When the Ground Shakes, God Remains

The Psalmist’s cry sets the tone for these days: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). The very next verse answers with calm confidence: the Lord is on His throne. The center holds because Christ holds all things together.

Fear yields to faith when we look up. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The kingdom we are receiving cannot be shaken, so our feet can be steady in a trembling age (Hebrews 12:28).

Build on the Rock: Non‑Negotiable Convictions

Our footing begins with the Word that does not move. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Convictions that do not bend under pressure:

- Scripture as inerrant, sufficient, and final authority (2 Timothy 3:16–17; John 17:17; Isaiah 40:8).

- The gospel of Christ crucified and risen as the only way of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 4:12; Galatians 1:8–9).

- Christ’s supremacy and lordship over all (John 14:6; Colossians 1:15–20; Philippians 2:9–11).

- Creation order: humanity made male and female; marriage as one man and one woman; life sacred from womb to old age (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Psalm 139:13–16).

- The local church as “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

- Christ’s literal return, final judgment, and the new creation (Acts 17:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Revelation 21:1–5).

Habits That Anchor the Heart

Convictions grow roots through habits. Stability in public begins with fidelity in private. Hiding the Word in the heart restrains sin and supplies strength for witness.

Prayer, fasting, and the Lord’s Day form holy rhythms that keep us clear‑eyed and warm‑hearted. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

Practices that keep the soul steady:

- Daily Scripture intake: read, meditate, memorize, obey (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Colossians 3:16).

- Prayer and fasting: regular, earnest, and joyful (Matthew 6:6, 16–18; Philippians 4:6–7).

- Lord’s Day worship as a weekly re‑calibration (Hebrews 10:24–25; Acts 2:42).

- Gratitude and simplicity that resist anxiety and greed (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; 1 Timothy 6:6–10).

- Accountability and confession with trusted believers (Proverbs 27:17; James 5:16).

Armor for a Real Battle

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood; our war is spiritual and the weapons are divine (Ephesians 6:10–12; 2 Corinthians 10:3–5). Alertness is essential. “Be sober-minded and alert” (1 Peter 5:8).

This is no time for partial armor. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).

- Belt of truth: honesty with God and reality that refuses spin (Ephesians 6:14).

- Breastplate of righteousness: declared in Christ, displayed in purity (Ephesians 6:14; Titus 2:11–14).

- Gospel shoes: readiness to move toward people with good news (Ephesians 6:15; Romans 10:14–15).

- Shield of faith: extinguishing the lies and accusations (Ephesians 6:16; Romans 8:1).

- Helmet of salvation: secure identity and future hope (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

- Sword of the Spirit: wielding the Word with precision and humility (Ephesians 6:17; Matthew 4:4).

Standing Together as a Gospel People

Stability is communal, not merely individual. The earliest believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Sheep stand firm with a flock and faithful undershepherds.

Healthy churches grow sturdy saints. Gospel doctrine and gospel culture reinforce each other. Mutual exhortation, church discipline, and ordinary means of grace preserve witness and love (Hebrews 10:24–25; Matthew 18:15–20; 1 Peter 5:1–4).

- Gather consistently to hear the Word, pray, sing, and share the Table (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16).

- Guard the gospel through sound doctrine and loving correction (Galatians 1:8–9; Jude 3; Titus 2:1).

- Structure for care: elders who shepherd, deacons who serve, members who minister (1 Peter 5:2–3; Acts 6:1–7; Ephesians 4:11–16).

- Scatter on mission: every member a witness, every home a lighthouse (Matthew 5:14–16; Acts 8:4).

Clarity in Confusion: Practicing Discernment

Deception thrives when convictions are vague. “But test all things; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Refuse captivity to empty philosophies (Colossians 2:8) and test the spirits (1 John 4:1).

Discernment filters that serve stability:

- Alignment with whole‑Bible teaching, not isolated proof‑texts (Acts 20:27; Psalm 119:160).

- Gospel centrality that magnifies Christ, not self (2 Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 6:14).

- Fruit over time: holiness, humility, love, and mission (Matthew 7:15–20; James 3:17–18).

- Means matter as much as ends; righteousness cannot ride on unrighteous methods (Romans 12:21; 2 Timothy 2:24–25).

- Submission to godly elders and the wisdom of the church (Hebrews 13:17; Proverbs 15:22).

- Intentional media habits and guarded eyes (Psalm 101:3; Proverbs 4:23; Ephesians 5:15–16).

Courage Under Fire: Obedience When It Costs

All who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will face opposition (2 Timothy 3:12). When commands of men collide with commands of God, the path is clear: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29).

Suffering refines faith and displays the worth of Christ (1 Peter 4:12–16; 2 Corinthians 4:8–11). Joy in trials is not denial but defiance—hope refusing to bow.

- Say a clear yes to Christ’s commands and a clean no to sin (John 14:15; Titus 2:11–12).

- Speak truth in love without rancor or retreat (Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 4:6).

- Use lawful means without making an idol of comfort or rights (Acts 22:25; 25:11; Romans 13:1–7 balanced by Acts 5:29).

- Keep a good conscience and visible integrity (1 Peter 3:16; Philippians 2:14–15).

- Rejoice, endure, and bless your persecutors (Matthew 5:11–12; Romans 5:3–5; 12:14; James 1:2–4).

Steadfast in Witness and Discipleship

The mission does not pause when the world shakes. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), and we are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” … “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18, 20).

A ready witness is a steady witness. “But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you, but do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

- Share the gospel clearly and often; keep the cross central (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Galatians 2:20).

- Tell your story; God uses ordinary testimony with extraordinary power: “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).

- Practice hospitality and open your table (Luke 14:12–14; 1 Peter 4:9).

- Disciple with intentionality and multiplication (Matthew 28:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

- Serve the vulnerable with good works that adorn the gospel (Titus 3:14; James 1:27).

Hope That Cannot Be Shaken

Hope fixes the gaze on a sovereign God who wastes nothing. “And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). That promise holds in famine or feast, acclaim or reproach.

Therefore, steadiness grows. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The King will return, the church will endure, and the Word will stand.

God’s Word rules the church, reads the culture, and reforms the conscience. Its divine origin secures its inerrancy and sufficiency (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21). The literal sense—accounting for genre, context, and authorial intent—guards against both skepticism and speculation.

- Read whole passages in context; trace the storyline from creation to new creation (Luke 24:27; Acts 20:27).

- Let Scripture interpret Scripture; harmonize doctrine with the whole canon (Psalm 119:160).

- Sit under the church’s historic confessions while testing all by the Word (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

- Aim for obedience, not novelty (James 1:22–25).

The Church and the State

Civil authority is honored as God’s servant for good (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17). When the state commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, the church obeys God. “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29).

- Honor and pray for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1–2).

- Pay taxes and do good publicly (Romans 13:6–7; Titus 3:1–2).

- Use lawful appeals without placing ultimate hope in politics (Acts 25:11; Psalm 146:3).

- Prepare to suffer rather than sin (Daniel 3; 6; Hebrews 11:32–38).

Hot‑Button Ethics: Creation Order and Human Dignity

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). God defines humanity, marriage, and sexuality for human flourishing and His glory (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6). Life from the womb to the grave bears His handiwork. “For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

- Teach clarity with compassion; hold grace and truth together (John 1:14; Ephesians 4:15).

- Walk with strugglers toward repentance and renewal (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

- Maintain church discipline with a view to restoration (Matthew 18:15–20; Galatians 6:1).

- Advocate for the unborn, the disabled, the elderly, and the marginalized (Proverbs 24:11–12; James 1:27).

Digital Babylon and the War for Attention

Attention is a discipleship issue. Not all things are beneficial or enslavingly lawful (1 Corinthians 6:12). Hearts drift toward what eyes behold (Proverbs 4:23; Psalm 101:3).

- Establish device curfews and tech‑free zones.

- Curate feeds; unfollow what inflames the flesh; follow what fuels faith (Philippians 4:8).

- Redeem time intentionally (Ephesians 5:15–16).

- Memorize and meditate on Scripture daily (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16).

Suffering, Lament, and Joy

Biblical lament gives voice to grief while gripping promises (Psalm 13; 42). Present pain will yield eternal weight (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).

- Speak sorrow honestly to God.

- Bind sorrow to specific promises.

- Receive comfort through the body of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3–7).

- Practice resilient joy (Habakkuk 3:17–19; Philippians 4:4).

Apologetics for the Ground Level

Gentleness and clarity commend the truth (1 Peter 3:15). Ground confidence in God’s existence, Scripture’s reliability, Christ’s resurrection, and the gospel’s moral coherence.

- Learn a simple, biblical gospel outline (1 Corinthians 15:1–4).

- Use patient, probing dialogue that exposes heart‑level commitments (Proverbs 20:5).

- Share the plausibility and beauty of the Christian vision of reality (Psalm 34:8).

- Invite people into the life of the church where truth becomes tangible (John 13:34–35).

Shepherding Structures that Stand

Strong churches are led by qualified elders, served by deacons, and built on meaningful membership (1 Peter 5:2–3; Acts 20:28–31; Philippians 1:1).

- Catechize new members in doctrine and life (Titus 2).

- Practice a clear membership covenant and loving discipline (1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5–8).

- Build a discipleship pipeline: gather, grow, equip, deploy (Ephesians 4:11–16; 2 Timothy 2:2).

- Prepare crisis responses for persecution, disaster, and benevolence (Acts 11:27–30).

Eschatological Calm

Watchful hope steadies the church without sensationalism (Matthew 24; 2 Thessalonians 2). Live ready, not rattled (1 Thessalonians 5:4–8; Hebrews 10:36–37).

- Hold major certainties: Christ returns, the dead are raised, judgment is real, the new creation is sure (John 5:28–29; Revelation 20–22).

- Let hope fuel holiness and mission (2 Peter 3:11–14; Matthew 24:14).

Financial Faithfulness in Uncertain Economies

Money is a test of trust. Lay up treasure in heaven; seek first the kingdom (Matthew 6:19–34). Contentment and generosity guard the heart (1 Timothy 6:6–10; 2 Corinthians 9:6–8).

- Budget for generosity first.

- Live below means and avoid enslaving debt (Proverbs 22:7).

- Build wise margins and share with the needy (Ephesians 4:28; Titus 3:14).

- Support gospel workers and global mission (Philippians 4:15–19; 3 John 5–8).

Family as a Frontline Outpost

Homes become strongholds of truth and love when the Word fills daily life (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Psalm 78:1–8). Parents shepherd; the church equips; children participate in the mission.

- Daily Scripture and prayer around the table.

- Weekly Lord’s Day habits that delight in God (Isaiah 58:13–14; Hebrews 10:25).

- Catechism, singing, and service as family liturgies (Colossians 3:16; Joshua 24:15).

- Train sons and daughters to stand and serve (Ephesians 6:1–4; Titus 2:1–8).

Finish Well

Long obedience in the same direction is the aim. Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7–8). Christ walks among His churches, commending faithfulness and calling for repentance (Revelation 2–3).

- Build sustainable rhythms of rest, work, and worship.

- Seek mentors and invest in younger saints.

- Practice regular solitude, self‑examination, and repentance (Psalm 139:23–24; 2 Corinthians 13:5).

- Craft a legacy of faith, generosity, and disciple‑making that outlives you (Psalm 145:4; 2 Timothy 2:2).