As I write this, a jackhammer is breaking through the concrete slab in my garage, and workers are tunneling under my foundation. I’ve known there were fractures in the foundation caused by the instability of Texas’ clay soil. When doors could no longer close, and cracks appeared in the walls, I couldn’t put off the repair any longer. In total, 44 piers are being installed around the perimeter and under the concrete slab foundation. Yes, it’s worse than I thought—much worse!

We live in chaotic times. Shifting ideological soils in our culture have exposed fractures in Christian circles. Some followers of Christ stand firmly on the foundation of a biblical worldview; others have either adopted secular wokeness or are indifferent to its dangers.

How do these fractures develop if all Christians believe in the same gospel? Several contributing factors exist, two of which lie beneath the surface.

First, spiritual warfare is real. Witch doctors in Africa and persecution of Christians in the Middle East and parts of Asia are undeniably demonic. But demonic forces in the Western world employ subtle deception. Paul warns us of the devil’s schemes, saying, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14b). Satan’s agents bait Christians by accusing those who stand for the truth of being hateful bigots. In an attempt to disprove the accusers, churches with weak theological underpinnings take the bait. They turn a blind eye to lifestyles contrary to God’s design under the banner of “inclusion” regardless of lifestyle. Wokeness creeps in and infiltrates the church.

The second factor is foundational to the first. To appeal to the masses, solid theological teaching has become the rare exception rather than the rule. Paul said, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). We are living in that time. A lack of sound theological piers undergirding the foundation of a believer’s life results in an inability to discern false teaching and dilutes the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

How solid is the foundation of your faith? Is it fractured or intact? Is it undergirded with piers of sound theological truth, or has the shifting soil of our culture caused fractures in your worldview? If you are unsure where you stand, here are two crucial steps to pursue.

First, find a church that courageously stands on God’s Word without compromise and demonstrates God’s heart of love and compassion for all people, including the lost. While teaching “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), they don’t measure growth by the size of the congregation but by the size of hearts pursuing Jesus’ greatest commandments to love your God with all the heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

Second, undergird your foundation with piers of sound theology. Formal Bible education may be beneficial but isn’t required. Acquire a blueprint for building a solid foundation by taking a deep dive into Paul’s theological masterpiece, the Book of Romans. Chapters 1–11 expound on life-transforming themes that flow from the power of God’s love; chapters 12–16 instruct how to be a channel of His love by living surrendered to His will.

Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). We live in the end times that Bible prophecy says will only worsen. Will the foundation of your life enable you to stand on God’s truth, or will you fall for Satan’s schemes?

Stop and consider.