by Justin Morton
This year our theme has been Rise Up and Build. This theme is based on the words of the Jews in response to Nehemiah as he encouraged the people to join in the task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. “And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work” (Nehemiah 2:18).
Throughout this year many of our messages have focused on rising up and building the church, our community, our homes, and our personal lives. Although some of the lessons and classes did not carry the title Rise Up and Build, they shared that purpose. Our summer series focused entirely on this theme. We pray that you have benefited from these lessons and series. As the year comes to a close, I also hope you have taken the theme to heart and put it into practice in different areas of your life.
Recently you may have seen some of the short video reels that have been posted on our church social media accounts. While we do have a private Facebook group strictly for our Walter Hill members to use, our public social media pages help us share the Gospel with others. We have public pages on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Our Instagram page is new, so if you use Instagram, please give Walter Hill a follow. While each of these platforms target different audiences, our mission is the same. We want to use this technology to share the Gospel with those around us.
We want to Rise Up and Build the Kingdom, and you can help by sharing good, sound, truthful content that points people to Jesus. If you do not follow our public social media pages, please do that. Then when you see a reel or post, LIKE IT and SHARE IT. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful…” (Matthew 9:37). Each of us has contacts that others do not, so sharing these clips and posts can bring them to people we would not otherwise reach. Just imagine the good we could do together and the impact a shared message might have in someone else’s life.
As this year starts coming to a close, the work of rising up and building continues. We cannot control everything people encounter online, but we can choose what we contribute. Let’s share messages that encourage faith and help people grow in their relationship with God. When you see a post or reel worth passing along, take the step to share it. Rise Up and Build is more than a theme for the year. It is a call to action we can carry through different aspects of our lives.