Stories of Jesus were foundational to the life of the first community of disciples. Every culture is built on its stories. They are foundational to its identity and way of life, and their significance can be compared to that of a building’s foundations. In many ways a building is only as good as its foundations. If the foundations are weak or inadequate, the structure may fail under certain conditions, bringing destruction and loss. Work can be done to strengthen foundations, but it’s a lot easier to build good foundations in the beginning! And that’s exactly what Jesus did. He made sure that His ekklesia, that’s the Greek word for church, would have all the stories it needed to stand firmly on the rock of revelation, just as He had promised it would. Let us draw strength from the greatest stories ever told!