Morning Devotional 121925 Building Blocks

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

December 19, 2025 

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. 18 I tell you that you are Peter. And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. 19 I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Christ.

Good Morning! Come, thou long expected Jesus!

As children, we build structures and towers with wooden blocks. Through our building, we discover that it is important to choose the right block upon which to build our tower or structure. If the block is too small, our building will easily be toppled. If we use all the blocks for the foundation, we have none left for the tower or building. 

If you’ve ever played JENGA, you have learned that certain blocks can be pulled and moved, while moving others will cause the tower to topple. 

Jesus tells Peter, “You are the rock upon which the church will be built.” Just as we learned with our building blocks in childhood, we can surmise that Peter is strong and can support the weight that Christ is placing upon him. 

I envision the other disciples being placed in essential places that strengthen the tower as Christianity reaches out and begins to transform the world. Today, we are those blocks that must stand tall and strong, even when the storms come, and evil pushes against us. 

Lord, you bless us abundantly! Sometimes, we feel weak and unprepared to be the blocks of Christ’s church. Help us share your love with others so we can work together to stand strong against the prevailing evil. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Thought for the day: We are the building blocks of Christ’s church.

God chose us to be the blocks that support one another in Christ! Pastor Liz