Building a Life on Christ's Solid Foundation
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Sanctus Church. Today, we explored the profound lessons embedded in the parable of the builder and the two houses from Matthew 7. We began with a story about a prolific builder who, upon deciding to retire, was asked to build one last house. Out of frustration, he built it poorly, only to find out it was a gift for himself. This story serves as a metaphor for our lives: the quality of our lives today is a result of our past attitudes and choices, and the quality of our future will be determined by the choices we make today.
We then delved into Jesus' parable of the two houses, one built on rock and the other on sand. Both houses faced storms, symbolizing the trials and tribulations that come to everyone, regardless of their faith. The key difference lies in the foundation: the house on the rock stood firm, while the one on the sand collapsed. This teaches us the importance of building our lives on the solid foundation of Christ's teachings, particularly the commandments to love God and love others.
We discussed how trials come from three directions: rain from above (God's judgment or discipline), wind from around (trials from people), and floods from below (attacks from the enemy). Each type of trial tests the strength of our foundation. If our lives are built on the rock of Christ's love and teachings, we can withstand these trials.
We also examined the importance of loving God with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength. This involves transforming our minds through knowledge, imagination, memory, and reason. Knowledge helps us understand God better, imagination allows us to see His possibilities, memory helps us recall His faithfulness, and reason helps us set realistic expectations.
Finally, we reflected on the story of Corrie ten Boom, who forgave a former Nazi guard, demonstrating the power of God's love to heal and transform even the deepest wounds. This story underscores the importance of building our lives on the rock of Christ's love, enabling us to weather any storm.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Foundation of Our Lives: The quality of our lives today is a result of our past attitudes and choices, and the quality of our future will be determined by the choices we make today. Building our lives on the solid foundation of Christ's teachings ensures that we can withstand life's inevitable storms. [02:21]
2. Trials and Tribulations: Everyone faces trials, whether they are believers or not. These trials come from three directions: rain from above (God's discipline), wind from around (trials from people), and floods from below (attacks from the enemy). The strength of our foundation determines our ability to withstand these trials. [06:11]
3. Loving God with All Our Mind: Transforming our minds through knowledge, imagination, memory, and reason is crucial for loving God fully. Knowledge helps us understand God, imagination allows us to see His possibilities, memory helps us recall His faithfulness, and reason helps us set realistic expectations. [24:22]
4. The Law of Love: The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This law of love is the foundation of Jesus' teachings and the rock on which we should build our lives. [18:25]
5. Forgiveness and Healing: The story of Corrie ten Boom illustrates the transformative power of God's love. Forgiving others, even in the most challenging circumstances, sets us free and allows us to experience God's love more intensely. [37:18]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:05] - The Parable of the Builder
[02:21] - Building Wisely
[03:33] - The Impact of Attitude
[04:50] - The Parable of the Two Houses
[06:11] - Facing Trials
[07:33] - The Unfairness of Life
[08:25] - Wisdom in Building
[09:23] - The Foolish and the Wise
[10:26] - The Three Types of Trials
[11:12] - Rain from Above
[12:32] - Winds from Around
[13:54] - Floods from Below
[15:02] - The Enemy's Attacks
[15:49] - Building on the Rock
[16:44] - The Teachings of Christ
[17:13] - The Greatest Commandment
[18:25] - The Law of Love
[19:11] - Responding to Trials with Love
[20:34] - Assurance in Christ's Love
[21:33] - The Shema and Loving God
[22:58] - Loving God with All Your Mind
[24:22] - Transforming Our Minds
[25:34] - Knowledge
[26:55] - Imagination
[28:39] - Memory
[30:13] - Reason
[32:02] - Demonstration of Building
[34:09] - Knowledge, Imagination, Memory, and Reason
[34:47] - Building on Love
[35:48] - The Story of Corrie ten Boom
[38:43] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 7:24-27: "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was its fall."
2. Mark 12:28-34: "One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'"
3. 1 John 4:11, 19-20: "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen."
### Observation Questions
1. What are the two different foundations mentioned in Matthew 7:24-27, and what happens to each house when the storms come?
2. According to Mark 12:28-34, what are the two greatest commandments that Jesus highlights?
3. In 1 John 4:11, 19-20, what is the relationship between loving God and loving others?
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the parable of the builder and the two houses in Matthew 7:24-27 illustrate the importance of our choices and attitudes in life? [02:21]
2. What does it mean to build your life on the "rock" of Christ's teachings, and how can this foundation help you withstand life's trials? [06:11]
3. How does loving God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, as described in Mark 12:28-34, transform your approach to daily challenges and relationships? [18:25]
4. How does the story of Corrie ten Boom's forgiveness of a former Nazi guard demonstrate the transformative power of God's love? [37:18]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent trial you faced. How did your foundation in Christ's teachings help you (or not help you) withstand that trial? What could you do differently next time? [06:11]
2. Think about your current attitudes and choices. How are they shaping the "house" you are building for your future? What changes might you need to make to ensure a solid foundation? [02:21]
3. In what ways can you actively transform your mind through knowledge, imagination, memory, and reason to love God more fully? Identify one specific action you can take this week. [24:22]
4. How can you practice the law of love in your daily interactions? Identify a specific relationship where you can show more love and grace. [18:25]
5. Forgiveness can be challenging. Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? How can you take a step towards forgiveness this week, inspired by Corrie ten Boom's story? [37:18]
6. How do you respond to God's discipline or judgment in your life? Reflect on a time when you felt God's discipline. How did you perceive it, and how can you see it as an act of love? [11:12]
7. Identify a specific way you can build your life more firmly on the rock of Christ's teachings. What practical steps will you take to ensure your foundation is strong? [16:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Building on a Solid Foundation
The quality of our lives today is a result of our past attitudes and choices, and the quality of our future will be determined by the choices we make today. Building our lives on the solid foundation of Christ's teachings ensures that we can withstand life's inevitable storms. The parable of the builder and the two houses from Matthew 7 illustrates this vividly. One house, built on rock, stands firm against the storms, while the other, built on sand, collapses. This metaphor teaches us that the strength and stability of our lives depend on the foundation we choose. By adhering to Christ's teachings, particularly the commandments to love God and love others, we build a resilient life capable of withstanding trials and tribulations.
The story of the prolific builder who built a poor-quality house out of frustration, only to find it was a gift for himself, serves as a powerful reminder. Our attitudes and choices today shape the quality of our future. Just as the builder's poor choices led to a subpar home, our choices can lead to a life that either stands firm or crumbles under pressure. Therefore, it is crucial to build wisely, ensuring that our foundation is rooted in Christ's love and teachings. [02:21]
Bible Passage:
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on 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." (Matthew 7:24-25, ESV)
Reflection:
What specific choices can you make today to ensure that your life is built on the solid foundation of Christ's teachings?
Day 2: Understanding Trials and Tribulations
Everyone faces trials, whether they are believers or not. These trials come from three directions: rain from above (God's discipline), wind from around (trials from people), and floods from below (attacks from the enemy). The strength of our foundation determines our ability to withstand these trials. The parable of the two houses teaches us that while storms are inevitable, the foundation we build our lives on will determine our resilience. A life built on the rock of Christ's teachings will stand firm, while one built on the shifting sands of worldly values will collapse.
Understanding the sources of our trials helps us respond appropriately. Rain from above can be seen as God's discipline, intended to correct and guide us. Wind from around represents the challenges and conflicts we face from other people. Floods from below symbolize the spiritual attacks from the enemy. Each type of trial tests the strength of our foundation. By building our lives on Christ's love and teachings, we can withstand these trials and emerge stronger in our faith. [06:11]
Bible Passage:
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:2-3, ESV)
Reflection:
Identify a recent trial you faced. How did you respond, and what does this reveal about the foundation of your life?
Day 3: Transforming Our Minds
Transforming our minds through knowledge, imagination, memory, and reason is crucial for loving God fully. Knowledge helps us understand God better, imagination allows us to see His possibilities, memory helps us recall His faithfulness, and reason helps us set realistic expectations. Loving God with all our mind involves a holistic transformation that encompasses these four aspects. By engaging our minds in this way, we deepen our relationship with God and align our thoughts with His will.
Knowledge of God comes from studying His Word and learning about His character. Imagination allows us to envision the ways God can work in our lives and the world. Memory helps us remember God's past faithfulness, providing hope and encouragement for the future. Reason enables us to think critically and make wise decisions based on God's principles. By cultivating these aspects, we can love God more fully and build a strong foundation for our lives. [24:22]
Bible Passage:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)
Reflection:
Which aspect of your mind (knowledge, imagination, memory, reason) do you need to develop more to love God fully? What steps can you take to grow in this area?
Day 4: The Law of Love
The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This law of love is the foundation of Jesus' teachings and the rock on which we should build our lives. Loving God and others is not just an abstract concept but a practical guide for daily living. It involves intentional actions and attitudes that reflect Christ's love in every aspect of our lives.
Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength means dedicating every part of our being to Him. It requires a wholehearted commitment to follow His commandments and seek His will. Loving our neighbor as ourselves involves empathy, compassion, and selflessness. It means putting others' needs before our own and showing kindness and grace in our interactions. By living out this law of love, we build a strong foundation that can withstand any storm. [18:25]
Bible Passage:
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31, ESV)
Reflection:
Think of a specific way you can show love to God and to a neighbor today. How can you make this a regular practice in your life?
Day 5: Forgiveness and Healing
The story of Corrie ten Boom illustrates the transformative power of God's love. Forgiving others, even in the most challenging circumstances, sets us free and allows us to experience God's love more intensely. Corrie ten Boom's ability to forgive a former Nazi guard who had caused her immense suffering is a powerful testament to the healing power of God's love. Her story reminds us that forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous process that requires God's strength and grace.
Forgiveness is essential for our spiritual well-being. Holding onto bitterness and resentment can hinder our relationship with God and others. By choosing to forgive, we release the burden of anger and allow God's love to heal our wounds. This act of forgiveness not only transforms our hearts but also serves as a powerful witness to others of God's grace and mercy. Building our lives on the rock of Christ's love enables us to forgive and experience true healing. [37:18]
Bible Passage:
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32, ESV)
Reflection:
Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Each day you hammer a nail or place a board or erect a wall. Build wisely because this is the only life you will ever have. And so this is the only life you will ever build. And if we look at our lives, we often think, and as one person once said, your life today is the result of your attitude and your choices in the past. And your life tomorrow will be a result of your attitude and choices today." [02:21] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance and gift or skill. It will make or break a company or church or home." [03:33] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We all face trials and problems regardless of our faith. If you're listening, you're going to face trials. If you're non-Christian and you're listening, you're going to face trials. We all face trials. Oswald Chambers wrote this, suffering is the heritage of the bad, the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified." [06:11] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Revelation chapter 12 verse 15, it says, The serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And you and I all know that the enemy is out to batter and destroy our homes through everything. Every flood against us." [14:40] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So what is the greatest sin? Let me propose this to you. I believe that the greatest sin is to break the greatest commandment. Wouldn't that make sense? The greatest sin is if you break the greatest commandment, you commit the greatest sin. And what is the greatest commandment? Well, Jesus says in Mark chapter 12, verse 28 to 34, one of the scribes came near and heard him disputing with another and seeking that he answer them well. He asked, which commandment is the first of all? Which is the greatest, Jesus?" [17:41] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "When we grow in truth, we gain knowledge. Hebrews 10, verse 16 says, This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. One pastor said this, Nothing can be in the heart that is not first in the mind. And if we want to have an experience of God directly where we bypass the mind, we are on a fool's errand. It can't happen." [25:34] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Do not interpret God through your circumstances. Interpret your circumstances through the goodness of God. Very often we interpret who God is by the circumstances of life. If things go bad, we think God is bad. If things go well, we think God, and we realize, oh, God must be good. Interpret your circumstances through understanding the goodness of God. You see, you and I can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we frame it and how we interpret it." [28:19] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "To forget the past means to release the emotional pain while still retaining the knowledge of the event in our memory. When our past remains in our emotions, there's a possibility it cripples us, it draws us back, it slows us down. For example, a hurt from our painful conversation can slowly overshadow the content of the actual conversation and then it magnifies that event much more because we're holding it in our emotions." [29:51] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "To love God with our minds is to build a solid foundation for our relationship that involves knowledge, one, that creates a better understanding of God. Remember, you can't fully love what you don't know. Then imagination creates a healthy perception of who God is. Memory creates points of recollection to express gratitude and have confidence in God and reason creates a manageable expectation of what God will do." [32:02] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Knowledge explains love. Imagination explores love. Memory experiences love. And reason escorts love or guards and protects love from abuse or misuse or misunderstanding when there's reason placed with it. And so Jesus gives this commandment in John 13, verse 34, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you." [34:29] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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