Building Your Family on the Rock: What It Means to Be a Wise Builder

In a world where families face countless challenges and storms, the question isn't whether hardships will come—it's whether we'll be prepared to weather them. Jesus gave us a powerful illustration about two builders that reveals the secret to creating families that can withstand anything life throws at them. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus concludes His famous Sermon on the Mount with a story about two builders. Both heard His words, both built houses, and both faced the same storms. Yet only one house remained standing when the winds died down. The difference wasn't in their building skills or the storms they faced. The difference was their foundation—and more importantly, what they did with Jesus' teachings.

The Wise Builder vs. The Foolish Builder

Jesus makes it clear that the wise builder "hears these words of mine and puts them into practice." The foolish builder also hears the words but doesn't act on them. This distinction is crucial for understanding how to build Christ-centered families.

Both builders represent people who:

• Heard Jesus' teachings

• Built houses (lived their lives)

• Faced identical storms and hardships

T

he only difference was practice—what they did with what they learned.

Why Families Matter in God's Plan

From the very beginning in Genesis, God's plan has been to work through families. They serve as the primary discipleship tool, passing faith from generation to generation and ultimately bringing about His kingdom work on earth. It's important to recognize that families come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you're a single parent, grandparents raising children, aunts and uncles stepping in, or families without children—every family structure can be built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

How Do We Discover Jesus?

All Christian faith begins with discovering Jesus. This encounter looks different for everyone—some have dramatic conversion stories, while others grow up knowing Jesus from childhood. Neither testimony is more valuable than the other. Some people discover Jesus through:

• Childhood faith and early baptism

• Dramatic life-changing encounters

• Gradual realization of His love and grace

• Community invitation and witness

The key is that discovery is just the beginning, not the end of the journey.

As families, we play a crucial role in helping others discover Jesus by:

• Inviting people to church and community events

• Sharing meals and authentic conversations about faith

• Modeling how faith integrates into daily life

• Bringing children and youth to places where they can encounter Jesus

What Does It Mean to Deepen Our Relationship with Jesus?

Deepening our faith is where the "practice" element from Jesus' parable becomes essential. It's about being transformed into His image day by day through intentional spiritual formation. We're all being influenced and shaped by something—whether it's social media, entertainment, relationships, or our faith. There's no neutral ground here. We're either being transformed to look more like Jesus or conforming to look more like the world.

Tools that help deepen our relationship with Jesus include:

• Regular prayer and fasting

• Attending worship services

• Participating in small groups and community

• Reading and studying Scripture

• Practicing accountability with other believers

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) contains some of Jesus' most profound teachings. It covers everything from the Beatitudes to loving our enemies, from prayer and fasting to storing treasures in heaven. Jesus addresses crucial areas of life including:

• Attitudes and character (the Beatitudes)

• Being salt and light in the world

• Forgiveness and managing anger

• Honesty and faithfulness

• Loving enemies and serving others

• Prayer, giving, and fasting

• Trusting God with our needs

Jesus calls us to get our inner and outer lives in sync. When we're wise builders who hear and practice His teachings, we can live with integrity and peace, knowing that our public and private lives align with His will.

Here's a crucial truth: building your family on the rock doesn't mean storms won't come. Both the wise and foolish builders faced identical hardships. Jesus even tells us, "In this world you will have trouble." The difference is that families built on the rock of Jesus can endure and emerge stronger from life's inevitable challenges. When storms hit, we need our faith community and our relationship with Jesus to get through them. This is why deepening our faith and building strong foundations matters so much—not to avoid hardship, but to weather it well.

Life Application

This week, take time to read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and choose one specific teaching of Jesus to put into practice. Don't just know it intellectually—actively, consciously apply it to your daily life and model it for your family. Whether it's being a peacemaker, loving your enemies, or storing treasures in heaven, pick one area and commit to practicing it this week. Remember what the great theologian, Dallas Williard, says, “Grace isn't opposed to effort—it's opposed to earning.” We can't change ourselves, but we can show up intentionally and let the Holy Spirit do the transforming work.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What specific teaching from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount do I need to put into practice this week?

• How can I model this practice for my family or those closest to me?

• In what areas of my life do I hear Jesus' words but struggle to act on them?

• How can I be more intentional about deepening my relationship with Jesus through spiritual disciplines?

Building a family on the rock isn't easy, but it's the only foundation that will weather every storm. When we discover Jesus, deepen our relationship with Him, and put His words into practice, we become wise builders creating families that can stand strong no matter what comes our way.

Grace upon grace,

Sam

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