Stand · When the Storms Come
(Part 3 of 3 in the “Hear · Build · Stand” Series)
From Effort to Endurance
By now, the crowd has quieted. The words have settled. The question isn’t what we’ve heard, it’s whether what we’ve built will hold.
Jesus closes His teaching with an image of pressure: rain, wind, and foundation. The Sermon on the Mount ends, not with applause, but with endurance.
“The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ”
This isn’t a new command; it’s a call to stay. To keep standing when the sound fades, when the world shakes, when faith costs something.
I. When the Rain Falls
Jesus never said if the storm comes, He said when. “The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house…” — Matthew 7:25 (CSB)
The storm is not God’s anger; it’s His x-ray. It doesn’t destroy faith; it exposes what it rests on. Some foundations sound strong in sunlight, but when the ground shakes, only what’s anchored in Him holds its shape.
“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.”
Faith that endures is rarely dramatic. It looks like showing up, praying tired prayers, forgiving again, choosing gentleness when it feels one-sided. Each small act pours another layer of trust before the clouds roll in.
Family Rhythm:
At dinner this week, ask:
“Where did we see God steady us when things felt uncertain?”
Then pray Psalm 62 aloud together.
Simple words, strong footing.
II. Steady Under Pressure
Pressure doesn’t ruin what’s real, it refines it. That’s why Jesus ends with builders, not dreamers.
“The testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
The word complete echoes the one Jesus used earlier — teleios — wholeness, maturity, love that keeps its shape. Endurance isn’t passive; it’s faith learning to breathe under weight. It grows in kitchens and car rides, in whispered prayers and patient love, the places where God teaches us to stand. It’s the quiet training of the soul through everyday faithfulness.
Every unseen act of perseverance, every prayer whispered through frustration, every burden carried without applause becomes growth. The storm is a classroom now where we learn, not a crisis.
“The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Family Rhythm:
Try this as a “pressure check” one evening:
Each person names one thing that feels heavy this week.
Then the others pray one sentence:
“Lord, hold them steady.”
No fixing. No advice. Just steady prayer.
III. The House That Stands
When the wind calms, what remains isn’t the noise of fear; it’s the structure that supported it. Jesus concludes His most remarkable sermon not with applause but with silence… mic drop, signaling that people realize His words aren’t meant just to be admired; they’re meant to shape their lives.
Standing doesn’t mean perfection. It means aligning our lives with His voice, our homes with His rhythm. What we build on Him will bend, but it won’t break.
Family Reflection:
End the week by walking through your home together, one room at a time, and pray quietly.
“Lord, let Your Word dwell here.”
Bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms; foundations aren’t built under floors, but in habits of grace. The wise builder’s life becomes a living sermon: steady under pressure, rooted in love, standing when other things of this world fall.
A Living Testimony
We’ve personally witnessed seasons shift, job changes, losses come, prayers stretch thin, and still found that the table held. Each heart moment together, each quiet prayer, each verse read became part of the foundation God was laying.
The storm didn’t create our faith; it revealed where it was rooted.
That’s why we’re opening our home.
If you’re nearby and looking for community, a place to talk, pray, learn, and eat together, we would love for you to join us for a small Bible study soon.
We’ll provide the food; God provides the rest.
Family Prayer
Lord, make our homes houses that stand.
Let the words you’ve spoken become the structure that holds us steady.
Teach us to hear, to build, and to stand in You.
Amen.
Series Reflection — Hear · Build · Stand
Flourishing doesn’t come from chasing a feeling; it grows from following a Person. Jesus’ words still trace the same rhythm today:
Hear — slow down long enough to listen.
Build — let obedience turn truth into structure.
Stand — trust the foundation when the storms come.
Every home that listens and builds this way becomes an echo of His kingdom: quiet, steady, unshaken.
References
Scripture (CSB/ESV): Matthew 7:24–27; Psalm 62:1–2; James 1:3–4; Matthew 24:13
Secondary Sources:
Jonathan T. Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing (Baker Academic, 2017)
N. T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone (SPCK, 2002)
Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy (HarperOne, 1997)
About the Author
Justin Jones, Ph.D., is the founder of The Imager Project, a nonprofit equipping families to live with faith and purpose in everyday life. With a background in biochemistry and years of teaching, coaching, and ministry, he writes about faith, family, and flourishing. He and his wife are raising three children in Delaware and helping families live as God’s people today.
