Matthew 7:24
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:"
Matthew 7:25
"and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."
Matthew 7:26-27
"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
Jesus ends his sermon with a powerful story about two builders. One man is wise and builds his house on a solid rock. The other is foolish and builds his house on sand. When the storms of life come, the house on the rock stands firm, but the house on the sand collapses. Jesus says that the wise builder is the person who not only hears his teachings but also does them. It's not enough to just listen to sermons or read the Bible. A strong spiritual life is built by putting Jesus' words into practice every day.
After you read a passage from the Bible, don't just close it and walk away. Ask yourself a simple question: "What is one thing I can do today to obey what I just read?" Start with small, simple steps of obedience. As you practice hearing and doing, you will build a strong foundation for your life in Christ.
What is the difference between hearing Jesus' words and doing them?
What "storms" might a person face in life where a strong foundation is needed?
What is one teaching from Jesus in Matthew 5-7 that you can focus on obeying this week?