1. Our Foundation is Important to Build upon
Some Fundamentals
Our Foundation is Important to Build upon
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

2. Some Basic Building Principles
Why Your Foundation is THE Most Important Part of Your House
any mistakes you make in the foundation will only get worse as you go up
your entire house sits on top of it
Items to focus on
Make sure that the rebar is the right size and is laid out in the right spacing
Do not allow any rebar to “daylight” or even come close
Make sure that the corners are square and level.
A foundation plays three major roles in the construction of a structure.
The basic part is to support the load of the entire building
A good and strong foundation keeps the building standing while the forces of nature wreak havoc. Well-built foundations keep the occupants of the building safe during calamities such as earthquake, floods, strong winds etc. – aka Life’s trials
The foundation must be built such that, it keeps the ground moisture from seeping in and weakening the structure.
Mistakes – aka - compounding defects and it means that mistakes grow
Rebar – strengthening – measures - No rebar should end or be placed within 4” of the edge of the concrete. Rebar closer than that can draw moisture from the outside and rust. That rust will creep down the rebar and, over time, render the entire rebar system useless.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

3. Foundation with Opportunities
According to the construction experts and engineers, the foundation must be able to withstand the “dead” load and “live” loads. The dead load is the weight or the load of the basic structure itself. This is called dead load as it remains constant. On the other hand, the live load is the weight of the people and other objects that they bring with them. The foundation must be firm and must be able to channel the weight of the entire building to the ground.
Live load opportunities
Looking for a new job
Issues at work
Conflict at home
Conflict at school
Conflict at church!
Objects of conflict today
Lack of information – the big C
Expectations!
Not being met
Not known
Not real?
Perceptions
Lack of resources – money – can be time – can be appreciation – list can go on and on
Personal relationships
We start to take things personal
We see things in our world focus
Or make them personal
We can become dismissive others and their thoughts and values
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

4. Oh this Could be ME!
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Foolish – unintelligent or unwise
Bewitched – maligned with false representations
Believing – word is Pistis – faith
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

5. Abrahamic Covenant
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,     and I will bless you; I will make your name great,     and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you,     and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth     will be blessed through you.”
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

6. Genesis 15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.     I am your shield     your very great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

7. 9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

8. Genesis 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

9. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

10. The Importance of a Strong Foundation
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

11. Our Foundation Begins with Abraham
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

12. 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Deuteronomy 27:26
26 “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”
Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
Habakkuk 2:4
4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;     his desires are not upright—     but the righteous person will live by his faith
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

13. 15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

14. 19 Why, then, was the law given at all
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

15. Time Recognize the Past
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Custody -
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

16. Time to Remember the Now
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”