Foundation First: Building Habits That Actually LastSample

When we begin a new year, there's often this sense of energy, possibility, and expectation. Those feelings are not by accident; they come from a genuine place.

We spent December indulging, the days are getting longer, and as we put away decorations, we start thinking: 'What else needs to go? What else needs to change?'

Perhaps you spent time with people over the holidays who you want more of in your new year. But if you're honest, you may have also spent time with people you want less of. You may have gone somewhere that gave you a change of pace and place, which led to a shift in perspective.

With all that New Year energy, I want to share something foundational with you. If we're going to build a life this year that allows us to grow our faith, we need essential building blocks. Today, we're starting with the first and most important one: Christ himself.

Let me be clear. None of us has mastered building our lives. If at any point you think you've got this perfectly figured out, you need some honest self-reflection. When it comes to our life with God, every area always needs work. We're all apprentices at a craft that none of us ever master.

Nevertheless, Christ is both the first and most important building block. Sometimes when you're building, the first thing you do isn't the most important; it's just what you have to do first. But Jesus Christ is both!

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples a crucial question: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16 CSB)

Here's the truth. You'll answer lots of questions this year (forms at the doctor's office, decisions about work, choices about relationships). But, the most critical question is the one Jesus asks: "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus has been a polarizing figure since His first breath. When He was an infant, Herod wanted to kill Him. His hometown tried to stone Him when He preached there. Religious leaders ultimately succeeded in having Him crucified.

Some think He's just a good teacher with wise principles. Others see Him as a good example, someone to model our lives after. But if you take Him at His word as presented in Scripture, He has to be more than that. He taught that He was the Savior. He said He would rise from the dead, and then He did it.

C.S. Lewis famously said Jesus is either “a liar, a lunatic, or He is Lord.” There's no middle ground for someone who claims what Jesus claims.

The question isn't whether everyone else believes in Jesus. The question is: who do YOU say that He is? This isn't poll time. I think it's time for you to look within and answer this question for yourself.

Everyone has to answer this question eventually. You can't delegate it. You can't rely on someone else's faith. Each person must wrestle with who Jesus is personally.

Tomorrow, we'll explore what it means that we're all builders, whether we realize it or not.