February 18, 2025 • 17 mins
Here’s the reality: storms will come. The question is, have you invested enough time and effort to strengthen your base?
This is a story of two brothers – two houses – two foundations. One house was built on the rock, and the other was built on the sand.
Go to JesusPodcast.com and receive daily devotionals about Jesus.
Today's Bible verse is Mark 16:6 from the King James Version.
Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.
Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Every One therefore, who hears these words of mine and
does them, I will liken him to a wise man
who built his house on a rock Matthew seven twenty four.
Heavenly Father, we are reminded of the importance of building
our lives on the solid foundation of your word. With
(00:24):
humble hearts, we ask for the wisdom and strength to
not only hear your teachings, but to actively live them out.
May our faith be more than words. Let it be
evident in our actions, decisions, and the way we lead
our lives in a world filled with shifting sands. Help
(00:47):
us to cling to the rock of your truth and love.
Grant us the passion to seek you diligently, to grow
when understanding, and to be doers of your word, so
that when the storms come, we may stand firm in
our faith, anchored to your unchanging grace. In Jesus's name,
(01:11):
with humility and fervor, we pray.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to
the Jesus Podcast. Stay tuned for this dramatic retelling of
a parable told by Jesus. If this podcast has brought
value to your faith, we'd love it if you left
a review and shared it with a friend. We want
the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world,
(01:40):
because when Jesus' story is told, lives are transformed. Jesus
stood on the mount with thousands of faces looking back
at him. The Sea of Galilee glistened in the mild
afternoon sun behind them. They hung on every word, desperate
(02:02):
for more truth about God's kingdom, the culture of heaven,
and how to live fulfilling lives that honored God. Jesus
was pleased to oblige. His words were birthed from a
place of compassion and desire to see the world restored
to its creator. He felt a bond with them, one
(02:28):
that he would later seal with his blood beyond God.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
For false prophets, they are wolves in sheep's clothing. You
will know someone is genuine by their fruit. Do you
pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Of
course not. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, and
every bad tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree with
(02:57):
roots settled deeply in rich soil cannot bear bad fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit must be
cut down and destroyed. Thus by their fruit, you will
know them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Jesus paused and turned his face toward his disciples.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord will enter
the Kingdom of heaven. It is not enough to declare loyalty.
The ones who do the will of my father in
heaven are my true disciples. And the last day many
will say to me, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your
(03:36):
name and drive our demons in your name? Didn't we
perform miracles? I would tell them plainly that I never
knew them, and to depart from me, for their works
were evil.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Jesus smiled as the wind picked up slightly from the sea.
It was perfect timing. Jesus raised his hands and said,
whoever hears these words of men and does them.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
He's like a man who built his house on the rock.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
How important is comfort to you? Do you seek after
comfort at all costs? Is comfort king in your life?
You see those who seek comfort above action are those
who build their house on sand. Here's the reality. Storms
will come. The question is have you invested enough time
and effort to strengthen your base. This is the Jesus Podcast.
(04:27):
I'm zachwithpray dot Com. Here to showcase stories of terror, triumph,
love and struggle. We spent a better part of a
month now exploring different parables from Jesus. This one is
short but hold special significance, as it was right towards
the end of the Sermon on the Mount. This is
a story of two brothers, two houses, two foundations. One
house was built on the rock, a sturdy and sound foundation,
(04:51):
but the other was built on sand, shifting, movable, unsturdy.
Jesus invites us into this parable and asks a question
about whether our found is built on the rock.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Aharan and Gershon looked out at the sea and smiled.
The wind whistled from the water and up the sandy hills.
The sound of goals and crashing waves filled the air.
Aharan breathed it all in and stretched out his arms.
This is the spot, This is where I'll build my home.
(05:27):
Geeshen kicked the sand underneath his feet and shook his head.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Ah you'll need stable ground than this, brother. How are
your house they upright? Without a foundation?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Aharan chuckled and brought his brother in close. He pointed
to the setting sun and said, this.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
View, the gentle breeze and the comfort of being close
to the shore were enough for me. It'll be fine.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Geishen didn't look forward to the shore. He looked backward
towards the rocky mountains. He traveled to the base of
a jagged hill. The grass surrounding the area soft and
perfect for plowing, and the hardened ground at the mountain's
base would be a perfect foundation for his home. The
coastal breeze didn't reach him, nor did he have a
(06:18):
view of the sunset.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
There are more important things than comfort.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
He sighed. He took a stick and drew out the
lines of his home in the dirt. Tomorrow he would
begin building. Both men rose early before the sunrise. The
clanging of tools and dragging of wood broke through the
morning silence. They worked tirelessly throughout the day. Aharan was
(06:48):
able to make quick work of building his frame and
putting up walls. Everything was built upon the sun kissed sand.
As the day passed, he was thankful for the cool
coastal breeze against his neck. Now Gersham built at a
much slower pace. The first building day was spent chiseling
at stone to make his foundation. He measured everything carefully
(07:12):
and tested every inch for sturdiness. The sun's rays were
harsh against his back, but eventually the shadows of the
hills provided some welcome shade. Days turned into weeks, and
Aharon was already done with his home. By the time
Gersham began building his frames. Aharan's home was a splendid
(07:35):
sight with a perfect ocean view. His house, a marvel
of aesthetics, rose swiftly, its walls reflecting the golden sun,
its balconies inviting the sea breeze.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
What shore to wake to the song of the sea.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Aharan thought, his heart swelling with pride at the sight
of his creation. His priority were comfort and convenience, and
he received both for the first few weeks. Now, Gershon's
home was a humble site, but it served all his needs.
His house rose slowly, each stone a testament to his foresight.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
This house shall be my legacy, standing long after I
returned to the.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Dust, Gershon thought, laying each brick with the patience of
a philosopher. His thoughts often wandered to the teachings of
the old masters.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
A house must endure not just in years, but in wisdom.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
He reflected, his hands moving with the rhythm of a
seasoned craftsman. Early one morning, Gersham walked the rugged path
upward towards Aharan's home. He examined its shaky beams and
uneven floors. He said nothing. The two men looked out
at the sea once again. This time the ocean breeze
(09:02):
had a harsher whistle to it. The wind churned up
the glassy waters, and the sunset was covered by clouds
in the distance. Looks like a storm, Gersham said, nodding
to the horizon.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Good thing.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I have plenty of blankets. Wouldn't want to be cold
while I wait out the rain.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
However, the cold was the least of Gersham's fears. He
knew coastal storms could flood a home's foundation, leaving it
weak and shaky, and if the wind could bend a
cypress tree from its roots, it could certainly bend the
beams of a poorly crafted home.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
If you need me, you know where to find.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Me, Gersham said. He marched down the hill and prepared
for the worst. The sunset was hidden that evening. Dark
clouds blocked its descent, covering the skies with night merrish shadows.
The harsh wind blew in from the sea, howling like
a pack of ravenous wolves. Rain fell like arrows, stinging
(10:05):
the side of Gersham's face, who was outside fortifying the
perimeter of his home from flooding. Rain fell violently on
his back, but he knew the discomfort would pay off
when his house remained standing for an hour. He worked
toiling with stone and wood to ensure his house would endure.
(10:25):
Before heading back into the house, he looked up the road.
He knew that his brother Aharon would be in for
a treacherous night. Aharon was wrapped in wool blankets, listening
to the thrashing of waves and piercing wind outside. He
was happy to be warm. He sipped on a cup
of warm broth, thinking comfort would somehow save him from
(10:49):
the monster outside. Suddenly, the house began to shake. The
walls began to bend and bow with the shifting wind,
throwing Aharan onto the ground. He felt the floor beneath him.
It was sopping wet water was coming in from below.
Aharan trudged through water and mud to the front door.
(11:09):
He tried opening it, but the wind blew him backward.
The wet sand beneath his home began to slide down,
taking the entire house with it. Aharan tumbled with the house,
and the wood began to splinter into thousands of pieces.
His entire roof had blown off, and Aharon looked up
in horror to discover his home was being swept away
(11:32):
to the sea. He jumped into the water, desperately trying
to escape the oncoming waves. The sea was relentless, pulling
and pushing Aharan until he had no strength to fight.
He held on to a large piece of wood that
used to be a part of his deck. He wept
as the wind and waves thrashed him around, lamenting his
(11:53):
poor choice to build a house on the sand. Whoever
hears these words of mine and does them, will be
like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
But whoever hears these words of mine and neglects to
put them into practice would be like the foolish man
(12:16):
who built his house on the sand. He will succumb
to the storm.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
The crowd fell silent. The authority by which Jesus spoke
was unrivaled. Many teachers of the time built upon the
foundation of other teachers before them. Over time, every sermon
was a regurgitated and watered down version of what it
once was. The people were amazed as they listened to Jesus'
(12:45):
story because it spoke to their feelings. Deep down, they
knew that they had been building their lives on eroding
and shifting sands. But when they heard Jesus speak, they sturdier,
surmer of themselves and their mission. All that was left
(13:07):
for them was to act, For it isn't enough to
hear the word. They must be doers as well.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
At this point in scripture, Jesus had just concluded the
Sermon on the Mount. He laid out a vision of
the kingdom citizen, someone mobilized by faith and fueled by love.
It was a compelling sermon. The Bible said that people
marveled and were astonished because he preached like someone who
had authority. We've all heard sermons from Jesus. We all
heard his words. But hearing isn't enough, is it. It's
(13:40):
what we do with what we've heard that matters. Jesus
contrasted two examples of disciples. One here's the words of
the sermon and acts upon them, while the other here's
the words and doesn't act upon them at all. Jesus,
like in the first disciple, to a wise builder who
built his house on the rock, and the second disciple
to a food coolish builder who built his house on
(14:01):
the sand. The house that was stood the rains, flood
and winds was the one that had a sturdy foundation
down to the bedrock. You could imagine Jesus telling the
story against the backdrop of the Sea of Galilee. It
was host to many storms. No Galilean in their right
mind would ever build their house right on the sandy shore.
I think Jesus uses sand as an example for a
(14:22):
very specific reason. You see, those who were listening would
have been very familiar that Sata and Galilee was the
birthplace of Philip, Andrew, Peter, James, and John. These locals
probably knew something that we wouldn't at first glance, and
that's that the sand on the shore of Galilee is
very firm in the summer, but softens during the winter months.
(14:42):
I could imagine that some of the disciples would laugh
at the notion of someone building a house on the sand,
because they might have had a dumb uncle who during
the summer months thought that they were building on a
firm foundation all four in the winter months, it had
to crumble under their feet when the early winter rains came,
the Jordan River overflowed into the banks of the St
of Galilee. This, coupled with the winter windstorms, caused the
(15:03):
houses not built on the foundation to completely collapse. The
wise builder looked at the future and knew that the
early rains would eventually come, and that the Jordan River
would overflow into its banks and loosen up the hard
alesuvial sand and make it unstable. If the house had
no foundation, it would certainly collapse. The foolish builder, on
(15:24):
the other hand, only thought about the view the present,
the comfort of his own home. Much to his surprise,
it didn't withstand. The wise builder was concerned not just
about the comfort of the house, but would it remain
standing when the storms came. The wise builder counted the
cost and put in the time, energy, and effort to
build the foundation of his house, while the foolish builder
(15:47):
took shortcuts and ignored the need for a foundation. The
application of these two parables is obvious, but nonetheless difficult
to apply. Jesus intended his disciples to hear his words
and then obey them act upon them. He wanted them
to put in the hard work of loving their enemies.
He wanted them to wrestle with the discomfort of repentance.
He wanted them to struggle through the process of forgiving others,
(16:10):
fleeing from lust and seeking the Kingdom. First, he wanted
them to have a firm foundation, so when the winter
came and the sands softened, they would be prepared. The
wise builder dug a foundation and built his house on
top of it, so when the winds and the rains
and the flood cames, the house remained sturdy. Likewise, a
serious disciple of the Lord must put in time, energy,
(16:33):
and effort to not just hear the words of Jesus,
but to act upon them, build a solid and sturdy
foundation for our lives, so that when hardships come, we
can withstand them.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
For all the.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Podcasts we consume, for all the sermons that we listened to,
for all the church services that we attend and sit
in the pews and raise a hallelujah, are we doing
something with what we've been learning? Are we taking the
words of Christ and the precious word of God and
building upon the foundation? Are we building upon the rock
so that we could be sturdy for those around us?
(17:07):
To our lives reflect a depth of character that has
been tested by the storms of time. These are all
questions for us to consider. Have we been doers of
the word and not just hearers only. Our next episode,
we are going to begin part one of the most
famous parable told by Jesus. It's a story of grace
and a father's love for his son.
Every One therefore, who hears these words of mine and
does them, I will liken him to a wise man
who built his house on a rock Matthew seven twenty four.
Heavenly Father, we are reminded of the importance of building
our lives on the solid foundation of your word. With
(00:24):
humble hearts, we ask for the wisdom and strength to
not only hear your teachings, but to actively live them out.
May our faith be more than words. Let it be
evident in our actions, decisions, and the way we lead
our lives in a world filled with shifting sands. Help
(00:47):
us to cling to the rock of your truth and love.
Grant us the passion to seek you diligently, to grow
when understanding, and to be doers of your word, so
that when the storms come, we may stand firm in
our faith, anchored to your unchanging grace. In Jesus's name,
(01:11):
with humility and fervor, we pray.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to
the Jesus Podcast. Stay tuned for this dramatic retelling of
a parable told by Jesus. If this podcast has brought
value to your faith, we'd love it if you left
a review and shared it with a friend. We want
the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world,
(01:40):
because when Jesus' story is told, lives are transformed. Jesus
stood on the mount with thousands of faces looking back
at him. The Sea of Galilee glistened in the mild
afternoon sun behind them. They hung on every word, desperate
(02:02):
for more truth about God's kingdom, the culture of heaven,
and how to live fulfilling lives that honored God. Jesus
was pleased to oblige. His words were birthed from a
place of compassion and desire to see the world restored
to its creator. He felt a bond with them, one
(02:28):
that he would later seal with his blood beyond God.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
For false prophets, they are wolves in sheep's clothing. You
will know someone is genuine by their fruit. Do you
pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Of
course not. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, and
every bad tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree with
(02:57):
roots settled deeply in rich soil cannot bear bad fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit must be
cut down and destroyed. Thus by their fruit, you will
know them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Jesus paused and turned his face toward his disciples.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord will enter
the Kingdom of heaven. It is not enough to declare loyalty.
The ones who do the will of my father in
heaven are my true disciples. And the last day many
will say to me, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your
(03:36):
name and drive our demons in your name? Didn't we
perform miracles? I would tell them plainly that I never
knew them, and to depart from me, for their works
were evil.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Jesus smiled as the wind picked up slightly from the sea.
It was perfect timing. Jesus raised his hands and said,
whoever hears these words of men and does them.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
He's like a man who built his house on the rock.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
How important is comfort to you? Do you seek after
comfort at all costs? Is comfort king in your life?
You see those who seek comfort above action are those
who build their house on sand. Here's the reality. Storms
will come. The question is have you invested enough time
and effort to strengthen your base. This is the Jesus Podcast.
(04:27):
I'm zachwithpray dot Com. Here to showcase stories of terror, triumph,
love and struggle. We spent a better part of a
month now exploring different parables from Jesus. This one is
short but hold special significance, as it was right towards
the end of the Sermon on the Mount. This is
a story of two brothers, two houses, two foundations. One
house was built on the rock, a sturdy and sound foundation,
(04:51):
but the other was built on sand, shifting, movable, unsturdy.
Jesus invites us into this parable and asks a question
about whether our found is built on the rock.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Aharan and Gershon looked out at the sea and smiled.
The wind whistled from the water and up the sandy hills.
The sound of goals and crashing waves filled the air.
Aharan breathed it all in and stretched out his arms.
This is the spot, This is where I'll build my home.
(05:27):
Geeshen kicked the sand underneath his feet and shook his head.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Ah you'll need stable ground than this, brother. How are
your house they upright? Without a foundation?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Aharan chuckled and brought his brother in close. He pointed
to the setting sun and said, this.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
View, the gentle breeze and the comfort of being close
to the shore were enough for me. It'll be fine.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Geishen didn't look forward to the shore. He looked backward
towards the rocky mountains. He traveled to the base of
a jagged hill. The grass surrounding the area soft and
perfect for plowing, and the hardened ground at the mountain's
base would be a perfect foundation for his home. The
coastal breeze didn't reach him, nor did he have a
(06:18):
view of the sunset.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
There are more important things than comfort.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
He sighed. He took a stick and drew out the
lines of his home in the dirt. Tomorrow he would
begin building. Both men rose early before the sunrise. The
clanging of tools and dragging of wood broke through the
morning silence. They worked tirelessly throughout the day. Aharan was
(06:48):
able to make quick work of building his frame and
putting up walls. Everything was built upon the sun kissed sand.
As the day passed, he was thankful for the cool
coastal breeze against his neck. Now Gersham built at a
much slower pace. The first building day was spent chiseling
at stone to make his foundation. He measured everything carefully
(07:12):
and tested every inch for sturdiness. The sun's rays were
harsh against his back, but eventually the shadows of the
hills provided some welcome shade. Days turned into weeks, and
Aharon was already done with his home. By the time
Gersham began building his frames. Aharan's home was a splendid
(07:35):
sight with a perfect ocean view. His house, a marvel
of aesthetics, rose swiftly, its walls reflecting the golden sun,
its balconies inviting the sea breeze.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
What shore to wake to the song of the sea.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Aharan thought, his heart swelling with pride at the sight
of his creation. His priority were comfort and convenience, and
he received both for the first few weeks. Now, Gershon's
home was a humble site, but it served all his needs.
His house rose slowly, each stone a testament to his foresight.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
This house shall be my legacy, standing long after I
returned to the.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Dust, Gershon thought, laying each brick with the patience of
a philosopher. His thoughts often wandered to the teachings of
the old masters.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
A house must endure not just in years, but in wisdom.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
He reflected, his hands moving with the rhythm of a
seasoned craftsman. Early one morning, Gersham walked the rugged path
upward towards Aharan's home. He examined its shaky beams and
uneven floors. He said nothing. The two men looked out
at the sea once again. This time the ocean breeze
(09:02):
had a harsher whistle to it. The wind churned up
the glassy waters, and the sunset was covered by clouds
in the distance. Looks like a storm, Gersham said, nodding
to the horizon.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Good thing.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I have plenty of blankets. Wouldn't want to be cold
while I wait out the rain.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
However, the cold was the least of Gersham's fears. He
knew coastal storms could flood a home's foundation, leaving it
weak and shaky, and if the wind could bend a
cypress tree from its roots, it could certainly bend the
beams of a poorly crafted home.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
If you need me, you know where to find.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Me, Gersham said. He marched down the hill and prepared
for the worst. The sunset was hidden that evening. Dark
clouds blocked its descent, covering the skies with night merrish shadows.
The harsh wind blew in from the sea, howling like
a pack of ravenous wolves. Rain fell like arrows, stinging
(10:05):
the side of Gersham's face, who was outside fortifying the
perimeter of his home from flooding. Rain fell violently on
his back, but he knew the discomfort would pay off
when his house remained standing for an hour. He worked
toiling with stone and wood to ensure his house would endure.
(10:25):
Before heading back into the house, he looked up the road.
He knew that his brother Aharon would be in for
a treacherous night. Aharon was wrapped in wool blankets, listening
to the thrashing of waves and piercing wind outside. He
was happy to be warm. He sipped on a cup
of warm broth, thinking comfort would somehow save him from
(10:49):
the monster outside. Suddenly, the house began to shake. The
walls began to bend and bow with the shifting wind,
throwing Aharan onto the ground. He felt the floor beneath him.
It was sopping wet water was coming in from below.
Aharan trudged through water and mud to the front door.
(11:09):
He tried opening it, but the wind blew him backward.
The wet sand beneath his home began to slide down,
taking the entire house with it. Aharan tumbled with the house,
and the wood began to splinter into thousands of pieces.
His entire roof had blown off, and Aharon looked up
in horror to discover his home was being swept away
(11:32):
to the sea. He jumped into the water, desperately trying
to escape the oncoming waves. The sea was relentless, pulling
and pushing Aharan until he had no strength to fight.
He held on to a large piece of wood that
used to be a part of his deck. He wept
as the wind and waves thrashed him around, lamenting his
(11:53):
poor choice to build a house on the sand. Whoever
hears these words of mine and does them, will be
like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
But whoever hears these words of mine and neglects to
put them into practice would be like the foolish man
(12:16):
who built his house on the sand. He will succumb
to the storm.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
The crowd fell silent. The authority by which Jesus spoke
was unrivaled. Many teachers of the time built upon the
foundation of other teachers before them. Over time, every sermon
was a regurgitated and watered down version of what it
once was. The people were amazed as they listened to Jesus'
(12:45):
story because it spoke to their feelings. Deep down, they
knew that they had been building their lives on eroding
and shifting sands. But when they heard Jesus speak, they sturdier,
surmer of themselves and their mission. All that was left
(13:07):
for them was to act, For it isn't enough to
hear the word. They must be doers as well.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
At this point in scripture, Jesus had just concluded the
Sermon on the Mount. He laid out a vision of
the kingdom citizen, someone mobilized by faith and fueled by love.
It was a compelling sermon. The Bible said that people
marveled and were astonished because he preached like someone who
had authority. We've all heard sermons from Jesus. We all
heard his words. But hearing isn't enough, is it. It's
(13:40):
what we do with what we've heard that matters. Jesus
contrasted two examples of disciples. One here's the words of
the sermon and acts upon them, while the other here's
the words and doesn't act upon them at all. Jesus,
like in the first disciple, to a wise builder who
built his house on the rock, and the second disciple
to a food coolish builder who built his house on
(14:01):
the sand. The house that was stood the rains, flood
and winds was the one that had a sturdy foundation
down to the bedrock. You could imagine Jesus telling the
story against the backdrop of the Sea of Galilee. It
was host to many storms. No Galilean in their right
mind would ever build their house right on the sandy shore.
I think Jesus uses sand as an example for a
(14:22):
very specific reason. You see, those who were listening would
have been very familiar that Sata and Galilee was the
birthplace of Philip, Andrew, Peter, James, and John. These locals
probably knew something that we wouldn't at first glance, and
that's that the sand on the shore of Galilee is
very firm in the summer, but softens during the winter months.
(14:42):
I could imagine that some of the disciples would laugh
at the notion of someone building a house on the sand,
because they might have had a dumb uncle who during
the summer months thought that they were building on a
firm foundation all four in the winter months, it had
to crumble under their feet when the early winter rains came,
the Jordan River overflowed into the banks of the St
of Galilee. This, coupled with the winter windstorms, caused the
(15:03):
houses not built on the foundation to completely collapse. The
wise builder looked at the future and knew that the
early rains would eventually come, and that the Jordan River
would overflow into its banks and loosen up the hard
alesuvial sand and make it unstable. If the house had
no foundation, it would certainly collapse. The foolish builder, on
(15:24):
the other hand, only thought about the view the present,
the comfort of his own home. Much to his surprise,
it didn't withstand. The wise builder was concerned not just
about the comfort of the house, but would it remain
standing when the storms came. The wise builder counted the
cost and put in the time, energy, and effort to
build the foundation of his house, while the foolish builder
(15:47):
took shortcuts and ignored the need for a foundation. The
application of these two parables is obvious, but nonetheless difficult
to apply. Jesus intended his disciples to hear his words
and then obey them act upon them. He wanted them
to put in the hard work of loving their enemies.
He wanted them to wrestle with the discomfort of repentance.
He wanted them to struggle through the process of forgiving others,
(16:10):
fleeing from lust and seeking the Kingdom. First, he wanted
them to have a firm foundation, so when the winter
came and the sands softened, they would be prepared. The
wise builder dug a foundation and built his house on
top of it, so when the winds and the rains
and the flood cames, the house remained sturdy. Likewise, a
serious disciple of the Lord must put in time, energy,
(16:33):
and effort to not just hear the words of Jesus,
but to act upon them, build a solid and sturdy
foundation for our lives, so that when hardships come, we
can withstand them.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
For all the.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Podcasts we consume, for all the sermons that we listened to,
for all the church services that we attend and sit
in the pews and raise a hallelujah, are we doing
something with what we've been learning? Are we taking the
words of Christ and the precious word of God and
building upon the foundation? Are we building upon the rock
so that we could be sturdy for those around us?
(17:07):
To our lives reflect a depth of character that has
been tested by the storms of time. These are all
questions for us to consider. Have we been doers of
the word and not just hearers only. Our next episode,
we are going to begin part one of the most
famous parable told by Jesus. It's a story of grace
and a father's love for his son.
Host
Zak Shellabarger
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!