The House We Are Building | The Guest Room
We believe God is building something far greater than what our eyes can see. In this series, Build the House, we’re stepping into His vision of a people who worship, encourage one another, and carry His presence into the world.
Living on Mission
This week has been an emotional one for me. On Sunday night, after dropping my daughter off for college, I got home and found myself crying until the next evening. I miss her deeply. But as I’ve reflected, I’ve been reminded of when I first left home for college myself.
Back then, I was in love with Jesus—but I didn’t yet understand His love for me. I thought my life would be about business success, climbing ladders, and building my own future. But God had something different in store.
One night in my dorm room, overwhelmed by loneliness, I prayed a simple prayer:
“God, I need you.”
What happened next changed the trajectory of my life. The love of God filled the room in a way I cannot describe—tangible, overwhelming, undeniable. I called my mom through tears and told her, “God loves me.” That moment marked me forever. It was then that I realized:
There is a difference between serving God and living out of the love of God.
Rooted and Established in Love
Paul’s words in Ephesians 3 say it best:
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.”
If we’re going to live on mission—to love, serve, and carry the gospel into our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces—we must first be rooted in love. Without it, our lives can suffer what I call spiritual root rot.
Just like a plant that looks fine on the surface but is dying underground, shame can choke out our ability to receive God’s love. And when we don’t feel loved, we don’t feel worthy to live on mission.
Confession, Healing, and Freedom
The way forward is not perfection, but vulnerability.
1 John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, God forgives and purifies us.
James 5:16 says that when we confess to one another and pray together, we find healing.
Freedom comes when shame loses its grip. And when we are free, we step naturally into the mission God has for us—not out of obligation, but out of overflow.
Walking Across the Room
Living on mission doesn’t start overseas. It starts with a simple step: walk across the room.
Pray for people. Care for people. Share with people.
That’s how my dad, a hardworking, ordinary man, lived out his faith at work. Decades later, one of his old coworkers called him and said, “Greg, I think God is trying to talk to me.” Today, that man is following Jesus—all because someone chose to live faithfully and walk across the room.
From Loved to Sent
When we know we are loved, we can’t help but live sent.
Your mission field might be your office.
It might be your dorm, your neighborhood, or your kid’s school.
It’s wherever God has placed you.
But remember this:
We don’t live on mission to earn God’s love. We live on mission because we already have it.
So let’s be people rooted in His love, freed from shame, and willing to walk across the room. Because when we do, the manifold wisdom of God is revealed—here in Austin, and to the ends of the earth.