Are you with me or against me? After teaching about life in the kingdom of God, Jesus confronts us with a choice. It's time to decide who we will follow. Jesus paints a picture of two builders and two foundations. One builds on the rock. And the other builds on the sand. 

What kind of builder are you? Have you built your life on the sturdy and stable rock of Christ? Or have you built on the shifting and crumbling sand of superficial religion? 

J.C. Ryle said, "A religion which costs nothing, and consists of nothing but hearing sermons, will always prove at last to be a useless thing."

Real Christianity is both a profession of faith and practice. Hearing and doing. Jesus says that everyone who hears these words and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Faith comes by hearing. And true belief in Jesus orders our hearts towards following Jesus in practice. 

Our culture invites you to build your life upon yourself. But Jesus tells us to build our lives upon him. He’s the only stable ground. When the waves of life crash upon us, we need a rock in the storm. We must cling to God’s word of grace - that we are forgiven, loved, and known in Jesus. 

Christianity is always a profession and practice. That’s why James can say that faith without works is dead. It’s not that works save us, but they reveal true and lively faith. 

Taking it Home: Jesus is the only foundation on which we can build our lives. All other foundations will collapse when the difficulties of life come. What other foundations have you put your trust in?