It grieves the heart of God—and it grieves mine—to see so many “believers” and “ministers of God”—pastors, evangelists, apostles, and more—chasing shadows of their calling. They circle near what God has ordained but never center in. Zeal is abundant, but wisdom is scarce. Many leap at anything that feels like a “yes,” only to find themselves stretched thin, burned out, and led more by impulse than by divine clarity. They confuse activity with mission, fleshly ambition with divine purpose, and numbers with fruitfulness. 

The metrics they use to define success reveal what they truly value. They ask, “How many came? How charismatic was the speaker? How many prayed the sinner’s prayer?” but rarely, “Are we forming true followers of Jesus—those who deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him daily? How deeply are people embracing Jesus as Savior and Lord?” The Father is not fooled by emotional highs or inflated numbers. Yes, He is merciful. Yes, He often moves—even in gatherings full of hype and devoid of spiritual depth. But who is shepherding the hearts of new believers after the gathering ends? Who is walking them into maturity? Who is teaching them to abide, to obey, to grow?

Far too often, leaders are too hurried to be holy—too consumed with ministry work to allow God to do the deeper work of formation in them. They model a gospel of activity, not abiding; of motion, not devotion. And so they reproduce what they themselves have become: busy servants who rarely sit at the feet of Jesus. 

I fear we are either preaching a truncated Gospel, or preaching a more robust Gospel we have not fully embraced ourselves, offering people a version of church built more on inherited methods than divine revelation. Instead of seeking the Lord for how He wants His disciples to be formed, we cling to traditions—many of which are cracked, outdated, or even unbiblical. Few ask the hard questions. Few reexamine their church’s discipleship framework. Few carry the burden to build rightly.

Have we forgotten Jesus’ words? In the “I Never Knew You” warning (Matthew 7:21-23), those who did great works in His name were turned away—not for lack of activity, but for lack of relationship. "The Parable of the Talents" (Matthew 25:14-30) wasn’t about doing anything—it was about doing what pleased the Master, faithfully and wisely. And in "The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders," (Matthew 7:24-27 & Luke 6:46-49) the wise man didn’t just build—he dug deep until he reached the rock. Yet today, so many leaders build fast and shallow, content to stand on compromised foundations simply because “that’s what was handed down.” They honor legacy over truth, and convenience over conviction.

It is a tragedy that the Church is often shaped more by charismatic personalities and secular strategies than by fresh revelation from God. The result? A culture of shortcuts—schemes dressed up as strategies, a chasing of "Butts, Buildings, and Bills," instead of stewarding the Bride of Christ with fear and trembling.

The time is now for leaders to return to the Lord. To be stripped of borrowed blueprints. To cry out from the secret place, “God, how do You want to build Your house?” The days of half-hearted stewardship are over. What we build now must be steeped in prayer, rooted in Scripture, tested by fire, and aligned with heaven—or it will not stand in the shaking that is coming.