Centered: Living with God at the Heart of It All

READING OF THE WORD

Psalm 127:1–5 NASB 2020

Unless the Lord builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the Lord guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is futile for you to rise up early, To stay up late, To eat the bread of painful labor; This is how He gives to His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

God of Wisdom, You promise to give Your Spirit to those who ask. Overwhelm us with Your Word, that we may know You more fully, love you more passionately, and follow You more closely; in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever seen a building collapse in slow motion? Maybe on the news—a house, a bridge, a tower. From the outside, it looked strong. But underneath, something was off. The foundation was cracked. The support was missing.

That’s what happens to our lives when God isn’t at the center. We might look like we’re holding it all together—family, work, church—but if God isn’t the one building it, eventually it crumbles.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about the power of unity and the importance of gathering as the people of God. But today, we take the next step—What’s at the center of it all?

Psalm 127 reminds us: If God isn’t in it, it won’t last. He’s not meant to be a side room in the house of your life—He’s the foundation, the builder, and the center of it all.

Let’s open the Word and see what happens when we let Him take His rightful place.

1.GOD IS NOT A COMPARTMENT—HE’S THE CENTER

The kitchen can be an illustration for whether your life is centered around God, or you live a compartmentalized life. In a compartmentalized life, each part of your life is in a separate cabinet where you can open and shut the door. God goes in one of the cabinets. But in a God-centered life, God is the kitchen, and everything in it is in him because he is all encompassing of your life.

Psalm 127 sits at the heart of the Psalms of Ascent. Unlike others that focus on temple worship, this one focuses on everyday life—our homes, work, and families. In the Jewish worldview, there was no separation between sacred and secular. Psalm 127 reminds us: Every part of life belongs to God.

No matter what we have—little or much—our greatest responsibility is to stay rooted in the love of God. Everything else fades, but His love endures forever.

You can work hard, chase success, and do everything right—but if God isn’t at the center, it will still fall apart. Only what is built with Him will last.

Human efforts are limited.

What we need is His involvement and blessing combined with our faithful labor.

Illustration: The Tower of Babel 

In Genesis 11, people united to build something great—but without God. They built for their name, not His. The result? Confusion and collapse. The Tower of Babel reminds us: Anything built without God will eventually crumble.

You can read every book, seek the best advice, and make the smartest plans—but if your foundation isn’t built on God, it will all fall short. Without Him, even your best efforts will lead to disappointment, failure, and frustration. Only what’s built on God will stand.

No house can stand without God as the Master Builder.

Solomon, whose name means “peacemaker,” built the temple so God’s presence could dwell with His people. But if he wrote Psalm 127, he didn’t fully live by it. Later in life, he pursued wealth, wisdom, and work without God—and it left him empty. When God is missing, the blessing is missing.

But where Solomon fell short, Jesus—the ultimate Peacemaker—succeeded. He made us right with God and is building a spiritual house that no one can destroy. In Him, God’s presence dwells with us forever, and nothing can separate us from His love.

A watchman can stand guard all night, but without God’s protection, the city is still vulnerable. True security doesn’t come from human effort—it comes from God alone.

We must stay vigilant—watchful and intentional—to keep every part of our lives centered on Him.

Psalm 127:1 reminds us that unless God builds the house or guards the city, all our work is in vain. We have a role, but God must be the center. Without Him, even our best efforts fall short.

True security and lasting success comes from God alone. When we stay vigilant and keep Him at the center, He meets us with grace, strength, and blessing.

Victory begins with focus, and focus begins with surrender.

💬 Question for reflection: Is God part of your life—or is He truly the center?

2. WORK AND REST BOTH BELONG TO GOD

God created us to work with purpose, but also to rest. The Sabbath wasn’t a suggestion—it was a gift. A God-centered life helps us say yes to what matters and no to what drains us.

We cannot be afraid sometimes to say no.

At the beginning of the year, as I prepared to begin my nursing home ministry, I sat down and sorted everything I was doing into four categories: must do, need to do but not a priority, delegate, and get rid of.

Saying no to the right things gave me freedom to say yes to what matters. Sometimes clarity starts with a clean list.—and it’s made my ministry more focused, fruitful, and joyful. Sometimes, clarity starts with a clean list.

We have to keep our priorities straight when it comes to work and rest.

Some of us feel the need to work nonstop—but even God, who created work as a gift, never intended for it to consume our lives.

We live in a culture that glorifies busyness. Rising early, staying up late, chasing more—it feels productive. But endless striving without God leads to burnout, not blessing. Without Him, our hustle becomes hollow.

I understand that in today’s world, it’s harder than ever to make ends meet—and sometimes extra work feels like the only option. But even in the busiest seasons, we must make space to rest.

Even in the busiest seasons, make space to rest. An hour with God and your family can restore more than a week of overwork ever could.

🧭 Application: Let God shape your schedule—not just your Sundays.

3.FAMILY IS A GIFT, NOT A GOD

Psalm 127:3–5 — “Children are a heritage from the Lord…”

Psalm 127:3–5 reminds us that children are a heritage from the Lord.

Our families are blessings—but they are not meant to be the center of our lives. God is.

Children are not just gifts to their parents—they are gifts to the world, born with a God-given purpose. That’s why it’s so important to teach them the ways of God while they’re young. Their hearts are open. The seeds we plant early are eternal.

Even as adults, those seeds remain. They grow into the next generation of faith-filled leaders. And even the enemy cannot take away what God has planted.

Isaiah 55:11 NASB 2020

So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.

God—not our family—must be first. When we place our loved ones in His hands, He gives us the wisdom, strength, and grace to love them well.

When God is at the center, we’re better able to love and lead our families with wisdom and grace.

Hopeless marriages are restored.

Prodigal children return home.

Families stay strong when God is the foundation.

Breakthrough comes when our focus stays on Him.

Families who build their lives around God don’t just survive—they stay strong and grow together.

When God is the foundation, unity and love hold firm.

Children are always watching. That’s why parents must lead by example—teaching their kids about God and showing them how to walk in His ways.

Last Sunday, I spoke about the importance of having your family—especially your children—in church. This is why: they need a Christ-centered community to teach, encourage, and love them in truth.

In a world full of distractions, they need an anchor. And so do we.

Without God, even our best efforts fall short. True success begins with a surrendered heart and a family centered on Him.

💔 A Word for Those Who Longed for Children

As we talk about the gift of children, I want to pause and say this—my heart breaks for those who have carried the deep ache of longing for a child that never came. You are not forgotten. You are not left out of God’s plan.

Though you may not have biological children, you still carry the heart of a spiritual parent—a calling to nurture, guide, and bless others. In God's kingdom, legacy isn’t limited by biology. Some of the greatest kingdom impact has come through people who invested in children and younger believers as mentors, teachers, spiritual mothers and fathers.

You matter. You belong. You are needed. And God is using your life to plant seeds of faith that will bloom in eternity.

🎁 Reminder: We don’t worship the gifts—only the Giver.

THIS WEEK’S TAKEAWAY: Don’t just fit God into your day—make Him the center of everything and build your life around Him.

✝️ CONCLUSION

The world says to balance it all. God says to center it all on Him.

When He builds the house:

Work becomes meaningful.

Rest becomes refreshing.

Families are deeply rooted in love.

Only what’s centered on God will last.

Let Him be the builder of your home, the guard over your heart, and the center of your every decision. That’s where true peace, purpose, and joy begin.

🙏 Prayer after the Sermon

Gracious God, Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word today. Plant it deep within our hearts so it may take root and bear fruit in our lives. Where we have been convicted, give us courage to change. Where we have been comforted, help us to rest in Your grace. May we not just be hearers of the Word, but doers—living out Your truth in our homes, our work, and our world. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

📣 Charge

Go now and build your life on the Lord. Let Him be the center of your work, your rest, and your home. What you build with God will last.

✝️ Benediction

May the grace of Jesus be with you, the love of God surround you, and the Holy Spirit guide and keep you, today and always. Amen.