“Unless the Lord Builds” Opening Scripture “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”—Psalm 127:1 Revelation Futility is not failure. It’s effort divorced from alignment. The Bible doesn’t mock hard work—it warns against misdirected work. Psalm 127 opens with a builder’s warning: even if the bricks are stacked and the walls rise, if the foundation isn’t God’s, the labor is wasted. This is not a rebuke of effort—it’s a rebuke of pride, of self-sufficiency, of building without blueprint. Futility in Scripture is often paired with idolatry, pride, or stubbornness. Consider Ecclesiastes, where Solomon—arguably the most accomplished man in Israel’s history—declares, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He had wealth, wisdom, women, and power. But without eternal purpose, it was dust. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 7:26, describing the man who builds his house on sand. The storm doesn’t care how hard you worked. If the foundation is wrong, collapse is inevitable. Paul adds another layer in Galatians 3:3: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Effort that starts in surrender but shifts into control becomes futile. The Spirit builds. The flesh performs. Application In the builder’s world, futility looks like: - Watering a rock, hoping it will grow. - Pouring into someone who refuses to receive. - Hustling without clarity. - Building without blueprint. - Teaching without transformation. The antidote is not quitting—it’s aligning. Ask: - Is this effort rooted in obedience or ego? - Am I building what God asked, or what I imagined? - Is the soil ready, or am I forcing seed into stone? Reflection - - What part of your life feels like laboring in vain? - Have you asked God if the blueprint is His? - Are you pouring into someone who refuses to change, and calling it love when it’s actually control? Closing Scripture “Do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”—Matthew 7:6

— Men Are Called to Be Pillars, Not Passengers Theme: Proverbs teaches that a home collapses without wise leadership. Proverbs is blunt about the role of a man.It doesn’t describe him as a spectator.It describes him as a pillar, a foundation, a source of stability. Proverbs 24:3 says:“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.” A house doesn’t build itself.A family doesn’t guide itself.A community doesn’t protect itself. Men are called to bring: - wisdom - understanding - stability - direction Without that, the home becomes fragile.The culture becomes confused.The next generation becomes lost. — A Man’s Leadership Sets the Tone of the Entire Household Theme: Proverbs shows that a man’s character becomes the climate of his home. Proverbs 29:18 says:“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” When a man lacks vision: - the home drifts - the marriage weakens - the children scatter - the future becomes foggy But when a man carries vision — real, godly, steady vision — the entire home breathes easier. A man’s leadership is not about control.It’s about direction.It’s about clarity.It’s about setting the spiritual and emotional temperature of the home. If he is calm, the home is calm.If he is grounded, the home is grounded.If he is wise, the home is safe. — Leadership Protects Against Destruction Theme: Proverbs warns that foolishness destroys everything a man refuses to guard. Proverbs 14:1 says:“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” But here’s the part men miss:A wise woman can only build if the man protects the environment she’s building in. Proverbs is full of warnings about: - laziness - passivity - anger - lack of discipline - lack of direction These are the things that destroy a man’s influence and leave his home unprotected. A man’s leadership is a shield.When he refuses to lead, the shield drops — and everything behind him becomes vulnerable.

Direction, Not Intention — Why It Matters Today A Builder‑grade, chapter‑structured teaching with Gospel anchors. Chapter 1 — The Culture of Intention Theme: We live in a world full of declarations but empty of direction. Scripture — Matthew 7:13–14 (KJV)“Enter ye in at the strait gate… Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life…” Jesus doesn’t honor good intentions.He commands movement.He calls us to a path, not a feeling. We live in a time where people confuse feeling with following, and intention with obedience.Everyone has dreams.Everyone has opinions.Everyone has intentions. But Jesus keeps pressing the same point:Your life moves in the direction of your steps, not your statements. Chapter 2 — Intention Comforts, Direction Transforms Theme: Intention makes you feel spiritual; direction makes you become spiritual. Scripture — Matthew 7:21 (KJV)“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter… but he that doeth the will of my Father…” Intention lets you feel committed without committing.Intention lets you feel disciplined without being disciplined.Intention lets you feel spiritual without becoming spiritual. But direction forces movement.Direction forces alignment.Direction forces obedience. Jesus didn’t say, “Think about the narrow way.”He said, “Enter.” Movement is the proof. Chapter 3 — Appearance vs. Obedience Theme: The world rewards image; Jesus rewards action. Scripture — Matthew 7:24–27 (KJV)“Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them…”“…and every one that heareth… and doeth them not…” Today, you can look committed without being committed.You can post about growth without growing.You can talk about accountability without submitting to it. But Jesus makes it simple:The wise man is not the man who hears.The wise man is the man who does. Your foundation is not built by what you know.It’s built by what you practice. Chapter 4 — Real Knowing Is Revealed in Real Doing

“Jesus and Old Nic” — from John 3:1–21 When I read John 3, I don’t picture something ancient or distant. I picture Jesus and Nicodemus talking like two men sitting on a porch late at night — one trying to understand, the other trying to break through the fog. And honestly, I can almost hear Jesus saying,“Nic… come on, man. I’ve explained this three times already.”Not in anger — but in that patient, loving frustration you have when someone is so close to getting it. Nicodemus wasn’t dumb. He was just stuck in the only world he knew.And Jesus was trying to pull him into a new one. That’s how Scripture feels to me.Not dusty.Not ancient.Not far away. I imagine John writing his Gospel the same way any of us would write to our friends today — not thinking about how people 2,000 years later would analyze every word, but simply trying to capture what he saw, what he felt, and what changed his life forever. He wasn’t chasing fame.He wasn’t trying to become a legend.He wasn’t thinking, “One day they’ll read this in Gainesville.”He was just telling the truth about the One who saved him. And that’s how I feel when I write. Not that I’m writing new Scripture — the Gospel is complete in Christ.But I feel that same pull to tell the story, to point people back to Jesus, to speak about what He’s done and what He’s still doing. It wasn’t a respected job back then either.They killed almost every one of those men for it.So clearly, they weren’t writing for applause. They wrote because Jesus came to save us from sin, and that’s a reason worth writing about. So if you’ve ever felt like the people in the Gospels who asked,“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”or“Is this really how God works?” You’re in good company. Nicodemus didn’t get it at first.Most people didn’t.But Jesus kept speaking anyway. And so do we.

Why Paul Warns Timothy About False Teachers in 1 Timothy 1 — and How We Recognize False Teaching Today Paul opens the letter with urgency because false teaching is the first threat to kill a young church. Before Timothy does anything else—before structure, before leadership appointments, before public worship—Paul tells him: “Stay there… so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer.” (1 Timothy 1:3) Paul’s warning is both pastoral and strategic. Why Paul Warns Timothy 1. False teaching destroys spiritual formation. Paul knows that doctrine is not academic—it forms people. Bad doctrine forms weak, confused, or self‑righteous disciples. Timothy is responsible for shaping a community into Christlikeness. False teaching shapes them into something else entirely. 2. False teachers were promoting speculation instead of transformation. Paul says they were obsessed with: • myths • endless genealogies • arguments about the law These things don’t produce love, purity, or a clean conscience. They produce noise, pride, and confusion. Paul wants Timothy to guard the church from teaching that sounds spiritual but produces nothing. 3. False teaching always attacks identity and authority. Timothy is young, timid, and stepping into leadership. False teachers thrive in environments where the leader is unsure. Paul strengthens Timothy’s identity (“my true son”) so he can confront deception with clarity and courage. 4. Paul knows that false teaching spreads faster than truth. Error is contagious. It multiplies through: • charisma • novelty • spiritual-sounding language • people who want shortcuts instead of obedience Paul is telling Timothy: “If you don’t confront it early, it will take the whole church.” How We Recognize False Teaching Today Paul’s criteria in chapter 1 still work with precision. 1. False teaching produces speculation, not transformation. If a teaching creates: • confusion • endless debates • spiritual hype • obsession with “deep secrets”