LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus concludes His famous Sermon on the Mount and describes two builders, each choosing a different place to build their house. One man chooses solid rock as his foundation, and when storms arrive, his house stands firm. The other man builds on sand, and when the storms come, his house collapses completely. Jesus makes clear this story is not really about construction, it is about how people respond to His words. Hearing what Jesus says is not enough on its own. The person who both hears and obeys is the one building on a firm foundation.
What makes this passage particularly powerful is the way Jesus personalizes it for every listener. He is not just telling a story about ancient builders in Palestine, He is speaking directly to anyone who has ever sat under the sound of His teaching. The low valleys and dry riverbeds of that region were notorious for flash flooding, so the image would have been immediately understood by His audience. The crowd was astonished at His teaching because He spoke with an authority unlike anything they had heard from their religious leaders. Jesus was not pointing them to another person’s words or tradition. He was pointing them to His own words as the only reliable foundation for a life that will stand.
PLAY ROOM 8:45-9:00
Children will be dropped off in the playroom between 8:45-9:00 a.m. Allow them to play freely as they arrive. Transition them to the classroom at 9:00 a.m.
OPENING ACTIVITY 9:00-9:15 | Paper Cup House on Rock and Sand
Items Needed
- Disposable Lunch Containers
- Smooth pebbles/river rocks
- Play sand
- Paper Cup for the house
- Markers
Let kids decorate a paper cup as a house. Then, give them disposable lunch containers half filled with sand and half filled with small rocks. Let children press on the houses on each side and feel how the sand shifts while the rock holds steady. Then let them play with the rocks and sand. Share that in today’s story we’re going to hear a parable Jesus told about building houses on sand and rocks.
BIBLE STORY 9:15-9:25
Question 1: Where is this story found in the Bible? Matthew.
Question 2: Is Matthew in the Old Testament or the New Testament? New Testament.
Today we are going to learn about two builders. A builder is someone who builds things, like a house! Let’s pretend we are builders. Pick up your pretend hammer!
[Hold up fist and make a hammering motion. Let kids copy you.]
One day, Jesus told a story. And this story was about two men who each wanted to build a house. The first man was WISE. Can you say “wise”?
[Wait for response]
Wise means he made really good choices. This wise man thought very carefully before he built his house. He looked all around for the best place. He found a big, strong, solid rock. The wise man said, “I am going to build my house RIGHT HERE on this rock.” And so he did. He hammered and he built and he worked so hard.
[Hammering motion again]
Bang, bang, bang!
[Let kids join in with the hammering sound and motion.]
His house was finished! Now, one day, a BIG storm came. Can you make the sound of wind and rain?
[Model whooshing wind sound and pat knees for rain. Let kids join in. Build it up loud, then signal to stop.]
The wind blew! The rain came down! It was such a big, storm!
But what happened to the wise man’s house?
It did NOT fall down! It stayed strong because it was built on the ROCK. Give me a strong muscle!
[Flex arm. Let kids flex with you.]
Now let’s meet the second builder. This man was foolish. Can you say “foolish”?
[Wait for response]
Foolish means he did not make good choices.
[Make a goofy face. Let kids do the same. Laugh together.]
This foolish man did not think carefully about where to build. He just looked around and said, “That sand looks nice! I’ll build right here!” So the foolish man built his house on the sand. He hammered and he built.
[Hammering motion again]
Bang, bang, bang!
[Let kids join in.]
His house was finished too! But then, a BIG storm came. Can we make the storm sounds again?
[Wind sound and rain on knees. Let it get loud, then signal to stop.]
The wind blew! The rain came down! But this time, look what happened to the foolish man’s house!
[Hold up the toy house on the sand bin. Give it a gentle push and let the house fall or tip.]
CRASH! Down it fell! Oh no!
[Make a big surprised face. Let kids make a surprised face too.]
The house fell down because it was built on sand. Sand is soft and shifty. Sand cannot hold something heavy and strong. The house fell, and the foolish man was so sad.
Now Jesus did not just tell this story to be about real houses and real rain. He had a secret lesson inside the story. Who can guess what the secret lesson was?
[Let kids respond. Nod and affirm anything they say.]
Jesus was saying that His words are like the big strong rock. When we listen to what Jesus says AND we do what Jesus says, we are building our lives on something really strong. Nothing can knock us over!
Can you say “Jesus is my rock”?
[Wait for kids to repeat]
Yes! Jesus is my rock!
When we hear what Jesus says but we do NOT do what He says, that is like building on sand. Things get wobbly and fall apart.
So what should we do? We should HEAR Jesus, and we should DO what He says!
Let’s say that together: Hear and do!
[Say it twice with kids, clapping on each word.]
Hear! And! Do!
Theological Questions:
- Who told this story about the two builders?
- What does Jesus want us to build our lives on?
Life Application Questions:
- Can you think of something Jesus says we should do that we can practice at home this week?
- When something hard happens at school or with a friend, how can you remember that Jesus is your rock?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for giving us Jesus and for His wonderful words that are strong like a rock. Help us to hear what Jesus says and to do it every day, just like the wise builder. Amen!
WORSHIP IN SONG 9:25-9:35
PRAYER 9:35-9:45
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for the children to remember that Jesus’ words are true and strong, and ask God to help them not just hear His words but to follow them each day at home, at school, and with their friends.
BIBLE STORY GAME 9:45-9:55 | Large Jenga Blocks Relay
Items Needed:
Have kids race with one block at a time to the opposite side of the room to build a tower. See which team can build the tallest tower before it falls over.
BIBLE CRAFT 9:55-10:10 | Parable of the Build Craft
Items Needed
- Parable of Builder Story Pieces
- Glue
- Construction Paper
- Crayons
Have children glue their pieces onto the paper and then color it. Discuss the story as they color.
SNACK TIME AND BIBLE STORY VIDEO 10:10-10:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat while watching the Bible story video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Rock vs. Sand Water Experiment
Items Needed:
- Two clear plastic cups, one filled with packed sand, one with a flat rock or gravel
- Two small toy houses or blocks
- A small pitcher of water
Leaders place a small house on each cup. Together with the kids, slowly pour water into and around each cup. Watch how the sand shifts and the house falls, while the rock holds steady. Kids predict which will fall before you pour. This directly connects to the parable and sparks great conversation.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Matthew 7:24-29, ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Obey Jesus
What I Learned Today: Today we learned that Jesus told a story about two builders. One man built his house on a rock and it stayed strong, and the other man built his house on sand and it fell down. Jesus was teaching us that when we hear His words and do what He says, we are building our lives on something strong that will never fall apart.
Questions to Ask Me:
- Who told the story about the two builders? (Jesus told this story.)
- Where did the wise man build his house? (On a rock.)
- Where did the foolish man build his house? (On sand.)
- What happened to the foolish man’s house in the storm? (It fell down.)
- What does Jesus say makes someone wise? (Hearing His words and doing them.)
- What is one thing Jesus says we should do? (Love others, be kind, tell the truth, and many other things He teaches us in the Bible.)
- Why do we need Jesus to be our foundation? (Because His words are always true and strong, and they help us know the right way to live.)
- What does it mean to “do” what Jesus says? (It means we do not just listen, but we actually follow through and obey what He teaches.)
- Can you name one way to build your life on Jesus this week? (Read the Bible, pray, be kind, tell the truth, and listen to God.)
- What might happen when we do not follow Jesus’ words? (Things can get hard and we do not have a strong foundation to hold us up.)
Memory Verse: Matthew 7:24 (ESV), “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”