Matthew 7:15-28 (NLT) Jesus: In my kingdom, you should discern between two kinds of teachers & disciples. How can I protect my life among Jesus’ church? Watch out for Christian teachers. 15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. WARNING – Not every impressive teacher is harmless, or even a Christian. 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Watch out for Christian living. How can I protect myself from the storms of life? WARNING — Build your life on a solid foundation. 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 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. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” How can we inspect our foundation? WARNING: Only a storm will reveal your foundation. What Now? 1. Avoid being a suspicious church cynic, but listen & watch with discernment. 2. Prepare for the storms of your life as a “bedrock builder” (doer), not a “beach builder” (hearer). CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION 1. If you (or anyone you know) have ever witnessed something like this, what happened? a. a church disrupted or damaged because of a deceptive teacher’. OR b. a life disrupted or damaged by a ‘storm’ because of their own ‘disobedience’. 2. In what ways can you relate to the trap of being a ‘suspicious church cynic’ rather than using wise ‘discernment’? 3. In what area of your life might (or has) your own “bedrock building” obedience to Jesus’ teaching help(ed) you hold up in a life storm?