A man decided he wanted to build a house. Not just any house; he dreamed of a big, beautiful, luxury home. He wanted to build the most beautiful house in town. He carefully thought about the basic building materials, the lumber, the plumbing, roofing, the bricks, and even the nails. He made a list of building materials he would need.

The man found out about a free government program that would help him build his house. He went to the state home builder's office and filled out the proper forms. He was assigned a free set of blueprints, a state government builder, and a lot. The man was thrilled. By going to the government, he was able to save a fortune. He didn't have to pay for the blueprints, the builder, or even the lot!

He met with the state builder and showed him the list of building materials. The builder exclaimed, "What a list! You have listed absolutely everything needed to build a spectacular home! I've never seen someone so well prepared. You have everything from chandeliers to the sewage pump." He added, "I have just the right tools to build your home. This will be a fine house."

Finally the house was built. It was truly a magnificent home made with the very best of tools and building materials. The state building inspector came to check the home. The building inspector was in awe. He said, "You have a fine home. It is beautiful. You have the very best of all the building materials. Your home is in the top ninety-ninth percentile compared to other homes in this area. Your house has passed the state's standards." The man moved into his new, beautiful home.

One day the man and his wife were eating dinner. His wife complained that the doors and windows would not shut. Even the beautiful, handmade kitchen cabinets doors would not shut. As they were talking, it started to rain. It wasn't a fierce storm, but it started raining very hard. The man noticed a crack in the wall. He got up to look at the crack, and saw another crack in the ceiling. Just then, a few bricks fell out of the fine custom fireplace. The man went into other parts of the house. The bathroom floors started to buckle. The base of the sink was coming out of the floor! The plumbing was backed up. The roof started leaking. The man didn't understand why his beautiful house was falling apart. He called the building inspector. The inspector said he was not responsible for the house. The man called the state home builder's office to get help. The woman who answered told him they could only help if the man gave them the house. While he was on the phone, the water pipes burst and water poured into every room in the house. The carpets got soaked. The wood floors warped.

The man called his friends to help. A friend brought a truck to help the man save some of his furnishings. While they were moving the furniture into a truck, the electricity went out. The man was close to tears. He had no idea what was wrong with his home. His friend started looking through the house with a flashlight. He soon discovered the problem. He told the man, "This house has shifted. It has a weak foundation. It cannot survive this storm." Before he could finish his sentence, the entire house crashed down around them. The house was built on sand. All fine fixtures, the furnishings, and the entire house was worthless. The man was very sad.

This story parallels the building of a house to the training of a child. The man in the story had a goal to build a fine house (raise a child). His focus was on what would make the house look good to the world (successful, self-reliant, student). The man took the easiest route to have the home built (state)-it demanded no time or effort on the part of the man. There was nothing wrong with the basic building materials (knowledge) if the builder used them correctly (curriculum). The man did not know the builder. The builder did not care about the man or the house. The builder used the state's blueprints (curriculum) to provide a foundation of sand (humanism). The man provided the building materials, but the blueprints called for the builder to bend and distort the materials. The inspector (test examiner) compared the house to the other homes in the area. He focused on the surface results, not the foundation.

With the right builder, foundation, and blueprints, he could have built a strong, fine home. Likewise, we, with the right Builder, Foundation, and Blueprints, can train up godly children, deeply rooted in the Word, who are superior both academically and, most important, spiritually. First you must get to know the right builder. An experienced builder who personally knows and cares for you will help you build a fine home. I know of a wonderful Builder. He is the architect who designed the Blueprints for the world's most stable home. He is known for providing the strongest foundation available, guaranteed to weather any storm. This home will last for eternity.

The builder is God, through His Holy Spirit, leading you through life. The blueprints are the Bible, God's Word, giving instructions for every step of the process. The foundation is Jesus Christ, the rock of salvation.

God will provide the foundation and build the house as a free gift to you. You and your child only have to ask Him to take over. God expects you to provide the tools and he will show you the best materials for your home (academic training). He will use the materials wisely.

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