G. T. Ministries

G. T. Ministries

Building a Family That Last

29 min · 3. Juni 2026
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Episode Building a Family That Last Cover

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Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2359736/fan_mail/new] Strengthening the Family Message #2: "Building a Family That Lasts" Text: Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”   Introduction: The Difference Between a House and a Home Anyone can build a house, but only God can help build a home. A house is made of: * Wood * Brick * Concrete * Nails A home is built with: * Love * Faith * Prayer * Commitment * Forgiveness * God's Presence Jesus tells a story about two builders. Both built houses. Both faced storms. Both experienced wind. Both experienced rain. Yet one house stood while the other collapsed. The difference was not the storm. The difference was the foundation. The same is true for families today. Every family faces storms: * Financial storms * Health storms * Marital storms * Raising children * Grief and loss * Temptations and pressures The question is not whether storms will come. The question is: What foundation are we building upon?   1. A Strong Family Is Built on Christ Matthew 7:24 Jesus said the wise man built on the rock. Christ is that Rock. Many families build on: * Money * Success * Education * Popularity None of these are strong enough to hold a family together. Illustration When an earthquake strikes, weak foundations crack first. When life's earthquakes come, only Christ can keep a family standing.   2. A Strong Family Makes God First Matthew 6:33 Families often put: * Careers first * Sports first * Entertainment first But strong families put God first. Joshua said: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." When God is first, everything else finds its proper place. Short Story A professor filled a jar with large rocks and asked if it was full. Then he added smaller stones and sand. The lesson: Put the big things in first. God must be the first rock in every family.   3. A Strong Family Communicates with Love Ephesians 4:29 - . Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Many homes suffer not from lack of love but from lack of communication. Words can: * Build * Heal * Encourage * Destroy Illustration A nail driven into a fence leaves a hole even after it is removed. Words spoken in anger can leave lasting scars. Strong families speak life to one another.   4. A Strong Family Prays Together James 5:16 - Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Prayer invites God's power into the home. Families that pray together learn to depend on God rather than panic. Story A mother once said: "I couldn't stop every storm from reaching my children, but I could pray for them before the storm arrived." Prayer reaches places we cannot go.   5. A Strong Family Practices Forgiveness Colossians 3:13 - bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. No family survives without forgiveness. Every member will make mistakes. Forgiveness does not excuse wrong. Forgiveness releases bitterness. Illustration Holding unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Strong families learn to let go.   6. A Strong Family Protects Its Children Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Children need more than food and clothing. They need: * Guidance * Discipline * Encouragement * Godly examples Joshua understood that every generation must be taught to know God. Illustration A young tree requires stakes and support. Without guidance it grows crooked. Children need loving direction while they are young.   7. A Strong Family Worships Together Psalm 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Worship changes the atmosphere of a home. Families that worship together learn to keep God at the center. Short Story One family began reading a Psalm before dinner every evening. Years later their children said those moments became some of their strongest memories. Small spiritual habits create lasting spiritual impact.   8. A Strong Family Leaves a Legacy 2 Timothy 1:5 - when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Paul spoke of the faith first found in Lois and Eunice before it reached Timothy. Faith was passed down. Strong families think beyond today. They ask: "What will our children remember about our walk with God?" Illustration A relay race is won when the baton is successfully passed. Every generation must pass faith to the next generation.   Conclusion Jesus never promised families would avoid storms. He promised that families built on Him could survive them. The wise builder and foolish builder faced the same storm. The wise builder stood because he built on the Rock. The question for every family today is: "What foundation are we building on?" If we build on Christ: * We can survive the storm. * We can overcome the pressure. * We can leave a godly legacy. Let us determine today: "We are not merely building houses. We are building families that will stand for generations." Because families built on the Rock are families that last.   Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2359736/support]

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Episode Home Improvement Cover

Home Improvement

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2359736/fan_mail/new] Sermon Title: Home Improvement Theme Scripture: Joshua 24:15 (NKJV) "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Additional Scriptures: * Psalm 127:1 – "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it..." * Ephesians 5:21-33 * Colossians 3:18-21 * Matthew 7:24-27 Introduction Most people have heard of home improvement stores. Every weekend, people fill their carts with paint, lumber, flooring, tools, and appliances. They spend thousands of dollars making their homes look beautiful. They remodel kitchens.  They replace roofs.  They install new windows.  They landscape their yards. But while many people improve their houses, very few improve their homes. A house is made of bricks.  A home is made of relationships. A house can be purchased.  A home must be built. A house provides shelter.  A home provides security, love, peace, and faith. Many beautiful houses are filled with broken hearts. Many expensive homes are spiritually bankrupt. God is not nearly as concerned about your square footage as He is about your spiritual foundation. The greatest home improvement project is not replacing cabinets—it's replacing attitudes. Not installing new carpet—but installing Christ. Not changing the furniture—but changing the family culture. Today God is inviting every family to begin the greatest renovation project ever. Real home improvement begins with Him. Illustration A television contractor once said, "Most people call me because they notice cracks in the walls. But by the time I inspect the house, I discover the problem isn't the wall—it's the foundation." Many families try to fix the visible cracks: * Children acting out * Marital conflict * Financial pressure * Lack of communication But God says, "I don't just patch walls—I rebuild foundations." Point One Every Home Needs the Right Foundation Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus compared life to building a house. Storms came to both houses. The difference wasn't the storm. The difference was the foundation. Every family will experience storms. * Financial storms * Health storms * Teenager storms * Marriage storms * Loss * Grief * Temptation Storms don't destroy homes. Weak foundations do. The foundation must be: * Jesus Christ * Prayer * The Word of God * Worship * Forgiveness If Jesus isn't the foundation... Everything else eventually shifts. Illustration You can buy the most expensive furniture in the world... But if termites destroy the floor... Eventually everything collapses. Point Two Every Home Needs Regular Maintenance No one services their car once and expects it to run forever. Neither can a family survive without maintenance. Homes need: * Daily prayer * Family devotion * Communication * Forgiveness * Time together Neglected homes don't usually collapse overnight. They deteriorate one day at a time. Small problems ignored become major problems later. Bible Example Job continually prayed for his children. He didn't wait until disaster came. He maintained his family spiritually. Point Three Remove What Doesn't Belong Before remodeling... Old materials must be removed. God cannot renovate while we're holding onto unhealthy habits. Some homes need to remove: * Bitterness * Anger * Pride * Unforgiveness * Addiction * Gossip * Constant criticism You cannot fill a house with God's peace while entertaining the enemy. Colossians 3 teaches us to: Take off... * Anger * Wrath * Malice Then put on... * Kindness * Love * Compassion * Humility God always replaces before He restores. Illustration A contractor cannot install beautiful hardwood floors over rotten wood. The old must go. Point Four Upgrade Your Family's Communication Many homes have excellent Wi-Fi... But poor communication. People text each other while living in the same house. God designed families to talk. Listen. Pray. Laugh. Encourage. Eat together. Communication is the oxygen of every healthy home. Proverbs says "A soft answer turns away wrath." Sometimes changing our tone changes the whole atmosphere. Point Five Every Family Needs the Master Builder Psalm 127 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house..." Notice... The Lord doesn't decorate. He builds. Only Jesus can rebuild: * Broken marriages * Rebellious children * Hurt relationships * Empty hearts When Jesus enters a house... Hope enters. Peace enters. Healing enters. Love returns. Bible Examples of Home Improvement Noah Built an ark... But more importantly... He built a faithful family. Joshua "As for me and my house..." Leadership starts at home. Cornelius Led his entire household to Christ. One man's obedience changed an entire family. Lydia Opened her home for ministry. Her house became a place where the Gospel flourished. Zacchaeus Jesus visited one house... and salvation came to the entire household. What Every Home Needs Not bigger televisions... But bigger faith. Not more bedrooms... But more prayer rooms. Not stronger locks... But stronger relationships. Not larger dining rooms... But families eating together. Not more streaming... But more Scripture. Not another remodel... But revival. Application Ask yourself: * Is Christ the foundation of my home? * Is prayer heard in my house? * Is forgiveness practiced? * Is God's Word honored? * What needs renovating? God isn't asking whether your house is expensive. He's asking whether your home belongs to Him. Conclusion When people hear "home improvement," they usually think about paint, flooring, kitchens, or roofs. But God's greatest home improvement project is changing hearts. He renovates marriages. He restores parents. He heals children. He rebuilds broken relationships. He transforms ordinary houses into places where His presence dwells. The greatest words Joshua ever spoke were not about possessions or success, but about priorities: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That declaration can still change a family today. Closing Challenge Before you ask God to improve your finances... Ask Him to improve your family. Before you ask Him to enlarge your house... Ask Him to enlarge your faith. Before you remodel your living room... Invite Jesus to remodel every heart that lives there. When God improves the home, He changes generations. One family surrendered to God today can become a legacy of faith for tomorrow. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2359736/support]

30. Juni 202629 min