“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” - Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” - Luke 6:46-49 NIV

Built to Last!

In 2018, news outlets like CNN and The New York Times (see article) featured a striking image: a single house standing alone amid a wasteland of wreckage. This wasn’t just any house—it was the "Sand Palace" house, built on Mexico Beach, Florida, where Hurricane Michael had torn through, flattening nearly everything in its path. While other homes lay splintered and broken, this house stood firm, fulfilling the very purpose for which it had been carefully designed.

Why? Its owners, Dr. Lackey and Mr. King, had built with the end in mind. “We’re thinking that we need to build a house that would survive for generations,” Dr. Lackey explained. Aware that storms were growing stronger, they didn’t aim primarily for appearance or affordability. Their goal was resilience. Together with their architect, they constructed the house using poured concrete, reinforced with steel cables and rebar, fortified corners, and minimized roof space to prevent uplift. Built to withstand winds up to 250 miles per hour, it stood elevated on pilings to rise above storm surges. This approach nearly doubled the building costs—but when Hurricane Michael hit just one year after the home’s construction—with waves surging like walls, winds tearing with fury, and relentless rain pounding—their investment proved its worth. The house remained standing amid total devastation. As their architect remarked, “We wanted to build it for the big one. We just never knew we’d find the big one so fast.”

This is more than a story about construction. It’s a vivid picture of discipleship. In His parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27 & Luke 6:46-49), Jesus calls us not to build for comfort or appearances, but for endurance—for a life that can stand when the storms come. Discipleship isn’t about crafting a life that looks impressive in calm weather. It’s about doing the hidden, costly, patient work of digging deep, building rightly, and remaining standing when everything around us falls apart.

In a world drawn to shortcuts, temporary pleasures, and the pressure to live for the moment, Jesus offers a different call: build to last. And that’s only possible when we build directly on Him—God’s Son, the only true foundation.

What follows is a way to understand discipleship through this lens, that affirms and undergirds the three core movements from the Practicing the Way model: a lifelong process of DIGGING until we find Jesus as our true foundation (Be with Jesus), BUILDING our entire lives around Him (Becoming Like Jesus), and STANDING on the solid rock of Jesus Christ as His living witnesses (Do As He Did).

Discipleship as Building a Life on the Bedrock of Jesus

DIGGING (Be with Jesus): Pursuit & Discovery

This is the digging phase: relentlessly pursuing Christ Himself as the true foundation, not content with second-hand knowledge or inherited religion.

“They dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.” (Luke 6:48)

• Behold Jesus – Dig with your eyes. Refuse to settle for others’ descriptions. Seek Him firsthand. Gaze upon Him through Scripture, prayer, worship—until you see Him rightly and personally. You keep beholding because there’s no other way to know Him deeply.

• Abide in Jesus – Dig with your time. Stay near Him. Remain connected in daily relationship. This isn’t a one-time encounter but a continuous drawing near, digging your life deeper into His presence.

• Rest in Jesus – Dig with surrender. Let go of self-sufficiency. Lay down the tools of self-justification. Resting isn’t inactivity—it’s trust. True foundation work happens when striving stops.

2. BUILDING (Become Like Jesus): Formation & Practice

This is where the structure of your life takes shape, built directly upon the exposed foundation of Christ, without layers of tradition or self-effort interfering.

“Everyone who hears My words and puts them into practice...” (Luke 6:47)

• Renew the Mind – Frame your inner structure. Align your thought patterns to Christ’s reality. Let Scripture, not culture or emotion, be the blueprint.

• Transform the Heart – Strengthen the inner walls. Invite Jesus to reorder your desires and affections. Formation is not just thinking rightly, but loving rightly.

• Train the Body (Spiritual Disciplines) – Lay practical bricks. Daily practices—prayer, fasting, generosity—shape your physical life around Jesus’ way. Discipline builds durable habits anchored to the Rock.

3. STANDING (Do As Jesus Did): Witness & Perseverance

This is your life standing firm through trials and storms, visible to others as a house built right. Here, your life becomes a living testimony of Christ’s worth.

“When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it...” (Luke 6:48)  &  “...and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13)

• Make Space for the Gospel (Hospitality) – Open your doors. Invite others into your life and home. Your house, built on the Rock, becomes a refuge for others.

• Proclaim the Gospel (Word) – Speak from the house. Share the message of Jesus—not from a platform, but from the grounded and secure life you’ve built upon Him.

• Demonstrate the Gospel (Deeds) – Live as a lighthouse.  Let your actions reflect Jesus’ love and power. Serve, heal, and show mercy, shining as proof that your life is anchored to the bedrock.

Discipleship is digging relentlessly until you find Jesus and see Him rightly, building every part of your life directly upon Him, and remaining standing firm over time as a visible, living testimony to His unshakable foundation.