Free Bible lesson for kids · Ministry in Galilee
The Wise and Foolish Builders
Jesus told of a wise man who built his house on a rock and a foolish man who built on the sand. When the storm came, only the house on the rock stood.
- Bible passage
- Matthew 7:24–29 · Luke 6:46–49
- Big idea
- Hearing and doing Jesus’ words makes our lives strong.
- Memory verse
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Matthew 7:24 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Jesus asked why people called Him “Lord, Lord” but did not do what He said (Luke 6:46). Then He told a story. Whoever hears His sayings and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). He dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock (Luke 6:48). The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds beat on that house. But it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25).
Whoever hears Jesus’ sayings and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand (Matthew 7:26). The same storm beat on that house, and it fell, “and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:27). When Jesus finished, the people were astonished. He taught as one who had authority, not like the scribes (Matthew 7:28–29).
Read it in the Bible: Matthew 7:24–29 (KJV)
24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Read it in the Bible: Luke 6:46–49 (KJV)
46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Questions to ask
Where did the wise man build?
Upon a rock.
What happened to the house on the sand?
It fell, and great was the fall of it.
What makes us like the wise man?
Hearing Jesus’ sayings and doing them.
What this story teaches
- Jesus’ words are true and worth building our lives on (Matthew 7:24).
- Calling Jesus Lord means doing what He says (Luke 6:46).
- Storms come to everyone, the wise and the foolish (Matthew 7:25, 27).
- Hearing God’s Word without doing it leads to a great fall (Matthew 7:26–27).
- Jesus teaches with true authority, not like other teachers (Matthew 7:29).
Jesus Is Our Sure Foundation
The wise man built on solid rock. Jesus Christ is the one true foundation, and no one can lay any other.
1 Corinthians 3:11
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us obey what we learn. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Hearing and doing Jesus’ words makes our lives strong.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Matthew 7:24 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors or out · about 8 minutes
Rock or Sand?
You need: Two signs: ROCK and SAND
- Put the signs on opposite walls.
- The leader reads a choice: “Mom asks me to clean my room and I do it.” Kids run to ROCK. “I hear the Bible but don’t do what it says.” Kids run to SAND.
- Mix fast and funny examples.
The wise man hears Jesus’ words and does them. That is building on the rock.
For youth group · game · indoors · about 20 minutes
Marshmallow Storm Towers
You need: Uncooked spaghetti, mini marshmallows, tape, a fan
- Teams have ten minutes to build the tallest tower they can.
- Then the storm comes: switch on the fan in front of each tower for ten seconds.
- The tallest tower still standing wins. Talk about what made towers strong.
The storm hit both houses. Only the one built on the rock stood. Build your life on Jesus’ words.
Pray
Ask God to help us obey what we learn.