Matthew 7:24-27
Introduction
Foundations are important in homes, office buildings, families, and our culture. Entities built on a weak foundation are cheap and will collapse during a storm or disaster. Those that are built on a strong foundation are able to endure anything.
In Matthew 7:24-27, we read about two men. One who built a house on a weak foundation of sand, and another who built a house on a strong foundation of rock. The man who used the rock was considered wise, whereas the other man was foolish. Biblically speaking, wisdom is the ability and responsibility of applying God’s truth to life’s decisions. It has nothing to do with the amount of education a person has earned, or how often they attend church.
When something is built on a weak foundation, a quick, easy and cheap fix can only solve a problem temporarily. In today’s society, too many Christians are establishing their lives, their families, and our culture on a weak foundation.
Because a man is the foundation of our society, anything a spiritually-strong man touches is going to be strong; including his family, his finances, and his career. The only way a man can serve as the foundation that God intended him to be is by subjecting himself to the rule of God, and applying kingdom standards to his earthly life.
Getting Started
Pastor Evans mentioned that even though the two men in Matthew 7 chose different foundations for their homes, they were similar in many ways. Both had values and a vision for their lives, they worshipped together, and they were neighbors. However, the one difference between the two regarding their foundations is that Jesus labeled the men as either wise or foolish in the eyes of God. As Christians, it is sometimes easy for us to see when one of our brothers or sisters in Christ makes a foolish decision, but that’s not always true for evaluating ourselves. Think of a time you made a foolish decision. How did that decision affect your family, your friends, or your career?
Let’s Get Personal
As Christians, we know that storms are inevitable. They will reveal the content of our foundation. Foundation repair cannot happen in the midst of a storm. That said, what things are you currently doing to ensure that you and your family are standing on a strong foundation before your next storm?
Kingdom Resources for Men
A Kingdom Man is a male who visibly and consistently submits to the comprehensive relationship and rule of God, underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in every area of his life.
- Set aside time to meet with God daily, in His Word and through prayer, for the purpose of cultivating spiritual intimacy. Proactively seek to draw down heavenly authority and receive divine instruction. This can be done by reviewing the weekly sermon outlines and key Scriptures, reading and meditating through specific passages in or an entire book of the Bible, or using a devotional guide. The goal is to seek more of God than merely seeking things from God.
- Pray daily with your mate and share with her what you are learning from church and your personal time with God.
- Regularly use a meal time for praying with and over your family, having devotions, Scripture reading and discussing what your children learned in church or in their own time with the Lord. Remove distractions from this time. If you are single, use this time to pray for any extended family as well as for your future family.
- If your children do not live with you, engage them regularly through text or a phone call to inquire as to how they are doing, read or discuss a chapter in Scripture (you can start with the Psalms) and to give them guidance. Close with praying for them, and with them for others. If they are not open to this, text them that you are praying for them each day and ask God to cause them to become more open to this.
Resources
- My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers), paperback devotional
- Jesus Calling (Sarah Young), paperback devotional
- Life Under God: 365 Day Devotional (Tony Evans), leather version
- Prayers for Victory in Your Marriage (Tony Evans), paperback guided prayers
- Kingdom Family Devotional (Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans), hardback devotional
- One-Minute Prayers for Men (Nick Harrison), paperback guided prayers
