Laying the foundation for a come back

Jeremiah 29:5 NKJV

5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.

1. The First step in building a house is designing the house.

i’m not a good writer, i can do it but i’m not good at it.

but in order to build anything you have to know what it cost. in order to understand the cost you have to understand what its going to cot you have to have a blue print.

Luke 14:28–32 NKJV

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

Counting the cost here referrers to discipleship here. the point I wanted to use this verse because it talks about counting the cost

before you can build a house you have to decide what you need.

how many bathrooms can you afford? you can never nave too many bathrooms right ?

how big will the back yard be?

how many rooms do you need?

how much am I going to be able to afford? what level of grade can you afford.

2. How do I build a blue print?

Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV

2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.

writing is one of my week points. I can do it but the process is arduous.

a few years ago i watched some videos put out by an Ivy league school to help me improve on my writing. one of the first things they said that challenged my assumptions was that we write as a process of thinking.

you may need more money to deal with your obligations:

before you go barging into your bosses office demanding a raise based on you need stop.

start with prayer.

then start by sitting down with a journal and writing the vision down.

What is my previewed need?

More money! (Duh)

Who is your primary provider?

Deuteronomy 2:7 NKJV

7 “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31–33 NKJV

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The Lord is my provider! (Duh)

of course we know that in our church brain. but do we ever stop to think that God has a plan to do something.

this is why our decisions should start with prayer.

Proverbs 3:5–7 NKJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

what I am about to say is predicated on the assumption that maybe you don’t need a rase for whatever.

maybe we need another two forms of income.

when i finished my doctorate i thought i would try to start a speaking and consulting business. when I went to the Texas Tech Small business incubator. what I learned was that in order for me to do well I needed three separate, but related of course streams of income.

the Lord is your provider, not the boss. go to the Lord first.

while you are going to the Lord go to your budget and make sure your not paying for stuff, you don’t use, don’t need or cant afford.

then as you write the vision down and sleep on it then refine again.

once you have an idea you need to do home work. talk to people ect. ect.

if you are going to build a house, you need to lay a good foundation.