In the sermon on Sunday April 28, I opened with the following story: Last week, I was driving to make a hospital visit. While sitting at a red light, I looked to my right and saw a work truck parked in front of a building under construction. The slogan on the side of the truck said, “Build it like you own it.” I thought, “That will preach!” and dictated the slogan into my phone. Read on for the rest of the story plus a bonus story that one of our church members shared with me after worship . . . 

Upon returning to my office, I did some research on Google, and I found the company whose slogan is on the truck: M.L. Bell Construction, based in Ashland, Virginia. The slogan is the very first thing on their website and expresses their core identity: 

M.L. Bell Construction provides land development, design-build, construction management, and general contracting services to local, regional, and national commercial clients. Our motto is “Build It Like You Own It.” We manage every project as if we were constructing it for ourselves, and our commitment is to treat every project as a partnership with the owner. Honesty, sincerity, integrity, and quality are at the heart of our efforts. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us. 

https://www.mlbell.com/who-we-are

This posture of ownership and partnership is what we Christians call “stewardship.” We serve in the church with an ownership mentality. When we do so, we are in “partnership with the owner” – God who owns it all! (see Romans 11:36) 

What if every member of our church had this attitude . . . the possibilities would be limitless! Every Christian has something to contribute and, together, we can make a positive impact in the world!  

Now for the bonus story from one of our members . . . It’s entitled, “The Carpenter’s House” (author unknown). After I heard the story, I found it posted on numerous blogs and inspirational websites. 

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. 

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. 

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.” 

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. 

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. 

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your [or God’s] house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today. – copied. 

In partnership with the Lord,