The Beauty of the Church Is a Wonder to Behold — Part 8

The View From Above: Thoughts to Help With Everyday Life

August 14, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

VFA ANNOUNCEMENT: Monday I will have an announcement regarding a special guest contributor to The View From Above. Stay tuned!

The Beauty of the Church Is a Wonder to Behold — Part 8

The beauty of the church is a wonder to behold.

It’s a miracle, it truly is!

EVERYTHING HAS ITS PRICE.

The most valuable things in life cost the most.

Of course, that only makes sense.

We are all going to make decisions about how much we're willing to pay for what we truly want in life.

Jesus paid the highest of prices for souls because souls are valuable to Him.

Scripture Focus

Isaiah 53:5

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."

Jesus longs for a relationship with you.

He wants your sins forgiven.

He wants you healed—physically and spiritually.

And then comes the greatest accomplishment of all: getting us safely to heaven to spend eternity with Him.

Thank God that He values each and every one of us.

Shouldn't we, then, be willing to pay the highest price necessary to see His will accomplished in our lives?

The high price of what is truly valuable is often the very thing that causes people to settle for second best.

But that should never be our conviction.

NEVER SECOND BEST.

ONLY THE MOST VALUABLE.

ONLY GOD'S BEST FOR OUR LIVES.

Scripture Focus

Philippians 3:8

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

The high price Jesus paid for what He considers valuable includes the church.

We may take the church for granted.

We may dismiss the importance of gathering together with the saints.

But Jesus does not.

Scripture Focus

Acts 20:28

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

Consider those words:

TAKE HEED.

SHEPHERD.

BLOOD.

This is the language of someone who understands the tremendous value Jesus places upon His church.

The church is a miracle that came about at the cost of the blood of Jesus Christ.

That's what gives even greater meaning to His declaration:

"I will build My church."

He didn't merely announce that He would build it.

He paid for it.

And the price was His own blood.

Today’s Challenge

Consider the price Jesus paid for you—and for His church.

If Christ values His church enough to purchase her with His own blood, how should that affect the value you place upon her?

Don't treat casually what Jesus purchased at such tremendous cost.

Love His church.

Value His church.

Gather faithfully with His church.

Serve His church.

Invest yourself in what Jesus values.

Consider the high price, and make sure you love and value the church as Jesus does.