Beyond these Walls Wk 1
Notes
Transcript
"Home, sweet home!" The ideal home has all that we need—food, family, and walls. Walls are made to keep us safe and secure. Outside of physical walls, we often build emotional, mental, and even spiritual walls that we expect to give us the same safety and comfort. The issue is, we expect these walls to keep us from experiencing pain, hurt, or facing our fears, but they actually keep us from living in the freedom of God.
All month long, the focus is on helping us see that the safety and security we desire can be found beyond the walls we build—in fact, the safest place (and person) we can go to is God!
Tonight, I want to emphasize the unpredictability of a new year.
With the excitement of a fresh start also comes the nervousness of what’s to come. Although we may not know all that’s in store for 2024, we can rest in the One who does.
In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches about living a transformed life based on God's principles. The passage compares two people facing unpredictable storms in life—one building their life on unstable foundations (represented by sand) and the other on the solid foundation of Jesus (represented by rock). Tonight should encourage you to build your life on Jesus while simultaneously acknowledging that this doesn't exempt you from challenges.
In fact, Jesus provides a firm foundation to withstand the storms of life!
Let’s check out Matthew 7:24-29
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
QUESTIONS:
What are some of the plans you have for 2024?
How do you normally deal with unexpected or surprising events/news?
Read Matthew 7:26-27. Have you ever put your trust in something/someone that didn’t hold up? What happened?
Why do you think Jesus compared following His teaching to building a house on solid rock?
Make a pros/cons list of building your life on Jesus versus building your life on other things.
What’s the importance of both hearing and acting on Jesus’s teachings? How can this help you navigate the unpredictable?
The Big Idea is “Jesus is a stable, safe, and solid foundation to build on.”
What are tangible ways you can build your year (and life) on Jesus?
How can your community keep you accountable in the building process?