Patterson Irrigator | Your Local Paper - SERMON notes

July 24, 2008 Patterson, CA

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Written by Rev. Kevin Campbell
Friday, 04 April 2008
Build on a strong foundation As a child, I always loved the song “The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock.” Maybe it was the concrete nature of the illustration or the hand gestures that went with singing this song that grasped my imagination. Rev. Kevin Campbell We would sing that the wise man built his house upon the rock, pounding our fists into our palms, making loud smacking sounds. Then we would sing how the rain came down and the floods came up, with fingers making rain motions and a swooshing flood at the end. The wise man’s house stood firm. Then we would sing about the foolish man, who built his house on the sand. We would end with a really big whoosh and the house falling down. It fixed in our developing minds the importance of building our lives on a solid foundation. I am nine months into my first year here in Patterson. It is a time when I am reflecting on the foundations being laid in my congregation. I have come to value the relationships I am building in the community, and have found a wonderful sense of being at home in Patterson — the foundations we build on as individuals, families, churches and a community are important. The current mortgage crisis has shown what happens when we overextend ourselves and build on a sand foundation, expecting ever-rising housing prices to bail us out of shortsighted choices. It can all come tumbling down around us. The dream of owning a home can become a nightmare in an instant. But building on a foundation of home, job, family and a good community to live in is not enough. When we build on the foundation of Jesus, we are ready to weather the storms of life. When we build on the foundation of a church family, we have broader support when illness or hard times roll around. When a town is built on the faith of followers of Jesus, it is not home values, location or community events but the character of the community that shines through. I see Patterson rallying to meet the challenges that face us — feeding the hungry, cleaning up the downtown, providing activities for our young people and caring for the aged. It is sharing the love of God with others that makes a community great. The dreams of the Patterson family when the community was laid out 99 years ago have borne good fruit, because of the prayers, hard work and character of those who have lived here. I hope you remember to build on the right foundation — Jesus the Christ. No matter what comes our way, Jesus is the surest foundation for our lives. The Rev. Kevin Campbell is minister of Federated Methodist-Presbyterian Church. Sermon Notes is a column by ministers of the Patterson Ministerial Association. Any religious leader who would like to write for the column may contact the Patterson Irrigator. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 177 Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.