Building on a Firm Foundation | January 11, 2026

Adam shine.

Adam Shine.

Wait.

Do we cut a song out today?

Did we cut a song out?

No, we were just praying a

long time in the entryway.

Sorry about that.

Hey, uh.

Super excited as we get into 2026

because, uh, this Let Him Shine Podcast

stuff that we talked about last week.

Uh.

I didn't realize it until like Friday,

but evidently the stuff we were practicing

and like trial running was actually live.

Thank you very much Thomas.

Appreciate that.

So if you wanna see like behind the

scenes awkward podcasting, check it out.

But, uh, there's some really cool stuff

that we're getting compiled and a lot

of people who, uh, are on our list of

conversations that we want to have to

share the story of what God's doing.

And, and I'm really excited because

I feel like God has really set

the stage for 2026 to be a year.

Where you shine for him wherever you're

at, whatever you're doing, that you

are a reflection of Jesus, not my

churches or my friends are, or this

dude at my churches or this gal at

my church in my small group, but that

you are a light that shines for Jesus.

And one of the things that we like

to do, kind of as a fun end of year

thing and maybe a beginning of the

year, uh, is kind of hear from some

of the different guys on staff.

Last year we did a fun thing where

we all tried to preach at one time

and that was a epic fun event.

Um, and with some scheduling stuff

and some different things, I thought

maybe we'd do sort of like a first word

of the year, and yet God just seemed

to keep reconfiguring all of that.

And so where we've kind of landed

is that over the course of the next

several weeks, instead of trying to

do some creative, crazy stuff, I'm

actually gonna give the opportunity to

a number of our different staff guys.

To come and share with the

church and to shine the light of

what God's doing in their life.

Maybe it's a word, maybe it's a

concept, a challenge, a vision

that God's been putting in their

heart to share with all of us.

And so we're gonna get to hear from a

number of different people instead of

like all trying to fight over the mic one

Sunday, they're all gonna get their own.

Sunday Rusty's going to Nicaragua to

preach for like a week, so when he comes

back, I anticipate it'll be Spanish.

So that'll be a really

exciting one not to miss.

Uh, but this morning.

Against all my better judgment.

This is a Tim Tebow jersey, by the way.

I'm only supporting him, not the

Jags, but against all my better

judgment, I wanna invite Tom Tro our

children's pastor to sneak up here.

Who is the, yeah,

Tom is the only other resident

Jags fan in this church.

And uh, yeah, just so you know, we all

need to be praying for the Jags this

year because the Colts aren't in it.

And if the Jags could win and get

Josiah's that monkey off his back, I don't

have to cheer for the Jags ever again.

And we can just let it go.

So please be in prayer over that.

But Tom, I don't think you

were gonna talk about the Jags.

Probably far more important stuff.

So this Well, I can, no, no, you're good.

I, I can talk about the Jags.

Let me reinforce that you're not going to

be talking about the Jags this morning.

Um, I, I appreciate the invite, Andy.

Alright buddy.

It's all yours.

All right, well good

morning church family.

You guys got me today.

Um, let me first let you

know I'm excited to be here.

Um, I'm happy you guys are all here.

Um, like Andy said, he gave us

a, a word to put on our heart.

Um, uh, maybe God put on our hearts,

but we actually have a, uh, it's

kind of a switching of a generations

there in the children's ministry.

So I've been kind of wrestling with

this myself anyways, of, Lord, what,

what are we gonna teach the kids here?

Um, and as I kind of went through

it and then Andy, Andy approached me

about it, my word was pretty immediate.

Um, but then as I wrestled with what

that might be for the rest of us, and

even myself included, I found this to be.

A big place for me.

But, so the word I choose

for you guys, for us to all

explore together is foundation.

Um, and of course we all, you know,

foundations are important, right?

I mean, there's, uh, there's not

much that can't be said that we

don't already know about foundations.

We build on foundations.

Um, Ken Ham with, uh, Ansy and

Genesis, he, he takes the Bible and

he says he defends the foundation

of the Bible, genesis, right?

Because the rest of.

God's word is built upon Genesis.

So, and I think it's important

for us as Christians to really

look at our foundation, right?

What does that look like?

Of course, we build upon

the rock of Jesus Christ.

But more importantly, I, I, the

verse, the passage I chose for

you guys, for us to kind of, uh.

Explore together comes from Ephesians.

If you guys got your Bibles, if

you guys wanna flip 'em open.

We're gonna go to Ephesians

two 18 through 22.

Uh, we're gonna jump around a little bit,

but we're gonna stay in the New Testament.

We'll start in Ephesians, jump

to John A. Little bit and we'll

wrap it up, uh, probably in uh

Corinthians and maybe Galatians.

But, uh, Ephesians 8 2 18 through 22.

Um, it's kind of a lot

up here, but this is, uh.

It's a good one for us.

Sorry guys.

I'm gonna get to where I can read

it straight from the scripture

instead of the screen if I may.

All right.

Ephesians two 18.

For through him Jesus Christ, we both

have access in one spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers

and aliens, but you are fellow

citizens with the saints and members

of the household of God, built on the

foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Christ Jesus himself, being the

cornerstone and whom the whole

structure being joined together

grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In Him, you also are being built

together into a dwelling place

for God by the Spirit, right?

So in the beginning here, in the first,

uh, the first part of that, we'll

just break this down a little bit.

Through him, we now have access in

one spirit to the Father, right?

We know what Jesus Christ did.

For us in laying his life down.

No one took it from him.

Jesus Christ laid his life

down and picked it up.

Three days later, we have access

in one spirit to the Father.

We have a relationship right with

Jesus Christ and God the father.

It, it's no longer the, the same

God of the Old Testament, the

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He still exists today.

Our access to God changed.

Our access to God.

Came through now comes

through Jesus Christ.

In a relationship with Jesus, with God as,

as our Father, we're able to pray to him.

Abba Father, right?

It continues in Ephesians two 19.

So then you are no longer strangers and

aliens, but you're a fellow citizens with

the saints and members of the household.

Hold of God.

The household of God is who, right?

The is Israelites.

God's chosen people.

Were the Israelite people.

This is important because God grants us.

What?

He gives us a new identity.

We're no longer Gentiles.

We're no longer outside.

The scripture says we're grafted in.

We can't be separated from

the family of God anymore.

We're part of his household.

We are sons and daughters.

Jesus says, and that's a

pretty important piece.

This is all foundational

stuff, so continuing on in

him, you are also being built.

Into a dwelling place for God by

the Spirit and the rest of that.

The rest of that passage is really

the whole Christian foundation, right?

What we build upon.

But I'll, this is important because

this is where I kind of wanna

camp out a little bit in him.

You are also being built together into

a dwelling place for God by the spirit.

Part of that new identity God gives us,

as now sons and daughters in the household

of God is we become the Holy temple.

We become the dwelling place for the

Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

We become a place for the Holy

Spirit to speak truth to us.

Scripture calls the Holy Spirit,

our comforter, our helper.

And I, I, I just don't want you, I don't

want us all to sleep on this stuff, right?

Because foundations are important.

You know, we look at this

and what is that ready for?

Foundation, a big, beautiful

foundation is, uh, is great,

but it's ready to be built upon.

So the words of Jesus Christ.

And he's, he, he told us, and we'll flip

to John, John 15, 14, 15 through 17.

This is, this is what ge, this is how

we're building on that foundation, guys.

Um, for if you love me, you will

keep my commandments and I'll ask

the father, and he will give you

another helper to be with you forever.

Even the spirit of truth whom the

world cannot receive because it

neither sees him nor knows him.

You know him for he dwells

with you and will be with you

if you're here and you don't,

this doesn't make sense.

This is a pretty big piece.

This is part that makes

our identity different.

A life outside of Jesus Christ

is a life void of the Holy

Spirit leading in your life.

A life outside of Jesus Christ is a life

void of the fullness that God has for you.

Pretty, this is pretty important.

Jesus absolutely fulfilled the law.

He didn't abolish it.

He asked us to keep his commandments

and he gives us this promise

that he will send another he'll.

He will ask the Father and the God will

grant us the helper, the Holy Spirit.

He dwells within us.

We get the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

And that may not make sense

to a lot of people, but uh, to

Christians, it, it, it should.

It should.

We, we have the indwelling

of the Holy Spirit.

He can guide us.

We have the opportunity to be filled

with the Holy Spirit, but we walk

around as, as the holy temple of God.

That's what kind of separates us

and make us, makes us different.

Yes, we have Jesus Christ, but

guys, we're the Holy Temple.

People look at us and part of the things

they see differently is, is that the Holy

Spirit should be working in our lives.

We should, we should allow us, but more

importantly, the reason God grants us,

the Holy Spirit, Jesus specifically tells

us as well a little bit further in John

16, I still have many more things to

say to you, but you cannot bear them.

Now when the spirit of truth comes.

He will guide you into all the truth

for He will not speak on his own

authority, but whatever he hears,

he will speak and he will declare

to you the things that are to come.

And we all know at the

end what is to come right?

The return of Jesus Christ, our

Lord and Savior, and the Holy

Spirit brings glory to Jesus Christ.

So absolutely the Holy Spirit is preparing

us for the return of Jesus Christ, and

he declares to us that he will come.

But more importantly,

it's the guiding, right?

What does a guide do?

Does a guide point you in the

direction and say, good luck out there.

I think you'll be okay.

That guide walks with you.

He wants to show you the

Cho choices you should make.

He wants to guide you along into a

deeper relationship with, with, with

God the Father, through Jesus Christ.

That's why, for foundational, foundational

stuff, this is, this is an important piece

I want us all to remember when we invite

a relationship with Jesus Christ, when

we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

We're granted the indwelling

of the Holy Spirit.

We become not just sons and

daughters, but the Holy Temple.

And we walk around this world and we

have, we have interactions with people

and every single one of 'em, we, we have

the opportunity ask the Holy Spirit, holy

Spirit, gimme the words of Jesus Christ.

What would you say to this person?

Lord, how should I act in this moment?

The guiding is important, but

it's also what good is the

guide if we don't listen to it?

Right.

I mean, Jesus Christ had more He wanted to

say to us, we couldn't, we can't bear him.

So as we, he walks us through this

relationship with God the Father,

as, as we take each step, we may not

know what we're doing, but we know

this next step, the Holy Spirit.

Okay, I see.

You want me to do this?

You know, I mean, I, I

operate a small business.

I'll tell you what, I don't

know what tomorrow brings.

I don't know what the next day

brings, but I know who holds it.

And I know who guides it.

I don't know the people I might do fix

dents for, but I trust that God's bringing

them in front of me and I do what I

can to maybe just broach the subject of

Jesus Christ with them some way, somehow.

And see, see what happens with that.

I mean, every, everywhere God

has, this is an opportunity to

serve Jesus Christ everywhere.

We're in every conversation.

We're in every, every moment of our day.

We have an opportunity to

let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Uh, pastor on staff, Scott,

once years ago, shared with us.

We make, the average person

makes 33,000 decisions a day.

What would that look like if just

a fraction of them were given

to the Holy Spirit to guide us?

What would it look like if in

conversations we kind of slowed down

and kind of put ourselves to the

side, put our emotions to the side

and ask the Holy Spirit to lead this?

And then to continue on, I'm gonna

go to Second Corinthians six 10.

Um.

Sorry, six 16 and, uh, and this is

actually Paul Paul's telling the

Church of Corin, the Church of Corin.

One thing the Church of

Corinth did well was love.

You know, they, they, they,

they loved, they, they didn't

have a problem with that.

And what's what's also important is

actually, you know, in the Old Testament,

I think it was a hundred times the Holy

Spirit's mentioned, and Paul alone.

His letters mentioned the Holy Spirit

over a hundred and some odd times.

Just, just that alone.

So, I mean, don't sleep on

the Holy Spirit in what he's,

what he's doing in our lives.

Either guys.

'cause it's, it's pretty important.

And Paul reminds the Church of Core

in, in verses six 16 through 18,

what agreement has the Temple of

God with idols for we are the temple

of the Living God as God said.

And he actually quotes

from the prophet Ezekiel.

So this is actually he.

He uses the actual words God gave a

prophet to remind the church of Corinth.

I will make my dwelling among them

and walk among them, and I will be

their God and they shall be my people.

Therefore, go out from their mist

and be separate from them, says the

Lord, and touch no unclean thing.

Then I will welcome you and I will be a

father to you, and you shall be sons and

daughters to me as the Lord Almighty.

And then he caps us off and he

lets, he lets the church CORs know.

And immediately in the next chapter,

since we have these promises, beloved,

let us cleanse ourselves from every

defilement of body and spirit, bringing

holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Now the fear of God.

I mean, some of you may, this may be

redundant, but obviously, um, some, for

those who aren't here, the fear of God

is translated from a certain word, and

I won't, I won't try to do an injustice

to try to say it, but it actually also

translates that fear of God translates

to what some of us might already know.

It translates to the word, see if

it gets up there, reverence, right?

Our holiness comes to completion

in reverence in Jesus Christ.

When we first accept Jesus Christ as our

Lord and Savior, that is a very act of

what Reverence, right reverence in our

life for Jesus Christ and God the Father,

starts at the very beginning of accepting

Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

So I first and foremost, guys, if,

if you're here today and you have no

idea what any of this is, foundations

not even building on the proper

foundations, please, I, I invite you

into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Uh, even if you take the untangible

eternity out of it, God's gotta design for

you in your life on this side of eternity.

That's full, that's complete, and

it's full of joy with Jesus Christ.

And not only that, guys, you get

the help or you get the indwelling

of God himself and the Holy Spirit

to guide you through your life.

And that's what it is.

Everything starts with reverence.

Everything finishes with reverence In our

life, the foundation of our life is built.

The foundation is built with the

labor, um, of reverence, right?

That's what we put into it.

We have to have reverence

for Jesus Christ.

We have to have reverence for God.

But more importantly, in all our

decisions we make daily and everything

we decide and try to do of ourselves,

if it's outside the the Holy Spirit's

guiding and leading, it's probably

gonna end with disappointment.

Guys.

Unfortunately, it's probably

gonna end with a lack of

fullness that you were hoping for

on this side.

Eternity on this side of eternity.

A life with Jesus Christ is full.

He's got things he

wants to share with you.

Scripture told us, God, Jesus Christ had

more to share with us, but we can't bear

them in our walk, in our daily walk, in

our daily reverence to Jesus Christ in

our daily prayer time, Jesus gives us, he

gives us our word, he gives us the Bible.

That's what we fill

ourselves up with, right?

That's what the Holy Spirit can

use to remind us of the God's

word, but it's the reverence.

That's where it all starts.

'cause it is that reverence is the

labor that builds our foundation.

Our reverence for Jesus

Christ is what leads us into a

deeper relationship with him.

Our reverence for God the father, is what

allows us to put ourselves to the side and

allows the Holy Spirit to lead us through

what Jesus Christ has shared with us.

And it's our.

It's our flesh or it's our spirit, right?

Galatians five 16 says, but if I, but

I say walk by the spirit and you will

not gratify the desires of the flesh

for the desires of the flesh are against

the spirit and the desires of the spirit

are against the flesh for these are

opposed to each other, this one or the

other guys, and those 33,000 decisions

we get to make every day, we can choose

Jesus Christ, or we can choose ourself.

We can choose to stand on the foundation

of the apostles and the prophets with

Jesus Christ as our cornerstone, or

we can maybe stand on this foundation.

Maybe we've decided to build up from

maybe words we've heard, things we've

seen that awesome quote that guy said,

it's Jesus Christ or the world.

That, that's, that's the foundational

decision, the foundation for us to,

that I want us to focus on that the

building of our foundation, sorry,

is what I want us to focus on.

And the reverence, right?

I I if, if we're here today, if

we don't know what reverence looks

like in our life, what are we,

what are we filling our lives with?

And I'll say this, that is the

only thing I kind of wrote here,

but guys we're the holy temple.

The we're the temple, the Holy Spirit

dwells in and operates in our life from

our temple is solely in our control.

What are we subjecting him to?

Is there worship and praise for God

the father filling its chambers?

Do we have the Holy Spirit of God hanging

out with impurities and sinful thoughts?

Is our temple filled with selfish

desires, strung across like

dirty clothes in the bedroom?

Do we fill the temple of God with his

scriptures that we might, that we might

give the Holy Spirit what he needs to

hear to properly lead us to a deeper

relationship with God the Father?

Do we hold our temple fit for

Jesus Christ to enter and be proud?

This is the foundation.

A great temple of God can work in.

Grace does abound, but I offer that

the strength of our connection.

Relies on our commitment to building

our lives on the living word of God

Almighty through the example of Jesus

Christ, so that the Holy Spirit may

properly work in leading our lives through

the process of sanct sanctification

on this side of Eternity's journey.

So my challenge for you guys is this.

Since we have the Spirit, guys, let

us keep in step with the spirit.

I ask that this week you guys

maybe try to find a space.

Maybe it's a morning,

maybe it's an evening.

Maybe it's the middle of your day, but I

ask you to invite the Holy Spirits leading

into your thoughts, maybe into your time.

Maybe dedicate a space that you

would normally bend on yourself.

To sit down at the table and open up

the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit

to prompt where he might say to you,

if you're here today, not sure

what your foundation looks like.

Maybe you realize there's some

cracks in your foundation.

Maybe there's some things

you need to shore up.

Guys, I invite you guys all please,

we'll take a little moment of prayer

as we just examine our hearts,

as we examine our foundation.

And the structure of our temple and the

contents of our temple that we ask the

Holy Spirit be, be with us and dwell

amongst us, dwell in our thoughts,

lead our thoughts, lead our prayer

time, and as we hear these words of

this, the first verse of this song,

if that be our prayer,

and then be it, be so.

But guys, I just.

I just asked.

As we look at the start of this year,

as we look into this 2026, I asked you

just, let's start with our foundation.

Let's examine our foundation.

Let's examine what we're building, the

labor we're putting into our foundation,

if we're putting any labor into it

at all, because there definitely is

some room for us to put in some work.

Jesus Christ absolutely asked

us to keep his commandments.

He says in the Sermon on the Mount,

if those will build, he, sorry.

He says, on the Sermon on the

Mount, you build your rock.

You those who build the those who

listen, who obey my commandments

are, it's like a man who wise, man

who builds his house upon the rock.

Sorry.

The kids are actually, we're gonna be

going through the Sermon on the mountain

next month, so shout out to moms and dads.

You kids are gonna be walking through

the, the Sermon on the mountain.

We're gonna actually end on

this, uh, parable that God,

that Jesus Christ gives us in.

Uh.

In the Sermon of the Mount of

building our house on the rock.

So, but obeying Jesus's commandments,

seeking God's word, laying it on our

heart that we might put it into practice.

It all starts with reverence.

It all starts with trusting who God

is, believing who God is, who Jesus

Christ is, and what he did in our life.

So, so as I just asked

this, we will bow our heads.

I'm gonna pray.

And, uh, just ask the Holy Spirit.

Just examine our hearts

and see where we're at.

Lord Heavenly Father, thank you.

Thank you for Jesus Christ.

God thank you and what he did

that we're able to come to you as

sons and daughters as to a father.

Lord God, we thank you

for the Holy Spirit.

We thank you for the

indwelling of Him in our life.

Jesus Christ, please come.

Holy Spirit, fill our hearts,

guide our steps, guide our words.

Help us lay our flesh down and

help us choose you and our leading

Holy Spirit.

You are our comforter.

You are our helper.

You.

And God, for those of

us that don't know you,

Jesus Christ, we ask you to come.

We thank you for what you've done.

We thank you for laying your life down

and picking it up three days later.

You are our Lord, our Savior,

the atonement of our sin.

Help us have reverence for you in

this life, in this day and this hour.

Right here in this moment, God.

And in this year, we look at

help us examine our foundations,

help us shore us up, shore them up.

Help the strength of our connection of

our holy temple that we're building may

be a proper place, a proper dwelling

place for the Holy Spirit to work in.

Thank you for all these people here.

Thank you for your.

Your congregation.

God, thank you for this church family.

I wouldn't be where I am in my own

walk if it weren't for the guiding of

all of this family and Holy Spirit,

thank you for your guiding in my life

that my might be prepared, that we

all might be prepared for the return

of Jesus Christ and all his glory

and ask us to just open our hearts.

God.

And help us be vessels for you that we

might be a light in this broken, dark

world pouring your love out on amongst

people that may not even know it.

And I pray all this in the

precious name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

So guys, since we live by the Spirit,

let us keep in step with the Spirit.

My challenge for you today.

Invite the Holy Spirits leading.

Maybe in a conversation, maybe in just

your own personal time when you're

cruising around, driving, there's all

kinds of ways to supplement, swap out.

Maybe listen to that music,

put some scripture on.

Um, I should have put 'em up there.

But, uh, there's all kinds of great apps

that you guys, there's, there's, uh.

If you guys, uh, there's

an app called Streetlights.

I recommend downloading that.

It's actually the Bible to spoken word.

It's kind of over some music, but that's

a great way to supplement when you're

cruising around, driving instead of

listening to music or, or something else.

Put that one on.

Put the scriptures on.

Find a way to supplement your

time and invite the Holy Spirits

leading in, in, in your week.

God bless you and have

a great day in the Lord.