Incredible Men,
There's a scene in the Old Testament most of us skim right past. The temple — the one place on earth where the presence of God actually dwelled — sitting in ruins. Cracked stone. Broken doors. Neglected while the people who were supposed to guard it went on building their own lives around it.
God was not quiet about that.
"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?... Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house." — Haggai 1:4, 9
And He didn't leave it in ruins. He told Israel exactly what to do about it: bring an offering. "They made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the LORD... all the leaders and all the people brought their contribution until they had finished." (2 Chronicles 24:8-10) Money, given until there was enough to hire the hands to repair it.
That's the Old Testament. Here's what changes in the New.
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) The Spirit doesn't live in brick and mortar anymore. He lives in you. And just like Israel, you have an offering to bring to repair the temple.
Here's the part that should get your attention: the offering, it's not money this time. I want to be clear — I'm not against giving. Money matters, and giving it is real obedience, it shows your heart. But let's be honest with each other: writing a check is the easy version of obedience. You can give God your money and never once change how you live, what you eat, when you sleep, or how you treat the body He gave you.
That's not His ask this time.
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." — Romans 12:1
That's the offering. Not your wallet. You. Your body — the very thing you'd rather manage on your own terms, keep comfortable, keep convenient.
Here's why you don't get to keep those terms: "You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) If your body is His — and it is — then He's the one who gets to say what He wants done with it. And what He wants is simple: He wants you well. "By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24) He paid too high a price for your healing to watch you hand HIS temple back to Him in ruins.
So ask yourself the question Haggai forces on you: if God walked into your temple today, would He call it repaired, or in ruins? And are you willing to bring the offering that actually fixes it — not money in a chest, but your body, laid down and taken care of, as an act of worship?
I'll be honest — I've let my own temple slide before. Not from unbelief. From being so busy building everyone else's house — other men's marriages, other men's kids, this ministry — that my own body went without the offering it needed.
Don't wait until the wages disappear before you consider your ways. Israel didn't repair that temple by admiring the ruins — they showed up and did the work until it was finished. Your temple doesn't have to stay in ruins either. Bring the one offering only you can bring, and let Him finish what He started the day He first breathed life into you.
Incredible Men. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Go live like the temple is worth repairing.
With you in the fight,
Pastor D
- 6:33 Men — Saturday, August 29, 6:33 AM (arrive ~6:25). Lakeway City Park, 502 Hurst Creek Rd, Lakeway, TX 78734. Warm-up, workout, devotion, prayer, and a cool-down swim in the lake. Every man welcome, no experience needed.
- Free resources — Incredible Husband, Incredible Father, Incredible Provider & Protector, and every past email are free at IncredibleMan.org
You're receiving this email because you matter to God — and you matter to me. Whether we've met or not, I'm for you, I believe in you, and I'm praying that you step fully into who God created you to be. I consider you an Incredible Man — not because you're perfect, but because you're called. Called to live with conviction, lead with integrity, and stand firm when life gets hard. The word incredible comes from the Latin incredibilis, meaning "not believable." It describes a man who lives differently — set apart, grounded, and unwavering.
I'm grateful you're here.
