Previously posted on July 11, 2015, at homescool.ph
This is one Bible lesson which our children first learned through a song.
The lyric of the song goes:
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
But the house on the Rock stood firm.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand fell flat.
Click here if you want to check the song out.
If you are not familiar with this song, click this.
Here is a sing-a-long version.
This song is based on the following verses in Mathew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49.
“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.“
Matthew 7:24-27
As Christ’s followers, it’s very important to teach our children biblical principles and values. One of the most important principles is laying down a strong foundation for one’s life. A benefit for homeschooling families is being able to adjust lesson plans so that what is valuable to a family is given priority. For a Christian, the foundation is Jesus. Biblical principles are based on God’s Word, and we know from the 1st chapter of the Gospel of John, that Jesus is the “Word who became flesh”. So, we aim to introduce Jesus: His life and ministry to our children so that the children will get to know Him.
For our Bible lesson, we used this parable of Jesus about the Wise and the Foolish Builders. I was hoping to illustrate the point more efficiently with this activity. We also did this activity during the time of the worst typhoon in our country, Typhoon Yolanda. I also wanted to also illustrate how people can lose their houses during massive floods or storm surges. We had to familiarize ourselves with the geography as I explained how Typhoon Yolanda affected much of Eastern Visayas and we looked at all the cities and towns devastated by the Typhoon. This moved us to pray and also do our part to help our affected countrymen.
Here is the step-by-step guide on what we did:
1. The kids drew the kind of house they wanted to build on a bond paper.
2. Using cardboard, cutter and glue gun with glue stick, the kids went to work, cut off the parts of the house and assembled their houses.
3. They painted their houses.
4. Using a shovel, the kids collected some sand and rocky soil. And then, they created two different mounds: sandy and rocky.
5. They set the houses in rocky soil or sandy soil.
6. And here comes the exciting part.
As the sand gets wet and soft, the “foundation” of the house on the sandy soil, gets very unstable and may cave in…. and eventually the house on it, collapses.
Depending on the age and level of maturity of your students, you can begin explaining what this parable means. Begin sharing what is the foundation of your own house and relating this to the foundation of your home/ family. A house can face many conditions like strong winds, torrential rains, earthquakes that can threaten its foundation and eventually affect the structure. The home or family can also meet challenges that can weaken its foundation. You will be the best judge on how to conduct this discussion so you can maximize the learning experience.
For a Christian home with a family who seeks to be faithful followers of Jesus, our foundation is Jesus. As the verse says in Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live and move and exist.” Our goal in life is Christ-likeness and we seek to make Jesus known to our children as we the parents get to know Him more. We desire to follow the examples He has set and laid down for His disciples. We desire that as our home is anchored in Him as our foundation, the fruits of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness as enumerated in Galatians 5:22 shall be the walls that shall guide and protect us.
You can use the same process in teaching other Bible stories like “Jesus calming the storm.” You can also re-enact some stories as in dramatic play or simply watch videos online.
Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
Psalm 127:1
Donna P. Simpao, M.D. 
