Foundation for Life - The Book
In the course of writing the many articles for Would Jesus Go There, I learned from various statistics that an alarming percentage of Christians fall away from God at some point after they make a decision for Christ, just as I once did. (statistics suggest somewhere between 86% and 95% of those who make a decision for God fall away, generally within around 15 years of coming to God).
This led me to ask the question, how and why this happens, and the parable of the sewer is highly relevant to finding the answer to this question.
What I discovered is: our ability to stand strong in the face of temptation, testing, life shaking events and tragedy, has everything to do with what our foundations of faith are built on, what they are built from, and whether our foundations, life structure and faith are built according to God’s blueprint for our lives according to His Word.
What started out as a short article for wouldjesusgothere.com turned into a work of some 14 months and a 214 page book called Foundation for Life.
The Foundation for Life message is not only important for us; it is critical that we as Christians get victory over sin and develop a dynamic relationship with God: because how can we ever hope to reach, serve and influence a world of lost people who are heading for a lost eternity in hell, if we are living defeated lives ourselves? God has ordained that He must use His church to reach the world, so the more of us who are screwed up and wallowing in sin, and/or living fruitless lives, the less people we can influence and impact for God, for His glory, and for His kingdom. The devil will do anything he can to keep us bogged down in sin to prevent us from embarking on, or being effective in, the Great Commission we are all called to. It is essential then that Christians are made aware of the tricks and snares our enemy uses to keep us from our calling to this Great Commission.
So the important question is:
How strong are your foundations?
Would your foundations of faith in Christ survive a test of earthquake intensity? Because having solid foundations is essential to our ability to stand strong in the face of adversity.
So why and for whom, is Foundation for Life written?
- It is for every Christian who has ever struggled with sin, or is still struggling with sin.
- It is written as a powerful discipleship tool to provide: a bible based blueprint and companion for all Christians, to ensure our foundations of faith are based on and in God’s Word, and the Gospel that Jesus and the disciples preached.
- It provides the tools a Christian needs to build a strong and enduring life-structure on properly constructed foundations, which will withstand the storms and tests of life we must all face in our lifetime.
- It is for every Christian who wants to go deeper with God.
- It reveals how get and remain Crazy: Radically in love with God, This is vital if we are to remain faithful to God for a lifetime.
- And it is for every Christian who wants to be equipped with keys to disciple other Christians, and to lead others to Christ the old gospel way.
Feedback from the book so far from readers is extremely encouraging, from the recent convert to those who have walked with Christ for many years. See one example of the feedback for Foundation for Life below:
Foundation for Life Testimonial: (I have left this person’s name out for their privacy)
- Dear Steve.
- I also wanted to tell you and thank you, for healing my relationship with my dad somewhat by what you wrote in your book Foundation for Life on unforgiveness. I had forgiven my father, but not totally forgotten, and I still spoke about things sometimes concerning my dad. However, when I came across the chapter on unforgiveness in your book; instinctively knew I had to call my dad and make things right. It was difficult, but the weight of what you said made it easier for me to act. God told me to be patiently persistent with my dad, and this occurrence has taken us to a new place in our relationship.
Foundation for Life:
Contents
Introduction
1. Building Solid Foundations
- Building Inspection
2. Where Do We Start?
- Out With the Old Gospel and In With the New!
- Back to the Beginning
- To Calvary
- Amazing Love – Amazing Grace
- The Early Church
3. Introduction of a Strange Gospel
- Eternal Prize or Eternal Disappointment
- A building or Rebuilding Our Foundations
4. Foundation for Life
- Understanding Who God Really Is
- Understanding Why God Created Us
- The Fall of Man: Sin Enters the World
- The Gospel of Christ: The True Gospel
5. Forgive and Forget
- Unforgiveness
- What Does Forgiveness Mean?
6. Saved by Grace
- Where To From Here?
7. Church Fellowship
- No Man is an Island
- How Important is Church Fellowship?
- The Lonely Ember
8. Preparing for the Work to Begin
- Plugging Into the Power Source
- The Promise of the Holy Spirit
- Why Did Jesus Send the Holy Spirit?
9. God’s Toolbox – Tools for Life
- Once We Begin to Follow Christ
- The Word of God
- God’s Word: Its Power, Influence, and Value
- Learning to Read and Strategically Study God’s Word
- God’s Word for Breakfast
- God’s Word for Supper
- My Strategy for Reading God’s Word
10. Discipleship
11. Other Tools: Media
12. Get Crazy: Radically in Love With God
13. Getting to Know God: Tools of Prayer
- Praying Families
- Jesus on the Greatest Commandment
- The Loveless Church
- Human Unfaithfulness
14. We Are What We Eat
15. Know Your Enemy: Part One
- How Satan Operates
- Satan: Hater of God
- Defeating the Enemy
- Satan the Tempter
- Satan the Fisherman
- The Key Elements of Fishing Are
- Understanding the Fishing Environment
- Live Bait
- Dead Bait
- Lures or Artificial Baits
- The Good Fisherman (Jesus)
- The Battle for Mankind
- The Evil Fisherman (Satan)
16. Know Your Enemy: Part Two
- Satan’s Tackle: His Hooks, Baits, and Lures
- The Guilt Trip After the Sin
- Satan, the Impossible Taskmaster
- Getting Righteously Angry
- Our Defence and Weapons of Warfare
17. The Whole Armour of God
- The Belt of Truth
- The Breastplate of Righteousness
- Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
- The Shield of Faith
- The Helmet of Salvation
- The Sword of the Spirit
18. Living for God – Dying to Self
- I Am Third
19. The Vision Imperative
20. Serving God
21. The Great Commission
22. The Challenge
About the Author – My Personal Journey
- The Beginning
- A Defining Moment
- A New Beginning
- The Lost Years
- Sharing the knowledge
Commendations
Last year we built a new garage. I was deeply impressed by the time and care the builder took over the concrete foundations. He checked the plans until he knew them by heart. He checked what he was doing against the plans every few minutes. He measured and adjusted the form-work and levels until he had that foundation within a millimeter of true. Finally, he stood up, satisfied:… She’ll be right! And the garage was built sweetly on a perfect base.
Through sound teaching and great analogy, Steve Hope shows us clearly how to build our lives on the Rock. The testimony of his own failures greatly strengthens his case, as he has personally experienced what works and what doesn’t. Every new believer, indeed all believers, should sit up and take note. This is the stuff of concrete and steel, digging and measuring. It may not be romantic, but it is deeply necessary if we are to build the lives the Lord has planned for each of us. Time invested on the foundations is never wasted!
John Fergusson
Founder of JF Ministries
Foundations! Now there’s a word that has been sadly lacking in today’s world. Foundations aren’t exciting. Foundations aren’t seen. Foundations don’t make for good media. Yet take a look at the headlines of the world. Most of today’s leaders are like glitzy houses with weak foundations.
Steve Hope presents a case for houses built to last, not just go fast. This book and the revelation it contains just might stop you from being the next headline. And that’s a good investment.
Ed Delph President
Nationstrategy.com
7145 W. Mariposa Grande Ln.
Peoria, Arizona 85383
People Who Empower People To Transform Communities; Life is a gift more precious than words can express. At the end of your life, the Creator who gave you life will require of you an answer to two questions: What did you do with Jesus, and what did you do with the capacity I put in you? Is it arrogance that a man like Steve Hope produces a book to give you help in responding to issues of such a profound nature?
Not at all!
Steve has found a relationship with Jesus Christ and has come to believe the Word of God. Jesus committed his life-saving message into the hands of fishermen, tax collectors, political radicals, ordinary people who were willing to follow him and trust him in life. Steve Hope is a follower of Jesus. He has produced this book out of his own encounter with the Bible and the life of Christ. Allow this book to encourage YOU to be a follower of Jesus. You will not be disappointed.
Dr. Allan Meyer
Co-founder Careforce Life keys
Author of – From Good Man To Valiant Man
Steve Hope writes this book not just from biblical knowledge gained that he desired to share, but it comes from his personal experience, including the PAST struggles and challenges he faced in his own journey of faith. It is a storehouse of life-giving treasure in building a strong foundation, to in turn build a great life in Christ
Pastor Luke Brough
Senior Minister – Elim Christian Centre
Howick, Auckland, New Zealand
www.elimchristiancentre.org.nz
A Christian without a real appreciation of Hell, and the battle between Good and Evil and our place in that struggle, is like a soldier without weapons: doomed to fail. Steve Hope’s new book offers a cogent analysis of where so many modern churches are going wrong, a watered-down message that’s drowning new Christians, not saving them. While we preach a gospel of love, the urgency and seriousness of the real gospel truth are lost: Hell is real. Evil exists. Only Christ can truly save us and our children from that fate. The choice each of us faces is the most important decision we will ever make, not a social fashion accessory.
Highly recommended!
Ian Wishart
Author, The Divinity Code and Eve’s Bite
About The Author:
Steve Hope is a businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, and a diploma graduate in sales, marketing and advertising. Since 1988 he has launched numerous start-up businesses in manufacturing, video production, importing and exporting, and marketing. His walk with God began on New Year’s Eve, 1972. He married Gail in 1980 and they have two sons in their twenties. He has a passion for ministry, speaking at Christian groups, and for music, whether writing it, playing it, or leading worship at Church. He founded Would Jesus Go There in 2008, (see www.wouldjesusgothere.com), a ministry under the umbrella of the Higher Ground Trust. He resides in Auckland, New Zealand.
HOW TO ORDER:
For your gift of USD $10.00 plus postage,
Order your copy of Foundation for Life by clicking: Order Foundation for Life below:
Proceeds for Foundation for Life go to The Higher Ground Trust, Would Jesus Go There; to be used for funding this ministry and taking the Foundation for Life message on the road.
Order Foundation for Life
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