Bible Study

Bible study is the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of each month instead of a regular service.

This is when we delve deeper in the scriptures, like the Bereans, to better understand what we are reading. Some people think we should not question God, but there are times when those hard questions nag at you like “why did God let the satan attack Job” or when a hard saying of Jesus like “if you call someone a fool you are liable to the fire of gehenna” just gets in the way of your faith. All over the Bible the Psalmists and prophets were constantly asking God some tough questions when they don’t understand what’s happening to them. And so, we, like them should not shy away from asking too. We might not get all the answers we are looking for, but we come away with a better understanding of the passages we are studying and knowing that our God is a big and does not feel threatened by our questioning.

Sermon on the Mount: Week 12

Study

Study

A Call to Decisiveness

Matthew 7:24-29

Two Destinies and Two Foundations

As God commanded the Israelites in Deut 6:1, 3 to be doers of his commandments, so Jesus is calling his disciples to hear and to practice (be doers) his teachings (cf James 1:22). A true believer will not only hear the word of God but also act on them.

Building on the right foundation

Jesus goes on to now give His hearers the choice of choosing the path in life that leads to a final destination: a foundation that will crumble or one that will last for eternity with Jesus.

The narrow gate with the hard road leads to the house with a firm foundation so when the storms or floods of life come like viruses/diseases, physical storms like earthquakes or hurricanes, or even a time of testing, we will endure because we stand strong on the rock foundation. Jesus is that rock foundation, who assures endurance and safety.

The wide gate and easy road which leads to a house built on the sandy foundation (those beliefs in other gods, trusting in our wealth or earthly treasure, or trusting in our own strengths, those who say they are a Christian, yet does not follow the teachings of Jesus, will certainly not stand. When problems come or you face eternity, it will be a great and terrifying thing to stand before our great God and Savior and realizing you have been wrong all your life.

But as Michelle Jones from BibleProject reminds us: ‘Sometimes when we are building a house we can get tricked into thinking everything is okay. We can build a lot before finding out that the flooring is uneven, the roof leaks or the foundation is not sound. Unless there is a challenge or testing or problem, how can we find out? Don’t feel scared, just go back and check and fix it. It is not about the house already built, but about the house you are currently building. Build it for a storm. It’s about those right relationships with others that we are building to withstand any storm’.

There are not many roads to the Kingdom of Heaven and to eternal life; there is only one way and Jesus is the ONLY WAY and His teachings is the firm foundation. Don’t be like the foolish man who build his house on the sand, but be like the wise who built his house on the firm foundation. CHOOSE WISELY. Make the right choice. May our God and Savior, Jesus, guide you through this life to eternity with Him.

Selected Scripture Verses

Matthew 7:24-29

The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Bible Study

A Call to Decisiveness

Open Hands Church