Most houses look great in good weather. It is only when inclement weather comes that a house’s true strength is shown. A weak house can’t fool anyone when the floods and winds come. The Palestinian deserts were susceptible to severe storms that would bring flash floods. The original hearers would have known that building a house on rock was the only way to stand against storms. Jesus used a familiar truth to express the importance of listening and obeying His words.

Jesus’ words aren’t meant to just be heard, they are meant to be obeyed. Jesus gives a warning that tough times will come. Every person will experience storms – situations that will shake our lives. Jesus’ commands aren’t simply for us to memorize but to follow. A solid spiritual foundation comes from hearing and applying God’s Word – listening and doing.

Building your house on the rock means that you have listened to Jesus’ teachings and have applied them to your life. You follow Jesus’ words and live them out. Building your house on the sand means that you hear Jesus’ teachings (reading your Bible, listening to a sermon, or attending a Bible study) but never live it out. 

It is easier to build your house on the sand. Digging down to the rock takes time and energy. Building a house would be quicker and cheaper if builders would simply build a house on top of the dirt. But the problem is that a house that isn’t built on a solid foundation will not stand against the elements. Water, wind, and storms will destroy the house once the storm rages. 

Building a house on rock requires a builder to dig down deep and ensure the foundation of the home will be solid. Trying to build your life on Jesus will take discipline, submission, and intentionality. If you want to be ready when the storms of life come, you must fully rely on the words of Jesus to be the foundation for your life. 

Living as a follower of Jesus means that we are to walk in obedience to Jesus’ commands. 

Live It: 

• How well do you live out your faith in Jesus? 
• Are you spending quality time in God’s Word each day, sitting in the presence of God in study and prayer?

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Every adoption begins with trauma. There is always a reason that a child needs to be adopted into a new family. The trama could be absent parents, an unhealthy family situation, neglect, or the loss of their parents. Whatever the reason for the adoption, there is a need for the child to be welcomed into another home. 

The Bible frequently uses the phrase “family of God” to describe the relationship God has with humans who have repented of their sins and follow Jesus. Christians are adopted into the family of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

Repentance will not occur until a person realizes that sin is enslaving them. The trauma of sin is the reality for every human. Sin cannot be overcome by our own attempts to find freedom or liberation. We need to be welcomed into a new family and given a new identity and a new way of life. 

There is one aspect of adoption that I find especially interesting — only the head of the house can invite someone to be a part of the family. An underage brother or sister cannot legally adopt another person. On the opposite side, a person can’t pick a family and declare that the family has to adopt them. Adoption is dependent on the head of the household. 

 God has welcomed all humanity into the family of God. Through Jesus, all who repent of their sins have access to God the Father. Another person’s faith cannot usher you into the family of God, nor can you force your way in. God graciously adopts all who call on the name of the Lord. Once adopted, they are now a son or daughter of the King of the Universe — an heir in the Kingdom. 

Live It: 

• Think back to your life before you became a Christian. How often do you express gratitude to God for the new life that you have in Him?

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Our culture doesn’t seem afraid of proclaiming beliefs for others to hear. People have always had opinions. Now people have platforms and avenues to share their opinions with the world. Are all of these messages evil? Not at all. There are some people who are proclaiming hope and encouragement. However, there are some who share ideas that will build up their personal interests instead of building up other people. 

As a Jesus-follower, your message is the message of Jesus. Paul encouraged Timothy to “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Timothy was a young pastor, in his mid-thirties, who led a large congregation of Jesus-followers in Ephesus so they would continue to progress in their spiritual maturity.  

The Word of God gives us a full and sufficient understanding of Jesus. The Gospel both encourages and corrects humanity. The Gospel encourages because of the hope that is found in Jesus. New life is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. It also corrects by showing us our sinful tendencies and our need for the glorious grace of Jesus. There is no other message that you should promote or proclaim other than the hope that is found in the Gospel of Jesus. 

How do we share the Word of God? Teaching in an established class or group is only one avenue to share the Word of God. Opportunities are limitless today as to how you proclaim the Gospel both in person and online. Start by engaging in spiritual conversations with the people you interact with each day. 

When do we share the Word of God? You must be ready to stand on the truth of the Gospel “in season and out of season” because people are constantly in need of Jesus. Accepting Jesus as your Lord includes you accepting Jesus’ mission for your life. We must be ready to step out in faith or stand up for our faith during the valleys and the mountain top moments in life. You don’t get a pass on a season of life where you don’t have to point people to Jesus. Why? Because your season of health and harvest may be someone else’s season of brokeness and drought. Be ready to encourage and speak truth. 

Live It: 

• Do you have an aversion to sharing the Gospel with others? Why or why not?
• You can’t share what you don’t possess. Are you in a daily habit of reading, studying, and applying God’s Word to your life? 

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Do you place your hope in the name of the Lord? 

The Bible uses various images and words to describe God. At the core of these descriptions are several names of God that explain His power, love, and majesty. Here are a few of the names of God. 

• Elohim – The Strong Creator God
• Jehovah – The Relational God
• Adonai – The God who Rules
• Jehovah Jireh – The Lord our Power
• Jehovah Tsaba – The Lord our Warrior
• Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is Peace
• Jehovah Rohi – The Lord my Shepherd
• Jehovah Nissi – The Lord my Banner
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem – The Lord who Sanctifies 
• Jehovah Rapha – The Lord Who Heals
• El Elyon – The  Most High God
• El Shaddai – Lord God Almighty
• Immanuel – God with Us

In the New Testament Jesus is called the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, The Way, The Truth, The Life, and the Lamb of God. Jesus is the door, the gate, and the head of the church.  Tony Evans’ book The Power of God’s Names is a great resource on the names of God. 

You might be wondering, “How can a name be a strong tower in my life?” When an army would attack an area the people to flee to a strong tower to find security and protection from the advances of the enemy. When life seems like it is against us, we know that we find security in who God is. We all run somewhere when we need help. Make sure to run to Jesus. God is our protector and Lord. His name is our strength. He is everything that we need. 

Whatever you are struggling with today, strength and hope are found in Jesus. 

Live It: 

• Which name of God gives you encouragement today? 
• How can you be reminded of that name of God this week? 

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What must you do to become a Christian? 

There are plenty of thoughts and assumptions about what it takes for someone to become a Christian. Some believe that nothing done during life matters because God is good and He doesn’t want to reject anyone. Others believe that life after death isn’t real – once we die everything ends. Others believe that those who do good will enter into Heaven while those who did bad will be thrown into Hell. 

The Gospel corrects these thoughts and tells us the true way to become a Christian. Salvation is a free gift from God that was completed by Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection which is available to all who repent of their sins, believes in their hearts, and confesses that Jesus is Lord. 

Romans 10:9 is a core passage about our understanding of salvation and grace. Belief that leads to repentance and confession ushers in the grace and mercy of Jesus. 

Confession: Confession is inline with repentance. You confess that you are a sinner and that Jesus is your Lord. 

Belief: That Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus lived a life that you couldn’t live, died the death you should have died, so that you may have the life that you don’t deserve. 

Resurrection: The resurrection is a cornerstone of our faith and salvation. Because Jesus rose from the grave we can rise from our sins. Because Jesus defeated death He gives us a new life. 

Assurance: “You will be saved” tells us that there are no additions, assumptions, or opinions when it comes to salvation. 

God is accepting, forgiving, and welcoming for those who repent and believe. 

Live It: 

• Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? 
• Does you life reflect the new life and assurance found in Jesus? 
• Are you sharing the Gospel with others who need the hope that is found in Jesus?

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There are no shortcuts when it comes to spiritual growth. The key is consistency and faithfulness for the long haul.

Bible reading isn’t the only spiritual discipline God has commanded us to practice, but, in my opinion, it is one of the main avenues for Christians to know and experience the power of Jesus in their lives.

The words of God feed our souls much like food nourishes our bodies. As Satan tempted Jesus in the desert Jesus told him, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

For new Jesus-followers who are beginning a new habit of reading the Bible, it is imperative for them to get into the Bible – even if that means reading only one verse per day. But for those who are growing in their relationship with Jesus will notice that their affections for Jesus and God’s Word will also grow as they deepen their study of God’s Word. 

Our spiritual health is tied to our consumption and digestion of God’s Words.

Growing in our faith causes us to move from only reading a few verses here and there to savoring and obeying the Scripture. John Piper talks about the concept of not only seeing the Scriptures, but savoring them. “He wants our experience of the word to be such that we go beyond testing to tasting. Beyond knowing to loving. Beyond doctrine to delighting. Beyond seeing to savoring.” (Reading The Bible Supernaturally. p.126)

There is more to Bible study than simply seeing the words – God uses the Scripture to transform lives. Surface level Bible reading will create a surface level Christian.

Live It: 

• Are you growing spiritually through your reliance on the Holy Spirit and practice of spiritual disciplines? 

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