How Our Hearts and Actions Shape Who We’re Becoming
A conversation on Haggai
This is our fourth and final week processing the book of Haggai. As you recall, the people had been living in exile—removed from their homes and lands and culture for a generation. But there was a change of power, and they were given the chance to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, the place of connection with God. There was opportunity (permission to go), provision (support for the project) and restoration (the return of what had been looted).
And as they began this huge project, recorded in Ezra, we saw that they started and made some progress, but when they turned down the Samaritans’ offer to help, the Samaritans instead made it their goal to stop them, and the work on the temple was halted. And 18 years passed.
And that’s where we picked up the story in Haggai, where the prophet (messenger of God) declares right at the outset: You are saying it is not time to rebuild the temple. You are making your homes fine and leaving the temple in ruins. Give careful thought to your ways!
Here’s a quick recap of where we’ve been in the past three weeks. In week 1, we heard the challenge: “Give careful thought to your ways.” The people had neglected rebuilding the temple, focusing on their own priorities. We gave space to that call—to give careful thought to your ways—by listening, focusing, and reflecting. It is so easy to miss the obvious—God help us! But this book was not over.
In week 2, the call was to go for it—now was the time! And they did—they leaped into action. But their leaping into action was not a leap out of nowhere; it was a calling off the bench. We gave space to process that, asking what we have been passionate about that has gone cold, or what we have been called to that has lost focus or direction. Where are we on the bench? God help us! But the book was not over.
In week 3, the people began the work of rebuilding, but progress felt “just okay.” God’s encouragement to the people was, “Be strong, for I am with you.” We explored how God meets us in our efforts, provides help, and fills our lives with His glory. We gave space to process how God wants to help and how our effort and God’s help come together. God help us! But again, the book was not over.
And now today, in week 4, there will be a moment of reflection and promise. God challenges the people to examine their hearts, reminding them that blessings flow from obedience and purity. This isn’t just about their present situation; God’s words point forward to a greater promise that extends far beyond the temple walls.
Let me tell you right where we are going today. Right relationship with God—I have the ability to mess that up. We all do. Paul says in Romans 6:
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)
While that sounds terrible, Paul doesn’t put a period at the end of that phrase. It’s a comma! The sentence goes on:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
So does that mean it doesn’t matter what we do? We can do whatever we want because of grace? It’s possible to think this way. But Paul said at the beginning of that same chapter:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! (Romans 6:1-2a)
Grace + what we do matters.
Let's dive into the processing today—because as we end this book, it is pleading for us to process, not just to hear. Here’s a list of 10 things that are difficult to explain.
The meaning of life
Consciousness
Time
Infinity
Racism
How a computer works
The feeling of anxiety
What love feels like
The taste of a specific flavor
God’s love and grace
Don’t worry—you don’t have to explain them all… yet! But you do need to go through them and give each of them a score from 1 - 10, where 1 is not that difficult to explain and 10 is impossible to explain. Take a minute and do that now.
Okay, let’s process together, sharing a little about the scores you gave and why. Go deep in this. The question is, What makes something easy or difficult to explain? It seems simple—until we open our mouths! This is walking us to the processing of grace + what we do matters.
What makes something easy or difficult to explain?
As we’ve walked through Haggai, one theme has consistently stood out: what we do matters. Give careful thought to your ways. This call is given five times! (1:5, 1:7, 2:15, and 2:18 twice) This is not a simple thing to do, explain, or understand. So let's go a little further.
Whether it’s responding to God’s call to rebuild, stepping out in faith, or trusting in His promises, our actions reflect what’s in our hearts. It’s worth pausing to think about this: The things we do—our habits, our choices, our work—don’t just fill our time. Over time, they become part of our identity.
Hobbies
Career
Sports you play
Sports you watch
Causes you support
The way you dress
The music you listen to
The languages you speak
The communities you participate in
Where you volunteer
Where you work
Your artistic pursuits
Your learning habits
The way you interact with others
When you are asked, “Who are you?” or “Tell me a little about yourself”---about your identity—it’s easy to answer with things from the list. So who are you?
What are some things you do that feel like they are part of who you are?
How have those actions shaped your identity over time?
Let's go a little further. It’s interesting to think about how the things we do, even seemingly small or routine actions, can shape how we see ourselves and others over time. Our choices, habits, and commitments don’t just stay on the surface—they sink in and start to define us.
In what ways do you think our actions, big or small, shape both our self-perception and how others perceive us?
Okay. God is gracious and what we do matters. It’s easy to say, but it’s not so simple. Keep that complexity in mind as we look at two Jesus moments. Here’s the first:
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
Jesus was at the temple, and there was this annoying parade of people going to the treasury box to put in their offerings and be seen by everyone. “Look what I can do!” And in the midst of this parade, a poor widow came to the box with two small copper coins. (I love the TWO because she could have kept one.) They were worth about 1% of a day's wages. She drops them in. While the rich people were wanting to be seen, her heart was on display. And Jesus called it out:
“This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
The rich showed up. They gave. And their hearts were on display. The poor widow showed up. She gave. And her heart was on display—her identity, how she saw herself, how she saw others, how she saw God, what she did. The beauty of what she did was from within.
This brings another moment to mind. Jesus, in Luke 18, sees people's confidence in their own righteousness, and He shares this parable:
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
Two characters. The Pharisee: I am thankful that I am not like those bad people! Look at all the things I do! And the tax collector, beating his chest: God have mercy on me, a sinner. The Pharisee did a lot of good things for sure. He showed up—but his heart was on display. The tax collector did a lot of bad things for sure. He showed up—but his heart was on display.
Let's break this open. The widow showed up and gave, when she could have easily rationalized that her offering was not going to make a difference, and not done it. The tax collector showed up and asked for mercy, when he could have easily felt bad and stayed out of the temple.
Why is “showing up” and doing valuable?
We’re not done with complexity yet! Clearly showing up isn’t enough. The rich showed up and gave to the temple treasury but did not give the greatest thing. The Pharisee showed up and prayed at the temple but was not justified before God.
After showing up: Why does a person's heart / motivation in doing things matter?
As we dive into the final section of Haggai, we’re reminded of a central truth that runs throughout the book: What we do matters. Give careful thought to your ways. Not because of the actions themselves, but because our actions reflect who we are becoming. Three times in this last section the prophet says, “Give careful thought to your ways.”
This part of Haggai begins with God asking the people to pause and reflect. They’ve been rebuilding the temple, but He challenges them to consider the heart behind their work. It’s not just about finishing the task—it’s about who they’re becoming in the process.
In Haggai 2:12-14, God uses the imagery of holiness and defilement to make a striking point. Holiness is not contagious, but impurity is.
“If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, (THE SET APART THING) and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, (NORMAL THINGS) does it become consecrated?’” The priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If a person (NORMAL) defiled by contact with a dead body (UNCLEAN) touches one of these things, does it become defiled?” “Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.” Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. (Haggai 2:12-14)
He asks the priests if holiness can be transferred by touch, and the answer is no. But then He asks if defilement can spread in the same way, and the answer is yes. God’s message to the people is clear: their past disobedience has left their work and offerings defiled. They may be rebuilding the temple, but their hearts aren’t yet fully aligned with Him. This isn’t about rules or rituals—it’s about transformation. The heart—the inside—matters!
In Haggai 2:15-19, God calls the people to reflect on their lack of fruitfulness before they obeyed Him. He reminds them of the droughts, failed crops, and hardships they experienced when they neglected His call to rebuild the temple.
“‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.’” (Haggai 2:15-19)
But it wasn’t over! There was grace! And then, God offers an incredible promise:
“‘From this day on I will bless you.’” (Haggai 2:19b)
This promise isn’t about rewarding them for their work—it’s about the transformation that happens when their hearts align with His will.
God’s blessings flow when we trust Him enough to obey. Even when we fail—and we will—Jesus steps in as our advocate.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Jesus makes a way for us to return to obedience and fruitfulness, no matter how far we’ve strayed. His grace allows us to keep moving forward, even after failure. Obedience isn’t about perfection. It’s about trusting God enough to take the next step, knowing that He is with us.
God could be above relating to us or smash us when we fail. He could give up on us or dismiss our need. He could be endlessly disappointed or demand perfection or even hate us. But he is gracious. There is us—and then there is grace. This wasn’t the end of the story.
What does it tell us about God that He extended grace / blessing to the people? To us?
The final verses of Haggai shift the focus to Zerubbabel, a descendant of David and a key figure in God’s plan.
The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:20-23)
God assures him of His sovereignty, promising to overthrow the powers of the world and establish Zerubbabel as His “signet ring.” This moment points to a larger truth: God’s ultimate goal isn’t just about what we do—it’s about who we’re becoming as He works in and through us.
Zerubbabel’s role foreshadows the coming of Jesus, the ultimate King in David’s line, who fulfills God’s promises for all humanity.
Our actions—whether big or small—are an outward expression of the transformation happening within us. What we do matters because it reflects the person we are becoming in Christ.
Let's take a moment to write:
How do you want to see your heart change, grow, be refined?
How would that impact what you do?
And here is our final moment of dialogue in this series:
What does it look like to live as someone being shaped by God’s grace and promises?
Take It Deeper Questions
Read Haggai 2:10-23.
What are some “important” things you have done or been a part of in life?
What makes something important?
How does what is happening internally affect what is happening externally for a person?
Does the importance of what is happening internally change as the external becomes “important”?
How are you challenged, encouraged, focused, and/or confused by this text?
Bible Reading Plan
Haggai 1
Haggai 2
Luke 18
Luke 21
Isaiah 1
Isaiah 2