Conclusion: The Word is Our Foundation

CONNECT

Gather the following items:       

• a rock that has a flat surface (or a hollow block or any heavy item)      
• some sand (or loose soil or any substance that will separate when wet)      
• any solid item that will represent a house or a building      
• a big pitcher of water      
• two trays

Today, we are going to learn about foundations! A foundation is found at the base of a house or a building. It is the lowest point that should be strong enough to be able to support the weight of the entire building. Different kinds of buildings require different kinds of foundations. A two-story building will need a smaller foundation, while a thirty-story building will need a much stronger and more stable foundation. 

Let’s see what happens when you build on a foundation that is not strong enough for your building. Put the rock on one tray and the sand on the other. Now, place the object that represents the house on top of the rock and pour water from the pitcher. Water represents strong rains, storms, and floods. The house will stand because the rock is solid. Now, place the house on top of the sand and similarly, pour water on the sand. The sand will crumble and not be able to support the house. This is because the sand is not strong enough to support a house and it is not a good foundation for a house. 

Can you imagine a thirty-story building that has sand as its foundation? What do you think would happen? (Let the children give their answers.) 

Just as a house or a building needs a good solid foundation, our lives must have strong foundations, too. 

Throughout the week, we have been studying how God’s word can bring life to us and how it can change and renew us. The key is to build our lives on the truth of God’s word and do what it teaches. Let’s read what Jesus taught the people in Matthew 7:24–27.

READ THE WORD

“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. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a 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.” Matthew 7:24–27

We have been reading and studying about what the word of God can do for us. As we end this week, we have to decide if we will cooperate with God's work in our lives. Jesus is the living Word of God whose life and words are recorded in the Bible, God's written word. When He rose from the dead, He overcame everything, even death. And if we build our lives with Him as our foundation, we can withstand different trials and challenges that come our way. Just like the above verses say, we will neither fall nor be washed away because our foundation is Jesus, the Word of God, Himself.

HUDDLE

Parents to Kids

4–6 years old  

• Do you want to build your life on Jesus? How do you think you can do that?

7–12 years old  

• Do you want to make Jesus the foundation of your life? What do you need to do to move in this direction? 

Kids to Parents      

• Before you met Jesus, what was the foundation of your life?       
• What is the foundation of your life right now?

We can build our lives on Jesus by knowing Him, especially through the Bible. By doing so, we grow in our relationship with Him. We also pray so we can draw close to Him. These empower us so that we can obey Him as a natural response to knowing Him more. We can obey Him because He is the foundation of our faith.

PRAY

Dear God, thank You for Your love and faithfulness to us. Thank You for giving us Jesus, Your living Word, and for letting Him be our Rock. Thank You for taking us away from sin and giving us a new life that is in Jesus. Help us to love and obey You always. In Jesus’ name, amen.

DISCOVER

Aside from the seven pictures that we learned this week about how the Bible can help us grow towards God, here are a few more that the Bible uses to describe itself:       

• Milk 

. . . as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:2–3 (NKJV)  

• Rain and snow 

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10–11 (NKJV)  

• Gold and honey 

More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psalm 19:10 (NKJV)

The Bible is indeed alive! God inspired and supernaturally guided men to write His very words. Every word in it comes from Him. When you read it, it is truly God speaking to you! How amazing is that?