02 Dec Matthew 7:24-25 (Rock or Sand?) by Jason Peters
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (full readings)
Jason’s Reflections: The parable from today’s Gospel is one I remember learning as a young kid. I can’t say that I remember the whole thing, but I remember learning a song about a man who built his house upon the rock and a man who built his house upon the sand. I think this is one of the most important lessons any of us can learn. So many times in my own life there have been times when I tried to “compartmentalize” the house that I built. Do I really build everything in my life on solid rock, or do I only build certain parts of my life on the rock that is Jesus? When the storms of life come (family crisis, health concerns, economic hardship, etc.) and buffet our house, what will be left standing? Will our entire house be intact, or will we find that we have some rebuilding to do? Rich shared a quote from Saint Augustine on Monday, “the higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be it’s foundation.” If we are to be steadfast examples of Jesus’s presence in the world (a very tall structure indeed), then we must have a deep foundation of faith in all aspects of our life, built on The Rock.
Faith Challenge: Pray for the ability to strengthen the parts of your life that may not be built on the foundation of Jesus.
Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). View, add, update Prayers on our website. Let’s pray now.
Faith Quote: “Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around, and I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down. Gonna stand my ground, and I won’t back down.” ~ Tom Petty
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa
* Evangelize:Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.