Please Explain Week 1

Wordle

HEAR

WISE

FOOL

ROCK

SAND

Riddles

You throw away my outside, eat my inside, then throw away the inside. What am I?

Corn on the cob

What has 13 hearts, but no stomach or lungs?

A deck of cards

I am gentle enough to soothe your skin, light enough to fly in the sky, and strong enough to crack rocks. What am I?

Water

If you have it, you don’t share it. If you share it, you don’t have it. What is it?

A secret

You are in a dark room with a box of matches. Nearby are three things: a candle, an oil lamp and a log of firewood. Which do you light first?

The match

What has no beginning, end, or middle?

A doughnut

[TRANSITION]

So where are we going with all of this? What do riddles and word puzzles have to do with each other?

If you're confused, it's okay. If you need some help connecting the dots, I get it! So let me explain.

When Jesus was here on earth, his followers often found themselves confused by what Jesus was saying. They needed help connecting the dots and making sense of his ideas.

That's partly because Jesus often taught in the form of stories, called parables. These fictional stories were designed to illustrate a big truth Jesus wanted us to remember.

Jesus chose to communicate these truths in story form because he knew stories have the ability to draw us in and invite us to think differently about ourselves and the world.

But sometimes Jesus' stories got a little confusing and left his followers wondering what in the world Jesus was trying to say.

Over the next four weeks, we're going to be looking at four of these parables Jesus told. As you listen to this first story, here are a few questions to think about:

What do you think this parable is about?

What is confusing about this parable?

What do you think the spiritual lesson in this story could be?

[TRANSITION]

Read Matthew 7:24-27

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

First, Jesus talks about a person who built his house on a foundation of rock.

This person built their house on a rock, not necessarily because they were a genius or master house-builder. They simply understood that, one day, things could get difficult and unpredictable — and when they do, they wanted to make sure their home's foundation would withstand whatever storm it faced.

To make sure everyone listening knew exactly what he was trying to say, Jesus explained: this wise house-builder is like someone who not only hears Jesus' words, but puts Jesus' words into practice.

Next, Jesus talks about a person who build his house on a foundation of sand.

You might try to give this person the benefit of the doubt and think, "Well, maybe they just didn't know sand was a bad place to build a house." But, no — Jesus makes it clear, this person knew better. Maybe this person was proud, or arrogant, or stubborn. Maybe they thought they didn't need anyone but themselves to help get them out of life's troubles. But when the storm came, they soon realized they were wrong.

Again, to make sure everyone understood, Jesus explained his story. The foolish house-builder is like someone who hears Jesus' words, but doesn't do anything about them.

So what does all this mean? Well, it means when we build our lives on the foundation of God's words, we can face whatever difficulties life throws at us. When things feel uncertain, scary, confusing, or unstable, God's words will help us weather our storms.

[TRANSITION]

But this wasn't the first time Jesus' listeners would have heard God is a firm and steady foundation. Centuries earlier, a musician named Ethan wrote these words in a song of worship to God.

Read Psalm 89:1-2

1 I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever;

I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations

with my mouth.

2 For I will declare,

“Faithful love is built up forever;

you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.”

Because God's love stands firm forever:

We can trust it.

We can build our lives around it.

We can rely on it when not much else seems reliable.

God's words are just as solid as God's love for us. God's words are like that solid rock Jesus talked about. When you build your life around what God has said, no matter how shaky life gets, you'll never crumble. Because God's words are a firm foundation.

[TRANSITION]

When life gets shaky and uncertain, God's words can do two things for us: comfort and guide.

God's words can comfort us as they remind us God loves us, is with us, and hasn't forgotten about us. The relationship we have with Jesus in the midst of chaos and uncertainty gives us a chance to understand God's love — the unchanging, always trustworthy love of God the psalmist talked about.

But remember what Jesus said? Just hearing God's words isn't going to give us safety and stability. We have to do what God says. That's why we have to remember God's words are meant to guide and direct us — not just comfort us. If we truly want to be safe and secure during life's biggest storms, we have to do something with the guidance God gives us.

So what is your life built around? What's your foundation?

Is it built on others' expectations or opinions of you?

Is it built on your own intelligence or wisdom?

Is it built on wishful thinking that everything will work out in your favor?

Or is it built on God's trustworthiness?

What do you hold onto when life gets complicated?

Do you hold onto people or things that make you feel better in the short term, but don't actually have the power to help or protect you in the long term?

Or do you hold onto Jesus, who will never let you down?

[CONCLUSION]

Read Matthew 4:4

4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Just like eating, sleeping, or checking our phones, what are some ways we could make God's words a more regular part of our days?

God's words are a firm foundation, ready and available for anyone to build their lives on. But we have to choose it. It won't just happen by accident.