1 Timothy 6:19 provides instructions for LIVING REAL LIFE, making it clear that taking hold of that which is truly life requires a foundation.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11, there is no other foundation that can be laid other than Jesus Christ. The essential work of Christ on the cross and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in all who believe, is the only foundation upon which youth build the life that Jesus describes in John 10:10 when he speaks of the "abundant life", an experience that is truly living real life.

Without this foundation, nothing of value, nothing of enduring quality, certainly nothing of eternal significance can be built.

The very foundation is poured by the Word of God, essential in "teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" so that we "may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

Without this foundation, even the Word of God itself can not be understood, and the very "message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). There is a blindness that hides the truth from those who are lost, as the "god of this world blinds the minds of the unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 4:4a)

But those who are alive in Christ have the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), and so we seek to grow in the understanding and application of God's Word in their lives.

Pouring and establishing this foundation is essential to the goal of "Joy in Christ". A life without this foundation is artificial, joyless, and a fraud. It is not LIVING REAL LIFE.

Building on the foundation is to live out this real life with an eternal perspective. Paul describes the effects of building on the foundation using "wood, hay, and stubble" the worthless materials, contrasted with the "gold, silver, and jewels" (1 Corinthians 3:12) which survive the fire and have eternal value. As a theme verse for Living Real Life, we aim to build upon the foundation of Christ, His Work and His Word, with that which is eternal.