Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a picture that is simple and hard to ignore. Two people build houses. Both hear his words. Both face the rain, the rising waters, and the pounding wind. But only one house stands.

The difference is not that one person heard Jesus and the other did not. Both heard. The difference is that one person acted on what Jesus said.

Jesus says the wise person is the one who hears his words and does them. That person is building on the rock. The foolish person also hears Jesus, but does not act on what he hears. That person is building on sand.

It is easy to think that being around Christian things is enough. We can go to church, listen to messages, read the Bible, talk about theology, and still avoid the places where Jesus is asking us to change. Jesus does not give us a secret technique for building on the rock. He simply asks us to hear him and obey.

There are many sands we are tempted to build on. Comfort. The approval of others. Fear. Past pain. Material security. Political movements. Sinful pleasure. Each one can feel solid for a little while. But none of them can hold us when the storms come.

Jesus is not asking us to pretend storms will not come. He is telling us where to stand when they do. When the rain falls, when the floods rise, and when the winds blow, we keep following Jesus. He is the rock.

Maybe the question is not, “How do I take my faith to the next level?” Maybe the question is simpler: “What has Jesus already told me to do, and what is keeping me from doing it?”

Table Discussion Questions:

1. When there is a gap between what Jesus says and what I do, what is usually in that gap?

2. What is one “shifting sand” I am tempted to build my life on right now?

3. What is one specific thing Jesus may be asking me to obey this week?

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