WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:04.190 I told them Wednesday night, sometimes when we 00:00:04.190 --> 00:00:06.730 think about worship, sometimes my daughter, Daisy, 00:00:06.889 --> 00:00:10.449 she's not in here right now. But sometimes Daisy, 00:00:10.650 --> 00:00:14.449 I think about this when I think about myself 00:00:14.449 --> 00:00:17.230 and our Heavenly Father. Sometimes Daisy will 00:00:17.230 --> 00:00:20.550 run up to me and she'll press her body against 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:25.649 me. And she'll reach so far up as if she's trying 00:00:25.649 --> 00:00:28.730 to reach my head. And she'll say, Daddy, pick 00:00:28.730 --> 00:00:33.799 me up. Daddy, hold me. Daddy, I just need you. 00:00:33.859 --> 00:00:35.320 And what you need to understand tonight, it's 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:37.899 not just when she's worried. It's not just when 00:00:37.899 --> 00:00:40.460 she's hurt. It's not just when she's scared. 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.179 Sometimes she just wants Daddy to pick her up. 00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:45.320 And I don't know about you, but when I think 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.179 about worshiping and I think about raising my 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:49.840 hands and surrendering to God, it's about surrender, 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:52.479 but it's about a reaching. I don't want to reach 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:54.299 to your hand, Lord. I'm not interested about 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:56.500 what you can do for me. I want to reach to your 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:59.820 head because I need more of you. I need you to 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:02.479 pick me up when I'm down. I need you to carry 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.760 me when I'm going through hard times and troubles. 00:01:05.019 --> 00:01:08.120 And sometimes I wonder, do we as children of 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.599 God reach toward the head of God like we should 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.420 sometimes? You ever give them another hand clap 00:01:15.420 --> 00:01:19.140 of praise? I got to get into this. Guys, thank 00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:22.540 you so much. I love you. Awesome job as always. 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:24.840 Give them another hand. Keep your hand. We don't 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:35.659 clap enough in the church today. This air keeps 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:37.319 blowing my page. I'm going to have to weigh it 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:41.790 down right here. Thank you, Pastor. First of 00:01:41.790 --> 00:01:43.590 all, I want to honor you. Thank you so much for 00:01:43.590 --> 00:01:47.010 giving me this opportunity. It's very special 00:01:47.010 --> 00:01:48.670 to me every time I get to stand right here, so 00:01:48.670 --> 00:02:04.750 thank you. Can y 'all hear me okay? What about 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:10.120 now? Pastor, you'd be so against that right there, 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:15.400 I know. I know, Pat, he needs to hear it, but 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.340 I can hear it, amen? It's going to come out of 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:19.000 me, and I'm going to have a hard time preaching 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.460 it, but that's okay. And it's not that I want 00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:23.000 you to hear it, because I got something good 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:24.599 to say, but the Lord's going to help me today, 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:27.620 amen? Because I do believe I have a word for 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:30.879 us today. When we think about back to school, 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:32.800 and I already preached to them on Wednesday night, 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:35.860 their back to school sermon. And y 'all stick 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:37.400 with me. I'm going to be in Deuteronomy chapter 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:42.340 6. I'm going to be in verse 4 through 9. So y 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:43.780 'all hang with me. But I already preached their 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:47.699 back -to -school sermon, okay? I already preached 00:02:47.699 --> 00:02:50.800 that to them. And I preached to them about being 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.319 different on purpose. I preached to them out 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:57.159 of Daniel when the Bible says that Daniel purposed 00:02:57.159 --> 00:03:01.460 in his heart not to defile himself. And I preached 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:04.460 on them going back to school different. But not 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:08.039 by accident, but on purpose. Because I know God's 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:09.900 done things in their life this summer. I know 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:11.879 God's moved in them. I know they've grown. I've 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.740 watched them step into callings that they've 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:16.379 been called into. I've watched them begin to 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:19.620 grow and lean that way. And I want them to go 00:03:19.620 --> 00:03:22.719 back to school different on purpose. Amen. But 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.080 today I want to talk to the parents and the grandparents 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.000 of those children. I want to talk this morning, 00:03:28.020 --> 00:03:31.819 if I can, briefly. I'll try my best. I'll put 00:03:31.819 --> 00:03:33.680 my phone right here so I can keep time like pastor. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.539 I won't look at it like pastor, but I'll put 00:03:37.539 --> 00:03:41.580 it right here. Now he's going to think, why did 00:03:41.580 --> 00:03:43.580 you let me do that every single Sunday? But listen, 00:03:44.180 --> 00:03:46.860 pastor preaches a good word, amen. I don't care 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:48.379 if it's two hours long. I'm going to sit right 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:51.120 there on the front row absorbing everything he 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.439 says. Because I know if he says it, it's from 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:57.419 the Lord, amen. Amen. But I preach to them about 00:03:57.419 --> 00:03:59.039 being different on purpose. And I want to talk 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:00.979 to you tonight, the parents and grandparents, 00:04:01.139 --> 00:04:05.719 about don't send them alone. Don't send them 00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:10.740 alone. Deuteronomy 6, verse 4 says this. Hear, 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.560 O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one. 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:17.480 You shall love the Lord your God with all your 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:19.639 heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. 00:04:20.259 --> 00:04:23.279 And these words which I command you today shall 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.579 be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:29.920 to your children. You shall talk of them when 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.980 you sit in your house and when you walk by the 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:35.300 way, when you lie down and when you rise up. 00:04:35.339 --> 00:04:38.899 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:41.360 they shall be as fontlets between your eyes. 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:43.759 You shall write them on the doorpost of your 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:46.339 house and on your gates. I want to preach to 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:48.300 you about not sending them alone. Father, I love 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:50.569 you today. I thank you. for your touch today, 00:04:50.670 --> 00:04:52.569 God. I ask, Lord, I feel your presence in this 00:04:52.569 --> 00:04:54.269 house. You've done already what I've asked you 00:04:54.269 --> 00:04:57.089 to do, and that's simply meet us in your sanctuary. 00:04:57.769 --> 00:05:00.029 So, Father, I ask in this next time that you 00:05:00.029 --> 00:05:02.069 would anoint my lips to only speak what you would 00:05:02.069 --> 00:05:04.670 give me to speak. Only speak, God, what you burned 00:05:04.670 --> 00:05:07.810 in my spirit to say. Father, help us today to 00:05:07.810 --> 00:05:10.129 edify, help me to edify the body, but ultimately 00:05:10.129 --> 00:05:12.769 to glorify you. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 00:05:13.490 --> 00:05:17.899 You guys can be seated. Back -to -school season 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:20.199 changes as your children get older, doesn't it? 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:23.639 Mom and dads, it changes. I'm facing an opportunity, 00:05:23.699 --> 00:05:27.100 but here next year I'll have three kids. Y 'all 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:28.620 know that. They're all going to be in three different 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:31.860 schools next year. So, yeah, all y 'all know 00:05:31.860 --> 00:05:33.079 what I'm talking about. Y 'all are like, yeah, 00:05:33.100 --> 00:05:35.959 been there. But they'll all be in three different 00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:38.360 schools. So each school season brings its different 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.019 challenges. With Daisy, it's did we get the crayons, 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:43.860 right? She's in elementary. Did we get the crayons? 00:05:43.899 --> 00:05:46.879 Did we get the right folders? Does her shoes 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.000 still fit, right? Are we sending her to school 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.259 with shoes that fit? But as I look at Landon 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:54.639 being a teenager in middle school and her last 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:56.860 year she'll be in high school next year, my thoughts 00:05:56.860 --> 00:05:59.480 change. It becomes, and even now I find myself 00:05:59.480 --> 00:06:02.660 at 13 years old, who are their friends? The questions 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:05.279 become different as seasons change. What are 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:07.779 they being exposed to? What are they watching? 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:10.459 What are they being taught? And the bigger question 00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:12.920 then becomes, what decision are they making when 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.319 I'm not there? Because it's real easy to make 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:17.959 the right decision when mom and dad's present, 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:19.879 right? It's real easy when you have somebody 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:21.759 watching over them, but what decisions are they 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.660 making when I'm not there? And suddenly I realized 00:06:24.660 --> 00:06:27.019 something very quickly. There are places your 00:06:27.019 --> 00:06:29.480 children are going where you cannot go with them. 00:06:30.060 --> 00:06:32.240 You can't sit beside them in every classroom. 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:34.939 You can't walk every hallway. You can't listen 00:06:34.939 --> 00:06:37.699 to every conversation. You can't monitor every 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:40.220 friendship that they have. You can't be beside 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:42.500 them when temptation comes, and you can't make 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:44.920 every decision for them. And that's frightening 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:47.079 for a parent, isn't it? No, you want to be there 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:48.819 for your kid at all times. You want to be that 00:06:48.819 --> 00:06:51.019 voice in the back of their mind that says, no, 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:53.399 don't do that. Yes, do that. Amen. That's where 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.100 we want to be as parents and grandparents. But 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:58.639 scripture gives us another option. You may not 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:01.899 be able to go with them, but God can. Amen. We 00:07:01.899 --> 00:07:04.259 may not be everywhere at all times, but God is 00:07:04.259 --> 00:07:07.259 and he can go with them. So before we send another 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:09.980 generation into classrooms, another generation 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:12.540 into locker rooms, another generation onto college 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:15.420 campuses, before we send them into workplaces 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:19.300 and into an increasingly confusing culture, we 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:23.420 need to make sure we don't send them alone. It 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:26.100 is God's firm desire that his word be in the 00:07:26.100 --> 00:07:28.910 hearts of his people. The Apostle Paul states 00:07:28.910 --> 00:07:31.610 it explicitly when he said in Colossians 3 .16, 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:36.129 let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. This 00:07:36.129 --> 00:07:38.350 can only be accomplished by daily and continually 00:07:38.350 --> 00:07:41.750 abiding in the scriptures. It has been said that 00:07:41.750 --> 00:07:44.850 the hearts of parents must be turned to the heart 00:07:44.850 --> 00:07:47.550 of a child in order to bring the heart of the 00:07:47.550 --> 00:07:51.490 child to the heart of a savior. The problem today 00:07:51.490 --> 00:07:55.750 is that instead of having our hearts turned towards 00:07:55.750 --> 00:07:58.430 our children, our hearts are turned toward every 00:07:58.430 --> 00:08:00.790 distraction that the enemy can get in front of 00:08:00.790 --> 00:08:03.439 us. Let me tell you something this morning. The 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.639 enemy may be stealing your children right under 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:08.980 your nose because you're so distracted, focusing 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:11.480 on everything that's not important in this life. 00:08:11.660 --> 00:08:13.759 The enemy is running away with the heart of your 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.240 child and you're too distracted to notice. I 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.100 need someone to hear me this morning. The enemy 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:20.500 doesn't have to destroy your home if he can just 00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:23.100 distract it. He doesn't have to convince you 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:25.300 to stop loving your children. He just has to 00:08:25.300 --> 00:08:27.920 keep you too busy to lead them, too busy working, 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:30.839 too busy scrolling, too busy chasing, too busy. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:33.159 worrying and too busy building a life that we 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:36.039 forget to build a faith. Amen. The foundation 00:08:36.039 --> 00:08:38.039 of what we should be teaching our children is 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:41.200 the faith, not the life. Amen. Because this life 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.320 will pass away, but eternity is forever. Amen. 00:08:44.419 --> 00:08:46.759 We have to build and establish the faith in our 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:50.120 children, and no one can do it but us. While 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:52.580 we're giving them everything we never had, we 00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:54.200 better make sure we're giving them the one thing 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:57.899 they can't afford to live without. And his name... 00:08:58.169 --> 00:09:00.269 is Jesus. We've sung about him this morning. 00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:02.889 It's not coincidental that Joseph picked songs 00:09:02.889 --> 00:09:05.629 that we sung about Jesus, and here I am mentioning 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:07.610 that he's got to be the most important thing 00:09:07.610 --> 00:09:10.360 in our life. Because at the end of the day, They 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:12.600 can live without the newest phone. They can live 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:14.559 without name brand clothes. They can live without 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.399 making the team. They can live without being 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:18.460 the most popular kid in school. They can live 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:20.600 without everything this world tells them they 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:22.720 have to have, but they cannot afford to live 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.139 without Jesus Christ. Amen? Because there's coming 00:09:26.139 --> 00:09:28.740 a day when mama can't go with them. There's coming 00:09:28.740 --> 00:09:31.539 a day when daddy can't go with them. Grandmama 00:09:31.539 --> 00:09:33.980 can't pray the prayer for them. Grandpa can't 00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:35.980 believe for them. There's coming a moment in 00:09:35.980 --> 00:09:38.539 every one of our children that has to know Jesus 00:09:38.539 --> 00:09:40.879 for themselves. And I'm not talking about knowing 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:44.940 about him. I'm not talking about knowing the 00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:47.299 Bible stories. I'm talking about knowing when 00:09:47.299 --> 00:09:49.659 to stand up in church, when to raise your hands 00:09:49.659 --> 00:09:51.879 in worship, when to get down on the altar and 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:55.200 pray, when to seek his face, when trials come. 00:09:55.419 --> 00:09:58.379 And they cannot learn that from anywhere but 00:09:58.379 --> 00:10:03.639 home. I'm talking about knowing him, knowing 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:07.370 him as Savior. sanctifier, spirit baptizer, healer, 00:10:07.389 --> 00:10:10.929 and soon coming king. I'm talking about Jesus 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:14.090 Christ. So the few things that I want us to know 00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:16.970 that we need to send our children with. You may 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:19.309 think when my kids graduated, that's fine. Wherever 00:10:19.309 --> 00:10:22.070 they're going, send them with something. We can 00:10:22.070 --> 00:10:24.190 send them with something because God is everywhere. 00:10:24.309 --> 00:10:26.990 We can send them with something. The first thing, 00:10:27.029 --> 00:10:29.190 we need to send them with a faith that they have 00:10:29.190 --> 00:10:35.269 seen. A faith that they have seen. Amen. And 00:10:35.269 --> 00:10:37.590 these words shall be in your heart and you shall 00:10:37.590 --> 00:10:39.730 teach them diligently to your children. That's 00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:42.129 what it says in Deuteronomy. The first thing 00:10:42.129 --> 00:10:44.490 we notice in our text this morning that God didn't 00:10:44.490 --> 00:10:48.590 say put it in your children. First he said these 00:10:48.590 --> 00:10:52.370 words shall be in your heart. It has to be in 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:55.419 your heart first. Amen. And then he says, teach 00:10:55.419 --> 00:10:58.159 it to your children. Our children need more than 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:00.940 parents who just take them to church. They need 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:03.980 parents who live the faith at home. Because eventually 00:11:03.980 --> 00:11:06.980 our children will be asking, is what mom and 00:11:06.980 --> 00:11:10.360 dad believe on Sunday real on Monday? Is what 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:13.440 they follow and what we see them doing real when 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:15.879 church is over and we leave the house and go 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:17.799 eat lunch and then life gets back to normal? 00:11:17.899 --> 00:11:20.120 Is the faith that they have on Sunday morning 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:24.220 real on Monday morning? They need to see worship 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:27.000 when life hurts. They need to see you pray when 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:28.740 you're scared. They need to watch you forgive 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:31.559 when you've been hurt. They need to see you choose 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:33.919 righteousness when compromise would be easier. 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:36.480 They need to know that Jesus isn't just somebody 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:38.980 we just sing about in church, that he's the center 00:11:38.980 --> 00:11:42.759 of our home. Our children may forget some of 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.480 the sermons they hear. I joke with my students 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:48.340 all the time what I preached last week. Sounds 00:11:48.340 --> 00:11:51.769 about like that. Some of them know it, though. 00:11:51.850 --> 00:11:53.669 I'll give them credit. A lot of them shout it 00:11:53.669 --> 00:11:56.809 out. They'll forget some of the sermons they 00:11:56.809 --> 00:11:58.610 hear. They'll forget some of the Sunday school 00:11:58.610 --> 00:12:00.929 lessons. They may forget some of the youth services, 00:12:01.110 --> 00:12:04.429 but they'll remember watching Mama pray. They'll 00:12:04.429 --> 00:12:06.950 remember watching Granddad open his Bible. They'll 00:12:06.950 --> 00:12:09.330 remember watching Daddy lift his hands in worship. 00:12:09.610 --> 00:12:11.789 They'll remember Grandmama calling their name 00:12:11.789 --> 00:12:14.250 before God in prayer. All of us could probably 00:12:14.250 --> 00:12:16.629 share the story of grandmas, mamas, and daddies 00:12:16.629 --> 00:12:19.330 praying for their children. I could tell you 00:12:19.330 --> 00:12:21.470 a very specific story, and you might say, well, 00:12:21.529 --> 00:12:23.669 I've heard that before, but it's true. When my 00:12:23.669 --> 00:12:26.730 brother was fighting his drug addiction, we couldn't 00:12:26.730 --> 00:12:28.789 do it. Would you believe that, that the family 00:12:28.789 --> 00:12:31.169 that loved him couldn't fix him? Would you believe 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:33.730 that today? The family that wanted nothing but 00:12:33.730 --> 00:12:35.850 good for him, that wanted him to come out of 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:38.389 the mess he was in and provide him with things 00:12:38.389 --> 00:12:41.169 and a path to get there couldn't help him. Could 00:12:41.169 --> 00:12:43.590 you believe that? But what happened was the family 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:46.250 realized there's a God who can go with him. There's 00:12:46.250 --> 00:12:49.230 a God we can send on our behalf. And what happened 00:12:49.230 --> 00:12:52.309 is a mama and a daddy began to pray. A family 00:12:52.309 --> 00:12:55.029 began to pray. A family began to intercede on 00:12:55.029 --> 00:12:57.409 his behalf. And wouldn't you know it, it didn't 00:12:57.409 --> 00:12:59.389 take very long for God to answer that prayer. 00:12:59.610 --> 00:13:02.049 And the phone call rang. And he said, I can't 00:13:02.049 --> 00:13:04.309 do it anymore. I need help from here. You see, 00:13:04.370 --> 00:13:06.950 it was put in him from a small child. He saw 00:13:06.950 --> 00:13:09.210 it growing up. It never left him because the 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:11.580 Bible says what we put in our children. will 00:13:11.580 --> 00:13:15.399 be there. Hallelujah. It was in there already. 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:18.759 Amen. But if we're not putting it in there, the 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:20.580 world will put what they want to put in there. 00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:24.399 And that's why as a church we cannot allow to 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.600 happen in our own homes. They have to see it 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:33.159 lived. Amen. I came by this morning to tell mamas 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:35.179 and daddies, grandfathers and grandmothers, God's 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:37.899 not done with your generation just yet. There 00:13:37.899 --> 00:13:39.659 are some more lessons that we need to be teaching, 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:41.299 some more lessons that they need to be taught. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:44.179 I'm reminded of the scripture in Judges 2 .10 00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:46.779 where it says, Another generation arose after 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:49.720 them who did not know the Lord nor the work which 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:52.700 he had done. I stop by to tell you this morning 00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:55.409 that there's a work still to be done. Amen. A 00:13:55.409 --> 00:13:57.309 lot of times as we grow older, we think, especially 00:13:57.309 --> 00:13:59.289 if our kids are grown, what is there for us to 00:13:59.289 --> 00:14:01.429 do? Well, I want you to be encouraged that there's 00:14:01.429 --> 00:14:03.990 still a work that God needs you to do. Amen. 00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:07.570 The work is to live out your faith in front of 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:10.090 your children and grandchildren. Live out and 00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:12.970 show and teach. Why? Because the next generation, 00:14:13.129 --> 00:14:16.070 they're watching. The next generation is watching 00:14:16.070 --> 00:14:18.590 how we worship. They're watching how we respond 00:14:18.590 --> 00:14:20.850 when trouble comes. They're watching how we treat 00:14:20.850 --> 00:14:23.110 people who hurt us and how we forgive. And they're 00:14:23.110 --> 00:14:25.580 watching to see whether we. compromise or not 00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:28.279 when the time comes. And not only are they watching, 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:30.879 the next generation is listening. They're listening 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:32.919 when we pray. They're listening when we talk 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:34.860 about the church. They're listening when we talk 00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:37.740 about each other. They're listening when we say 00:14:37.740 --> 00:14:40.960 God is faithful. And then they're watching to 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:43.639 see if we still believe he's faithful when everything 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:47.080 starts falling apart. Because you can tell them 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:49.419 God is good, but let them hear you say God is 00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:52.639 good when life isn't. You can tell them God will 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.200 provide, but let them watch you trust him when 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:56.700 you don't know where the provision is going to 00:14:56.700 --> 00:15:00.059 come from. You can tell them prayer works, but 00:15:00.059 --> 00:15:02.639 let them hear you praying when your family needs 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:05.440 a miracle. You can tell them the Holy Ghost is 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:07.940 real, but let them see the evidence of his power 00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:11.059 operating in your life. Church, they're watching, 00:15:11.179 --> 00:15:13.019 they're listening, and the next generation, I 00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:14.759 can tell you, if you haven't already figured 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:17.139 it out, they're ready to be launched forward, 00:15:17.379 --> 00:15:20.480 ready for the explosion, the outpouring of the 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:23.220 Holy Spirit. They're ready for whatever God is 00:15:23.220 --> 00:15:26.139 calling them to, and I would beg to say that 00:15:26.139 --> 00:15:32.049 they're more bold than we are. Amen? So are we 00:15:32.049 --> 00:15:35.809 showing them the way? We keep telling them we 00:15:35.809 --> 00:15:37.629 want you to go farther than we ever went, but 00:15:37.629 --> 00:15:40.289 have we shown them the road? We tell them stand 00:15:40.289 --> 00:15:42.210 for truth, but have they watched us stand? We 00:15:42.210 --> 00:15:44.070 tell them don't compromise, but have they watched 00:15:44.070 --> 00:15:47.450 us refuse to do it? We tell them seek God, but 00:15:47.450 --> 00:15:49.389 have they ever walked through the house and found 00:15:49.389 --> 00:15:51.789 Mama seeking God? Have they ever heard Daddy 00:15:51.789 --> 00:15:54.269 call in their name in prayer? Have they ever 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:55.990 heard Grandmama lift their hands when nobody 00:15:55.990 --> 00:15:58.909 else was singing in the house? That's kind of 00:15:58.909 --> 00:16:01.200 a me thing. That's not a mama thing. I sing in 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:06.259 the house. What I love about that, though, and 00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:08.039 this is me being a dad for a moment, is when 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:11.100 my kids tune in with me and they start singing 00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:15.019 the songs that I know. That's special. Have they 00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:16.620 ever heard grandpa open a Bible and say, let 00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:18.240 me tell you what the Lord showed me this morning? 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.600 Because hear me, this next generation doesn't 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:24.980 just need directions. They need an example. Paul 00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:27.399 said in 1 Corinthians 11 .1, be ye followers 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:32.179 of me even as I also am of Christ. What he was 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:34.000 telling them essentially was if you want to know 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:36.620 which way to go, watch me. And that's dangerous 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:39.360 prayer this morning. Watch me. Because watch 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:41.779 how I handle temptation. This is me telling my 00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:44.100 kids, watch how I handle temptation. Watch how 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:46.840 I handle disappointment. Watch how I handle my 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:49.340 husband or my wife. Watch how I handle or respond 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:52.019 when I'm offended. Watch how I do when nobody's 00:16:52.019 --> 00:16:54.240 working. Watch how I worship. Watch how I pray. 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:56.820 Watch how I live. That's a dangerous prayer this 00:16:56.820 --> 00:16:59.340 morning because it puts the directional finger 00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:01.860 directly on us. Watch me. Well, what are you 00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:06.119 doing? Amen. Not blaming anybody, but if you've 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:08.500 watched me long enough, you ought to know the 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:12.059 way to Jesus. Amen? That's where we should stand 00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:14.839 confidently as parents, grandparents. Churches, 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:17.200 if this generation followed Jesus exactly like 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.299 they see us following it, how would they pray? 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.299 How would they worship? Come to think of it, 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:28.200 you guys, youth group, I know I'm in front of 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:31.319 you, right? But I stand up here every Sunday 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:33.759 and lead worship, and I watch you guys worship. 00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:37.990 The question I have is worship seems a little 00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:39.990 different over here than it does over there. 00:17:40.750 --> 00:17:46.630 And I wonder why that is. Are we showing them 00:17:46.630 --> 00:17:50.509 the way to worship? Because there's comfort over 00:17:50.509 --> 00:17:54.750 there, but there's not comfort in here. Why is 00:17:54.750 --> 00:18:02.750 that? It got real Presbyterian in here. You guys 00:18:02.750 --> 00:18:05.670 know my heart worship's a big thing because I 00:18:05.670 --> 00:18:07.309 believe we should worship through everything, 00:18:07.670 --> 00:18:10.089 through the good times, through the bad times, 00:18:10.190 --> 00:18:12.069 through the desired times, through the no times. 00:18:12.589 --> 00:18:14.809 We should worship God because he's worthy of 00:18:14.809 --> 00:18:18.349 it. And if there's nothing else I do on a Wednesday 00:18:18.349 --> 00:18:20.309 night, I hope I can teach these students that 00:18:20.309 --> 00:18:24.339 this is how we worship. And I do my very best. 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:26.119 But when we come in here, it seems like there's 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:28.160 just a different atmosphere. And that's not a 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:30.779 bad thing. It's a challenge. Maybe we should 00:18:30.779 --> 00:18:33.000 think in our own minds, how are we worshiping 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:35.140 God? But more than that, how are other people 00:18:35.140 --> 00:18:38.279 seeing us worship God? How are our children seeing 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.000 us worship God? How are they seeing us kneel 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:43.220 down at an altar and pray when we know we're 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:45.559 going through hell? Amen? Are they seeing us 00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:50.359 participate in those things? If they saw us, 00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:52.920 would they know the word? Would they be able 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:54.500 to forgive? Would they be able to know how to 00:18:54.500 --> 00:18:57.259 live holy? Would they be faithful in the house 00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:59.019 of God? Would they hunger for the presence of 00:18:59.019 --> 00:19:02.519 God? Would they know the way? Because we can 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:05.259 point them toward a road. We can't point them 00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:07.140 towards a road we're unwilling to walk ourselves. 00:19:07.619 --> 00:19:09.619 This generation is watching. This generation 00:19:09.619 --> 00:19:12.220 is listening. And this generation is ready. So 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:15.480 church, we need to show them the way. Amen? We 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:18.440 need to show them the way. Let us live such a 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:20.059 faith in front of them that when it's finally 00:19:20.059 --> 00:19:22.359 their turn to carry the gospel, they won't have 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:24.920 to wonder which way to go. They'll know in their 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:27.920 mind, I saw mama pray this way. I saw daddy worship 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:30.279 this way. I saw grandmama walk this way. I saw 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:32.319 granddaddy open his Bible and read this way. 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:37.619 I saw and watched my church go this way. And 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:39.660 now it's my turn to carry it forward. I told 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:41.380 the students on Wednesday night, there's a lot 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:44.279 of talk lately about a baton being passed. Pastor 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:46.160 even referenced it last week, but I like the 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:49.019 way he did it. And I talked to him about the 00:19:49.019 --> 00:19:52.839 baton is to be passed to other generations. But 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:55.099 like Pastor and myself, I'm not ready to pass 00:19:55.099 --> 00:19:58.819 the baton yet. I'm not ready to pass. But the 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:01.960 most powerful moment when there's a baton involved 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:04.720 is when there's another generation reaching out 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:07.369 to grab a hold of it with me. And I told the 00:20:07.369 --> 00:20:09.849 students, I'm waiting on someone to reach out 00:20:09.849 --> 00:20:12.970 and grab the baton and let us go together. And 00:20:12.970 --> 00:20:14.890 it doesn't have to be one. It could be a whole 00:20:14.890 --> 00:20:17.329 host of people. But I've got the baton and I'm 00:20:17.329 --> 00:20:19.930 ready for the next generation to grab hold of 00:20:19.930 --> 00:20:22.029 it and let's go with me. But they have to be 00:20:22.029 --> 00:20:25.069 shown the way. Amen. They have to be shown the 00:20:25.069 --> 00:20:27.710 way. We have to send them with the faith that 00:20:27.710 --> 00:20:30.609 they have seen. And secondly, we want to send 00:20:30.609 --> 00:20:34.309 them with the faith that they know. A faith that 00:20:34.309 --> 00:20:36.990 they know. Deuteronomy 6 says, you shall teach 00:20:36.990 --> 00:20:40.470 them diligently. And here's where I challenge 00:20:40.470 --> 00:20:43.829 the whole church. We cannot outsource discipleship. 00:20:44.289 --> 00:20:47.349 Okay? Youth ministry helps. Children's church 00:20:47.349 --> 00:20:49.930 helps. Sunday school helps. The pastor helps. 00:20:50.210 --> 00:20:52.829 But the church was never meant to replace spiritual 00:20:52.829 --> 00:20:55.750 leadership in the home. The church gets just 00:20:55.750 --> 00:20:59.779 a few hours, but home gets a lifetime. And our 00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:01.920 children are walking into a culture that constantly 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.660 is discipling them. Social media is discipling 00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:09.579 them. Entertainment is discipling them. Friends 00:21:09.579 --> 00:21:12.140 are discipling them. Algorithms are discipling 00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:14.819 them. Culture is constantly telling them this 00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:18.079 is truth. This is identity. This is sexuality. 00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:21.140 This is success. This is what happiness really 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:23.259 looks like. This is what matters. So don't you 00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:26.519 think if the world's intentionally teaching them 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:29.599 that we should be intentionally teaching them. 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:32.359 Amen. Don't just tell them what we believe, but 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:35.099 tell them why we believe it. Teach them how to 00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:37.039 pray. Teach them how to read scripture, how to 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:40.180 recognize conviction, how to hear the voice of 00:21:40.180 --> 00:21:43.579 God. And teach them how holiness matters and 00:21:43.579 --> 00:21:46.539 why we worship and why we need the Holy Ghost. 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:48.819 Because eventually they'll encounter something 00:21:48.819 --> 00:21:51.400 that challenges what they believe. And when that 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.259 day comes, because my church says so, won't be 00:21:54.259 --> 00:21:57.160 good enough. Amen. They need their own foundation. 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:00.380 They need their own foundation in the faith and 00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:03.259 in Christ. And I believe the reason that doesn't 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:05.220 happen is because we don't know it ourselves. 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:10.000 Send them with a faith they know. Do we know 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:15.880 that faith? Again, Presbyterian in here. I didn't 00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:20.960 come to jab you, know my heart. But I'm on the 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:22.900 phone and I talk to these children. I know what 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:25.460 they're going through. It's a challenge this 00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:29.930 morning, amen? To us and to them. Because we 00:22:29.930 --> 00:22:34.470 can teach them, but they got to go with it. But 00:22:34.470 --> 00:22:37.690 you can't give what you don't have. You can't 00:22:37.690 --> 00:22:39.950 teach them how to pray if they never heard you 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:42.670 pray. You can't teach them how to trust God in 00:22:42.670 --> 00:22:45.569 the storm whenever time trouble comes, you don't. 00:22:46.150 --> 00:22:47.970 You can't teach them that the Bible is the word 00:22:47.970 --> 00:22:50.430 of God if they never see you opening it. You 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:52.069 can't teach them that worship matters if they 00:22:52.069 --> 00:22:54.559 never see you worship. You can't teach them that 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:56.940 church matters if church is always the first 00:22:56.940 --> 00:22:58.779 thing your family removes from the schedule when 00:22:58.779 --> 00:23:03.079 life gets busy. I got claps on that. I thought 00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:05.259 it would get quiet too. Guys, I struggle with 00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:08.440 that too, by the way. I got a son who plays baseball. 00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:09.980 Y 'all know he's an athlete. He plays everything. 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:12.859 Erica, his mom, and I have a decision we have 00:23:12.859 --> 00:23:14.640 to make right now because we got some information 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:17.740 over this past weekend that's not good for being 00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:21.019 in the house of God on Sunday. But that decision 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:24.119 is very easy for his mother and I. It's very 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:26.279 easy. But why do we do that, though? We tend 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:28.680 to put things above being in the house of God. 00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:31.440 And the house of God has to be the constant in 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:33.299 our life. It's the staple. It's the foundation 00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:36.019 that everything else is built off of. And it 00:23:36.019 --> 00:23:40.140 has to be that way. Amen. It has to be that way. 00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:43.599 That's not a plug to get you to come in here 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:46.119 so we can have numbers. I'm like, Pastor, I could 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:47.960 care less about numbers. As long as the Spirit 00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:50.460 of God meets us here, I don't care who's in the 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:53.079 house. Amen? As long as his wills be. Because 00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:55.319 the Bible says, I will draw all men unto me. 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:57.759 All I got to do is get him here. If he's here, 00:23:57.900 --> 00:24:00.920 all men will come. That's what I think. Agree 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:02.799 or disagree. I believe when the Spirit of God's 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:06.180 in the house, he draws people to it. So that's 00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:10.380 not a plug. You can't teach them to put Jesus 00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:12.279 first if they watch you put everything else ahead 00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:14.880 of him. Because eventually your children are 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.539 going to discover the difference between the 00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:18.480 faith we talk about and the faith we actually 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:21.460 live. And hear me this morning, mom and dad, 00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:25.059 you cannot pass down what you do not possess. 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:28.740 Grandmama and grandpa, you cannot leave an inheritance 00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:30.740 of faith that you never cultivated for yourself. 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:34.039 Deuteronomy 6 does not begin with teach these 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:35.779 words to your children. It begins these words 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:39.269 shall be in your heart. It's important that we 00:24:39.269 --> 00:24:41.289 get it in ours before we can ever get it into 00:24:41.289 --> 00:24:43.509 somebody else. Amen? Does that mean you've got 00:24:43.509 --> 00:24:45.470 to be perfect? Absolutely not. There's nothing 00:24:45.470 --> 00:24:47.589 wrong with your child coming to you and saying, 00:24:47.650 --> 00:24:49.289 Dad, I've got a question about the Bible. And 00:24:49.289 --> 00:24:51.309 it's embarrassing sometimes when we have to say, 00:24:51.369 --> 00:24:53.269 I don't know that. But here's what's even better. 00:24:53.390 --> 00:24:55.470 Hey, let's get a Bible, let's open it up, and 00:24:55.470 --> 00:24:57.890 let's find out together. Amen? Because I need 00:24:57.890 --> 00:25:00.130 to know that answer too. It's more than just 00:25:00.130 --> 00:25:02.089 telling them what to do. I don't know, son, go 00:25:02.089 --> 00:25:04.089 read your Bible. Well, it'd help if they had 00:25:04.089 --> 00:25:05.910 a daddy who'd walk through the Bible with them, 00:25:05.970 --> 00:25:07.769 if they had a mama who'd help them pray. and 00:25:07.769 --> 00:25:10.650 they don't know how to pray, amen? It starts 00:25:10.650 --> 00:25:14.950 somewhere, and God honors it, amen? Your heart 00:25:14.950 --> 00:25:16.690 first. Before it's in their heart, God says, 00:25:16.710 --> 00:25:19.150 I want it in yours. Before you tell them to pray, 00:25:19.269 --> 00:25:20.849 you pray. Before you tell them to worship, you 00:25:20.849 --> 00:25:23.390 worship. Before you tell them don't compromise, 00:25:23.509 --> 00:25:27.140 let them see you refuse to compromise. Because 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:29.240 our children don't just need to know what we 00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:32.500 believe. They need to see what we believe. They 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:34.660 need to see a Christianity that works outside 00:25:34.660 --> 00:25:37.019 the four walls of the church. They need to see 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:39.740 Jesus at the dinner table. Jesus in the car. 00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:42.539 Jesus when bills are due. Jesus when doctor's 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:45.319 reports come. Jesus when somebody hurts you. 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.019 Jesus when you're frustrated. Jesus when nobody 00:25:48.019 --> 00:25:50.660 from the church is watching. Because the faith 00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:53.240 that will impact the next generation isn't just 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:55.700 the faith we preach to them. It's the faith that 00:25:55.700 --> 00:25:58.059 we live out. out in front of them. And I came 00:25:58.059 --> 00:25:59.619 to tell you tonight, being in youth ministry, 00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:03.279 they're watching you more than they're listening 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:05.960 to you, amen? You can preach and say and fuss, 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:08.119 and ain't that the cry of a parent? I fuss and 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:09.640 fuss and fuss, and they do the same thing over 00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:11.579 and over again. That's because they need to see 00:26:11.579 --> 00:26:14.539 you walking it out and how to be, amen? They 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:16.759 need to see the faith that's lived, not just 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:18.920 the faith that we talk about, amen? We gotta 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:25.309 send them with a faith that they know. Maybe 00:26:25.309 --> 00:26:26.910 the greatest thing some parents could do for 00:26:26.910 --> 00:26:31.750 their children this school year isn't buy another 00:26:31.750 --> 00:26:34.849 school supply. Maybe the greatest thing you can 00:26:34.849 --> 00:26:37.890 do for your child is get on fire for God yourself. 00:26:40.130 --> 00:26:43.710 Let them see mama hungry for God. Let them see 00:26:43.710 --> 00:26:46.029 daddy hungry for God. Let them see grandmama 00:26:46.029 --> 00:26:49.309 praying. Let them see grandpa worshiping. As 00:26:49.309 --> 00:26:51.410 for me and my house, somebody has to make the 00:26:51.410 --> 00:26:54.289 declaration. As for me and my house, we will 00:26:54.289 --> 00:26:57.430 serve the Lord. Amen. Somebody has to stand and 00:26:57.430 --> 00:26:59.769 make that declaration. Because I believe when 00:26:59.769 --> 00:27:02.470 the fire gets burning in one generation, there's 00:27:02.470 --> 00:27:04.890 something for the next generation to catch. Amen. 00:27:04.970 --> 00:27:07.390 You can't send them with a faith they know until 00:27:07.390 --> 00:27:09.910 you know them for yourself. Somebody needs to 00:27:09.910 --> 00:27:12.309 give him praise in his house this morning because 00:27:12.309 --> 00:27:15.769 we need to get on fire for God. Amen. You can 00:27:15.769 --> 00:27:23.400 give him praise. Go ahead. Thirdly, we need to 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:25.700 send them with a faith that has been prayed over. 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:30.740 In Exodus 17, 8 through 13, there's a story of 00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:34.480 Joshua, and he's going to battle with Amalek. 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:36.420 I don't even know if I pronounced that right, 00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:40.019 but Amalek, Amalek, whatever his name is. And 00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:42.240 Moses tells him, go gather some good men, some 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:44.200 strong men to go to battle with him in the valley. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.940 And what did Moses say? He said, I'm going to 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:48.960 go up on the hill or on the mountain, and I'm 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:52.500 going to stretch my rod towards you. Right? So 00:27:52.500 --> 00:27:54.880 Moses and Aaron and Hur go up to the mountain. 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:57.539 Y 'all know the story. When Moses had his hand 00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:01.200 raised on the mountain, Joshua prevailed in the 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:04.700 battle. But when his hands came down, the Amalekites 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:07.640 prevailed. So the Bible says that Aaron and Hur 00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:09.460 found a stone for him to sit on, and they propped 00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:12.539 up his hands. But when I begin to think about 00:28:12.539 --> 00:28:14.319 that story as it relates to what I'm preaching 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:16.559 today, I begin to think about the students walking 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:19.119 into the valleys. I begin to think about the 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:21.420 students going back to schools and the temptations 00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:23.240 and the hurt and the things that they're going 00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:25.559 to deal with. Amen. I begin to think about the 00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:27.700 culture that's constantly going to be attacking 00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:29.619 them in their mind. And then I begin to think, 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:32.099 wouldn't it be awesome if we had some mama and 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:34.140 daddy standing on a hill with their hands raised, 00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:36.740 interceding in prayer for the battle that their 00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:38.700 children are going to walk through. When I think 00:28:38.700 --> 00:28:41.279 about Joshua being in the valley, Moses was on 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:44.440 the hill interceding for him. Amen. We may not 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:46.839 be able to go with them, but we can send them 00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:52.039 covered in prayer. Amen. We need to get on the 00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:55.109 mountain. We need to pray. When they're sitting 00:28:55.109 --> 00:28:57.089 in math class we need to pray. When they're walking 00:28:57.089 --> 00:28:59.309 through the hallway we need to pray. When they're 00:28:59.309 --> 00:29:01.210 trying to figure out who they are we need to 00:29:01.210 --> 00:29:03.730 pray. When somebody offers them something they 00:29:03.730 --> 00:29:05.930 shouldn't touch we need to pray. When they're 00:29:05.930 --> 00:29:07.930 struggling with anxiety we need to pray. When 00:29:07.930 --> 00:29:09.849 they're wrestling with temptation we need to 00:29:09.849 --> 00:29:12.009 pray. When they're choosing friendships pray. 00:29:12.190 --> 00:29:13.950 When they're driving themselves to school for 00:29:13.950 --> 00:29:17.039 the first time come on we need to pray. Because 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.619 there's something powerful about a generation 00:29:18.619 --> 00:29:21.019 fighting in the valley while another generation 00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:23.559 is standing on a mountaintop interceding on their 00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:26.680 behalf. Don't underestimate your assignment, 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:29.000 parent, mom, and dad, grandma and grandpa. Don't 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:31.400 underestimate your assignment. You may say my 00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:33.980 children are grown. That's good. Now help your 00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:37.299 grandchildren. Paul told Timothy, I call to remembrance 00:29:37.299 --> 00:29:39.519 the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.960 first in thy grandmother Lois. Just because you're 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:44.400 grandma and grandpa don't mean you don't have 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:47.319 a say so. There's prayer to a mighty God, amen? 00:29:48.839 --> 00:29:50.759 Grandma's faith made it into another generation. 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:56.240 Your prayers can outlive you. Fourthly and lastly, 00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:58.799 send them with something worth coming home to. 00:29:59.539 --> 00:30:03.240 Psalm 78, 6 -7 speaks about one generation teaching 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:06.279 another. It says this, that the generation to 00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:09.440 come might know them, the children who would 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:12.599 be born, that they may arise and declare them 00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:16.630 to their children. That they may set their hope 00:30:16.630 --> 00:30:19.630 in God and not forget the works of God but keep 00:30:19.630 --> 00:30:22.390 his commandments. The key thing being that they 00:30:22.390 --> 00:30:26.710 may set their hope in God. That's the goal this 00:30:26.710 --> 00:30:29.089 morning. Scott, you can go ahead and start playing. 00:30:30.210 --> 00:30:32.390 Not just that my child gets good grades. That's 00:30:32.390 --> 00:30:34.190 our prayer for us. I want them to have good grades. 00:30:34.430 --> 00:30:36.009 I was talking to a friend of mine who I graduated 00:30:36.009 --> 00:30:37.309 with this other day, and he looked at me and 00:30:37.309 --> 00:30:38.809 he said, I wonder what it would be like if we 00:30:38.809 --> 00:30:41.210 actually applied ourself when we were in school. 00:30:41.569 --> 00:30:44.150 I said, come on. I think about it all the time. 00:30:46.609 --> 00:30:48.569 It's not just that we want our child to get good 00:30:48.569 --> 00:30:50.950 grades. It's not just that we want our child 00:30:50.950 --> 00:30:53.450 to get a scholarship. Amen. It's not just that 00:30:53.450 --> 00:30:55.250 we want them to make the team or to go to a great 00:30:55.250 --> 00:30:57.509 college or to have a great career. Those things 00:30:57.509 --> 00:30:59.849 are wonderful. But none of them are the ultimate 00:30:59.849 --> 00:31:02.269 goal. I tell the students on Wednesday nights, 00:31:02.329 --> 00:31:04.369 I want them to go be everything they want to 00:31:04.369 --> 00:31:07.250 be in their life as long as that's God's will 00:31:07.250 --> 00:31:10.569 for their life. If it's God's will, go get it. 00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:12.940 work hard for it, go be successful, whatever 00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:17.039 it is. But that's not the goal in life. Our greatest 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:19.279 prayer should be, God, when my children are grown, 00:31:19.420 --> 00:31:22.839 let them still love Jesus. Because you can raise 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:24.700 a straight -A student that doesn't know Jesus. 00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:27.720 You can raise a star athlete that doesn't know 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:30.299 Jesus. You can raise a successful businessman 00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:32.539 who doesn't know Jesus. You can raise someone 00:31:32.539 --> 00:31:35.200 who makes six figures, but they don't know Jesus. 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:38.240 But what would it profit us to give them every 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:40.480 advantage in this world but fail to give them 00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:45.160 the foundation of eternity? Our greatest responsibility 00:31:45.160 --> 00:31:47.279 isn't preparing our children to make it live 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:49.259 and it's preparing them to live for Jesus. We 00:31:49.259 --> 00:31:53.579 need to send them ready. Amen. Let's all stand. 00:32:01.819 --> 00:32:05.240 Please know my heart this morning. It was not 00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:13.480 meant to cut anybody. Maybe that's just me thinking 00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:18.900 of myself. But it's easy to get caught up in 00:32:18.900 --> 00:32:24.380 life that we forget who we're living it for. 00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:29.640 It's easy to get caught up in the day -to -day 00:32:29.640 --> 00:32:33.289 and the to -do list. And it seems like... The 00:32:33.289 --> 00:32:35.569 more time goes on, the busier and busier we all 00:32:35.569 --> 00:32:41.210 get. The response isn't, the response is now, 00:32:41.390 --> 00:32:47.029 I know you're busy, but. Why does it have to 00:32:47.029 --> 00:32:50.289 be I know you're busy, but? Especially when it 00:32:50.289 --> 00:32:52.130 comes to building a foundation in our children 00:32:52.130 --> 00:32:54.269 that will guide them the rest of their life. 00:32:55.710 --> 00:32:57.930 I mentioned my brother earlier, the foundation 00:32:57.930 --> 00:33:02.230 was in him. Yes, he strayed. Yes, he spent 12 00:33:02.230 --> 00:33:06.170 years or however long on drugs and far from God. 00:33:06.690 --> 00:33:10.809 But it was in him. So when the prayers went up, 00:33:10.910 --> 00:33:14.109 God stirred up something that was already there. 00:33:15.069 --> 00:33:17.789 And our job as parents, we can't go everywhere 00:33:17.789 --> 00:33:19.849 with our kids. We can't go everywhere, especially 00:33:19.849 --> 00:33:22.069 when they're driving. When they get mobile, we 00:33:22.069 --> 00:33:27.130 really should be praying. Right? But knowing 00:33:27.130 --> 00:33:29.130 we can't go over with them means we need to send 00:33:29.130 --> 00:33:31.210 them with everything we can offer them that is 00:33:31.210 --> 00:33:33.569 eternal, and that is having a relationship with 00:33:33.569 --> 00:33:38.930 Jesus Christ, covered in prayer. Right? So before 00:33:38.930 --> 00:33:40.650 we're going to pray for the students and the 00:33:40.650 --> 00:33:42.470 kids and all that, but before we do that, I'd 00:33:42.470 --> 00:33:45.390 like to pray for the parents, Pastor. I'd like 00:33:45.390 --> 00:33:47.349 every parent and grandparent that would, that 00:33:47.349 --> 00:33:50.390 you say to yourself, I want to be the spiritual 00:33:50.390 --> 00:33:53.049 influence in my child's life. I want to be the 00:33:53.049 --> 00:33:56.490 one. That can be the example that shows my son, 00:33:56.690 --> 00:33:59.470 my daughter, my grandson, my granddaughter, what 00:33:59.470 --> 00:34:01.789 it is to live the faith that we say we believe. 00:34:02.589 --> 00:34:04.410 If you're willing to come, I want you to come 00:34:04.410 --> 00:34:07.190 to this altar because I want us to have an opportunity 00:34:07.190 --> 00:34:11.650 to get everything right that we need to get before 00:34:11.650 --> 00:34:13.809 we go leaning on the other thing. Amen. Before 00:34:13.809 --> 00:34:16.610 we can show anybody anything, we have to have 00:34:16.610 --> 00:34:17.570 it first ourself.