Briefing: I would be willing to bet that ninety percent of your basic police skills were learned in academy. You will build on that foundation all of your career.

Dispatch (Assignment): What are your foundational beliefs in law enforcement and in your Christian life? Read Matthew 7:24-29.

On the Street: If I asked you what the foundational law enforcement training was you would probably list things like arrest skills, shooting, basic law and policies. These are the skills and basic training that will last you your entire career.

When I was in high school, my dad quit teaching school to build houses. While working for him I learned some things about foundations. There are a couple of principles about foundation work. If the foundation is not done properly, a builder won't waste their time building a house on it. Your foundational training, police academy, is so important that if you don't graduate, you don't get certified or ultimately hired.

Another principle about foundations is that once you start it you don't start anything else until it's finished. You can't start working on the roof or putting in windows until the foundation is complete and ready. Have you ever known a police officer who was sent back to academy to re-learn the basics? I haven't. Luckily, this is not the case with Christ. As long as you're breathing, you have a chance.

Foundation building is serious work. Your foundation in Christ is extremely important. So much so that the amount of importance you place on it determines the kind of ground you build on. If you prioritize it as a matter of life and death with eternal consequences and that resolve in your life is the compass that points you in the direction you should go, it's a safe bet that you have built your house on solid ground.

If you listened to the Word and thought it was good in theory but not something you really want to live your life by, or you just don't have time for, this lesson is for you. If you think that just because you walked the aisle and prayed a prayer when you were little that you are ok, you might find yourself on sinking sand.

It's not too late. "Repent" basically means to make a one hundred and eighty degree turn around from where you are. If you find yourself standing on a sinking slab that was put down years ago with no walls or roof, you can make a new start.

Highlights from this Read: Both builders heard the words of Jesus; however, only the first one put them into practice.

Investigational Resources: For information on how to re-start, look in the "Do You Know Jesus?" section of this website. Also see Luke 6:47-49.

Officer Safety Principle: If you are reading this devotional, I pray that you have a firm foundation. These studies are like the blueprints for building your workshop. For plans on building the house that is talked about in these verses, read the Master's blueprint, The Holy Bible.

from The Gospel of Matthew Through the Eyes of a Cop
©2012 by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.