Foundations Bible School, Khanewal, Pakistan
Smiling Sheep and Cornerstone Christian Fellowship
Foundations Bible School
Session 1
By Marc Vidito
What is a foundation?
In the United Arab Emirates, in the city of Dubai, the Burj Khalifa stands at 829.8 meters tall. It is the tallest building in the world.
With 163 stories or floors, it can hold over 30,000 people. It has 900 apartments, 304 hotel rooms, and almost 3000 parking spaces.
Along with apartments, hotel rooms, offices, and cafes, some take to the Burj Khalifa for Base Jumping, a sport where jumpers wear a glider suit, like a flying Squirrel or flying snake, jump off of the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, and glide through the sky of the city to a destination among the buildings below.
The Burj Khalifa is the greatest accomplishment in architecture and would be the greatest catastrophe without one thing: a firm foundation.
Without a firm foundation, not one story or floor would stand. Why, because this is a house built on sand.
“The Burj Khalifa's foundation is a 12-foot thick concrete mat that covers 86,111 square feet. The foundation is made up of 192 piles, each 1.5 meters in diameter and 43 meters long, that are embedded 50 meters deep. The piles rest on a rock bed and are supported by a combination of steel and concrete.” -Google AI
You see the terrain supporting the city of Dubai is a rock bed covered with 10s of meters of relatively loose sand.
Sand is blown by the wind. Eroded by rain, pushed aside by pressure. Ever shifting. Ever changing.
Have you ever stepped into sand. It does not remain stable but is moved and displaced by weight and natural elements. Your feet sink into sand. Your steps become heavy and unsteady.
How can the world’s greatest architectural construct stand on such unsure footing.
The building’s foundation may be more of a masterpiece than what is seen above ground. A concrete and steel island with beams of concrete and steel sinking through the uncertain shifting sands to rest on the rock bed 50 meters beneath. On this rock, this modern miracle stands sure.
Isn’t our life the same? And our faith?
Yes, we have buildings. We sing songs of praise and worship. We lift up prayers and speak encouraging words to one another.
But without a firm foundation, our buildings fall. Our praises cease. Our words of encouragement fall on deaf ears.
This is what the Foundations Bible School is all about.
Our foundation is the word of God and our Burj Khalifa, the praise, congregations, sermons, and prayers are built on the Word of God.
In our studies together, you will learn to eat the Word of God and let it feed your entire life.
It will become the foundation on which everything else is built.
And with the Word of God, your life, your family, your faith, and your ministry cannot be shaken.
Let us pray.