The Ranch House Built on the Rock 

Matt. 7:24-27 says, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain descended, and the floods came and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall." 

We all face storms in our lives. Problems, stress, pressure.  We all have received the storm warnings and how to prepare for them.  Everyone who acts (takes action) withstands!  So what can we do to survive the storms of life? 

1.  Be a doer of God's Word!  2. Understand that obedience brings Blessings! 

In this story there are 2 Builders and 2 Ranch Houses, both had the same floor plans.  Both looked the same on the outside, but they were different.  They had different foundations - one was built on sand, the other built on rock. 

The Rock Foundation is the Word Of GOD, it's a place where we dig deep into its truths and apply them to our lives.  The Sand Foundation is the shortcut - it's easier, cheaper, less work & little effort.  It's a place where having a real relationship with God is just not that important to you. 

Jesus Describes the Storm  

1. Pressure from Above (the rain descended): Rain is frequent, little & short duration. 

2. Pressure from Below (the floods came): Floods are not as common, but you need to watch out for them and take shelter. 

3. Pressure from All Around (the winds blew): Tornados, Hurricanes, Wind Storms are a time when you have to find safety fast and after they pass, you sometimes have to repair or rebuild, but these types of storms don't come very often. 

Our Faith is not tested in the sunshine but in the storms!  When you have a Foundation that is built upon the Rock you have a Peace that helps you learn that not every cloud is a storm, and if one develops you've got God on your side and He will be right there with you as you both go through it!

Happy Trails to You With Jesus!
Larry