Starting with the Right Foundation – Greg Laurie Devotion – June 15, 2026

Biblical Context

This teaching comes from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, one of the longest and most famous speeches in the New Testament. It’s recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Matthew, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, wrote this Gospel. He was likely a tax collector before he followed Jesus, so he knew a lot about records and careful details. The Sermon on the Mount isn’t just a collection of nice ideas; it’s a call to a new way of living, a kingdom life that goes against the usual rules of the world. Jesus wraps up this sermon with a stark choice: either build your life on His words or ignore them. He’s talking about what really matters when things get hard, and He wants us to be ready.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word “wise” from Matthew 7:24. In the Greek, it’s *phronimos* (φρόνιμος). This word doesn’t just mean someone smart in books or facts. It means being practical, sensible, and having good judgment. A *phronimos* person thinks ahead and acts with foresight. They understand what’s truly important and make choices that prepare them for the future, not just the present moment. So, when Jesus calls someone “wise,” He means they have the good sense to act on what He teaches, not just hear it. It’s about living out the truth, making smart, forward-looking decisions.

Building on Sand or Rock?

When you spend time at the beach, you see people making some truly amazing sandcastles. They put in hours and hours, showing off their art and never giving up. You’ve got to admire their skill. But you also know those impressive buildings won’t be around for very long. It’s just a matter of time until either a wave comes in and wipes them out, or a little kid shows up and tears them down.

The builders couldn’t do much to stop this from happening, because their work was set up for failure from the beginning. They used sand as their base. And though it might seem like a strange comparison, you’ve seen many married couples do similar things. They build their marriage on “sand,” just like those sandcastles that don’t last. They build it on feelings that quickly fade, or on sex, or some other quick decision. And they soon find out that a marriage needs to be built on something stronger, something that will keep it going.

Jesus’s Strong Warning

Jesus finished His Sermon on the Mount with a picture that shows how important it is to build our lives on the right base. His picture can be used more specifically for how important it is to build a marriage on the right base. Listen to His words:

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 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 NLT).

Jesus didn’t talk about storms as something that *might* happen. He described them as something that *will* happen. Marriages go through changes. They go through tough times. That’s why it’s really important to build a marriage on the right base. Those who do will learn the truth of Proverbs 18:22:

“The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD” (NLT).

God at the Center

When Jesus shared words from Genesis 2:24, He put God in His proper place right at the center of a man and a woman’s union:

“Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together” (Matthew 19:6 NLT).

And you’ll notice how many Bible passages that talk about keeping a relationship going and doing well in it all start with the idea that the Lord is at its very heart. The apostle Paul wrote,

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT).

He also wrote,

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

Where Are You Building?

Is your marriage on the Rock of Christ or on the rocks? If it’s built on the Rock, then it will stand the test of time. If it’s built on the Rock, then it will deal with the bad times. If it’s built on the Rock, then it’s built to last. You might be asking, how can you tell if a marriage is built on a solid base? You can tell by looking at what you depend on when things get hard. Are you leaning on your own strength, or on God’s words and His presence in your daily life? Are you quick to forgive, slow to anger, and always looking to serve each other, just as Jesus taught? These are clear signs of a marriage that’s standing firm because it has God at its core.