. You do not have to have everything figured out before you engage with the Holy Spirit. You simply have to be willing. God is not looking for perfection. He is looking for availability. Start where you are. Ask Him to lead you deeper. He is faithful to meet you there.
Bible Verse
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." - Ephesians 6:18
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to make praying in the Spirit a consistent, daily practice rather than a last resort in difficult moments?
Quote
"Praying in the Spirit is an active and essential part of the believer's spiritual life. It builds us up. It is part of the armor of God."
Prayer
Holy Spirit, teach me to pray in a way that builds me up and keeps me strong. I want to be available to You every day, not just when I feel like I need help.
Day 4: The Gifts Are Still on the Table
Devotional
Have you ever been told that something good was no longer available to you? That the offer had expired or the season had passed? It is a discouraging feeling, especially when you needed that thing most. Some people have been taught that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, things like tongues, prophecy, and healing, ended with the early church. But a careful look at Scripture tells a different story. In 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, Paul points to the return of Jesus as the moment when these gifts will no longer be needed. Until we see Him face to face, the gifts remain. Prophecy still builds people up. It still encourages and comforts in ways that only God could orchestrate. These are not relics of a past era. They are living tools for a living church. You have not missed the window. The gifts are still on the table, and they are for you. God has not changed His mind about how He wants to equip His people. He is still speaking, still moving, and still inviting every believer to participate in what He is doing. Do not let someone else's theology shrink what God has made available to you.
Bible Verse
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears." - 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Reflection Question
Have you ever allowed someone else's doubts or limitations to keep you from pursuing something God has clearly made available to you in Scripture?
Quote
"The gifts of the Holy Spirit are directly connected to both of these realities, and they are not optional extras for the spiritually adventurous."
Prayer
Father, open my eyes to everything You have made available to me through Your Spirit. I do not want to live beneath what You have provided. Help me to seek You with an open and willing heart.
Day 5: Just Ask
Devotional
Some of the best things in life are simpler to receive than we make them. We overthink, overanalyze, and talk ourselves out of asking because we are not sure we qualify or because we are afraid of what might happen if we do. Jesus addressed this directly. In Luke 11:9-13, He draws a simple comparison. If a human Father would not hand His child a snake when they asked for a fish, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? The logic is clear. The invitation is open. The answer is yes before you even finish the sentence. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not reserved for a spiritual elite. It is not a reward for those who have it all together. It is a gift, freely given, to every believer who asks. Acts 10 and Acts 19 both show ordinary people receiving this experience and being transformed by it. You do not need to earn this. You do not need to be further along in your faith journey. You just need to ask. God is not withholding from you. He is waiting for you. The Holy Spirit is yours for the asking, and the Father is ready to give Him generously to all who come.
Bible Verse
"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" - Luke 11:13
Reflection Question
What is holding you back from simply asking the Father to fill you with His Holy Spirit, and is that reason found in Scripture or somewhere else?
Quote
"How much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask? It's yours for the asking."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to You with open hands. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I trust that You are good and that You give good gifts to Your children who ask.