We begin a new series today – looking back into some Parables Jesus told. Parables – are some stories and life lessons from Jesus. It’s often how he encapsulated spiritual truths about the kingdom of God and how God sees things, God’s character and dreams for our life – how God desires things to work and function their absolute best. So each week, we’ll look at a new one and draw some conclusions and actions steps for us

Quote: *Dallas Willard-
“...one can be a professing Christian and a church member in good standing without being a disciple. There is, apparently today, no real connection between being a Christian and being a disciple of Jesus... Becoming a disciple does not mean doing a few religious things once a week and leaving the rest of our life unchanged. Authentic discipleship transforms all aspects of life, every day, at work, at home, in all relationships.” (Divine Conspiracy)

In each story, 2 parts of the stories are the same, and in each of the two stories one part is different. Each person builds a house. In other words, in the parable that's not up for grabs. In Jesus' story we are all house builders. We cannot escape that fact...we can observe that our Lord is talking about choices and decisions that people make, and every person is deciding upon careers, relationships, value systems, philosophies of life and making choices in life —we’re each building our ‘house’ = our lives.

Let's look at the 2nd constant in the parable. This is not so comfortable for us, perhaps, but in each story, each house faces a storm.

This is not, a parable about weather. It is not a parable about finding a safe climate for growing your life, faith or your family. It's not a parable about avoiding storms but IT IS a parable about building houses for storms.

"The wise man is the one who hears my words and does them." Jesus Christ makes himself and what he says and what he teaches the foundation that is what he calls "the rock." Jesus is saying: I’m the sure foundation to build your life upon. *(side note: The Psalmist alone (28x's) refers to the LORD (Yaweh) as our Rock…)

In fact, in the parable our Lord raises a huge question. If you do not choose to trust in Christ and his faithfulness as the starting point for your life – the foundation of the life you’re building...What do you propose to put in the place of Jesus Christ as the rock for your life?
Your work/career?
Your family?
Your money?
Your passions and pursuit of pleasure?
Your accomplishments and achievements?
Your hobbies?

Principle:
we all build a 'life' – it’s your foundation that matters most – adornments, accessories & architecture mean nothing if the foundation can't hold you up.

It starts with a decision to choose Jesus over all other philosophies and plans available or offered. Growing in your faith is the ongoing choosing to build your life on Jesus - his ways, his teachings, his life being the model & foundation you build your life upon decision after decision.

*Listen to the end of the Sermon on the Mount – it’s a series of contrasting pictures designed to force people to choose sprinkled throughout chapter 7 (Matthew)
-There is a narrow gate or a wide gate. No third gate.
-There is a narrow road and a broad road. No third road.
-There is a good tree and a bad tree. No third tree.
-There are true disciples and false disciples. No third category.
-House built on the rock, house built on the sand. No third house.

There are 2 groups of people:
People who do what Jesus says and people who may hear, but don't do.

Will you be wholly devoted to Jesus from your heart or will you not? Will you Follow Jesus or just admire Jesus? Will you build your life on Him and what He says about life OR will you build upon yourself, your choices, what you try to figure out and what the world offers?
Jesus wants us to choose whether we will be his admirer from a distance or his follower in each decision.

It begins with a decision to build your life on Jesus. It’s followed by daily choosing to continue building on Him.
=When the ‘tug of wars’ come and the world says – build your life this way, or that way – it’s deciding NO; I will build the way Jesus says to build, the way he modeled…It’s saying: “I won’t just be a hearer of his words – but a doer of them!” Jesus is the foundation, the one you can build a life upon – and when the storms come, you won’t be overcome.

Need Prayer? we've got some of our prayer team and pastors available following service to pray with you.