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24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And 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. 27 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.” --- Matthew 7:24-27 NASB v24 - To build “on solid rock” means to be a hearing, responding disciple, not a phony, superficial one. Practicing obedience becomes the solid foundation to weather the storms of life. See James 1:22-27 for more on putting into practice what we hear. v24-27 - The two lives Jesus compares at the end of the Sermon on the Mount have several points in common: they both build, they both hear Jesus’ teaching, and they both experience the same set of circumstances in life. The difference between them isn’t caused by ignorance but by one ignoring what Jesus said. Externally, their lives may look similar; but the lasting, structural differences will be revealed by the storms of life. The immediate differences in your life when you follow Jesus may not be obvious, but eventually they will turn out to affect even your eternal destiny. To what degree does your life reflect the directions Jesus gave in this sermon? v26-27 - Like a house of cards, the fool’s life crumbles. Most people do not deliberately seek to build on a false or inferior foundation; instead, they just don’t think about their life’s purpose. Many people are headed for destruction, not out of stubbornness but out of thoughtlessness. Part of our responsibility as believers is to help others stop and think about where their lives are headed and to point out the consequences of ignoring Christ’s message. --- Life Application Study Bible notes PRAYER Heavenly Father, I know no one is immune to problems in this world and no amount or human preparedness can stop them from coming our way. Difficulties hit us and our lives crumble if we build our lives upon the sand. Help us build our lives on the solid rock of Your promises and Your Word. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my pathway to heaven. May I treasure it not only with my mouth but also in my heart and through my life. I will not fall but stand tall under Your shelter when the winds of trouble blast against me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen