Firm Foundations | The Chief Cornerstone: Christ as Our Foundation

Opening Prayer 

Lord Jesus, we pause today to acknowledge You as the cornerstone of our lives. As we begin this journey of reflection and spiritual strengthening, align our hearts with Your truth. Remove every false foundation, and help us build upon You—our sure and eternal Rock. In Your name we pray, amen. 

“Without Jesus, nothing stands. Build on the Rock, not sand.”

I want to begin today with this profound statement: Foundations matter.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines foundation as the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level. 

There’s another meaning - a coloured cream, powder, or liquid used as a base to even out facial skin tone before applying other cosmetics. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Although that scenario could work, because if the ladies who wear make up just put on the mascara or cheek blush first, it wouldn’t give the desired effect. 

Research tells me, because I have never done this myself, though I’ve had it done for me on occasions (never liked it), the process involved these steps: foundation, concealer, setting powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter, eye makeup like eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and finally the lip products. 

Listen, I cannot do this. I know there are some women who spend more than half of the time getting ready doing this. Their features are transformed and people say, oh you’re so pretty and they love that. 

Take off the make up and you see the real features. And that can very often be translated literally where people wear masks to cover up who they really are. A song speaks about pretty face and bad character. 

So in that case, foundations matter. More power to the women who wear makeup to try and make God’s work better. Hmmm. 

I know I’m getting into trouble with some of you bright and early in this series, but what can I say? Who the cap fits, let them wear it.

But in any event, you get the picture: that’s a form of construction as well, where we see that: foundation matters.

 But let’s all think of the foundation that must be properly laid as part of a building. We would know that when a building collapses after a storm, the damage almost always traces back to a weak foundation. 

That’s in the natural. 

To bring it home spiritually: the same applies to our lives. 

In Matthew 7:24–27 (NLT), Jesus gives a striking comparison between the wise and foolish builders:

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Jesus didn’t say if the rain and wind come. He said when. 

And can we identify or what? 

Life comes with storms: health challenges, death of loved ones, loss of material possessions, financial struggles, spiritual fatigue, betrayal, and relational conflict. And many of us only discover the weakness of our foundation after the shaking begins. 

Are you seeing where I’m going? Can you relate? Thinking of a particular situation or situations in your life, even right now, where you feel your foundation a little shaken?

That job you placed your security in? Gone. That relationship you thought would never fail? Shattered. That confidence you built on your own effort and image? Cracking under pressure.

When that happens, we are tempted to just fix the outer walls: a business partner decides to be a yes man or a yes woman, a friend tells you everything you want to hear and jumps at your beck and call to butter you up to make you feel good to stay in your good books. 

Efforts to fix the outer walls, to make the building or relationship appear stronger, when truth be told the foundation is weak and can crumble any minute.

So the definition of foundation as makeup applies here. 

Some people, like me, decide to stay busy to block out other aspects of life that are literally falling apart.

But today, Family, the Lord is calling us deeper. He’s asking: “What are you really built on?”

In 1 Corinthians 3:11 (AMP), Paul writes:

“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Unfortunately, many of us as believers treat Jesus as a support beam—a part of their structure—but not the actual foundation. Mercy!

If we’re honest, many times we add Jesus in when things get rocky. We use His name in crisis, but not always as the compass that governs every decision, attitude, and connection.

This is where many of us are fooled. I am fresh with this one. And my caution button is turned up to the maximum. Because some people are so good at faking it that you are caught up with their lies and pretense before you even know it.

What I have learnt and many of you already know because you’ve had similar experiences, is that relationships built on common interests or emotional chemistry may feel strong in the beginning, but if Christ is not the foundation, they won’t weather long-term storms. 

So we must build on something (Someone) unshakable. Not feelings, compatibility, shared trauma, or even mutual goals, but on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Amen!

That’s why Scripture repeatedly refers to Jesus as the cornerstone. A cornerstone isn’t decorative, it determines alignment and stability for everything built around it. 

Ephesians 2:19–21 (NLT) says:

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.”

Let’s do a simple exercise: look around at your life and see beautiful things—education, ministry, family, community. 

But wait a minute: that’s all good.

Now, if you’re honest, you might also sense instability: cracks of anxiety, isolation, or frustration that show up when you’re tired or triggered. Those aren’t random. They’re indicators. And that’s why many people wear makeup eh, we put on masks to impress people, as opposed to working on ourselves to become better people.

Family, there is good news this morning, this afternoon, this evening: God doesn’t shame us for building wrong. He invites us to start again—this time with Him as the true cornerstone. Hallelujah. 

You should only have shame if you’re playing a game. And oddly enough some people go about trying to build on shaky foundations thinking that they’re actually building on firm foundations. That is sad.

In Isaiah 28:16 (ESV), God says:

“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’”

There is no need to rush into connections or patch up broken structures with our own strength. 

When Christ is our foundation, we don’t need to force anything. We don’t have to beg people to stay, manipulate outcomes, or fear rejection. 

Why? Because a life built on Jesus holds even when others walk away. When the wind blows, we remain firm, steady, solid, anchored, true to form, unshaken,  resolute, unmovable, immovable, grounded, unwavering, planted, rooted, unbending.

Hallelujah. Oh glory to Jesus! 

Not because of who we think we are or who others think we are because or we are wearing a mask or makeup. But, because of Who we are anchored to - Jesus Christ the Firm Foundation.

So today, Family, another day that God has allowed us to be on the land of the living, let us examine ourselves, or rather, like David in Psalm 51, ask God to: 

“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:2, 7, 10, 12 KJV

Today, Family, let us ask and allow the Lord to inspect our foundations. 

He already sees the weak points: our fear of abandonment, our performance-driven patterns, our need to control. 

We can deny it all we want, but Father God sees and knows. 

Hebrews 4:13, NLT tells us: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.”

And the beautiful thing about it is: He doesn’t condemn us for them. He doesn’t cast us aside and moves on to the next person. He sees our efforts and nudges us along. 

God does not Himself, nor encourages anyone to shame us into transformation. Instead, He gently invites us into healing. He draws near with truth and grace, patiently exposing the cracks not to embarrass us, but to restore us.

Romans 8:1, KJV: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Family, our good, good Father is offering to rebuild with us, on a firm foundation. 

Let’s not resist the inspection.

Let’s surrender to the loving Architect of our souls. Let Him tear down what was never meant to hold us up: the lies, the wounds, the walls, the deception, the pretense. Will we let God rebuild us on Christ, our sure foundation?

Remember now: 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1, NIV.

Let us pray:

Jesus, You are the foundation we need—not just for our ministries or our work, but for our relationships, for our identity, and for our emotional health. We confess the areas where we’ve built on lesser things. We ask You to become the cornerstone of every part of our beings—public and private. Align our steps with Your truth. Set our feet on solid ground and may we look to You, not man, as our firm foundation. Amen.