Homes in our culture are in trouble…By the numbers…

• 45-50%

• 63%

• 2055/day

• 3rd

• 28%

- Per. of marr. ending in divorce, today

- percent of kids sep. from a parent

- 33% of teen girls becoming pregnant

- suicide ranking for death, age 15-24

- teens saying they drank in last month

How Important is YOUR Family?

What would you do to help your family be stable and functional?

What would you do?

• Work long hours

• Rise early and stay late

• Pursue education

• Read books

• Watch DVDs

• Get counseling

For ….Material goodsComfortsRecreationSafety ???

To accomplish goalsActivitiesSecurity ???

Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat

on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who

hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his

house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat

against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the LORD builds the house,those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.2 It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:3-5

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warriorare the children of one's youth.

5 Blessed is the manwho fills his quiver with them!He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the LORD builds the house,those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,the watchman stays awake in vain.2 It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Consider the contextWhat house?What family?

Five Lessons from Psalm 127:1-2

1. If we want the Lord to build, we must invite Him

1 Chronicles 29:10-19

Therefore David blessed the LORD …19 Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your

commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I

have made provision.”

2 Chronicles 6:18-20

“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how

much less this house that I have built!19 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my

God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, 20 that your eyes may be open day and

night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the

prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my

voice and opens the door, I will come in to

him and eat with him, and he with me.

1 Chronicles 28: 11-19

Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple… its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat…the

plan of all that he had in mind for the courts …the treasuries …the divisions of the priests and of the Levites,

… the weight of gold for all golden vessels … the weight of silver vessels … the weight of gold for each lampstand …

the weight of silver for a lampstand … the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver

tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the

silver bowls and the weight of each; … also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and

covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all

the work to be done according to the plan.”

Five Lessons from Psalm 127:1-2

1. If we want the Lord to build, we must invite Him

2. God has a plan for US

Five Lessons from Psalm 127:1-2

1. If we want the Lord to build, we must invite Him

2. God has a plan for US

3. The Lord needs OUR hands and hearts to build

Nehemiah 2:18

And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the

words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So

they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Nehemiah 4:6

So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to

half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Building homes properly will take

hearts and hands

Five Lessons from Psalm 127:1-2

1. If we want the Lord to build, we must invite Him

2. God has a plan for US

3. The Lord needs OUR hands and hearts to build

4. We must not be distracted from this work

Haggai 1:1-8

…the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet … 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people

say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by the

hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this

house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown

much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages

does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills

and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Five Lessons from Psalm 127:1-2

1. If we want the Lord to build, we must invite Him

2. God has a plan for US

3. The Lord needs OUR hands and hearts to build

4. We must not be distracted from this work

5. If we abandon God, He WILL abandon us

Daniel 9:4-19

I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant

and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and

acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your

servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of

the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the

inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel… because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us,

O LORD, belongs open shame…, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. … For we do not present our pleas before

you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. …

Looking at Psalm 127 is no coincidence

How important is YOUR family?