Next Generation

Who here has ever inherited a family heirloom?

Great Grandfather’s handmade clocks.

tie clips from grandfather.

grandparent’s Bibles

Great grandparents, grandparents and parents have all passed on their faith.

Psalm 145:5 NIV

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Sonja shared a quote with me years ago from Focus on the Family.

“We are so worried about passing on to our children what we never had that we forget to pass on what we did have.”

Passing on your faith does not happen by osmosis.

We go about our everyday lives and and just hope our kids turn out ok.

If you stop swimming up stream, you will be taken down stream.

It is NOT the churches job!!!

Define Orange.

Joshua 24:1

Joshua 24:15 NIV

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

If you look at verse 14 you see that Israel was to forsake other gods and follow him, the one true God.

Joshua himself would lead the way be example.

Joshua declared that he and his “household” (his family) would serve the Lord. The impact of this leadership was that the people of Israel continued to live faithful to God even after his death.

Joshua 24:31

Joshua 24:31 NIV

31 Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

Now we jump forward to...

Judges 2:10 NIV

10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

The passing on of faith broke down after that generation died. Somewhere along the line, parents failed to instruct their children and the larger spiritual community failed to honor God.

We are one generation away from our families and our country not knowing the Lord.

Each generation must be taught who God is, and what He has done.

We see the importance of each generation passing on the faith when we see what Paul wrote about Timothy’s past.

2 Timothy 1:5 NIV

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

2 Timothy

Children learn from their parent’s and they watch. Children learn more by what they caught then by what they are taught. Do what I say and not what I doesn’t work.

Passing on our faith begins in the family home as continues with the church family.

Pray!

Pray more than just blessing and protection.

Pray for them to grow in wisdom.

Pray that they will experience the fullness of Christ.

Pray for the friendships to be healthy.

Pray for their future spouse and their children (your grandchildren)

We are going to do it now!