Some Things Never Change – Wk 2
Genesis 8:22 (NLT)
22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Storms are inevitable disruptions unrelated to your decisions.
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)
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. 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.”
FIVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE WISE AND THE FOOL:
1. The wise obey what Jesus taught, but the fool ignores it.
2. The wise move with vision, but the fool runs wild.
Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)
18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
3. The wise build a team of advisers, but the fool is apathetic.
Proverbs 11:14 (AMP)
14 Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],
But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.
4. The wise think before speaking, but the fool speaks without thinking.
Proverb 12:16 (AMP)
16 The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],
But a prudent man ignores an insult.
5. The wise learn from their mistakes, but the fool repeats their folly.
Proverbs 26:11 (NLT)
As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his foolishness.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)
10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
COMMUNITY GROUP MEETING OUTLINE
Where your faith intersects with real life!
Reconnect:
Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.
Explore:
Review the message notes.
Big Idea: Storms are inevitable disruptions to help you grow.
Consider:
Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.
▶ Read Matthew 7:24-27. What spiritual truths is Jesus teaching in this parable? How does being wise prepare you for unexpected storms?
▶ Share a story of how you overcame a storm in your life and something you learned from that time.
Activate:
Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share your decision with the Group.
Read the five differences between the wise and the fool. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight which of the five wise choices you can implement in your life this week.
Prayer:
Thank God for the highs and lift up the lows.
Pray that we would be growing followers of Jesus, growing in wisdom from Jesus, obeying, following his teachings, and learning how to navigate the storms of life.
Want to go deeper?:
Consider John Stott’s book A Deeper Look at the Sermon on the Mount: Living Out the Way of Jesus.