Build Well-INTRODUCTION

One ruck march--that's all it took for my brand new RFI mountain boots to start coming apart at the seams. They appeared to be great boots. Appearances can be deceiving. It turns out they weren't built very well.  Recently I was writing the message for a wedding ceremony I performed.  As I was encouraging the bride and groom to remember that marriage is made of daily choices, born out of a commitment to put the other person first, I was reminded of how utterly difficult that is. I reflected on my own first year of marriage and some of the fights I had with my own wife. Honestly, marriage is difficult!  So is much of life.  That's why it's so important to build our lives on a sure foundation--one that will not fail us when the storms batter against the walls of our lives.  We need to build in such a way so that when things get tough, we won't start coming apart at the seams like those boots did after only five miles.   Jesus said, 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.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.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.The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash (Matthew 7:24-27).  The torn seam in those boots is a reminder to me of how desperately I need to be soaking my mind in the truth of God's Word every day through preaching, reading, prayer, and fellowship with other Christ-followers.  Otherwise, I will surely begin building on a faulty foundation. Let's encourage each other toward a sure foundation. What are some steps we can begin taking to ensure we are doing that? Let's take those steps.  Let's build well together.