Sermon Outline Title: Four Foundations That Anchor Your Faith
Bible Text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:105, Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5-6, Colossians 1:16, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Micah 6:8
Theme: The foundational doctrines of the Bible—God’s Word, God Himself, Creation, and Humanity—anchor our lives in Christ and determine our eternal destiny
Big Idea: What we believe becomes our thoughts, our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our habits, our habits become our character, and our character determines where we spend eternity—so we must build our lives on the solid foundation of sound biblical doctrine.
1. The Doctrine of the Bible: Can You Trust God’s Word? (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:105)
a. Believing God’s Word is where faith begins—if you believe it, you’ll make a profession of faith
b. We have eyewitness accounts, secular historical records (Josephus, Tacitus), and martyrs who died for truth
c. The greatest proof: Jesus still changes lives today—He can make the vilest sinner white as snow
d. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will endure forever
2. The Doctrine of God: The One True God in Three Persons (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5-6)
a. God revealed Himself in three ways: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—but all the same one true God
b. Yahweh is the Father of creation, Jesus is the Savior of all who call on His name, the Holy Spirit is our personal guide
c. We don’t have to understand how one God can be three—we only need to believe it because the Bible teaches it
3. The Doctrine of Creation: In the Beginning, God Created (Colossians 1:16)
a. This is the teaching the devil hates most because disproving creation destroys the entire Bible storyline
b. If God didn’t create everything, there’s no heaven or hell, no eternal life, no Jesus saves, no reason to pray
c. We did not evolve from a one-cell organism—God created all things visible and invisible
d. The gap theory (millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2) is another popular belief, but not biblical
4. The Doctrine of Humanity (Mankind): We Were Made in God’s Image (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Micah 6:8)
a. We didn’t crawl out of the water and evolve—we were created by a mighty, eternal, all-knowing, loving God
b. God created us in His image of perfection, holiness, and righteousness to do good works and have fellowship with Him
c. The devil’s lie: “God made me this way” (man in woman’s body, etc.)—No, God created us in the image of perfection
d. God created us for good and to do good, not evil—the fallen state came from the devil’s deception
Illustration
The doctrines of the Bible are like the foundation and framework of your house. If the foundation is strong, the house will withstand the winds, rain, and storms. But if the foundation is poorly built, it may come apart in the first real storm. The doctrines of the Bible anchor our lives in the Lord Jesus Christ. If the doctrine is sound, no problem, trouble, adversity, or even the devil can cause your house to fall. But if the doctrine you hold is weak, it won’t take much to cause you to trip and stumble. That’s why we see so many fall away from the faith today—it all comes down to what they have believed and trusted in. There’s a saying: be careful what you believe, because what you believe becomes your thoughts; your thoughts become your words; your words become your actions; your actions become your habits; your habits become your character; and your character is who you are, what you are, how you act, and that decides where you will spend eternity.
Alliterated Main Points
• Word (The Bible is absolute truth)
• Worship (One true God in three persons)
• World (God created everything)
• Worthy (Made in God’s image)
Conclusion / Invitation
There are 16 major doctrines in the Bible, and today we’ve looked at the first four foundational ones. What we believe is what makes us a follower of Christ, just as unbelieving makes someone lost. Is God’s Word the truth? Absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt. Do we believe in one true God revealed in three persons? Yes, because the Bible teaches it. Did God create everything we see? Yes, and if He didn’t, the entire Bible story would fall apart. Were we made in God’s image? Yes, created for good works and fellowship with Him. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. What does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Will you build your life on this solid foundation today?