Step 1.05: Foundation/Where Are You?
Where This Journey Begins
Let’s get one thing straight before we move too far down this trail: you’re already here. Not just “reading this,” but here—alive, breathing, thinking, asking questions. That matters more than you might realize.
Discipleship doesn’t begin in a vacuum. You didn’t wake up as a blank slate. You were born into a world already humming with meaning, stories, beliefs, doubts, and noise. Before you even knew how to spell “worldview,” you had one.
That’s the starting point of this journey: recognizing that we’re not starting from nothing. We’re already walking a path. The question is whether it leads anywhere worth going.
Why Your Existence Is No Small Thing
Let’s state the obvious: You exist.
But hang with me here—this isn’t just a late-night dorm room thought. You exist, and that means something. You can think. You can ask, “What’s the point of all this?” You can wonder why things are the way they are—and even why you are the way you are.
The fact that we can ask questions about reality, logic, language, morality, and purpose means those things already exist too. They’re not invented by us; they’re discovered. You didn’t create reason—you use it. You didn’t invent the idea that murder is wrong—you recognize it.
These basic tools of human thought—logic, meaning, good, evil, love—don’t come from culture or survival instincts. They’re baked into the world. And they only make sense if the world was made on purpose.
My Story: I Was Born into Belief—but Not into Understanding
I was adopted into a Christian family in the early 1960s. From my earliest memories, God was simply… there. Bible stories were part of life. We had Sunday School, youth group, church plays, the whole package.
I never once questioned whether God existed. But here’s the thing: I also never questioned what I believed—or why I believed it. I just accepted the default settings handed to me. God existed. Jesus died for our sins. Church was good. Heaven was the goal. Don’t lie or cheat. Try to be nice.
That was my worldview. Or at least, I thought it was.
Looking back, I realize I had a collection of beliefs, habits, and assumptions—but no coherent foundation. No one had taught me how to examine ideas or ask whether they were true. I had faith, but I didn’t know why. And I wasn’t equipped to handle the moment life would start asking me the big questions.
Spoiler alert: That moment always comes.
Necessary Conditions: What Must Be True for Us to Even Ask Questions?
So let’s zoom out. Before we can ask, “What is God’s plan?” we need to acknowledge that some things must already be true just for the question to make sense:
• You exist – You are not an illusion or accident.
• You can think – You are a rational being.
• You use language – Words have meaning, and meaning points to truth.
• You have a moral sense – Right and wrong are real, even if you’re not sure why.
• You seek purpose – You feel the pull toward meaning, even if it nags more than inspires.
None of these things can be explained by pure materialism—the belief that only physical matter exists. Rocks don’t ask why they’re here. Trees don’t ponder morality. But you do.
If you’re even capable of reading this sentence and wondering if it’s true, that already says something profound: You are a being made for meaning.
The Journey Starts with What’s Already Real
So here’s the punchline: If you’re alive, thinking, searching, and yearning, then this journey isn’t optional. It’s already begun.
You are not a blank page. You’re a chapter in progress. And every chapter has a beginning, even if you didn’t write the first lines.
God’s plan doesn’t begin when we understand it. It began long before we were born. But understanding it begins when we stop pretending we created the pen—and start asking who the Author is.
Key Points from This Step
• You are already alive, aware, and seeking—this is your starting point.
• Foundational ideas like logic, morality, and purpose must exist for this conversation to even happen.
• These realities don’t arise from chaos; they point to an intelligent, purposeful source.
• We all inherit beliefs, but we must examine them.
• The fact that you’re asking questions shows that you are not a cosmic accident—you were made to seek.
Key Questions to Consider
• Have you ever seriously asked why you believe what you believe?
• Are your foundational assumptions inherited, or investigated?
• What does your ability to reason, love, and seek meaning tell you about your design?
• If you’re already “on the journey,” are you heading toward truth—or just wandering?
Next Step: Step 1.10 – Why Are We Here?
If we begin with the fact that we exist, the natural next question is: Why? In the next step, we’ll explore why humans crave meaning, how worldviews try to answer that need, and why even the best lives can feel empty without knowing our true purpose.