PASSAGE: Matthew 7:24-27

SERIES SUMMARY 

As Jesus steps onto the scene of history, Matthew paints a picture of him that invites our participation in what Jesus is doing. The portrait is that Jesus is the True King who is bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. This good news is not reserved for especially religious people in a distant future; it’s good news, right now, for ordinary people who come to Jesus in faith. 

And while Jesus inaugurated the kingdom among us through teaching and serving in dozens of ways, he ultimately brought heaven to earth by embracing the cross as his throne and wearing thorns as his crown. In doing this, he broke the powers of the kingdom(s) of this world and opened up God’s new world through his resurrection. Now, because of these things, discipleship to Jesus is about praying and living “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” It is about whole-life transformation and embodying kingdom realities. It is about becoming people who naturally live out what Jesus taught. Today, because of Matthew’s witness and Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom is coming in our own lives, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

PASSAGE GUIDE

The passage frames life with a single pressing question: what is your foundation, and will it hold when everything else gives way? Every person eventually encounters moments where stability disappears, through suffering, loss, or even the reality of death, and those moments expose what lies beneath the surface of a life. Everyone is building something, whether through relationships, work, identity, or belief, and everyone will face storms that test it. The issue is not whether hardship will come, but whether there is anything solid underneath when it does. These moments are not interruptions to life; they reveal what life has actually been built upon all along.

Jesus presents a simple but severe picture: two builders, two foundations, one storm, and two outcomes. Both builders hear the same words, and both experience the same storm, yet only one house stands. The difference is not knowledge or exposure, but action. Hearing truth, admiring it, or even agreeing with it is not enough; the dividing line is whether it is actually lived. This reveals that the warning is directed not at outsiders, but at those who are familiar with spiritual truth yet remain unchanged by it, exposing the danger of a life that is informed but not transformed.

The contrast between rock and sand is more subtle than it first appears. Building on sand is not limited to an obviously irreligious life but often includes a deeply religious one driven by inner emptiness, performance, or self-reliance. Outwardly, such a life can look faithful, engaged, moral, even fruitful, but underneath it is unstable because it is rooted in self rather than in a genuine relationship with Christ. Building on the rock, by contrast, begins with trust in Him rather than earning for Him. Obedience flows from that trust, growing over time through small, often unseen acts of faithfulness that shape a life from the inside out and produce a steady, resilient character.

The storm ultimately reveals what has already been built. Some storms come through the natural consequences of how a person has lived, others through the unavoidable brokenness of the world, and all point forward to a final day when every foundation is tested. The only life that endures is the one rooted in Christ Himself, the One who has already passed through the ultimate storm and stands as a secure foundation. The call, then, is to examine honestly what is being built and to move toward a foundation that will last, not through increased effort, but through trust that leads to a transformed way of living. What is built in the hidden, ordinary moments becomes what stands in the decisive ones.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Big Idea: According to Jesus, building your life on the rock means more than hearing His Sermon on the Mount, it means actually doing it; and that kind of life is only possible for those who have moved their foundation from themselves to Him.
• Thru Line: Everyone is building on something, and the storm is coming, and only the life built on Jesus, trusted and followed, holds.
• You've heard every word of this Sermon. Now Jesus wants to know: are you actually building your life on it, or just admiring it?
• What is your foundation, and how do you know if it will last?

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS    

Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You DO NOT need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (Read Matthew 7.21-23)

*Remember the text is the focus, the sermon is a commentary, discuss and apply in the group.

1. What has the Spirit taught you this past week from God’s Word or his people? 
2. What stood out to you from the text (not simply the sermon or the speaker)? 
3. How does the passage challenge the assumption that knowledge or agreement equals obedience?
4. What are some modern examples of “building on sand” that might still look outwardly religious or moral?
5. What would it look like for you to relate to Jesus as a Person this week rather than just applying His principles?
6. When have you experienced a “storm” that exposed what you were really relying on?
7. What specific teaching of Jesus do you find easiest to admire but hardest to obey?
8. How does building on Christ as a Person differ from trying to follow His teachings as principles?
9. What does “inside-out” transformation look like practically in your daily life?
10. What are some “hidden” practices or habits that can help you strengthen your life on the rock?

CLOSING PRAYER

Ask “Where am I building on sand right now?” (approval, control, comfort, image, etc.)

• Each person shares briefly (1 minute max)
• Group prays over each person after they share