Slices
Prepare
Sit quietly in the presence of God. What does the Lord bring to mind as you focus on him? Thank God that he is interested in every part of your life.
Bible passage
Solomon builds the temple
6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.
2 The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. 3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. 6 The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.
7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.
8 The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.
11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 ‘As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfil through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.’
Explore
Have you ever gone into a church or cathedral and felt overcome with awe and wonder? I’ve visited the Sistine Chapel, marvelled at the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia and touched the stone pillars of Durham Cathedral, each one provoking a ‘wow’ response in me. As a Children and Families Mission Leader, I have regularly welcomed children into church and often hear a sharp intake of breath as a child gazes up in wonder.
Can you imagine trying to design a building that is fit for the Lord? How could anything be big enough, beautiful enough or impressive enough? We get a glimpse of that with Solomon’s Temple (vs 2–10). But the significance of the Temple is not simply that it is a large, beautiful, impressive building but a fulfilment of a promise. God promised that King David’s son would be the one to build the Temple (v 12) and King Solomon promised to honour God by building it. Now, the Lord gives Solomon another promise: he will live among the chosen people and not abandon them if Solomon follows and obeys the Lord (vs 11,12). The Temple represents this covenant between King Solomon and the Lord.
Respond
Go somewhere that you find awe‑inspiring, or find a picture of it or imagine it in your mind. What promises have you made to the Lord? Recommit yourself to these promises.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 4,5; Acts 27
Pray for Scripture Union
Keefe Owen (Mission Enabler in Wales) asks us to pray that he will be filled with God’s Spirit and wisdom as he seeks opportunities to encourage and empower the Faith Guides (and potential Faith Guides) in north and mid Wales this spring and summer.
Equipping the church to reach the next generation
Across England and Wales, increasing numbers of children and young people are asking big questions about life, faith and meaning. Many are more open than we might assume – curious, thoughtful, and ready for conversations about Jesus, even when church isn’t part of their everyday world. For churches who have a heart for the next generation, this presents a real and hopeful opportunity.
Many leaders carry a deep desire to help the next generation encounter Jesus, but with full diaries and many responsibilities, knowing how to respond – or where to begin – can feel uncertain. That’s why we’ve created the It’s Time to Act guide.
It’s a simple, encouraging resource designed to help churches take thoughtful, realistic steps towards revealing Jesus to the next generation. Rather than offering big programmes or quick fixes, the guide focuses on what’s possible now – small, achievable actions that can grow over time. Inside, you’ll find practical ideas shaped by real church life that work alongside busy schedules and varied contexts. So, whether your church is just beginning to explore this opportunity, or already taking steps, the guide aims to meet you where you are and help you discern what comes next.
Our hope is that It’s Time to Act feels less like another initiative, and more like an invitation – to notice where God is already at work, and to take a next step, one step at a time.
If you’d like to explore the guide and see whether it could support your church, you can order a copy here
