How to do a Faith ‘Building inspection’: 22 Questions for Self Inspection

This past Sunday (8/25) Pastor Joel talked about building a faith that would survive the fire (listen to the full sermon here.)

 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
- 1 Corinthians 3:12-14

 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Paul’s metaphor of building a house reminds us that our faith, like a house, requires a strong foundation, sound materials, careful workmanship, and ongoing maintenance.

It is a good faith practice to regularly audit your faith life, or have a ‘building inspection’ for your faith building. Are there materials at your disposal that you didn’t have when you first started building your house? Have you used some building materials that are worn out or unsturdy? Regular faith examination can be painful, but is an important part of spiritual health.

Consider asking yourself some hard questions about your faith life. Determine how sturdy your building is, and do the hard work of making repairs where needed. Below is a list of questions to help you do a ‘building inspection’ for your faith. 
John Wesley’s list of 22 Questions for Self-examination that you may adapt to the purpose of a “building inspection”:

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Prayerfully consider each of these questions, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything that you may need healing in, that you may need to repent of, or that you are unaware of. Contact the church office if you have any questions or would like to discuss the questions above. You can email the office at: office@furnacebrook.org, or call (802)483.2531.

How to be a Good Building Inspector
Self-examination is important, but we all have blind spots and gaps in our knowledge. Building inspectors are tasked with intentionally seeking out faults in a home in order to strengthen the whole structure. This can be a painful process for the homeowner, but is beneficial to the longevity and usefulness of the home.

Christians have a role to play in building each other up. This is no easy task, and should be done prayerfully and delicately. Below are some guidelines for how to lovingly assist your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Principles for building inspectors:

• Be gracious but not permissive. When you identify a problem be quick and ready with the grace, but do not offer or accept excuses.
• Persist with scrutiny even when (and especially when) it is uncomfortable and painful for you and the one you are inspecting. No shortcuts.
• Make no assumptions.
• Believe about the person you are inspecting that he who began a good work in him will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)
• If you come across something in your inspection that is true of you as well, own up to the apparent hypocrisy and resolve to address the matter in your own life. Do not let hypocrisy make you useless to the one you are inspecting. 
• Offer, whenever possible, action items instead of criticisms. This will sound like “develop a schedule that makes the Bible a priority,” rather than “you’re not reading the Bible enough.”
• Pray at the beginning and the end of the inspection. And throughout. 
• Commend everything there is to commend, and expect, Jesus being a good Savior, that you will find commendable things in even the most distressing saint. 
• Ask questions about behavior (it’s definite and measurable) but always work to make the connection between a person’s behavior and that person’s heart and convictions.
• Use a template for the inspection, but follow the Holy Spirit. The question that needs to be asked most may not be on your list of questions. 

We are all being built up in the faith, and came to Jesus broken and sinful. The beauty of our Savior is that he has saved us (past tense), but is also actively saving us (right now!) in our daily lives by building us up to be more like him. It is our privilege to grow our faith in Him daily, and to reach out to those around us to know him more deeply. As a church we are committed to making more and better disciples: more by sharing our faith and blessing our community, and better by encouraging and equipping each other in the faith daily.

Questions? Would you like to have a ‘Building Inspection’ done? Contact the church office. You can email the office at: office@furnacebrook.org, or call (802)483.2531.

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