Seek First the Kingdom and Step Into Next Month
Month 4: The Teacher (Part 1) · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 6:33 & Matthew 7:24-27
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. — Matthew 6:33
24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” — 7:24-27
Memory Verse
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”— Matthew 6:33 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 22-24
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 120 of 365 — young King Joash repairs the temple while the faithful priest Jehoiada guides him.)The Heart of It
Jesus ends His great sermon with one wonderful promise and one clear choice. The promise is our memory verse. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Just before this, Jesus told worried people to stop fretting over food and clothes the way folks do who have no Father. Instead, He says, put God first. Put His rule first. Put His way of being right first. Then trust your Father to take care of the rest. This is not a magic trick for getting whatever we want. It is an invitation to flip the whole order of our lives. Most people put their stuff first and squeeze God in around the edges. Jesus says the opposite. Put the King first, and watch how your Father carries everything else.
Then comes the choice. Jesus pictures two builders (). Both hear His words. But only one does them. That one is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. When the storm came, his house stood. The other man heard the same words but didn't obey, and his house fell with a great crash. Hearing isn't enough. Jesus wants us to build our lives on what He says. As we close Month 4 and the first half of the Teacher's words, this is the perfect place to land. Don't just admire Jesus' teaching. Stand on it. Next month we keep climbing higher with the Teacher. For now, hide this verse in your heart, and choose today to build on the Rock.
Around the Table
Jesus says to put God first, and your Father will take care of you! And build your "house," which means your life, on Jesus, the strong Rock.
Let's do it: Stack some blocks on a soft pillow, our pretend sand, and some on the hard floor, our pretend rock. Push them. Which one stands? That's why we build on Jesus!
"Seek first the kingdom" means we let God be number one. And we do what Jesus says, not just hear it.
Let's talk: What's one thing you can put after God this week instead of before Him?
"Seek first the kingdom" puts our priorities back in order. Then the two builders show the test. Obeying Jesus, not just admiring Him, is what makes a life storm-proof.
Let's go deeper: Where in your life are you "hearing but not doing"? What would building on the Rock look like there this week?
💬 Conversation Starter
What if our family made one new habit next month to put God first? What should it be? Let's pick one and start tomorrow.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes someone will say, "Christianity is just about being a good person." You can kindly answer that Jesus asks for far more than good behavior. He asks us to build our whole lives on Him and His words (). A good person can still build on sand. The question Jesus presses isn't "Are you nice?" It is "Whose words are you trusting when the storm hits?" That's why we treasure not just His teaching, but His person and His resurrection. And we share it gently, with respect ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
John Stott observed that the two builders look identical until the storm comes. They both heard the same words, and their houses may even have looked alike. The difference, doing or not doing, only shows under pressure. That is a sobering and clarifying word for a father. Your family's foundation won't be revealed on the calm days. It shows up when the diagnosis comes, the finances tighten, a teenager hits a wayward season, or grief lands. "Seek first the kingdom" is not a slogan for the easy stretches. It is the discipline that quietly lays rock under your house before the rain. So at this month's end, do a foundation check on yourself. Where are you, in practice, seeking your security, comfort, or identity first in something other than God? Name it honestly, repent gladly, and build there. Your kids are watching what their dad builds on.
Draws on: John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, help us seek Your kingdom first. Help us trust You with everything else. We don't just want to hear Jesus' words. Help us do them. Help us build our lives on Him, the Rock. In Jesus' name, amen."
Put the King first. Do what He says. Build your life on the Rock that storms can't shake.