When It's Time to Build Something More Than Buildings

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call – "When It's Time to Build Something More Than Buildings"

Date: July 28, 2026
Host: John David Walt (J.D. Walt)
Podcast: The Wake-Up Call
Featured Guest: David Walt

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the theme of how societies and individuals tend to define themselves by the buildings they create, both literally and figuratively, and the spiritual dangers of mistaking the symbol (the building) for what is truly important (faith, community, and transformation in Christ). Using Mark 13:1–2 and Jeremiah 7 as foundational scriptures, J.D. Walt explores the tendency to idolize structures—whether church buildings, houses, or institutions—rather than focusing on their intended purpose to honor God and build genuine community. The episode includes a heartfelt hymn sung with his father and ends with practical encouragement to invest in relationships and spiritual growth.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Scripture Reflection (Mark 13:1–2)

• Reading: J.D. Walt reads and meditates on the first two verses of Mark 13, where Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple.
  • “As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’” (02:15)

2. The Human Fascination with Buildings

• Humans have always defined themselves by their building projects—from the Tower of Babel, ancient monuments, and national symbols, to modern churches and homes.
• Notable Quote: “The human race has defined itself by its buildings. We love building projects... The temple had become more important to the people than the God for whom the temple was built.” – J.D. Walt [04:55]
• The attack on 9/11 targeted symbolic buildings, revealing societal attachment to structures as symbols of identity, he notes.

3. Idolatry of Structures

• J.D. Walt draws parallels between ancient and modern idolatry of buildings.
• Key Insight: “Buildings are meant to direct our attention to God, but they so easily get in the way, don’t they?” [07:23]
• He emphasizes that the danger is when buildings become idols—overshadowing the spiritual life and mission they were meant to support.

4. Biblical Warning on Empty Religion (Jeremiah 7:1–11)

• Walt reads Jeremiah’s “temple speech,” where God warns Israel not to rely on the temple for a false sense of security.
• Quote from Jeremiah: “‘Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord...”’” [07:50]

5. Modern Application to the Church and Homes

• On Churches: “It is fascinating how much we make of church buildings here in North America… But they are not the church.” [10:38]
  • In many global contexts, “church” means a living community, not a structure.
• On Houses: He draws analogies to how people equate their houses with their homes, highlighting the deeper meaning of community and relationships.

6. Disasters and True Priorities

• In the aftermath of natural disasters, people mourn their homes but ultimately treasure their relationships.
• Key Insight: “When it becomes all about the building instead of what the building was built for, we may be headed for trouble.” [11:00]

7. Prayer and Musical Worship

• The episode includes a sung prayer—“Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me” (sung at 11:02).

8. Reflection Questions

• J.D. Walt offers reflective prompts:
  1. “What is it about us that wants to define ourselves by our buildings?”
  2. “What would it look like to invest our lives into other people’s lives more than into buildings?” [11:46]

9. Personal Story and Cultural Reflection

• Walt reminisces about childhood rides to see “fancy houses,” highlighting a universal fascination with impressive homes and challenging listeners to ponder why.
  • Quote: “No matter where you live, you can always find a nicer house than yours… Why is it that we want to define ourselves and others by our buildings? That's a puzzling thing.” [12:30]

10. Family Moment: Singing with Dad

• J.D. invites his father, David Walt, to join him in singing “Standing on the Promises” (15:01), showcasing a warm intergenerational faith experience.
  • Memorable Exchange:
    • David Walt: “Just pray for me last... pray for the people who need it more than I do first. And then before you quit, put a little prayer in there for David Walt and I appreciate it.” [15:31]
    • J.D. Walt: “I need more of Jesus in my life… Trying harder won’t get it done, but giving up my life to him? Every time, he’ll come in.” [16:14]

11. Final Encouragement and Exhortation

• J.D. Walt encourages listeners to actively seek ways to encourage others: “Ask Jesus, ‘who would you like to encourage through me today?’” [19:07]
• “He might bring somebody that lives next door. He might bring somebody you hadn’t talked to in years... Just follow the prompting, right? Because it will mean the world to them. It could be the very difference in their life.” [19:19]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When it becomes all about the building instead of what the building was built for, we may be headed for trouble.” – J.D. Walt [11:00]
• “Trying harder won’t get it done, but giving up my life to him? Every time, he’ll come in.” – J.D. Walt [16:14]
• “You pray for the people that you know needs it worse than I do first. And then before you quit, though, you put a little prayer in there for David Walt.” – David Walt [15:31]
• “Y’all are just sitting on the premises. It’s time to stand on the promises.” – J.D. Walt quoting a preacher [18:45]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:55] – Human history and buildings as symbols of identity
• [07:23] – On buildings becoming idols
• [07:50] – Jeremiah’s warning about reliance on the temple
• [10:38] – Modern church buildings vs. the global church
• [11:00] – Reflection on disasters and what truly matters
• [11:02] – Prayer: “Spirit of the Living God”
• [11:46] – Reflection questions
• [12:30] – Personal story: fascination with fancy houses
• [15:01] – Hymn: “Standing on the Promises”
• [15:31] – David Walt’s prayer request
• [16:14] – Surrender vs. trying harder
• [18:45] – “Sitting on the premises” vs. “standing on the promises”
• [19:07–19:36] – Final exhortation to encourage others

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Re-examine the role of buildings (physical and metaphorical) in your spiritual and relational life.
• Invest in people over projects—prioritize spiritual substance over impressive structures.
• Remember the heart of worship is not the place but the presence of Jesus and community.
• Build on the promises of God, not on the premises of human achievement.
• Actively look for opportunities to encourage someone today through the prompting of Jesus.

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Closing Thought

In the words of J.D. and David Walt:
“We’ll see you on the field, friends. And we’re going to be standing on the promises all day long.” [19:49]

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Good morning sower nation. It is Tuesday, July 28th in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt and this is your wake up call. We're in the last little week of this, I don't know if you call it a mini series. We've, we're covering Mark, the whole gospel, 16 chapters in 16 days. We're right up, I believe to chapter 13 today. And that's such an awesome text, this gospel. I, I just want to keep reminding you we're going to be doing Romans starting September 1st or right there in, right around there. We're going to go the whole fall in Romans and I'm excited about it guys. It's, it's going to be rich. This is one to invite friends to join us on. This is one. We're going to have books, we're going to have all kinds of goodness ready to roll. So listen, I'm getting carried away. We got Bible to open, we got Jesus to meet with. We got the spirit of God to drink deeply from that. Well then we're going to have seeds to go with us for the fields today. So let's consecrate ourselves. Let's invite the Lord to consecrate us unto him. Jesus, wake up. Sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Well, today we are entitling our entry. When it's time to build something more than buildings in our text, we're going to read Mark chapter 13. Today I want you to read the whole chapter and I'm going to zero in on the first two verses. Hear now the word of the Lord. As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, look teacher, what massive stones. What magnificent buildings. Do you see all these great buildings? Replied Jesus. Not one stone here will be left on another. Every one will be thrown down. The word of the Lord. Now consider this. Look teacher, what massive stones. What magnificent buildings. The human race has defined itself by its buildings. We love building projects. From the ancient ziggurats of the Mayan people, to the massive Egyptian pyramids, to the great Taj Mahal in India, to the Coliseum and Pantheon in Rome, to the Acropolis in Athens, the human race has defined itself by its building projects. We could Go all the way back to the Tower of Babel, couldn't we? Far from an ancient thing, this practice, though it continues to the present day, America is symbolized by its great buildings. From the United States Capitol to the White House, to the massive marble memorials, it's fascinating how the radical Islamic terrorist Osama bin Laden launched his attack not so much against people, but against the most symbolic buildings in our country. And to be clear, he intended to affect mass casualties. I think you get my point. He was going after these symbols in the intent of it buildings. And of course, in the case of that national tragedy, it turned out it wasn't our buildings that defined us after all. Today's text proves the point yet again. The temple had become more important to the people than the God for whom the temple was built. And therein lies the problem with buildings. We unwittingly turn them into idols. I mean, go back to that word. Look, teacher, what massive stones. What magnificent buildings. It's interesting. The buildings are meant to. To direct our attention to God, but they so easily get in the way, don't they? The prophet Jeremiah had something to say about it. I'm going to read from him right now. Verse 7, chapter 7, 1:11. This is the word. Hear this. Listen to this word carefully. You haven't read this probably in a long time. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message. Hear the word of the Lord. All you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, reform your ways and your actions and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, this is the temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord. If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors forever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to BAAL and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house which bears my name and say we are safe? Safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house which bears my name become a den of Robbers to you. But I have been watching, declares the Lord. That's the famous what's known as the temple speech by Jeremiah, days after his cleansing visit to the temple. Here's how Jesus put it. Do you see all these great buildings? Replied Jesus. Not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone will be thrown down. And with stunning accuracy. Less than 40 years later, it happened. Every stone was thrown down by the Roman armies in AD 70. I'm convinced there's a word in here for the contemporary church. The church of today. It is fascinating how much we make of church buildings here in North America. To be sure, they serve marvelous purposes and much good comes from them. But they are not the church. Despite that, just about anytime anyone speaks of going to the church, they are referring to a building. All too often, our buildings have come to define our churches. You see, when people speak of a church in many parts of the world, the last thing they're talking about is a building. They are referring to a small group of men and women and children who have staked their lives on the word of God and pledged their faith to follow Jesus. A similar thing might be said about our own houses and the way we confuse our houses with our homes. Anyone who has built a house knows how easy it is to not keep the main thing. The main thing. In the wake of disastrous storms or fires or other natural disasters that decimate people's houses, the story is always the same. They are sad about the loss of all their earthly belongings, but at the same time, they are awakened and clinging to what matters most, each other. And they stand in awe of the mercy that spared their lives. When it becomes all about the building instead of what the building was built for, we may be headed for trouble. Let's sing our prayer today.

[C]

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me and melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

[B]

Amen. Here's a journal prompt for us today or two. What is it about us that wants to define ourselves by our buildings? What would it look like to invest our lives into other people's lives more than into buildings? I remember as a kid we. We used to. We'd just get in the car and, and ride around town. My mom and dad would. We'd ride around town and, you know, we lived in a. What I thought was a great house. It was, in retrospect, it's pretty humble, pretty small house, pretty humble neighborhood. But really, no matter where you Live, you can always find a nicer house than yours. And I just remember we'd drive over into what we considered to be the nice part of town. Not that we considered our part of town not nice, but you get my point. We were you just kind of ooh and awe over other people's houses. I mean, I've done this all my life. I suppose you have too. You like, see the fancy houses and when people come to visit you and you want to take them and show them around, you drive them by the fancy houses and the nice and beautiful big mansions. It's interesting. Why is it that we want to define ourselves and others by our buildings? That's a puzzling thing. I'm just going to let you ponder it today and just think about what the other alternatives are.

[C]

All right.

[B]

Well, Dad's going to be singing with me today and we got a good one queued up. Looking forward to it. You're going to love it, man. Thanks for being so kind to. He loves you. And this. I think I told you, I know I did back there, y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

You wrote. He got over 500 cards and letters from you all. He keeps reading them, you know, I've told you, his memory is, is fading. This is heartbreaking. We've all kind of seen this before, man. When it comes to your house, it's different, doesn't it? But he's remembering the most important things and you're encouraging him and it's such a blessing. So we're going to sing together today and we're going to sing a hymn I think you'll like. All right, Sower Nation. We've got our favorite singer and worship leader and farmer here with us today, David Wall.

[A]

Hi, brothers and sisters.

[B]

We are ready to sing another one of the great hymns today. Dad, tell them what we're singing.

[A]

We're singing Standing on the promises of Christ My Savior. Standing on the promises.

[B]

What's the number?

[A]

It's

[B]

4.

[A]

4:34.

[B]

4:34. You're able to read that okay?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How you been feeling lately, dad?

[A]

I'm doing all right. I'm feeling about like all 85 people.

[B]

85 year old people feel he's feeling like 85. Well, dad, you know, a lot of times people ask me, they say, how can we pray for your dad? I thought, well, why don't you tell them? How can they pray for you?

[A]

Well, I tell you, you can pray for me, but just pray for me last.

[B]

Pray for me last.

[A]

You pray for the people that you know needs it worse than I do first. And then before you quit, though, you put a little prayer in there for David Walt and I appreciate it.

[B]

What can they say? What do you feel like you need help with right now?

[A]

Well, I just need to. I just need to be a better Christian. Plain and simple. Need to be a better Christian.

[B]

Me, too. That's a good prayer request.

[A]

It'll pretty well work for everybody.

[B]

I would need to be a better Christian. Another way of saying that is I need more of Jesus in my life.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Because I know. I know trying harder won't get it done, but giving up my life to him?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Every time he'll come in.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Sometimes I think people don't realize that. That people think, well, I just need to try harder. No, you need to surrender more.

[A]

That's right. You need him.

[B]

He's the one. He is. Jesus is the Christian life.

[A]

And, you know, he's out there listening for us.

[B]

He's listening.

[A]

I mean, we can't explain how that happens, but we know it works and we know he's listening.

[B]

He's listening. He's listening.

[A]

We just want to ask him.

[B]

Well, let's sing. We're going to sing verse one and five today. It's a long hymn with all the long chorus, but we're going to sing verse one and five. Are your ready?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Standing on the promises of Christ my king through eternal ages Let his praises ring Glory in the highest I will

[B]

shout and sing Sing in the mic.

[C]

Standing on the promises of God Standing, standing Standing on the promises of God my Savior Standing, still standing I'm standing on the promises of God by standing

[B]

on the promises I cannot fall Listing

[C]

every moment to the Spirit's call Resting

[B]

in my Savior as my all in

[C]

all Standing on the promises of God Standing, standing Standing on the promises of God my Savior Standing, standing I'm standing on the promises of God

[B]

I once heard a preacher say. He says, you know what Yalls problem is? He said, y' all are just sitting on the premises.

[A]

That was a blow.

[B]

He said, it's time to stand on the promises. That's probably why I'll just leave it there today. Well, everybody, let's keep praying for each other. Let's keep encouraging one another as long as it's called today.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

So you just. Even as we get off here, I want you just to ask Jesus, say, Jesus, who would you like to encourage through me today?

[A]

Right.

[B]

And be ready to listen. He'll bring people to mind. He might bring somebody that lives next door. He might bring somebody you hadn't talked to in years. Call them, text them. Just follow the prompting, right? Because it will make. It will mean the world to them.

[A]

It'll be the difference in their life. It could be.

[B]

Could be the very difference in their life. They may die tomorrow. That's right.

[C]

So.

[B]

For The Awakening, I'm J.D.

[C]

walt.

[A]

And I'm David. Walt.

[B]

We'll see you on the field, friends.

[A]

And we're going to be standing on

[B]

the promises all day long.

[A]

Amen.