March 21, 2020

Worship Songs for You and Your Family:

We encourage you to take some time to worship God through song. Whether you are by yourself or with your family, take some time to sing praises to Him.

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

Cornerstone

Build My Life

10,000 Reasons




For families with young children:

Every Move I Make

The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock


Study: “Strong in the Storm”

Read Matthew 7:24-29

Watch the Introduction:

The meaning of this parable is quite obvious: proper foundations are necessary. With a literal house, it is unwise to build on sand, because the foundation will be unsteady, and the house will eventually suffer some kind of damage. This will waste resources, and all the time and work put into building the house in the first place will have gone for nothing. In contrast, it is wise to build one’s house on a sure foundation; anchoring to bedrock makes a building withstand the test.

Jesus’ sermon was not concerned with the construction of a house or building code violations. We are each building a life. The proper foundation for a life is Jesus’ words, not just the hearing of them, but the doing of them, too (see James 1:22).

At the conclusion of the sermon, two lives are compared. The two lives Jesus refers to have several points in common:

  • They both build a house (life)
  • They both hear Jesus’ teaching
  • They both experience the same circumstances (storm)

The storms reveal how solid the house is. We need to stop and think about what we are building our lives on. Today the forecast is definitely calling for more storms in our lives. Are you prepared for them?

Digging Deeper:

A. Considering our foundation:

  • What kind of foundation are you building on?
  • How would you describe the foundation of your life?
  • What do you need at this point to have a stronger foundation?
  • How could other believers help you?

B. Our text is a call to consider what we do with what Jesus says! It has eternal consequences.

  • How much of what you already know Jesus said are you doing?
  • At this point in your life is the pressing need to learn more or to do what you know?

C. Considering Jesus’ words:

  • John 14:6
  • Mark 8:36
  • Matthew 6:33
  • John 3:1-7

Jesus invites us to build our lives on Him. That’s where the security is!


For Families with Young Children:

Have you ever heard about the man who built his house on the sandy beach with the beautiful view of the ocean? He could walk out his front door and get a sun tan or go swimming.  It was so nice…. Until the first storm came! When the winds picked up and the waters rose, all the sand under the house began to wash away. The view became scary and the man’s deepest fear came true. The house and everything in it was destroyed and washed away. He went from amazing to devastated because of one storm.

Now let’s talk about another man who built his house on the strong rock foundation.  He still had a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean, but he didn’t just walk out his door and have his feet in the sand and water.  The rock gave him protection from the waves. When that first storm came, the winds whipped, the water rose, and the rains beat down. The wind may have blown the flag and flip flops off his porch, but the man and his house were safe.

Jesus tells us that, just like those men, we have to make a choice on where we put our “house.” Do your thoughts and actions depend on God? Is your first thought “what would Jesus do?” When bad things happen, do you first worry or do you pray? When things aren’t going right at school, do you run away and try to make a plan on your own or do you ask God to guide you? 

God wants to be our rock, our protection from the storms of life. That doesn’t mean he puts us in a bubble so we don’t have to go through storms. It means that WHEN the storms come (because they will), we have a buffer and strong hold.

Another scripture to check out: Matthew 6:25-34

Questions:

  • If a tornado was coming through and you were stuck outside, would you rather be tied to an old tree with deep roots or a bicycle? Which one of these is more like God and which one is like the world with its changing views?
  • Have you ever drawn a picture in the sand on the beach? What happens to the drawing when the water washes up onto the sand? Is the sand sturdy and unchanging? Does a rock wall change when it gets rained on?
  • What is a foundation? What kinds of things are used for a foundation of a house today? Do you think marshmallows or pillows would make a good foundation? How about concrete blocks?
  • What kinds of “storms” do people face in their life? How might a person react to one of these storms if they are not relying on God? How should we react if God is our rock and foundation?

Activities:

  1. Coloring page attached if you have a printer
  2. Have the kids draw a picture of a house on dry erase board with a permanent marker and one with a dry erase marker and let them shoot at their pictures with a squirt gun.  (If you color over permanent marker with dry erase marker it will come off so the boards are not ruined.)
  3. Give the kids different building surfaces and building materials. You might have a strong surface like a board, metal pan or a soft surface like a blanket or bubble wrap.  Building materials can be anything from wood blocks to marshmallows and toothpicks to cardboard blocks to sugar cubes.  When they are finished, ask them to carry their creation to the other side of the room. Help them see that even if they build with something strong like Legos or blocks, it still won’t stand if you build it on something soft like a pillow or blanket.