Dear Friends:

What is the goal of Christian Education? Our studies and practices will help us to become wise. To have wisdom is to live in such a way that we are a blessing to the Creator and to the creation of which we are part.
Jesus teaches His followers through story, sharing how a person lacking wisdom tries to build a life on shifting sands, only to find no shelter from difficulties. In contrast, those who are wise build their lives on solid rock, and when difficulty comes, there is safety. The solid rock, Jesus tells us, is His Word. When we hear the teaching of Jesus and practice that teaching, then we are living wisely (Matthew 7.24) . This parable is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the most well-known collection of Jesus' teachings, recorded in Matthew chapters 5 - 7. The story of the wise and foolish builders is a fitting conclusion to the sermon, inviting us to hear the words and practice them.
My hope is that our Christian Education offerings at Knox church will form us into wise people. We will experience wind, rain, and flooding, to be sure. But we will always have a refuge if we choose wisely, building our lives on the firm foundation Jesus offers us.
Joyfully,
Paul