The Building Blocks Series

“THE BUILDING BLOCKS” Gen. 1-3

FBCF – 5/1/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – I’ve never built a house before. Some people love to do that. Build multiple houses over course of their lives. Others say it’s a quick way to mess up a good marriage! Ha!

Even though I’ve never built one & would never try to tell anyone how to build one (probably should have gotten Wade Breazeale to preach this part of the sermon!), I do know that there are stages in the process:

- Make decision you want to build one & the kind you want to build – Look at different design ideas

- Make sure you’ve got the money to do it

- Secure property to build it on

- Do the dirt work

- Lay a good foundation

- Frame it up – get your plumbing, electrical, HVAC in & insulation in

- Inside walls & fixtures; start some exterior stuff

- Keep progressing w/ more detailed interior stuff, personal preference stuff (kinds of flooring, cabinetry, lighting, etc.) & finish it all out inside & do some outside landscaping

- Do final walk-through

- Move in & start living there!

It’s an ongoing process w/ decisions to be made all along the way, inspections done, change-orders issued, etc. Then even after moving in, there’s still always work to be done – repairs, changes, upgrades, additions, etc.

Same is true w/ building your home & family. It’s an ongoing process that goes through different stages all along the way.

- Newlyweds & early years of marriage

- Kids come along: different stages of parenting while still trying to keep marriage strong

- Kids start leaving home: empty nest – Can be a great time for couples to enjoy one another as strong marriage gets stronger. Sometimes find out that marriage isn’t as strong as it should be. Maybe invested so much time in rearing kids & building career that you neglected each other

- At same time, sometimes some folks experience the mid-life crisis w/ its issues about this time

- Later years: end of career, retirement, health issues, still trying to understand how to be involved in your kids’ lives – grandkids come along

Today, we are starting this series entitled, “HOMEwork.” Take the month of May & focus on the home:

- Today, “The Building Blocks”

- Called to Be a Mom

- The Heart of a Father

- Bringing Your Kids to Jesus

- The Media Monster

At same time we are doing this, we will be doing a series on Wednesday nights in REFRESH – “Marriage Matters.” This Wed night, I will be sharing the basis core principles you need to have a strong Christ-honoring marriage. Jeff & Shelia Parker here on May 11. I will teach again on the 18th on what marriage is & isn’t. Then Dr. Ron Mumbower will be speaking on May 25.

Today, let’s start w/ these building blocks.

EXPLANATION – Gen. 1-3 (Read Genesis 1:26-31)

Genesis 1-2 give us the account of the creation of everything: Day 1 – Light; Day 2 – Sky/Atmosphere; Day 3 – Dry land & plants; Day 4 – Sun, moon, & stars; Day 5 – Birds & sea creatures; Day 6 – Land animals & humans; Day 7 – Day of rest/Creation complete. God created it by His hand for for His glory. There’s no way to deny that He is the Creator God when you look at the beauty & intricacies of nature – the human body, the billions upon billions of stars & galaxies, the songs of the birds, the majesty of the mountains & vastness of the oceans. We have to declare w/ the Psalmist: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1)

APPLICATION – If we want our home & family to be strong & honor God, we must build them HIS way.

Here are some building blocks for us to remember, no matter what stage of life we are in:

THE HOME & FAMILY:

ARE GOD’S PLAN – Lots of great books written on the home & family. People like James Dobson, Henry Cloud (family/marriage issues), Steve Farrar, John Eldredge, Tony Evans (men), Lysa Terkeurst & Priscilla Shirer (women).

Best book ever is this one: The Bible. Principles from beginning to end that show us that the home & family are God’s plan & have been since the beginning.

Genesis 1:26-27 – Creation of man & woman – “them” – God’s plan from the beginning of time is this:

- First of all, there are only 2 genders – “male & female He created them” – PERIOD! Our archenemy, Satan, has so blinded the minds of the unbelievers & so distorted the truth of God that we have now gone stark raving crazy in our nation. Shared this w/ REFRESH group Wed night: