Building a Foundation on Christ

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Welcome to One Day Out, a weekly newsletter to help deepen your faith, enhance your health, and guide you in pursuing a purpose-filled life.

Opening Prayer

Father, You are the rock on which I stand. In a world that constantly shifts and pulls me in different directions, help me to build my life on You and Your Word. Strengthen my faith, deepen my understanding, and guide me to walk in step with Your Spirit. No matter what trials come my way, may I remain firmly planted in You.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

What Are You Building Your Life On?

Last night, I attended an event at my church with Dabo Swinney and Cade Klubnik, the head coach and quarterback for the Clemson Tigers. If you follow football, you know Dabo—a coach who has led Clemson to multiple championships. Cade, an Austin native, has made his mark as their QB.

Truthfully, I’ve never been a die-hard Clemson fan, but I’ve always admired Dabo—not just for his coaching ability, but for how he boldly shares his faith. He doesn’t just coach football. He uses his platform to spread the Gospel.

Last night, he spoke about building a foundation on Christ, and it made me reflect on my own journey. What does it really mean to have a foundation in Christ? And how often do we build our lives on things that won’t last?

I don’t want to steal Dabo’s thunder, but I do want to share what God placed on my heart—and how I learned the hard way that anything built on a weak foundation will eventually crumble.

When My Foundation Crumbled

I played football at Dickinson College, but for my first few years, I battled injuries. My freshman year, I played special teams and started one game. After grinding in the offseason, I earned the starting strong safety position.

But just days before our first game, it all fell apart.

I blitzed, wrapped up the running back, planted my foot—and then pop. My knee gave out, and I went down.

I knew it was bad.

The trainer performed the ACL test and confirmed what every athlete dreads—I had torn my ACL. After I got MRI’s back, it showed that I also tore both meniscuses and sprained my LCL. Season-ending surgery. A year of rehab. Everything I worked for—gone in an instant.

Football had always been my outlet. It was my identity. When that was stripped away, I didn’t turn to God. I turned to partying.

I drank. A lot. I didn’t care about my responsibilities. One night, I got so wasted that I came home and woke up my roommates—guys who had a game the next day. The worst part? I didn’t even remember doing it.

I was lost, angry, and bitter. And deep down, I knew why.

A Weak Foundation Will Always Collapse

I grew up in church. I went to a Catholic school. But once I got to college, I decided I didn’t need my faith anymore.

I didn’t want to follow the rules. I wanted to do things my way.

And that’s exactly why my life felt like it was falling apart.

I had built my identity on my own strength—my abilities as an athlete, my achievements, my pride. But when the storm came, my foundation was weak.

The truth is, if your foundation isn’t built on Christ, it’s built on sand. And sand will never hold up when life gets hard.

Saved by Amazing Grace

In 2022, I got SWAG—as Dabo puts it: Saved by Amazing Grace.

That was the year I surrendered my life to Jesus.

Now, my foundation isn’t built on who I am as an athlete, an entrepreneur, or any worldly title. Those things are great, but they don’t define me.

God is sovereign. He allows things to happen for a reason—even our hardest moments.

Cade Klubnik shared how his foundation in Christ kept him steady through harsh criticism last season. When the world called for him to be benched, he didn’t let it shake him. Why? because his identity wasn’t in football. It was in Christ.

That’s the difference between a weak foundation and an unshakable one.

How to Build a Foundation on Christ

So, how do we build a foundation that won’t collapse when life gets tough?

Here are three steps:

1. Spend time in God’s Word daily.
   The Bible is your blueprint. If you want to build your life on Christ, you have to know what He says. Even if it’s just 10 minutes a day—get in the Word.

2. Pray consistently.
   Prayer isn’t just asking God for things. It’s about a relationship. Talk to Him, listen, and invite Him into every aspect of your life.

3. Surround yourself with believers.
   You can’t do this alone. Find a church, join a small group, and build relationships with people who will push you closer to God.

The Only Foundation That Lasts

You can’t build a strong house on a weak foundation.

We need to be leaders in our families, our communities, and our workplaces. But that leadership has to start with a foundation built on Christ.

Because when the storms come—and they will—only one foundation will stand.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for being the firm foundation we can always rely on. Help us to build our lives on You, not on things that will fade. Strengthen our faith, guide our steps, and remind us daily that we belong to You.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Know others who want to grow in their faith, optimize their health, and live a biblically sound life according to God’s word? Share this and let’s grow His Kingdom!

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