![You know the story. You have heard it since childhood. Most likely, you have even told the story yourself. It goes something like this, “Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. One day, the three little pigs moved away from home and set about building their own houses. The first little pig built a house made out of straw. The second little pig built a house made of sticks. The third little pig built his house of bricks. Soon the Big Bad Wolf came along. He came to the home of the first little pig, and he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house down. Then the Big Bad Wolf visited the home of the second little pig who had built his house of straw. The Big Bad Wolf huffed, and he puffed and blew his house down. Finally, the Big Bad Wolf came to the home of the third little pig, to a house made of bricks. Here the Big Bad Wolf huffed, and he puffed. Then he huffed and he puffed. Again, he huffed, and he puffed, but he could not blow this house down, for the house was made of bricks.” Stories and fables like that classic endure from generation to generation. They endure from one to the next because of the unchanging truths they illustrate. In I Corinthians 3:9 we read these words, “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” As Christians, as the disciples of Jesus, we are His building. He is the source of our strength and the foundation of our character. Every one of us has a house to build. You have a life to live. The apostle wrote, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (I Corinthians 3:10-15). Living your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ requires that you pay close attention to how you build your life. What materials do you use? What is essential and what is non-essential? What is most important? As you build the foundation of your life upon the firm foundation upon the Word of God, you are building with spiritual bricks that cannot be destroyed. We live in a time of ambiguous spirituality at best. There are those who say truth is relative. Others affirm the belief that there is no such thing as absolute truth. These are those that build their houses, their lives, out of straw and sticks. The apostle commands us to build our lives upon the solid and sure foundation that is Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3:10-11). In order to build a godly life, you have to begin with a sure and solid foundation. Christ is that only foundation. His Word and His Spirit guide and support us in all that we do. Perhaps you may be familiar with the words of the hymn My Anchor Holds. The words to the first verse and chorus go like this: “Though the angry surges roll, On my tempest-driven soul, I am peaceful, for I know, Wildly though the winds may blow, I’ve an anchor safe and sure, That can evermore endure. [Chorus] And it holds, my anchor holds: Blow your wildest, then, O gale, On my bark so small and frail; By His grace I shall not fail; For my anchor holds, my anchor holds.” If we do not have such an anchor, we are adrift in a sea of relativity with nothing to hold us and no foundation to sustain us. To build a life that is strong against the temptations of life we need an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure. That anchor is Jesus Christ, the head and cornerstone of our faith. The first two little pigs built their houses out of straw and sticks. Many, many people do the same thing. They build their lives out of self, pride, fame, prestige, gold, silver, wood, hay, straw, and sticks. Twenty years ago, Wayne Oates wrote a book on the proposition that Americans substitute luck for grace. Since our nation no longer believes in the grace of God, we gravitate to luck as a hope we might get something better than we deserve. Has luck become the whirlwind of grace? No, it has not. Comedian George Carlin once said, “The essence of life is trying to find a place to put all your stuff.” However, life is far more than “stuff.” Life is about living! I once read a bumper sticker that proclaimed, “He who has the most toys when he dies, Wins!” The only problem with that statement is this: He who dies, still dies! Materially speaking, we take out of this world only what we bring into it—nothing! Remember the cars, the boats, the houses, the land, the stocks, the bonds, and all the material wealth? Life is more than stuff. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, build your life on the only sure foundation. Build your life upon Him and the truth of His Word. That foundation has been tested and tried. It is sure and it is solid. After all, you are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells in you. Make your life an honorable dwelling place for God. God’s peace, Pastor Jim](images/u21626-31.png?crc=93126020)
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