“Foundation issues” are two words no person wants to hear. Why? Foundation issues affect everything. When a foundation is off, everything is off balance. This is true in our marriage, as well as all other relationships we have. If the foundation is weak, the relationship will falter. If the foundation is strong, the relationship will be strong. Today we will talk about building relationships on a strong foundation, and in our study today, we will see that Christ is the firm foundation we are called to build all of our relationships on.
Have you ever seen a house, or something else, with a shaky foundation? What happened?
Bible Study Questions
1. What are the benefits of having a strong foundation?
WATCH SERMON RECAP
2. Read Matthew 7:24-25. According to this verse, how do we build our lives on a firm foundation?
Matthew 7:24-25 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
Matthew 7:24-25
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
3. Read Matthew 7:26-29. According to these verses, what happens when we do not follow and obey the teachings of Jesus?
Matthew 7:26-29
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
4. How does this teaching from Jesus in Matthew 7 apply to our relationships, particularly our marriages?
Application
1. What false foundations do you see people today building their lives on?
2. Is there any false foundations that you and your spouse, if you are married, have built your foundation on? What are they?
3. What steps do you need to take this week to have a solid foundation in your relationships?
This weekend we were given several examples of things we could do to build a marriage that will last: pray together, read the daily devotion, and listen intently to the other person without trying to solve all of their problems. Which one of these examples might be most beneficial for you to practice now? Share this with your group. After everyone has shared, pray together as a group. Ask God to help you all as you seek to grow in your relationships.
Last week, we looked at a command in Scripture for followers of Christ to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). As followers of Christ, we are called to live a lifestyle of humility and submission, much like Christ lived while He was on earth. Paul continues teaching in Ephesians 5, calling for wives to submit to their husbands (verse 22). Today, we focus on a command Paul issues to husbands in Ephesians 5, but in reality, it is for all of us: a command to love.
Read Ephesians 5:25-30.
· How, according to these verses, are husbands called to love their wives?
· Based on these verses, how did Christ love the church?
· How would you define the type of love husbands are called to show their wives in this verse?
Read John 15:12-13. As previously mentioned, this call to love far extends beyond husbands. It includes all of us.
· What is the command given to Jesus’ disciples in this verse? How is it connected to the command in Ephesians 5:25?
· According to these verses in John 15, what is the greatest way we can love someone? How did Jesus show this love described in these verses?
· What do you think it looks like to show this kind of love today?
We are all included in this call to love people in the same way that Christ loved us. So let’s take a few moments to have an honest evaluation. Are we showing this kind of sacrificial love to the people in our lives, or is your love more self-centered? What is one way you can sacrificially show love to the people in your life today?
MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE (Available for download on Sagebrush App)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2
©2024 Sagebrush Church
