Home Values Part 1: A House is Not a Home

"Home Values"

Part 1: A House is not a Home
Luke 15
Pastor Ray-ann Dela Fuente
October 18, 2026

Memory Verse:
“A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.”
Proverbs 24:3-4 NLT

Introduction:
Welcome to another exciting Sunday here at the River of Faith! Today we are Starting a new Series I entitled "Home Values." As we have just finished talking about the core values that make our church who we are, we are now going to talk about the Biblical Values that should make our homes stronger and founded on the Word of God.

There's a famous line in a song by Luther Vandross called A "House is not a Home." It goes: "A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sittin' there. But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home. When there's no one there to hold you tight And no one there you can kiss goodnight." Biblical families today are becoming harder and harder to find. Broken homes are becoming the norm and God wants to restore and heal broken families. He gave us core values that will help us cultivate a home that is rooted in Jesus Christ.
“To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.”
Luke 15:11-16 NLT

Main Pointers:

1. Home is where character is molded.

A. What is the purpose of inheritance and why did the father allowed his youngest son to take his part? It was a test and he failed miserably.
B. “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLT

2. One day you will leave home but home will always stay with you forever.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
Luke 15:17-19 NLT

A. Whatever may happen in life once we finally have the "came to his senses" moment the first thing that will guide you back is Home. You can leave home but home will never leave you forever. This is how important that we focus on our homes not just our houses.
B. “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is  well built.”
Luke 6:47-48 NLT

3. A loving home is the world's greatest investment.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” 
Luke 15:20-24 NLT

A. What is an investment? It's basically something that will give you a return. Look what kind of investment that the Father made and it's more than a profit. His child was dead but now is alive. There is no greater investment than that.
B. “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.”
2 Timothy 3:2 NLT

Conclusion:
There is much needed revival that needs to take place in our homes today. It will all start once we go back to the Biblical Values that made our homes strong and secure. What are the Biblical values that we apply in our homes today? We must go back and remind ourselves that a house is not a home unless the Lord dwells in it!