Most Christians build with wood, hay, and stubble because these materials are easy to come by, while gold, silver, and precious stones require effort, enterprise, and right priorities—which most believers, according to Les Feldick, fail to pursue.
In 1 Corinthians 3:12, the Holy Spirit lists six materials, and Les Feldick points out they form two groups: three that withstand fire and three that go up in a puff of smoke. The lasting materials are "hard to come by"—a believer cannot just sit and let them come—while the perishable materials are as easy as sticks and straw. Les says most of his fellow Christians are not enterprising; 95% settle for sticks and straw, and others are simply careless, just hoping to slip under the door.
1 Corinthians 3:12 — This is the verse that lists the six building materials and directly frames why most believers choose the perishable ones.
The passage in 1 Corinthians 3 is addressed to those building on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. Verse 12 lists six materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. Verse 13 says every man's work will be made manifest, and the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will try every man's work to see what sort it is. Verse 14 promises reward if a man's work abides. Verse 15 says if a man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved—'yet so as by fire.' The Bible does not explain why most believers use wood, hay, and stubble; it simply presents the six materials and the coming test.
Les Feldick teaches that the building passage is practical for every believer. Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation—the finished work of Christ—and believers have been building on it for almost 2,000 years. God gives every believer six materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. Three of them withstand fire; three go up in a puff of smoke. The reason most Christians end up with wood, hay, and stubble, says Les, is that the lasting materials are hard to come by. They require enterprise, energy, and hustling, just like a builder who has to go out for bricks instead of settling for sticks and straw. Most of his fellow Christians are not enterprising; about 95% just say, "I'll just put sticks in my section. I'll just put some straw." Some are even more careless—like the religious man in Iowa who just wanted to slip under the door. Les says that is sad. When we are careless and could care less, we are putting in wood, hay, and stubble that will amount to nothing. Les also clarifies that this is not about being a famous minister. A believer can be a Billy Graham or just an ordinary person—what matters is doing what God expects in the area He gives, with the right motive. That is where gold, silver, and precious stones show up. The works will be tested at the bema seat, the judgment seat of Christ, where the fire will reveal what we have done with our section of the wall.
In 1 Corinthians 3:12, Paul lists six materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. Les Feldick stresses that the casual reader may not see it, but there are two distinct kinds: the first three can withstand fire and heat, while the second three go up in a puff of smoke. God gives these six materials to every believer to use in his or her daily experiences and section of the wall.
Les Feldick's answer is that the valuable materials are hard to come by. A believer cannot "just sit down and let that stuff come to you." Gold, silver, and precious stones require enterprise, energy, and hustling—like the enterprising little pig who went for bricks rather than sticks and straw. But most believers are not enterprising; Les says 95% of fellow Christians simply put sticks and straw in their section of the wall. Many are even careless, "could care less," and just hope to slip under the door, which he calls sad. The result is a lifetime of wood, hay, and stubble that will not hold up under the fiery eyes of Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that every believer's work will be made manifest; it is going to be put in the spotlight at the bema seat, the judgment seat of Christ. The day will declare what we have done with our Christian life and with our little section of the wall. The fire will test every man's work to see what sort it is. Les says the careless works "will amount to nothing," but the believers will still be there—the passage promises they are saved even if their work burns (1 Corinthians 3:15).
No. Les Feldick makes clear that the people building in this passage are believers—they have trusted Christ for salvation and are in the body. Paul has already established the foundation, which is the finished work of Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Anything short of that foundation leaves a person on shaky ground. The building that follows is what believers do after salvation; it is about rewards and quality of Christian life, not about getting saved.
The Foundation Must Be Christ's Finished Work
Les explains that the building process assumes the foundation of Christ's finished work; without that foundation a person is on shaky ground. This sets up the question of what believers build after salvation.
Six Materials for the Building
Les lists the six materials and notes that three are indestructible by fire while three can go up in a puff of smoke—all are potential materials for a Christian's daily experience.
God Offers Six Materials
Les stresses that God gives believers six materials to work with—three that withstand fire and three that go up in smoke—framing the building as something every believer does.
Two Kinds of Building Materials
Les says the casual reader won't see the difference, but there are two distinct kinds: the first three withstand fire/heat, the second three go up in a puff of smoke.
Why Most Christians Use Sticks and Straw
Les directly answers the question: gold, silver, and precious stones are hard to come by and require enterprise and hustling, while wood, hay, and stubble are easy—and 95% of believers settle for sticks and straw.
The Judgment Seat Reveals the Work
Les ties every man's work to the bema seat (judgment seat of Christ), where the day will declare what we have done with our little section of the wall.
Priorities and Quality
Les says one diamond is better than a lumber yard of wood, and one piece of gold better than straw; believers should set priorities and do quality work with the right motive in whatever gift God gives.
Careless Believers and Slip-Under-the-Door Attitude
Les gives the example of a religious person who just wanted to slip under the door, and says if we are careless and could care less, we are putting in wood, hay, and stubble that will amount to nothing—though the believer will still be there.
1 Corinthians 3:11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Les stresses that all building must be on Christ's finished work.
1 Corinthians 3:12: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
This is the verse that lists the six materials and frames the entire question of why most believers use the perishable ones.
1 Corinthians 3:13: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
This shows the coming test of each believer's building materials.
1 Corinthians 3:14: If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
This is the promise of reward for work that survives the fire.
1 Corinthians 3:15: If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Les Feldick uses this to assure believers that even careless builders are still saved, though their works amount to nothing.
Yes, according to Les Feldick. He describes believers who are careless and "could care less" as putting in wood, hay, and stubble. He says those works will amount to nothing, but the believers will still be there; the Bible says they will be saved "yet so as by fire."
Les does not turn them into a list of occupations. He teaches they represent quality work done in whatever area God gives a believer, with the right motive. A believer does not have to be a Billy Graham, a foreign missionary, or a pastor; what matters is doing the Lord's bidding with quality and right priorities.
Les Feldick uses "bema seat" as another name for the judgment seat of Christ. He teaches that every believer's work will be made manifest there, and the fire will declare what sort of work we have done with our section of the wall.
No. Les's teaching is that a person must first be a believer—one who has trusted Christ's finished work for salvation—before they can build on the foundation. The building passage is about Christian rewards and quality of life, not about how to be saved.
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