Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
Secure the Foundation (online broadcast)
Scripture
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like the wise man who build his house upon the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell. And great was the fall of it."
Main Idea
Within Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he told the story of two men building homes
One dug deep and put the home on a firm foundation, while the other skipped the firm foundation and placed his home on sand
Jesus told his listeners that to hear his words but not put them into practice is to be like a foolish man, building something important without the proper foundation, which leaves it vulnerable to destruction when the storms come
The differences between these two men and two homes is not what is above the surface, but what is below - the foundation - it's not what you can see, it's what you cannot see
Luke 6:48 says the wise man 'dug deep' to create a firm foundation. He was patient in the process, because he understood the value of properly preparing for the coming storms
The foolish man was impatient and hurried the process, ignoring the importance of the foundation and the process it takes to build it
Acts 8, Peter and John were offered money for the power given by the Holy Spirit. This man wanted a shortcut; the power of the Holy Spirit without investing in the process that produces power.
These two homes represent lives built on a shallow and weak understanding of God's word OR lives built on a solid foundation of God's word and his truth. When the inevitable storms of life roll in (relationships, jobs, health, children, marriage, education, etc), will we be tossed around or will we hold fast to God's unchanging promises over our lives?
When the building process is taking it's toll, stay. There is much to be gained by staying and laying that firm foundation
Seek instruction and follow it; 'anyone who hears these words of mine and DOES them will be like the wise man...'
The storms need not defeat us -they my be hard and may take a toll, but we will stand after the storm, as a testimony to God's faithfulness to the process of deep foundational work and our faithfulness to put it into practice
"Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting" AW Tozier
Discussion Questions
1. This story is an allegory for our lives. Name some examples of 'storms' we have or may face.
- This story encourages us to build a foundation - What does building a foundation mean to you?
- If you have weathered some storms in your life, consider sharing some of your stories. Reflect on God's faithfulness in your storms
Summary
Today's sermon focused on the parable of two men building houses - one weak and one strong.
If we are to weather the inevitable storms of this life, we must have a firm foundation.
We must commit ourselves to the non-glamerous work of building a foundation based on unchanging truths that cannot be moved, no matter what current life circumstance we find ourselves
God's word encourages us to commit ourselves to prayer, reading God's word, plugging into a faith community as ways to foster inner growth, ie. foundation building.
Take Action
Give a word of encouragement to a stranger today -everyone needs encouragement to keep digging!
Invite a friend to join you to watch next week's service online
Join a group! We have both online and in-person groups that will be starting up in September
