Inspired by Ps. Jeffrey Rachmat’s message.
Text: Matthew 7:24–27; Luke 6:46–49
Storms are inevitable. They come without invitation, without warning, and without schedule. Whether you’re ready or not, they will come. The real question is not if the storm will come—but what happens after the storm passes. What makes the difference between those who fall and those who stand strong?
Jesus never promised us a storm-free life. But He did teach us how to live a storm-proof life. And the answer lies in the foundation we build our lives upon.
I. Foundations Are Invisible, But Invaluable
Matthew 7:24–27 and Luke 6:46–49 tell us the same story: two people, two houses, two outcomes—yet the same storm.
What made the difference?
Not the storm.
Not the size of the house.
Not the builder’s skill.
But the foundation.
You don’t see the foundation, but it determines the strength of what you build upon it. Whether it’s your career, marriage, business, or ministry, the question is: what is it built upon?
You don’t prepare during the storm. You survive the storm based on how you’ve built before it came.
Building on sand is easier. It doesn’t require digging, discipline, or depth. But building on rock—that takes effort, commitment, and obedience.
1. Building on Sand Is Appealing Because It’s Quick and Convenient
Sand is easy to work with. It requires no excavation. You can build fast, and it looks impressive at first glance. That’s what makes it tempting—it allows for a shortcut to results. But the danger is that anything built quickly without a foundation will not last under pressure.
Building on sand means:
- Living by feelings rather than truth
- Making decisions based on comfort and convenience
- Seeking instant gratification instead of long-term transformation
- Prioritizing appearance over substance
Spiritually, sand represents a life built on the shifting values of the world—success without integrity, relationships without covenant, faith without obedience. Jesus warned about this kind of shallow foundation. It’s easy, popular, and looks fine… until the storm comes.
2. Building on Rock Requires Digging: It’s Slower, Harder, and Deeper
In Luke 6:48, Jesus says the wise man is “like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.” This is not quick work—it involves excavation. Sweat. Patience.
To build on the rock means:
- Digging past emotions to reach conviction
- Digging past culture’s noise to hear God’s voice
- Digging past personal preferences to discover God’s principles
It’s not glamorous. It’s not always visible. But it’s essential.
Obedience is hard because it asks us to go deeper than convenience allows.
Rock-building requires:
- Discipline – consistent spiritual habits (prayer, study, reflection)
- Commitment – choosing to do what is right even when it is costly
- Obedience – aligning our lifestyle with the teachings of Jesus, not just agreeing with them
3. Sand Builders May Prosper Fast—But Rock Builders Endure
You might see someone building on sand and think, “They’re doing fine.” Their marriage seems strong. Their business is booming. Their life looks stable.
But storms are coming.
And when the storm hits—financial crisis, relational breakdown, moral failure, health challenge, persecution—it reveals what lies beneath.
What is hidden in peace is revealed in crisis.
Only those who have built their lives slowly, faithfully, deeply on Jesus and His Word will remain standing.
4. The Rock Is Not Just Belief—It’s Applied Truth
James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
The Rock is not just hearing the Word. It’s living it.
It’s possible to attend church, take notes, quote Scripture—and still be building on sand if we refuse to obey what we know. But when we practice the truth, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular, we are digging deep into the foundation of Christ.
- Sand-building is about ease, speed, and appearance.
- Rock-building is about depth, sacrifice, and endurance.
One builds for comfort, the other builds for character.
One seeks results, the other seeks roots.
“Those who build on the rock don’t avoid storms. They survive them.”
A marriage built on emotion will collapse. A marriage built on commitment will endure.
A business built on compromise will crumble. A business built on God’s Word will remain unshakable.
II. What Does It Mean to Build on the Rock?
1 Corinthians 3:10–11 — “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
To build on the rock is to build your life on:
- The person of Jesus (relational foundation)
- The teachings of Jesus (instructional foundation)
John 17:3 says that eternal life is knowing Jesus. Not just knowing about Him, but having a personal relationship with Him. And John 14:21 says that loving Him means obeying His commands.
But here’s the warning:
- Knowing His teaching without knowing Him may bring success, but not salvation.
- Knowing Him but ignoring His teaching leads to hypocrisy and broken witness.
A wise person is someone who knows Jesus and applies His teaching. That’s how we build a storm-proof life.
III. God’s Principles Are Unshakable Truths
The teachings of Jesus contain Kingdom principles—universal, unchanging truths that explain how life works and why things happen.
Some examples:
- Sowing and reaping — Gal. 6:7–9
- Give and it shall be given — Luke 6:38
- Faithful in little = faithful in much — Luke 16:10
These principles govern marriage, parenting, business, and finances. When you live by Kingdom principles, they form your belief system, which shapes your decisions.
The foolish man hears the Word but doesn’t apply it. The wise man hears and obeys.
John 13:17 — “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
A victorious life doesn’t come from knowing the truth—it comes from living it.
IV. Trust: The Core of Obedience
Obedience to God’s Word is ultimately a trust issue.
Your level of obedience reveals your level of trust.
Every relationship is built on trust. Think about it: when someone proves themselves to be truthful and reliable over time, your confidence in them grows. You begin to love them more deeply, not just because of what they say, but because of how consistently their actions reflect truth.
The reward of trust… is more trust.
But the opposite is also true. If someone repeatedly says one thing and does another, their words lose weight—and trust is broken. If people can’t find truth in your words, they won’t trust you.
Likewise, if we say we believe in God but do not obey Him, what message are we sending? Perhaps that we do not truly trust Him. True obedience grows in the soil of trust, and trust flourishes where truth is found. The more we know God’s truth, the more we grow in trust—and the more joyful and willing our obedience becomes.
Trust makes love possible. And love makes obedience joyful.
V. The Storm Is the Test of Your Foundation
The rain will fall. The rivers will rise. The winds will blow. Crisis will come.
Proverbs 24:10 — “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”
Storms don’t discriminate. They come to everyone—believers and non-believers. But only those who build on the rock remain standing.
The storm doesn’t promote you; it reveals what you’ve built.
Some people rise in crisis; others collapse. What makes the difference? Not feelings. Not luck. But foundation.
VI. Miracles Are Good, But Wisdom Is Better
We all love miracles. We are inspired by stories of people who experience God’s miraculous help in rebuilding their lives after being hit by a storm and falling apart. But the greater miracle is this: when the same storm comes, and yet our lives remain unshaken—not because we escaped the storm, but because we have built storm-proof lives by following His teachings
Rain, floods, and winds [crisis] will come to everyone. But if we have a strong foundation in life, we won’t panic—because we know we have built our lives to withstand the storm.
The storm is an instrument of God’s justice—it tests how each person has built their life. It reveals who is wise and who is foolish.
When the storm comes, the wise person does not live a storm-free life, but a storm-proof life.
Proverbs 24:10 – “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”
Many people want to be promoted, but are unwilling to build a strong foundation. You may succeed for a time, until the storm comes. And the storm will surely come—and it will surely pass. What makes the difference is what remains after the storm has passed.
This parable also teaches us:
Prevention is better than cure.
It’s less costly to prepare than to repair.
Mark 6:30–31 — Even though the disciples had the power to heal, Jesus told them to rest.
Why? Because God doesn’t just want us to experience healing—He wants us to walk in health.
It’s wiser to build a storm-proof life than to constantly need divine rescue.
Jesus came to the pool of Siloam, but only healed one man among many. So don’t assume you’ll always get another miracle. Instead, build wisely before the storm.
VII. You’re Not Meant to Build Alone
God never designed us to build our lives alone. That’s why we need community.
Programs like iCare exist not to fill your schedule, but to strengthen your foundation. We need friends who will:
- Walk with us
- Speak truth to us
- Obey God with us
Don’t build alone. Build together. Strength is multiplied in godly community.
Conclusion: After the Storm Passes
Storms will come. Storms will pass.
But what happens after the storm… reveals the wisdom of how you’ve built your life.
Let me ask you today:
- Are you building on rock or sand?
- Do you know Jesus personally, and obey His teachings consistently?
- Are you preparing before the storm comes?
The wise don’t wait until the storm comes to start building. They build now.
So today, choose wisdom. Build deep. Build strong. Build on Jesus—our unshakable foundation.
Closing Verse:
Luke 6:48 — “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”
Let’s be well built.
Let’s build lives that are not storm-free… but storm-proof.
budi hidajat 