INWARD PRAYER

QUESTIONS

1. What are your hopes for 2021? 
2. It is evident from the story that both the men hear Jesus words but putting them into practise determines who is wise and foolish. Why do you think that is? 
3. Read Matthew 7 as a small group. What words of Jesus do you find hardest or easiest to put into practise? 
4. What would help this year to build a good foundation? How can Beulah Youth help you do that? 

OUTWARD PRAYER 

WHAT’S THE POINT? 

Often we put our hope in things that fade, things that are uncertain, shaky and change. A new year often brings hope, but our hope is not found in 2021, it is found in Jesus: who is certain, steady and never changes. 

WORD UP 

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.  

WAKE UP 

Talk about crazy foundations! https://youtu.be/CVL4sEpBQBc 

Parable of the Wise and foolish builders 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXWHLB1f6_U 

WHY DO I CARE?  

“everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” 

VS 

“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.” 

Jesus makes two really bold statements in this parable. He uses the analogy of building a house. If you have ever tried to build anything sturdy before you know it always helps to have a solid foundation. In any sort of building or renovation, good preparation saves you lots of time in the long run. 

(Insert your own story or use something like…) [Chris] Over the Christmas break my wife and I decided to do another small renovation. A couple years ago we bought our first home. We liked the idea of having a fixer-upper. An older home with some character but needed some work done. We found this cute little 1950’s bungalow and saw the potential in it. Over the past 2 years we’ve done different renovations from big to small… and now we just have some small projects left. Over the Christmas we decided to renovate the office. The office was my old bedroom when I lived with some buddies before marrying Steph. It then became the office/throw clothes in there sort of room. Haha! It had grey walls and grey carpet and really wasn’t the most appealing place to work in.  

So we spent 3 days, cleaning it out, ripping out the carpet and baseboards, painting, building shelves and decorating. But there was one part of the renovation that you would never notice… it involved about an hour on my hands and knees running a snow shovel over the exposed wood to find in nails or staples that were left after ripping out the carpet. This part of the Reno was so boring! And hurt my fingers!… However if I didn’t do that they new flooring we put down would have had lots of little bumps and lumps and you certainly would have noticed something wasn’t right. When the foundation for the flooring is smooth… it’s better to walk on. 

I think Jesus was saying something along these lines in this part of Matthew 7. The foundations matter. What you put your life on matters. Where you put your hope, obedience and time, determine the outcome of your life. 

 Jesus parallels two people. A wise man who builds his house on the rock, and the foolish man who builds his house on the sand. When the storm comes, only one house survives. 

So what does Jesus say that we should build our life upon, so that when storms come, we will survive? ”everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practise.” 

Many of us have heard the words of Jesus, been to youth, been to church, listened to sermons, read our Bible… but Jesus says that doing those things without putting anything into practise is foolish. 

So what words does Jesus say that we should put into practise? 

Earlier in the chapter Jesus talks about a few things, which you should go back and read them in detail… but he talks about how we judge one another, treating people out of love, asking God for things, bearing good fruit, and being known by Jesus (not simply knowing about him). 

Everything Jesus describes in an experiential, feet on the ground, putting into practise, active and alive faith. Jesus describes these people as wise. 

 2020 was a hard year for many, hope is put in 2021 that it will be better, but every year has its good moments and its hard moments. Yet, those who put the words of Jesus into practise, knowing God and being known by him can walk through good and bad moments with wisdom on secure foundation. 

WHAT DO I DO? 

As we begin 2021, what is your foundation built on? 

 Is your faith active and alive… putting into practise the teachings of Jesus? 

Do you need to make the step from knowing about God to knowing God personally? 

2021 just like 2020 will be defined by moments. Do you want your moments to be based on wise or foolish decisions? 

Rather than 2021 being a year that comes and goes… what if it was the year that you put into practise the ways of Jesus daily and things like miracles, friends becoming followers of Jesus, relationships being healed, life in the fullest… became the new normal? 

Often we put our hope in things that fade, things that are uncertain, shaky and change. A new year often brings hope, but our hope is not found in 2021, it is found in Jesus: who is certain, steady and never changes. What is your foundation?