May 13, 2026
Shaken Foundations: May 17, 1776 - 250 Years Later
• Before America declared independence, America first declared dependence.
• Shaking does not create foundations — it reveals them.
"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" — Psalm 11:3
• George Washington said, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. — Hebrews 12:25-27
• God shakes what is temporal to reveal what is eternal.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. — Hebrews 12:28
• And the safest place in a shaking world is in an unshakable Kingdom.
Discussion Questions
1. Psalm 11:3 asks, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" What do you believe are the foundations most at risk in our culture today — and what is your role in protecting or rebuilding them?
2. Hebrews 12:25-27 describes God shaking what is temporal to reveal what is eternal. Can you think of a time — personally or collectively — when a season of shaking ultimately revealed something unshakable in your life or faith?
3. The message draws a distinction between things that can be shaken and things that cannot. What are some areas of your life where you may be placing your security in something temporary rather than in God's unshakable Kingdom?
4. George Washington identified religion and morality as "indispensable supports" for political prosperity. How do you think the Church is called to be a stabilizing presence in an unstable world — and what does that look like practically for you?
5. Hebrews 12:28 calls us to "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" because we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. What would it look like for you to live this week from that unshakable foundation rather than reacting to the uncertainty around you?