Radical Roads
Sermon Notes
Every road leads somewhere. Some feel easy at first but end in ruin, and some feel costly at the start but lead to life. In this week’s Radical message, Brad Kirby teaches through Matthew 7:13–29 and shows how Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a call to choose wisely. The narrow road, the healthy tree, the true disciple, and the firm foundation all point to one simple truth. Life with Jesus is the only road that lasts.
If you’ve ever wondered how to tell the real thing from the fake, or how to build a faith that stands when pressure hits, Jesus gives the answer right here. He is not offering suggestions. He is offering life.
Key Takeaways
The narrow road is costly, but it leads to life.
Fruit reveals what is real.
Hearing the words of Jesus is not the same as living them.
A true disciple knows Jesus and is known by Him.
A life built on obedience to Jesus will stand when storms come.
Discussion Questions
Which “road” do you tend to choose when life feels uncertain?
Where do you see the difference between hearing Jesus and obeying Him?
What kind of fruit is your life producing right now?
How can you build your week on the words of Jesus and not on emotion or habit?
Who in your life needs encouragement to stay on the narrow road?
Transcript
Two Roads and One Decision
Jesus begins this section by placing two roads in front of us. One is wide, and you can practically float down it without thinking. The other is narrow, and you feel it with every step. The wide road feels easy at first, but Jesus says it leads to destruction. The narrow road feels costly, but it leads to life. What He is doing here isn’t complicated. He is telling us that every day, with every choice, we are walking a road somewhere. And sooner or later, the path we choose becomes the life we live.
Fruit That Tells the Truth
Next, Jesus talks about trees. Healthy trees produce healthy fruit. Diseased trees produce fruit that looks good for a moment but spoils quickly. That image sounds simple, but it holds a lot of weight. Jesus is saying that character cannot be faked forever. Who you are eventually shows up in what you produce. Your words. Your habits. Your relationships. Your decisions. They all reveal the root system underneath.
Fake Religion and Real Relationship
Then Jesus goes even deeper. He describes people who did all kinds of impressive things in His name but never actually knew Him. They were busy. They were public. They were loud. But they were not His. This is one of the most sobering parts of the whole sermon. Jesus is telling us that activity is not the same as intimacy. Real disciples know Him and are known by Him. It is a relationship, not a performance.
A House That Stands
Finally, Jesus ends with a picture that almost everyone has heard. Two builders. Two houses. Same storm. One house stands because it was built on rock. The other collapses because it was built on sand. The difference wasn’t the weather. It was the foundation. Jesus makes it clear that those who hear His words and act on them will stand when the storms of life come. And storms always come. But obedience creates strength. Obedience creates stability. Obedience creates a life that lasts.
Choosing the Road That Leads to Life
Jesus doesn’t end the Sermon on the Mount by lowering the bar. He ends it by offering the only foundation that will hold the weight of your life. The narrow road is hard, but it is also full of peace, joy, and life that lasts. The wide road is crowded, but it is hollow. And every one of us has to choose.
The good news is that Jesus never calls you to walk the narrow road alone. He walks it with you, step by step, giving you strength you didn’t know you had. And when your life is built on Him, you find that the road is not just narrow. It is steady. It is safe. It is worth it.
