
The Rock - Eph 2:19-22
January 14, 2024
used to watch pro wrestling when I was a kid… yes, it’s totally real… if I said, The Rock, you’d picture this… but what about this guy…
why can you call us AL… purpose is to encourage… vision is to Find Family, Jesus, Grace… mission is to build loving relationships by teaching, applying the gospel…
Rom 1:12… “to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith…”
Psa 68:6… “God places the lonely in families… sets prisoners free… gives joy…”
Phil 3:8… “everything else is worthless compared to knowing Christ…”
Acts 2:42-47… “teaching, fellowship, meals, prayer, sharing, worship… together…”
looks great, but… foundation of that has to be built on something strong… pray…
Psa 89:14… “righteousness, justice, love, truth… are foundation of the throne…”
Isa 54:14… “you will be established on a foundation of righteousness…”
Matt 7:24-27… “house won’t collapse because it’s foundation is on the rock…”
1Cor 3:10-12… “according to grace, I have laid a foundation… it is Jesus…”
Eph 2:19-22… “God’s family… built on foundation… cornerstone is Christ…”
foundation (Websters)… base on which something stands; something that supports something else; undergarment support to give the body a more desirable shape…
religion is deceptive and confusing… bible is plain and simple… two choices…
Deut 30:19… “set before you life and death… blessing and curse… choose life…”
Psa 37:27… “turn away from evil and do good…”
Psa 118:8… “better to take refuge in the Lord… than to trust in man…”
Prov 14:15-25… “fools are rewarded with foolishness… wise with knowledge…”
John 1:17… “the law was given thru Moses… grace and truth came thru Jesus…”
John 8:35… “a slave is not a member of the family… but a son remains forever…”
2Cor 11:3… “fear you have been deceived… from simplicity that is in Christ…”
Gal 5:1… “Christ set us free… don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery…”
Gal 5:17… “flesh desires what is against Spirit… Spirit desires what is against flesh…”
Gal 5:19-23… “works of the flesh are obvious… fruit of the Spirit is…”
Gal 6:7-8… “do not be deceived… whatever a person sows… he will also reap…”
Eph 5:8… “at one time you were in darkness… but now you are in the light…”
1Tim 4:8… “physical training is of some value… spiritual training has value for all things…”
two simple choices on how to live your life… on the rock… or on the sand…
Matt 7:24-27… “everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… rain fell, rivers rose, winds blew… pounded that house, yet it didn’t collapse because its foundation was on the rock… everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand… rain fell, rivers rose, winds blew… and it collapsed with a great crash…”
When I disagree with something in God’s Word… I just assume I’m wrong. —Francis Chan
strong foundation is critical to success… foundation is THE WORD of God… starting point for every decision… not etp… not dozens of added rules and regs…
Num 23:19… “God does not lie… does He promise and not fulfill…”
Psa 119:160… “the entirely of Your word is truth…”
Psa 138:2… “You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word…”
John 1:14… “Word became flesh… one and only Son… full of grace and truth…”
John 14:6… “I am way, truth, life… no one comes to the Father except thru Me…”
2Pet 1:21… “no scripture came from the will of man… but from God thru HS…”
tradition is NOT equal to scripture… deprives word of its power…
Matt 15:6… “you have made the Word of no effect by your tradition…”
Mark 7:13… “you cancel the Word in order to hand down your tradition…”
akyroo… render void; deprive of force and authority; nullify, invalidate…
Col 2:8-23… “be careful no one takes you captive thru empty deceit based on human tradition and principles of the world and not on Christ… don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink… or for not celebrating certain holy days, ceremonies, or Sabbaths… these rules are only a shadow of the reality in Christ… you have died with Christ and He has set you free from the powers of this world… why do you keep following rules such as don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch… mere human teaching… may seem wise because they require devotion, denial, discipline… but provide no help in conquering evil desires…”
the Word… rightly divided… is final authority for direction, decisions, programs…
Isa 5:20… “what sorrow for those who call evil good and good evil…”
Rom 1:16… “not ashamed of Gospel… power of salvation… to all who believe…”
2Tim 2:15… “be approved… not ashamed… rightly dividing word of truth… “
also believe Sunday is not enough… BIBLE STUDY critical to growth (quotes)…
Rom 10:14-17… “how can they believe without hearing… hear without preacher…”
Rev 1:3… “blessed is the one who reads… blessed is one who listens and obeys…”
Psa 119:45… “I will walk in freedom.. because I study your precepts…”
Psa 1:1-3… “meditate on it day and night… whatever he does prospers…”
Phil 4:4-9… “do what you have learned, received, heard, seen in me…”
world sees Jesus as loving, kind, good… but God as harsh, mean, judgmental… they’re both good… all the time… studying word helps us know and believe that…
Psa 119:68… “You are good… what You do is good… teach me Your ways…”
Luke 18:18-19… “no one is good… except God alone…”
Rom 2:4… “don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient God is… does this mean nothing… can’t you see His kindness is meant to turn you from sin…”
Jam 1:17… “whatever is good and perfect comes from God… He never changes…”
bible is our foundation… bible study builds on that foundation… PRAYER brings foundation to life… listen and talk to God… give thanks… get direction… grow…
Col 3:16-17… “whatever you do… in word or deed… give thanks to God…”
Col 4:2… “devote yourselves to prayer… with a thankful heart…”
Psa 25:4-5… “show me the right path… point out the road… lead me by truth…”
Isa 30:21… “your ears will hear a voice saying… this is the way, walk in it…”
Heb 6:1-12… “leave basic teaching… grow to maturity… taste God’s good word…”
1Pet 2:1-3… “desire word… grow up… now that you have tasted God is good…”
AL built on word… believes in bible study.. experiences power of prayer… pray…
Acts 14:3… “confirmed message of grace… by granting signs and wonders…”
1Cor 2:10-16… “HS helps us understand what has been freely given to us…”
Eph 1:15-19… “I pray constantly… asking God to give you wisdom and power…”
Col 1:9… “keep asking… filled with knowledge of His will in all wisdom…”