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Words of Life: Weekly Christian Podcast with Testi... - Building Your Life on a Solid Foundation: The Parables of Jesus · Life Changing Radio

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  Speaker 1: Life Audio.
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  Speaker 2: Hi, from the Salvation Army, you're listening to Words of Life.
• 0:10
  Speaker 3: Welcome back to Words of Life. We are continuing our
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  Speaker 3: series on the parables of Jesus with Major Cam Henderson.
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  Speaker 3: This series began last week as we focused on the
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  Speaker 3: parable of a farmer scattering seed. Today, we're studying the
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  Speaker 3: parable of two people building two houses facing the same storm,
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  Speaker 3: but with very different results. Check out the show notes
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  Speaker 3: throughout this series for some links to related devotionals and
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  Speaker 3: further study.
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  Speaker 1: Well, hello, and welcome back for the conversation about the parables.
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  Speaker 1: This series on the parables is a fun one. Today
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  Speaker 1: is going to be one that we're somewhat familiar with.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm calling it Lip Service and Sandcastles. And it's
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  Speaker 1: from Matthew chapter 7. This parable, it comes to us
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  Speaker 1: at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. I've
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  Speaker 1: had the privilege of standing near the Sea of Galilee
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  Speaker 1: where Jesus preached this message. We think we have an
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  Speaker 1: approximation of where it was and it fits. You're looking
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  Speaker 1: on these rolling hillsides. The Sea of Galilee is right there.
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  Speaker 1: You can see across to the other sides of it
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  Speaker 1: as well. And you see all the activity, people moving
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  Speaker 1: around all over the place. It's quite rocky in some
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  Speaker 1: areas and then grassy areas in others, but it is busy.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't afraid to go near the crowds to share
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  Speaker 1: his teaching. Through his Sermon on the Mount, he's spoken
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  Speaker 1: about many different topics from prayer and giving and fasting
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  Speaker 1: and worry and judgment and forgiveness, loving your enemies, seeking
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  Speaker 1: God's kingdom first. But as it comes to the end,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus leaves his listeners with a choice. Every sermon demands
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  Speaker 1: a response. Every encounter with Christ requires a decision. And
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  Speaker 1: Jesus ends with two pictures, two kinds of disciples and
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  Speaker 1: two kinds of builders. Well, let's start first of all
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  Speaker 1: with Matthew 7, starting in verse 21. Not everyone who
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  Speaker 1: calls out to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of
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  Speaker 1: my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day, many
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  Speaker 1: will say to me, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your
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  Speaker 1: name and we casted out demons in your name and
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  Speaker 1: performed many miracles in your name. But I'll reply, I
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  Speaker 1: never knew you. Get away from me. you who break
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  Speaker 1: God's laws. Wow. I'm using the New Living Translation as
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  Speaker 1: I read scriptures. There are many different translations that are
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  Speaker 1: very trustworthy, so you may know it from all different ways,
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  Speaker 1: but I'm using the New Living Translation just to let
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  Speaker 1: you know where I'm at. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who
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  Speaker 1: do my Father's will who is in heaven Those are
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  Speaker 1: sobering words. Jesus says there'll be people who call him Lord.
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  Speaker 1: They profess faith. They speak the right language. They even
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  Speaker 1: point to very impressive religious accomplishments. Do we prophesy in
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  Speaker 1: your names, Lord? We cast out demons in your name.
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  Speaker 1: We perform many miracles in your name. As if unimpressed,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I never knew you. Away from me. He
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  Speaker 1: doesn't commend their activity or their achievements. He doesn't commend
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  Speaker 1: any religious resume, who they are, who they think they are.
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  Speaker 1: He's looking for one thing, obedience. These people were trying
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  Speaker 1: to substitute their own works for God's will. In essence,
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  Speaker 1: they're saying, look at the things we did for you,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus says, but you did not do what I told
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  Speaker 1: you to do. It's as if certain people might be
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  Speaker 1: trying to create their own version of discipleship or their
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  Speaker 1: own version of following Jesus. My way of following Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: my version of obedience, my definition of faithfulness. But Jesus
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  Speaker 1: is Lord, and there's only one Lord, and I'm not him,
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  Speaker 1: and neither are you. We don't get to decide how
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  Speaker 1: he should be worshipped or what obedience looks like. We
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  Speaker 1: don't rewrite his commands. We're blessed because we have His
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  Speaker 1: words and we know what He desires. We've heard the
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  Speaker 1: teaching of the King Himself. So the question is not
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  Speaker 1: whether we admire what He says or whether we like
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  Speaker 1: what He's instructing us to do. The question is whether
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  Speaker 1: or not we obey Him and whether we obey His words.
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  Speaker 1: So then Jesus gave us a second picture, and it's
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  Speaker 1: the rest of that chapter of 7, starting at verse 24.
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  Speaker 1: This second picture is the parable that I want to
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  Speaker 1: mention that speaks to all of the rest. As if
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  Speaker 1: finishing a sermon, he's saying, Did you hear what I said?
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  Speaker 1: And are you going to obey what I said? So
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  Speaker 1: here we are, Matthew 7, verse 24. Matthew 7, verse
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  Speaker 1: 24 Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it
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  Speaker 1: is wise, like a person who builds a house on
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  Speaker 1: solid rock. Although the rain comes in torrents and the
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  Speaker 1: floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it
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  Speaker 1: won't collapse because it's built on bedrock. But anyone who
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  Speaker 1: hears my teaching and doesn't obey is foolish, like a
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  Speaker 1: person who builds a house on sand. When the rains
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  Speaker 1: and floods come and the winds beat against that house,
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  Speaker 1: It will collapse with a mighty crash. As Jesus spoke,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps there were builders nearby. Perhaps construction sounds echoed from
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  Speaker 1: a distance. Maybe a house could be seen on a hillside.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe they were still building it, and Jesus points to it. Remember,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus himself worked as a carpenter and a builder, so
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  Speaker 1: he knows something about this. And he says, everyone who
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  Speaker 1: hears these words of mine and puts them to practice
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  Speaker 1: is like a wise man who built his house on
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  Speaker 1: the rock. Wisdom, according to Jesus, is not simply knowing
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  Speaker 1: the truth. Wisdom is hearing the truth and obeying it.
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  Speaker 1: The wise builder doesn't just admire this rock. He builds
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  Speaker 1: on it. The wise builder doesn't move it out of
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  Speaker 1: the way. He sees it as the thing he needs.
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  Speaker 1: But goodness, building on a rock is difficult. It might
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  Speaker 1: be on higher ground, so you've got to get materials
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  Speaker 1: up to it that costs more and takes more labor.
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  Speaker 1: You may have to cut into the rock to get
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  Speaker 1: a flat surface, which to me, cutting into it or
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  Speaker 1: breaking into the rock seems impossible. I guess people know
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  Speaker 1: how to do it. I can't imagine what it was
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  Speaker 1: like back in that day, especially not even this day.
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  Speaker 1: It may take a very long time to get that
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  Speaker 1: house done. But the temptation is to see this nice, flat,
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  Speaker 1: sandy portion and wish to build right there instead. Right now.
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  Speaker 1: I can do it quickly and it's done. It might
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  Speaker 1: be cheaper because the labor is less. I can get
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  Speaker 1: the whole thing accomplished maybe the same day. Meanwhile, the
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  Speaker 1: other fella, still building his house on a rock, is
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  Speaker 1: still trying to figure out the foundation. But what happens next?
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  Speaker 1: When the rains come. Not if. The rains come. But
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  Speaker 1: when the rains come, or the winds push against the
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  Speaker 1: two houses, the word is fall. When the winds fall
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  Speaker 1: against the two houses, what happens? Well, sand doesn't hold anything.
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  Speaker 1: It's fluid. It's giving and soft. The reason you might
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  Speaker 1: build on the sand is that it's easy. But just
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  Speaker 1: as easily as it receives your building, it can move
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  Speaker 1: away from it as well. And then what do you have?
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  Speaker 1: but the rock will hold. What you anchor on that
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  Speaker 1: foundation will not let go. It's more difficult in the beginning,
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  Speaker 1: but it'll last forever. Jesus says his teachings are the
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  Speaker 1: solid foundation upon which a person should build their life on,
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  Speaker 1: their family, their future. The difference between the wise builder
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  Speaker 1: and the foolish builder is not hearing, both heard it.
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  Speaker 1: The difference is obedience. One obeyed, and one did not.
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  Speaker 1: Throughout the Scripture, God calls His people to build on
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  Speaker 1: the foundation that He provides. Jesus told the lawyer in
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  Speaker 1: Luke 10, Do this, and you will live. Not, good luck,
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  Speaker 1: find your own way. Not, make up your own path,
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  Speaker 1: but pray along the way. Not, build on another rock.
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  Speaker 1: Do this, obey these words, build this way. obey what
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  Speaker 1: I tell you, and you will live. Matthew Henry, a commentator,
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  Speaker 1: put it well when he explained that Christ's words show
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  Speaker 1: us both how to build and how to live. The
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  Speaker 1: Word of God does more than just give information, it
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  Speaker 1: gives direction. His Word lights our path and It enlightens
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  Speaker 1: our eyes and guides our feet. The Bible often calls
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  Speaker 1: our daily Christian living a walk, so we walk in
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  Speaker 1: the light of His Word. His Word informs our minds,
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  Speaker 1: but it also has to reform our hearts. It must
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  Speaker 1: shape our attitudes, our priorities, our homes, our lives, all
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  Speaker 1: that shaped by the Word of God, by the words
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus. When we allow God's word to transform us,
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  Speaker 1: we are building on the rock. And if we claim
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  Speaker 1: to believe in Christ, yet refuse to obey him, we
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  Speaker 1: reveal that we really don't trust him. And he says,
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  Speaker 1: I don't know you. Real faith produces obedience. Now notice
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  Speaker 1: something very important. Jesus never says that storms only come
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  Speaker 1: to foolish people. The storm comes to both houses. The
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  Speaker 1: rain falls on both. The floods rise against both. The
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  Speaker 1: winds beat against both houses. Every life will face storms, sickness, loss, temptation, disappointment, trials.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps right now you listening to me are going through
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  Speaker 1: one of those or something else and you say, yes,
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  Speaker 1: these storms are hitting me right now. And one day
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  Speaker 1: every person will stand before God The difference is not
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  Speaker 1: whether the storms came. The difference is whether the foundation holds.
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  Speaker 1: The house built on the rock stands. The house built
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  Speaker 1: on the sand falls. And Jesus said it was a
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  Speaker 1: great fall. Major disaster. This is not simply advice for
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  Speaker 1: having a better life. This is not just extra strength
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  Speaker 1: for those difficult days. This is not just Jesus saying,
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  Speaker 1: you don't want to keep building that house. Do something
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  Speaker 1: once and do it well. This is a matter of
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  Speaker 1: eternal consequence. The choice is between wisdom and foolishness, between
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  Speaker 1: obedience and disobedience, between standing and falling, and between an
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  Speaker 1: eternity with God or an eternity in hell. So let
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  Speaker 1: me ask you two simple questions. First, how is your
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  Speaker 1: life built? Is your life built upon every word of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: every word of Scripture's Do you regularly read the Word
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  Speaker 1: so you can know His will and build your life
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  Speaker 1: according to His design? No, this is not an easy task.
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  Speaker 1: It's the work of a lifetime. It's a joy and
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  Speaker 1: it is blessed. It means hearing more and learning more,
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  Speaker 1: trying and testing Him. It's a task that benefits everyone
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  Speaker 1: in your household and perhaps others near you too. And
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  Speaker 1: the second question I would ask is, is Jesus truly Lord?
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  Speaker 1: Not just the one who forgives, not just a teacher.
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  Speaker 1: Is he your Lord? This is not simply the difference
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  Speaker 1: between having a good life and a difficult life. This
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  Speaker 1: is about judgment, which seeks to sweep away every foundation
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  Speaker 1: except for the one Christ has established. It's about heaven
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  Speaker 1: where the Father is. So today, Jesus places before us
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  Speaker 1: a choice. For the sake of your life, your family,
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  Speaker 1: and others around you, And most of all, for the
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  Speaker 1: glory of the Father, build your house upon the rock,
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  Speaker 1: upon every word of God's teachings, and let him be
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  Speaker 1: Lord of your life.
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  Speaker 2: people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part
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• 14:02
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  Speaker 2: Words of Life on your favorite podcast store or visit SalvationArmySoundcast.org.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: Join us next time for the Salvation Army's Words of Life.
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  Speaker 3: These are the words.
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  Speaker 1: These are the words of life.
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  Speaker 3: These are the words.
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  Speaker 1: These are the words. These are the words of life.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks so much for listening to Words of Life. We
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  Speaker 3: want to thank the team at Life Audio for their
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  Speaker 3: partnership with us on the show. Visit lifeaudio.com where you'll
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  Speaker 3: find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network. They
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  Speaker 3: have shows about prayer, Bible studying, parenting, and more. Thanks
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  Speaker 3: again for listening. We'll see you next time.