Raising A Generation That Knows the Lord
Faith Must Be Passed Intentionally
As I reflect on today's message, my heart keeps coming back to one simple truth: faith is passed intentionally, not accidentally. We looked at two pivotal texts — Judges 2 and Deuteronomy 6. Judges warns us of what happens when we fail to be intentional: "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who neither knew the Lord nor what he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
This is a chilling thought. God didn't stop working; He didn't stop performing miracles or being faithful. What stopped was the telling of God's stories. The older generation assumed the next would just "pick it up." But faith doesn't pass through osmosis — it must be taught, shared, and lived out.
Your Stories Are the Seeds
When I think about what was lost between Joshua's generation and the Judges, I realize they forgot to pass down the Red Sea moments, the manna from heaven, the walls of Jericho. Stories that were foundational to their faith simply disappeared.
It makes me ask: what are *my* Red Sea moments? What are *your* faith highlight reels — the times when God answered your prayers, blessed you unexpectedly, fought battles on your behalf? These stories are not just personal treasures; they are seeds that can grow faith in our children. They need to hear that our God isn't confined to the pages of a dusty Bible — He's alive, active, and present in our lives today.
Your children need to know the same God who parted the Red Sea is still answering prayers in your living room. They need to know that God's faithfulness didn't end with Moses; it continues through you.
Your Home Is Your First Mission Field
Deuteronomy 6 gives us the blueprint: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Before we can ever "impress" anything on our children, we must first live it ourselves. If our faith is not genuine and personal, how can we expect it to transfer?
Our homes are our first mission fields. Loving God with everything we have should be visible in the everyday rhythms of our lives. It looks like your kids seeing you pray. It looks like worship happening in the car and devotion happening around the dinner table. It looks like God's Word moving from pages into action.
What we prioritize is what our children will value. If we put hobbies, sports, or schedules above Jesus, then we shouldn't be surprised when our children's faith feels distant as they grow older.
The Church Walks Beside Our Families
Raising children in faith is not a solo mission; it's a church-wide commitment. As I looked across the congregation today, I saw the beauty of spiritual family. Whether you share DNA or not, you have a role to play. Every child here should have multiple "spiritual parents" — mentors they can turn to when life gets hard.
One day, my kids might be reluctant to come to me or Blair when they face struggles. But my prayer is they run to someone our congregation — someone whose faith is grounded and who will point them right back to Jesus.
And it's not just our kids who need support; our parents do too. Parenting often feels like drowning, but just like Jesus calmed the storm, sometimes what overwhelmed parents need most is someone to jump in their boat, look them in the eye, and say, "Peace. Be still. I've been here. You're going to make it."
Building a Legacy That Lasts
Judges 2:10 serves as a warning, but Deuteronomy 6 offers a solution. If we truly want to raise a generation that knows the Lord, we must:
- Live our faith authentically.
- Share our God-stories intentionally.
- Make our homes mission fields.
- Walk alongside each other as a church family.
Let's be a people who don't just know about God — but know Him deeply, personally, and passionately. Let's commit together to raise up generations who will never forget the mighty works of the Lord.
The legacy of faith we build today will echo into eternity.
As I reflect on today's message, my heart keeps coming back to one simple truth: faith is passed intentionally, not accidentally. We looked at two pivotal texts — Judges 2 and Deuteronomy 6. Judges warns us of what happens when we fail to be intentional: "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who neither knew the Lord nor what he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
This is a chilling thought. God didn't stop working; He didn't stop performing miracles or being faithful. What stopped was the telling of God's stories. The older generation assumed the next would just "pick it up." But faith doesn't pass through osmosis — it must be taught, shared, and lived out.
Your Stories Are the Seeds
When I think about what was lost between Joshua's generation and the Judges, I realize they forgot to pass down the Red Sea moments, the manna from heaven, the walls of Jericho. Stories that were foundational to their faith simply disappeared.
It makes me ask: what are *my* Red Sea moments? What are *your* faith highlight reels — the times when God answered your prayers, blessed you unexpectedly, fought battles on your behalf? These stories are not just personal treasures; they are seeds that can grow faith in our children. They need to hear that our God isn't confined to the pages of a dusty Bible — He's alive, active, and present in our lives today.
Your children need to know the same God who parted the Red Sea is still answering prayers in your living room. They need to know that God's faithfulness didn't end with Moses; it continues through you.
Your Home Is Your First Mission Field
Deuteronomy 6 gives us the blueprint: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Before we can ever "impress" anything on our children, we must first live it ourselves. If our faith is not genuine and personal, how can we expect it to transfer?
Our homes are our first mission fields. Loving God with everything we have should be visible in the everyday rhythms of our lives. It looks like your kids seeing you pray. It looks like worship happening in the car and devotion happening around the dinner table. It looks like God's Word moving from pages into action.
What we prioritize is what our children will value. If we put hobbies, sports, or schedules above Jesus, then we shouldn't be surprised when our children's faith feels distant as they grow older.
The Church Walks Beside Our Families
Raising children in faith is not a solo mission; it's a church-wide commitment. As I looked across the congregation today, I saw the beauty of spiritual family. Whether you share DNA or not, you have a role to play. Every child here should have multiple "spiritual parents" — mentors they can turn to when life gets hard.
One day, my kids might be reluctant to come to me or Blair when they face struggles. But my prayer is they run to someone our congregation — someone whose faith is grounded and who will point them right back to Jesus.
And it's not just our kids who need support; our parents do too. Parenting often feels like drowning, but just like Jesus calmed the storm, sometimes what overwhelmed parents need most is someone to jump in their boat, look them in the eye, and say, "Peace. Be still. I've been here. You're going to make it."
Building a Legacy That Lasts
Judges 2:10 serves as a warning, but Deuteronomy 6 offers a solution. If we truly want to raise a generation that knows the Lord, we must:
- Live our faith authentically.
- Share our God-stories intentionally.
- Make our homes mission fields.
- Walk alongside each other as a church family.
Let's be a people who don't just know about God — but know Him deeply, personally, and passionately. Let's commit together to raise up generations who will never forget the mighty works of the Lord.
The legacy of faith we build today will echo into eternity.
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