Built To Last | Jentezen Franklin

Build Your Life on an Unshakable Foundation

As Christians, we are not exempt from hardship. Faith does not grant us a “get out of pain free” card or shield us from suffering. Everyone faces storms in life. The difference is in the foundation we build upon—some build on shifting sand, while others stand firmly on The Rock. Jesus warned that a house built on sand will collapse in a great fall, but the one built on solid ground will withstand even the fiercest storms.

When you walk into a building, a church, or even a home, you rarely think about its structure. You don’t see the foundation, the steel reinforcements, or the materials hidden beneath the surface. Yet, it’s the unseen strength of the foundation that determines whether a structure stands or falls in a storm.

This principle applies to our spiritual lives as well. Extreme storm shelters, designed to endure hurricanes and violent winds, are not built using quick methods like air nail guns. Though convenient and efficient, they are not strong enough to withstand the most extreme conditions. Instead, builders use traditional tools—hammers and nails—because time-tested methods create a structure that can endure any storm.

Likewise, a church cannot be built on fleeting trends or shallow faith. Some churches are built on temporary excitement, using the latest trends like a nail gun—quick, easy, and appealing. But Free Chapel is not a temporary church. It is built to last. I am not here to create a “drive-by” church or follow every passing trend. I believe in the essential role of the Church. Without it, families fall apart, nations crumble, and the enemy gains ground. A church built on a weak foundation may seem strong for a while, but like the Tower of Babel, it will eventually fall.

If we want to build a faith that withstands every storm, we need more than modern shortcuts. We need the hammer, the nail, and the cross. True faith is not just about attending church on Sundays and checking a box—it’s about being deeply rooted in Christ. Jesus, the Son of a carpenter, declared in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church.” He did not build it with quick-fix solutions; He built it with sacrifice.

Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to Earth in human form. For 30 years, He did not perform miracles or preach sermons. The One who spoke the universe into existence took His time. Then, in three and a half years, He revealed His purpose: to build an unshakable Church. And the enemy never expected His greatest tool—a hammer, three nails, and two wooden beams.

The cross is the foundation that withstands every storm. The blood of Jesus, shed for us, secures our salvation. If your life is built on the cross, no attack from the enemy can destroy you. As Isaiah 54:17 declares, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”

If you believe in the unshakable foundation of Christ, lift your hands in praise. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Church is not just a building—it is you. Stand firm on the Rock, and no storm will overcome you.