Building on a Firm Foundation

Offering message: Luke 6:47-49 tells us to come to Jesus, hear Him, and do what He says, and then our house will be built on the foundation of the rock. In Phil 4:15-19 Paul relates the relationship between sowing a gift to God’s work and submitting to do the Word of God with receiving the promise of God’s supply to the givers. Second Corinthians 9:6-11 again reinforces sowing and reaping and abundance. Sermon message: Matt. 7:24-27 Doing what Jesus says (saying in the Sermon on the Mount) is being like a wise man. Mark 4:24 Take heed what you hear; be careful what you listen to. Grow in God and endure sound doctrine. Bad things happen to everyone. Why do some fall? They are not established on the firm foundation. The Sermon on the Mount can be summarized as: walk in love and be a love-initiator. Luke 8:18 tells us to take heed to how we hear. Some people listen, but don’t hear. How we hear affects whether we get the right understanding. Hear how things are said. Pastor Dale shared two incidents in which people took what he said in different ways, and depending how the person took it, one was set free and one stayed in bondage. Heb. 4:2 says that the word preached to them and that they heard didn’t profit them. Why? They didn’t mix faith with the Word. In I Cor.3:1-3 Paul says that he couldn’t speak to the people as spiritual, because they couldn’t handle it. The people were too carnal. Carnality is envy (trying to be someone else, because the person doesn’t know who he/she is). Carnality is strife (having it your own way). So how do you get out of carnality? Repent! Carnal sins are the kinds of storms that will break you. How are you going to respond? Matt. 5:10-12 says that those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake are blessed and should rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is their reward in heaven. Repent and rejoice!