my name is Jody for those of you who don’t know me and I’m part of the teaching team here and I just want to take um
a moment I’m a very competitive person um but I also have overactive tear ducts
I like to they like to just activate when they’re not supposed to um but I just want to take a moment to
honor my parents um
do you know them as pastors covenants Sheila yes
this is why this is why I normally skipped this part because I know that I get emotional but um they they are who they are on stage
and behind the scenes they’re the real deal kind of people so if you don’t know them personally I do I’ve known them for
40 years of my life um surprise and um and they’re the real deal kind of people and they’re once in
a generation kind of leader so I just want to take a moment and honor you
okay you can have a seat
okay gotta shake out all the overactive tear ducts all right um while we get started why don’t you
repeat after me and say my heart is open my mind is receptive
make us better God teach us give us ears to hear
and change us in Jesus name amen all right so these tears might act up a
little bit again today but just bear with me because I’ll get through it if you can hang with me I’ll hang with you okay um this is summer in the Psalms all
right we are finishing this series and it’s been an amazing series if you’ve missed any of the weeks I just encourage
you to catch up on our YouTube channel because you can see all of the different weeks that is that have happened with this series but we’re going to continue
it today and I just want to dive in we’re going to bounce a little bit around um Psalms and other parts of the Bible
um and we’re going to start here in psalm 143.
teach me teach me to do your will for you are my God may your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a what on a stay with me firm footing Psalm 121 says that my help comes from
the Lord the maker of heaven and Earth he will not let your foot slip
He Who Watches Over you will not slumber and then Psalm 18 in a few verses it
says this it is God who arms me with strength and he keeps my what he keeps my way secure he makes my feet like the
feet of a deer you provide a broad path for my feet so that my ankles do not give way in the message version it talks about
how God clears the ground beneath my feet and puts my my footing firm
today as we continue this series summer in the Psalms I want to talk to you about find your footing can you say that find your footing
tell your neighbor find your footing tell your other neighbor your second choice find your footing
it’s not personal it’s just happens find your footing Now find your footing can mean a lot of different things okay
in sports um if you squint and kind of your head to the left you’ll notice that this is me in college basketball the team
found it in the archives I was like let’s have a few a few visuals of sports and they’re like this one works right where did you find that okay but in
sports footwork matters okay you hear it if you’ve played on any kind of sports team you would have heard that your footing your footwork matters footwork
and fundamentals it’s for agility it’s for strength it’s for stability it gives you the the ability to make explosive
movements to jump higher to go faster if your footwork is good in climbing they talk about finding your footing because
it positions you in a way of strength it helps you get higher and further faster and stronger if you know how to find
your footing in fighting okay fighting your footwork is so important I was
reading about how you find your footing your footwork in fighting and it’s one of the most important things so many people think that your strength is important or the how big your punch is
or you know how how big your kick is if you’re in MMA but really it all starts
with your footing you actually get a stronger Punch or a better kick if your footing is right
and your footing is so important in fighting that it actually helps with your strength and stability so much that it can keep you from being knocked down
now that could be a whole message in and of itself but that’s a word for somebody today when you find your footing it will help you be so stable and secure that
you will avoid being knocked down in life another place that footing is well another one that we didn’t have a
picture of because who wants to see a picture of this but they use footing and accounting but nobody wants to see a picture of that so
we love you all of you accounting people we’re so thankful for you but it’s not you know a creative visual so just it’s part of it okay another place that we
use uh footing the footing terminology is in a foundation so I’m not a builder I’m not in
construction but in doing a little bit of research I found out that the foundation is important but what comes
before the foundation is the footing now the footing is part of the foundation but it actually goes in to be
the the the part that attaches the foundation to the soil and so you put the footing in first
and that’s what dictates the strength of the foundation and even in Troublesome soil the footing
actually its role is to keep the foundation from settling
so when we find our footing I just want to kind of build all of this together and consider that the common definition
of finding your footing is to be in a position or a place of stability
o in a structure or in a house or in a building the footing it not only is important it’s Paramount
but it’s also first it’s first things first finding your footing putting your footing in the right place so that your
foundation can be stronger so that you can build your house or your structure higher and better and stronger to
withstand the storms of life this is what it means to find your footing now I want to take it a step further that as a
Christ follower finding our footing is really to be in a place of stability that starts with God’s truth
to find our footing and have it in the right place to have it in the strongest place for our best possible life into
our life now if we bounce back to Psalm 143 we see this again this the psalmist this is David actually he’s
he’s crying out and he’s saying Teach me Teach Me God to do your will for you are my God
I want I have this this desire to obey you God because you are God in my life I have this desire to do your will God
help me to do your will and then what happens your gracious spirit will lead me forward on a firm
footing this desire in our life when we’re Christ followers when we have Jesus at the center of our life and we’re
building our life on a firm foundation we have this desire to do but God’s will is
we have a desire to let his Spirit lead us on a firm footing on a firm foundation
where we put our feet matters what we choose to stand on
matters what we choose to build our house or our life on it matters
and when our footing is strong and a part of a solid foundation that house or or that life in this case it can
withstand the storms of life it can withstand whatever is thrown at us because our footing is firm and it’s
planted on a firm foundation of God’s truth so no matter what comes our way we’re not going to be knocked down we’re not going to settle for something less
than God’s best for our life why because we found our footing on a solid foundation we can withstand the storms of life we
can be that Beacon of Hope to other people why because we have found our footing
when it comes to this whole idea of finding your footing Jesus talked about it
in one of his first public addresses his first public speeches in his ministry in Matthew 7 we see him talking to the
people that are starting to follow him and he says this he says in Matthew 7 everyone then who hears these words of mine
and does them just like the psalmist was saying Teach me God to do your will okay Jesus is affirming that he says
whoever hears these words of mine and does them they’ll be like a wise man who built his house on the rock
and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house but what it did not fall why why
because it had been founded on the rock it had it had a firm Foundation
Jesus was affirming this idea that we can choose to do God’s will we can have that obedience spirit because he’s our
God because we want to do what’s best because he’s put into place this cycle of life that when we sow good things we will reap good things but even when bad
things happen our Fern Foundation keeps us from being knocked down because we know we’re looking for the good we’re looking for what God’s doing we’re
looking for what God’s trying to teach us why because our foundation is secure
thank you in 2020 the soil shifted the storms came
and it hit a lot of houses hit a lot of families hit a lot of people a lot of churches
and we realized that a lot of people they didn’t have a solid foundation on God’s truth
a lot of people lost their footing and some people are still wandering
some people stumbled and have completely fallen off the map some people stumbled and are kind of kind of trying to make their way back
and still others have been continuing to build their life on a firm foundation but something happened in 2020 the soil shifted and not everybody made it
through because not everybody had a firm foundation now if you want your life
to stand against the storms Against the Wind against the rain against the flood of life
that comes at us those things that come at us to try to undermine our faith or create doubt of
who God is in our life if you want to withstand those things then this message is for you
because I always want to talk to you about a couple things that I feel like God has impressed on my heart and if there’s someone who has ears to hear
it I know that it can help and change your life but how do we find our footing
on a firm foundation if you want to have a strong life if you want to build a strong house if you want to withstand the storms of life
what do we do how do we build our life on that Firm Foundation well the first
thing is to get to know God better it’s so simple
and yet it’s not easy get to know God better
God’s way is different than the world’s way it might be different than what a teacher
taught you it might be different than your crazy uncle what he taught you about the world God’s way is different
but you find your footing by getting to know God better you find your footing by getting to know his will
his way his word and who he is this is how we get to know God better
and I I don’t know that it’s a destination it’s not something that we arrive at when we’re you know 41 and a half
or 22 and three quarters or 67 it’s not a place that we arrive at
and we say I know now I know his will I know his way I know his word
I know who God is I have arrived I don’t think it’s like that I think it’s an ongoing journey and I
hope that that brings you I hope that brings you something positive to consider that no matter where you are in getting
to know his will no matter where you are on the Journey of getting to know his way or or his word or who God is
that there’s still more to learn and it’s not too late to start learning but if you want to have a strong life if
you want to build your life on a solid foundation it starts with getting to know God better and knowing that his way might seem
uncomfortable at first because it’s not your natural tendency but it’s worth it and the more you get
to know it and the more you try to do his will and the more you pray teach me God to do your will because you are my
God lead me to firm footing you pray that prayer you make it a part of your life
that’s how we stand the storms of life and God’s truth that it’s part of that solid foundation that will help us stand
the storms of life this is just a little bit of who God is just in the Book of Psalms we’re talking about a firm foundation planting our
feet finding our footing just in the Book of Psalms God is associated 130 times with The Rock
The Fortress David says often God you are my rock and my refuge you are my Fortress
he’s referred to as Foundation or my strong tower the shallowed ground he’s referred to as my strength or the source
of my strength he’s referred to as the Cornerstone this is just in the Book of Psalms
not even including the whole Bible but knowing who God is and getting to know the truth of God’s word and how it
applies to our life that can help us find our footing on a solid foundation
I’m talking about how God’s way is different than our way I wrote down a few things to consider you know
there’s a storm happening in our world right now a few of them actually a lot of big
storms happening right now but they’re attacking the family unit
they’re coming after our kids they’re coming after you gen Z and Jen Alpha they’re coming after them
there’s a storm that this culture it’s blowing a lot of people around
so many people are just flailing in the wind because they don’t have their footing they don’t have a firm foundation and so they’re hearing
something and they’re getting blown over here and they’re yes I believe this and then they hear something else and they’re like no I believe this
and they’re just getting flown Everywhere by the storms of life because they haven’t found their footing
and when we get to know God God better we get to know that his way is different and these are just a few things that I wrote down that
just to consider it’s not exhaustive and I didn’t write it for a debate I just wrote it for something to consider
our culture says that gender expresses our idea our individuality gender expresses our individuality but
God says gender expresses our creator
culture says that our skin color at worst makes us enemies and at best makes us allies
but God says we can be part of the same family that anyone who confesses Jesus as the leader in the Lord of their life become
part of his family which makes all of us brothers and sisters
thank you I got more I got more
culture says culture says that kids should be able to decide kids should be able to decide life
altering decisions and parents should affirm them that’s what culture says but God says honor your father and your
mother
this is where those tears just overact because it breaks my heart it breaks my heart that people are
getting thrown by these storms because they don’t have a firm footing and so they’re listening to the news or
they’re listening to the latest podcast or they’re listening to the latest tick tocker and they’re believing it because they don’t have their feet planted on a
firm foundation of God’s truth culture says culture says that the government knows
your kids better than you and that they should teach them and train them with their ideologies but God says that parents should raise up their kids in
the way that they should go
culture culture says that anyone who disagrees with you hates you but God says you know choose your
company wisely but be open to learning from and sharpening one another it says as iron sharpens iron one man sharpens another
there should be room for healthy debate there should be room for healthy conflict just because someone disagrees with you
doesn’t mean they hate you probably means they love you and they want you to see the truth
the culture says culture says there’s no absolute truth do what’s true for you but God says Jesus is the way the truth
and the life and no one enters to Heaven except through him
when we get to know God better and his truth better we find our footing our foundation is strong
and we we can withstand the storms of life and we know it’s not up to us
we can and we should do our part but I’m not the same savior of the world
and neither are you we’re not the savior of the world our job is to introduce people to the savior of the world
and so it can be overwhelming in this world that we live in with all of these storms that we’re facing but I want to remind you what we read in Psalm
121 that my help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and Earth
and he will not let my foot slip and he’s going to keep watch over me he’s going to keep watch over you and if
you let him he’s not going to let your foot slip in Psalm 62 this is one of the times that it refers to God as my rock but
truly he is my rock and my salvation and he is my Fortress and what I will not be shaken can you say that I will not be
shaken come on say it like you mean it I will not be shaken if you don’t know who God is these are just a list of some of the things that
who God is God is love God is Spirit God is the Holy One he is ever present he is rich in Mercy he is worthy of Praise
he’s a miracle working God he is all-powerful he is all-knowing he is the way the truth and the life he is
faithful and true our God is our savior he’s Our Redeemer he’s our healer he’s our peace he’s our Advocate and he is a
sure Foundation get to know God better
if you want to find your footing in this season get to know God better so how else do we find our footing we know what
Jesus did for us we get to know God better we get to know his will his way
who he is we get to know his word and we get to know and remember or find out
what Jesus did for you that’s how we find our footing if you don’t know
what Jesus did for you it’s because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that any of us can be saved
in fact in fact we’re all Sinners every single one of us no matter what color your skin is no matter what economic status you
come from no matter what your history is no matter what you’ve done or haven’t done we are all sinners in need of a
savior and that savior is Jesus Christ thank you
and if you didn’t know this God that we’ve been talking about today the maker of heaven and Earth the one true Living God he sent his son Jesus down to the
Earth two thousand plus years ago to become the perfect sacrifice for all of Humanity’s sin
so that anyone and everyone who chooses to say yes to Jesus
and confesses him as the leader in the Lord of their life and believes anyone
and everyone can say yes to Jesus and they have the promise of eternal
life this is the gospel this is our hope that we found in Jesus Christ
if you didn’t know now you know and if you did know
and perhaps you had forgotten I pray today you can remind yourself just how amazing
it is just how special it is just how much strength we have because
of what Jesus did for us I just want to close with this thought from psalm 118.
I believe it was David and he was this prayer and then he kind of finished Psalm 118 with this prophecy about the
Cornerstone and he said the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone
and it was a prophetic word about Jesus and then in Acts we see some of the Apostles explaining it and they
reference back to that Psalm 118 Verse but they’re saying this Jesus is the stone you Builders rejected which has
become the Cornerstone and salvation exists in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven
given to Men by which we must be saved and that is the name of Jesus
and since we’re we’re talking about finding your footing we’re talking about building a strong Foundation this idea
of the Cornerstone it’s also called the foundation stone or or the setting Stone but the Cornerstone is the first stone
set in construction all other stones will be set in
reference to this one stone and it determines the position
of the entire structure so when we consider
that Jesus is the Cornerstone that means that we build our life
by putting Jesus first by setting everything else as a precedence around him
that our foundation is built around him that our life our houses are built around him that he is the Cornerstone
that every other part of the structure will be placed and decided because of where Jesus is in our life he is the
Cornerstone so can I just compel you today to put in verse in your life to make him
not just the Cornerstone of the Bible but to make him the Cornerstone of your life of your family of your lens that
you see the world through of your filter make Jesus in his way and his truth and his life make him the Cornerstone of how
you treat other people of how you go to school of how do you go to work not just in the Bible not just at church but actually placing him as the Cornerstone
in the foundation of everything that we do in our lives and watch how much firmer how much stronger that Foundation
of Truth gets in your life watch how much stronger your foundation in your footing is when the storms of life time
to take you down when the storms of life try to take you out your foundation your footing will be firm
we sing this song when before the message here and I just want to read a few of the lyrics but
just as a reminder
that when we put Christ at the center of our Lives when we get to know where we remember what
Christ did for us and that becomes the Cornerstone of our life that solid foundation
that’s the best footing that we can have that’s the best footing that we can have
for the struggles and the storms of life that’s the best footing that we can set ourselves up for why because where we
put our feet matters and where we choose to build our life
and our house of our life matters and I pray that if you’ve been building your life on a firm foundation that you
will be strengthened today and inspired today to continue to do that and if you’ve been faltering and you’ve been swayed by the world and you’ve been
going back and forth and what you should believe and and how you should act I pray that today you will make a decision to go on a journey
to hunt down who God is his way his will get to know his word better and begin to build your
life on the Firm Foundation of truth of God’s truth
I want to pray with you in a moment but we’re gonna sing this song and here’s just a few of the lyrics We sang it earlier but just so you can really think
about it as we sing together Christ is my firm foundation The Rock on which I
stand when everything around me is shaken I’ve never been more glad that I
put my faith in Jesus because he’s never let me down he’s faithful through generations so why
would he fail now he won’t he won’t I’ve still got joy in chaos
I’ve got peace that makes no sense so I won’t be going under because I’m not held by My Own Strength
because I have built my life on Jesus he has never let me doubt
he’s faithful in every season so why would he fail now he won’t
come on let’s stand and worship together he won’t
Christ is shaking
Jesus
so I would he felt
that Joy and I still got a joy in chaos
I’ve got peace that makes no sense
something with my life on Jesus
open
ever from Jesus
I have that song has new meaning for you today thank you but it matters
it matters where we choose to put our feet it matters where we choose to build our life and I pray that you’ll choose
to learn what God’s will is to learn his way and even in your imperfections strive
to do what he asks us to do because that’s how we find the best foundation for our life
that’s how we withstand the rain and the wind and the storms of life as when we find our footing in God’s
truth today I want to pray with you wherever you’re at in any location or even online
if you don’t have Jesus as the leader and the Lord of your life maybe you want to say yes to him for the very first
time or maybe today you want to say Yes again just to draw that Line in the Sand and
say you know what I haven’t been building my life I haven’t had Jesus as the actual leader and Lord of my life
and I want to make that decision today I want to pray with you and I want to pray this prayer with you and so many people across all of our locations have already
prayed this prayer and they’re going to pray it out loud next to you as a sign of support if I just want to ask everybody around to just whatever room
you’re in to close your eyes and bow your head and let this be a moment with you and God this morning
maybe your heart’s racing maybe your palms are a little sweaty because you’re like I just I think this is for me but I just I’ve never done this before what am
I getting myself into I just want to encourage you just open up your heart let God speak to you but we’re gonna pray this prayer and I want to ask everybody who can hear my voice to
repeat after me and if you’re praying this prayer for the very first time or as a recommitment just let these simple words do a work on your heart in the
next few moments would you just all repeat after me say Lord Jesus welcome to my world
I confess with my mouth and Believe In My Heart that you are the son of God
that you died on a cross and rose again for me and I pray
that you’ll be the leader and the Lord Of My Life starting today
in Jesus name amen amen can we welcome all those who made that decision today congratulations
congratulations