One of the most famous landmarks in the world is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it's famous for one reason only: it's leaning. That's because it was built on marshy ground--weak foundations. My dad was a builder, and he would tell you that a building is only as good as the foundation it's built on. The same goes for your spiritual life.

Read Jesus' words in Matthew 7: "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (vv. 24-27).

You can't easily tell what a person's spiritual foundation is just by looking at them. The two houses in the text probably looked the same on the outside, with a door, windows, maybe a two-camel garage. But the difference was their foundation, what you can't immediately see.

So how do you build a secure foundation? You do three things: know, hear, and obey the Lord. First, you know Him. Go back and read Matthew 7:21-23. Have you truly met Christ? You have to meet Him before you can love, hear, and obey Him.

Second, you hear God: "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine" (v. 24). This is an ongoing process that happens as you read your Bible, go to church, and listen to what God has to say. If He reveals Himself through His Word, how will you ever develop a relationship with Him if you don't read or listen to it?

Third, you obey God: "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them" (v. 24). A lifestyle of obedience ought to naturally flow from your relationship with God as you listen to Him and get to know Him. As Jesus said in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"

When all three of these things are present--knowing, hearing, and doing--they form a secure foundation against the coming storm of verses 24-27. People typically think this refers to the storms of life, but in context, it seems to refer to the storm of God's coming wrath--the "day" (v. 22) of judgment, when mankind will face Christ and give an account for their lives. At that time, your life will either stand or fall, depending on the foundation you're building now.

So examine your heart: Are you building your life on marshy ground, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are you knowing, listening to, and obeying the Lord?