January 25, 2026
Corporate Sunday Worship was cancelled at the brick-and-mortar site for CCC due to the snow and dangerously low temps. The congregation was strongly encouraged to worship as families in their own homes.
The following is a recap of a message/discussion sent out to the Body via GroupMe.
“Building Expectation Properly” - a discussion at The Table between Pastor Jeff Spangler of Christ’s Community Church and Apostle Lisa McFarland of Warring Dove International
Pastor Jeff:
Some review:
Definition of expectation: strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future
What is our expectation based on? Three components.
Hope
Probability
Duty
Hebraic definitions:
Tikvah - hope
Tzipiya (“zee-pee-yah”) - eager anticipation. A watchman has tzipiya, they have been trained in expectation
Since we received this Word, Apostle George has transitioned…we think we know what’s coming but often we do not
Today: “Building Expectation Properly”
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Words put into practice.
We’ve had lots of words spoken in the past few weeks. Here, the passage starts with “therefore”…what have we learned about that? To ask: “what is it there for?” THAT’S expectation.
We can think we know what a Word is about, but until we dig into the application, we don’t really know. It’s putting into practice that makes the difference. It helps to formulate: what are you anticipating?
A wise man prepares ahead of time in his building. What was he anticipating? What were both men anticipating? Think about what both men went through:
Both men built a house.
They both labored.
They both had houses that must have stood…”then” the storms came.
How many times have we heard a Word and started to build because we are excited? Have we thought all the way through what the house is for?
When the storms came, one house stood, and one didn’t.
If they both built a house, what’s the difference? Who would build a house purposefully in a bad spot? The builder was perhaps so enamoured by building the house, he didn’t consider what would happen when the storms come…are we ready to consider that things may not go the way we thought they would? Are we ready for something different than we think to happen?
Both houses looked good. The wise man thought through before he built - what if storms come? What if changes come? He appears to have built a house that was prepared to withstand the storm.
Apostle Lisa:
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Plans - think of a blueprint. We make plans, but God determines the outcome. That’s a blueprint, which is what you need to build a house.
“Plans to prosper you”…both men had a house, both prospered in the house.
“Future” - an expected end.
When people have unmet expectations, they get discouraged and begin to question God’s goodness. “Hey, I thought God wanted me to build a house!”
Right before this story, Jesus was talking about not judging, praying, true and false prophets… all aligns with expectation!
This story has always been told to encourage salvation. Right after this, Jesus heals the leper, who wasn’t worthy to go into any house…but then he could, after healing. Then Jesus healed the centurion’s servant, and he is told he can sit at Abraham’s table…there’s a goal. There’s a vision. And without a vision, the people perish.
People can say “well, he shouldn’t have built his house there.” But there’s more there…this is talking about change and what you see and what you perceive.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
If you don’t expect, you won’t get anything.
We’ve all had those times when we had plans that didn’t go the way we thought…and then we can fall into questioning God and getting bitter.
But GOD has the blueprint, and HE HAS plans to PROSPER you and give you HOPE.
If I don’t have expectation, I can’t operate. And then when the storms come, I fall apart.
Often people get dreams and visions, and we so want to emulate what we see in the Bible. The Bible talks about false prophets - that’s sand that people build on, that’s why false prophets are such a disaster. And it leads to unmet expectations - we can lose our faith when it’s tested in the wind and the sea. “I asked God! What’s happening? I did everything right!” It LOOKED like their house was built on the rock. it wasn’t their salvation that was shifting sand, it was other Words they’d built on that would be sand.
Present trials - bringing a greater weight of glory. If you cling to THAT, then your faith doesn’t fall apart when it gets a little bruised. It’s about perspective.
It’s our duty to test every spirit. “Is that really what God said?” Like the Bereans. “Is that really what God said…and what is God saying to ME?”
(Teacher sidenote - I want to point out that making sure what God really said is worlds apart from the enemy saying “did God really say?” When the enemy asks you that, he will twist it…remember, he told Eve “did God really say you couldn’t eat from ANY of the trees?” This is why it’s so important to KNOW the Word of God and have it written on your heart…because the enemy will come steal it from you if he can! - Teacher Sara)
Eager expectation: the watchman longs for the morning, for the light. When the light comes, they are thankful they can really see. The light comes gradually, and then you can see the enemy…and the enemy can see you.
Apostle went through a time when she would see little pieces of dreams and visions that she had experienced years ago, and the Lord said to her:
“This is that. The watchpiece.”
In those dreams or words, even if it’s in the Scripture, that thing is like a timepiece that says “this is that, this is now.” Reading and understanding the Scripture - we have to be ready to hear “this is that.”
Look for that piece where God bears witness - “this is that.” We don’t want to believe in a lie - THAT’S building the house on sand. If you don't have a Word from the Lord, pray until you get one! Otherwise you are like a man putting together something from IKEA without the instructions, and it doesn’t work!
“God I don’t know where I’m going, but I believe YOU.” But if you believe in a lie, everything is about to be destroyed.
Pastor Jeff and Apostle Lisa, in conversation:
Last week - This Day for That Day. Our time of sharing about Apostle George was about those moments with him - that day for this day.
Both men had an expectation to build a house. But the wise man was using this day for that day - he was prepared for the storm to come.
The man on the sand was so excited for the word that he had, he put it into practice without preparation.
You are only promised two days in the Word of God - this day and that day.
This can be future…but this can also be “oh, this day is THAT.” That which we have heard about already. All the pieces we have coming to fruition.
“I want you to build with expectation,” says the Lord.
“Lord, I ran ahead and had these expectations.” And then the eroding can happen
Thinking of Apostle George. We thought we’d have him longer…the structure falls, and we panic, we built a great house, but it’s just not anchored properly.
This is not a book of behavior modification (the Bible), it’s about RELATIONSHIP. God wants us to put the word of God into practice rightly in relationship with Him.
Have we built structures or expectations that something is going to happen out of our own thoughts and expectations, or have we taken it back to the Lord? Oftentimes we like something we hear and then we grab it and build our structure, and we are not as anchored as we should be.
Don’t overreact to this - but as we move forward, build true expectation on the Word of God in our own lives.
He wants us to ask Him! He wants us to come and hunger after what He says! He loves that! Be hungry enough to want more!
Apostle George modeled this.
No true minister wants the model built on THEM. We don’t forget them, but God takes us back to the foundation and the bedrock - were we doing all this for the Lord or just for Apostle George? It’s not IF the storms come, it's WHEN the storms come.
Sand is a mixture, with spaces for things to get in and erode.
“The result was that when Jesus had finished these words…” THIS is the blueprint! He is telling the future! The multitude were amazed at his teaching…then He goes on healing and erodes away at their teaching and rules. He’s messing with their future.
How do we have this eager anticipation? What will keep us fresh? How do we awaken passion, awaken zeal?
How do we get to that place where we hear God’s Word and we build on it?
Psalm 119:32
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
God’s Word has the power to do EVERYTHING. A wise woman builds a house, a foolish one tears it down…how do we tear it down? With our words.
Study David’s words on his own faith (Apostle Lisa gave several examples, go search them out!)
David’s house was not built on Samuel, or his position in Saul’s household, or his family. David’s house was built on the Lord - the eternal.
Don’t believe lies - that’s building a house on sand.
When God is testing your hope, don’t throw in the towel, He has the plans to prosper you and give you a hope and an expected end!
It’s not about the words we can give and how fancy we can give them - it’s about giving people the Truth of God.
What’s the antidote for hopelessness? It’s expectation. That’s what makes people rise. And no one can ever take our hope away!
We enter into a new, living, way. He is the gate, He is the door - a new, living, way.
If He’s the door, He can also close out anything - the hopelessness, the dread, etc.
When someone dies, a portal is open to heaven. So this is the time - “this is that.” We are seeing it. Unless a seed goes into the ground and dies, it can’t bear fruit. Apostle George has laid down his life, and he was a gate and a door, and he is the seed going into the ground…so now the fiber of his being is going to burst into multiplication. His death is a sign, a demarcation line that this was the prophetic word, and this is going to happen.
God knows the plans He has for you! To give you a hope and a future! He uses all that happens in life to position you - this for that! Apostle George has gone on to receive his reward - and we are now in a unique period of time to refresh the vision and activate the vision - seeds and things Apostle George had wanted all his life - our children will help us possess the gates of the enemy.
That’s the job of an apostle - they plant the seed and they may not get to eat the fruit of it. But the GENERATIONS will. It’s not that Apostle George is gone - he just got multiplied!! Expectation: everything Apostle George wanted for so long, now it’s going to happen!
So dig in - “what are You saying, Lord? What has been seeded into me? What structures have been built on sand that need to be torn down so we can see multiplication and fruit?”
Dig in! What’s your piece?
