The Home Team (Part 3): Owners vs. renters
Why “Home Team” Matters at PPC
Psalm 127:1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain…”
Core conviction: We don’t want well-run homes; we want God-built homes.
Where We Believe God Is Leading Us This Year
This year we are committing to helping you build Christ-centered homes where faith is consistently lived out, homes marked by honor, grounded in Jesus, passed down through generations, and strengthened as each of us takes ownership of our faith.
Series Map
Week 1: Consistency
Week 2: Honor
Week 3: Owners vs Renters
Week 4: Generations
Week 5: A Warning
Main Passage
Joshua 24:14–15
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua gives a prophetic picture of what it means to take ownership of our faith and lead our homes with clarity and conviction.
What This Means for Us Today
God is calling His church—PPC—to make a clear and public declaration about who we will serve, to reject idols, and to fully commit our homes to the Lord.
What Joshua’s Warning Looks Like in Our Homes Today
1) Competing Cultures
Israel was surrounded by competing cultures.
Today, our homes are surrounded by voices, values, and influences pulling us away from God.
2) Complacency After Blessing
Israel drifted into complacency after God’s blessings.
Today, we forget God when life starts to feel comfortable at home.
3) Idols Sneak In
Israel allowed idols into their homes.
Today, idols still sneak into our homes—quietly and subtly. We normalize what fights God for our devotion.
“I Don’t Have Any Idols in My Home…” (Common Modern Idols)
Comfort: Avoiding anything hard, difficult, or inconvenient, even when obedience requires sacrifice.
Children: Making kids the center of the home instead of discipling and training them in the Lord.
Drugs & Alcohol: Using substances for comfort and escape instead of turning to God as our source of peace and strength.
Busyness: Schedules so full that God becomes optional, squeezed out by activities and commitments.
Entertainment / Digital Noise: Fox News, MSNBC, TikTok, Facebook—these shape our hearts more than the Word of God.
Political Party: Political identity defining us more than Christ does, dividing homes more than God’s Word unites.
Opinions: Treating our opinions like they matter most.
Relationships: Elevating dating, marriage, and having kids above Jesus—taking Him out of the equation.
Sex: Allowing desire to drive decisions instead of holiness and self-control.
Career: Making success, status, and power the highest priority in life.
The Decision Point
“Choose this day whom you will serve…”
Ultimately, Israel had to decide whom they would serve, and so do we.
How Do We Choose to Serve Jesus in Our Homes?
Joshua’s pathway is clear: fear the Lord, serve in sincerity, serve in faithfulness, and put away idols.
Step 1: Fear the Lord
Key: The fear of the Lord is a two-sided coin that holds two truths at the same time.
Truth 1: Reverence
The sobering awareness that God is holy, and we are not.
Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Truth 2: Awe
The wonder, gratitude, and amazement at who He is and what He has done for us.
Romans 5:8 — “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Step 2: Serve in Sincerity
Living the same faith at home that we show in church—no pretending.
Putting God first each day in our home, not just Sunday moments.
Step 3: Serve in Faithfulness
Showing up consistently in our homes.
Choosing God at home even when we don’t feel like it.
“Put Away the Gods Your Fathers Served…” (Joshua 24:15)
Why would Joshua say this?
Because too many of us are still walking in generational patterns passed down to us.
What Do We Do? Repent and Declare a New Legacy
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Examples of what this can look like:
Your dad was an alcoholic:
“As for me and my house, we choose sobriety and a new legacy.”
Your mom was abusive:
“As for me and my house, we choose gentleness, healing, and protection.”
Your family didn’t go to church:
“As for me and my house, we choose to lead our home with Jesus at the center.”
Your parents screamed to solve problems:
“As for me and my house, we choose peace and patience.”
Your family ran from conflict:
“As for me and my house, we choose forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation.”
No one prayed in my home:
“As for me and my house, we choose to make prayer a normal part of life.”
Provision and Power for Generational Change
God’s provision for the generational patterns of our parents is Jesus.
God empowers us to walk as new creations through the Holy Spirit.
The Warning for Our Homes
Judges 2:10–12
“Another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done… then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Israel heard Joshua’s warning but didn’t sustain it because they never owned their faith—they only rented it for a generation.
Why We’re in This Series
To declare as households and as a church:
Joshua 24:15
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Next Week
Next week we’ll talk about what it looks like to own our faith and build generational homes.