Building Your Family on the Rock - 1 Peter 2

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Building on What Will Last

Good morning, families! Today, we’re gathered not just in a building, but as living stones in a spiritual house. Our message today is Building Your Family on the Rock. God’s Word will give us a blueprint for constructing a family that stands firm against the storms of life.

Picture a rainy Saturday afternoon and you and your children are building a fort together. Oh, it’s not a real fort, but a fort built of pillows, blankets and whatever can be found. Maybe some consider it a castle, a spaceship or something else entirely.

But this fort was built by the family working together to build this creation. Yet, this make-shift fort is not going to last very long, will it? Why? Because it didn’t have a firm foundation, not was it built to last.

Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock

Jesus’ parable speaks of a wise man, building his house on a rock. The foolish man built his house on sand and it collapsed when the storm came. In the same way, each and every family needs to build their family on the rock of obedience to God’s Word.

Only then, will your family be able to withstand the storms of life that are sure to come. However, God did not intend for each family to build by themselves and be isolated. God designed families to be part of something larger than themselves.

Ephesians 2:19-21 (ESV) … you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together

You are part of the building of the church, both universal and local. That larger structure is essential to building your family on the rock that cannot be moved. It’s a structure that is strong, secure and filled with the joy of the Lord.

It’s a structure that will last forever. So, let’s dig deeper into how to build your family on the rock.

Throw Away the Old to Make Room for the New

1 Peter 2:1 (ESV) So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

The things listed in this verse are words and thoughts that should have no part in a believer’s life. These are things that can cause issues in personal families or church families. Words that are untruthful or that cut others down must be repented of.

These verses instruct us to put away these things from our lives. Our words have their origins in our thoughts. So we must put away these attitudes and thoughts from our minds.

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

When a person believes in Jesus and is born again, they are a spiritual infant, no matter what their physical age is. As physical infants are first fed milk, so spiritual infants are first feed spiritual milk from the word of God. Some parts of God’s Word are like milk, easy to understand and digest.

Other parts are like meat, that is harder to understand, but will make you strong. The goal is that every member of your family may be born again and grow up to become a mature believer. The Lord is good and His Word is exactly what you need to build yourself and your family on the rock of Jesus Christ.

Replacing Old Patterns with God’s Truth

The principle in these verses is essential for us to understand so that your family can be built on a firm foundation. Every negative behavior and thought must be replaced with positive behaviors and thoughts based on God’s Word. It is only through continual repentance and feeding on God’s Word that you and your family will grow spiritually.

These principles apply whether you have children in your home or whether you are grandparents. As you throw away the old from your life and make room for the new, God will help you impart these principles to your children and grandchildren.

Build Together as a Family

1 Peter 2:4 (ESV) As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

The rock that we are to build our families upon is Jesus Christ, the living stone. Jesus Christ is also the Word of God, so to build upon Jesus is also to build upon His Word. Jesus was and still is rejected by most, but He is the chosen and most precious rock to build upon.

1 Peter 2:5 (ESV) you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the foundation stone that we are to build our lives and families upon. Yet, every believer is a living stone that is being built upon the stone of Jesus. In fact, the living stones of believers are being built into a spiritual house or temple.

Each local church is a spiritual house, composed of believers as living stones being built upon the foundation stone of Jesus. Each believer is a priest before God that offers spiritual sacrifices to God within that spiritual house or temple. God calls on you to build that spiritual house together as a family.

Growing Faith Together in Daily Life

Your first priority is yourself. Make sure that you are born again. Then build your life on the rock of Jesus and continue to grow in Him.

Secondly, do everything you can to make sure that all in your immediate family are saved. Those who are saved, you build your family spiritual house. You pray together, you read and speak of God’s Word together.

And you worship together in the larger spiritual house in the local church here at Life Church. Our local church here at Life Church is not isolated and independent. We are part of the much larger spiritual house of the Assemblies of God, both here in St. Louis and around the world, over 85 million strong in 445,000 churches.

Trust Your Foundation When Challenges Come

1 Peter 2:6 (ESV) For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Jesus is not just one of many foundation stones of the church, He is the cornerstone. The cornerstone in a foundation is the stone against which all other stones are fitted. Our cornerstone of Jesus will never be shaken or displaced by life’s challenges.

1 Peter 2:7 (ESV) So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

There were those in Jesus’ day who rejected Him and there are those today as well. However, for those who believe, He is our cornerstone, He give us His honor. When you believe in Him, you will never be abandoned or forsaken.

1 Peter 2:8 (ESV) and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Those who do not believe in Jesus are also disobedient to His Word. People who do not believe in Jesus stumble on the cornerstone, rather than build their lives and families on Him. Trust your foundation when challenges come to you and your family.

Standing Firm When Faith Is Tested

The answers for every challenge in life for you and your family are found in Jesus and His Word. Read His Word together as a family, pray together, worship together in church. That will build a life-long foundation for your family that cannot be shaken.

Yes, there are many other religions in the world, but the only truth is found in Jesus Christ and His Word. Every other religion in the world is built on a false foundation and does not lead people to salvation.

Embrace Your Identity as God’s Chosen Family

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Our identity as believers is as part of God’s chosen family. Your identity as a family of believers is part of God’s chosen family. God chose you and your family for a purpose.

That purpose is to proclaim Him to others for what He has done for you. God has called you out of darkness into the light of Christ.

1 Peter 2:10 (ESV) Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Before you were saved, you were not part of the people of God, you were not part of God’s family. But now, you are one of God’s people, you have received His mercy for your sin. Both you and your family as believers can embrace being part of God’s family.

Living Out Your Calling Together

As a family, embrace the special role you have in God’s story. Celebrate the wins as you see light replace darkness in your lives. Look for ways for your family to shine the light of Jesus to others in your community.

Conclusion: Building a Life That Will Stand

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the spiritual fort or house that we’ve been building together. Just like the forts that we build or have built with our children, each of us, young and old is part of the family of Christ. God wants to use you to build your family on the rock of Jesus.

We need to get rid of rid of the old and make room for the new. We’re not in this alone, we need to build together as a family. Trust and rely on your foundation of Jesus when challenges come.

Embrace your identity as a son or daughter in God’s chosen family. Let’s build our families on the Rock, believing that when the storms come, our fort, our house will stand firm and unshakeable.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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