Latest / Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive / September 8, 2020 | Expresso - Stacy Waldy

Transcript

September 8, 2020 | Expresso - Stacy Waldy · Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive

0:00
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just gonna clarify that this is not about disciplining your children.
0:05
SPEAKER_00: It's about discipling your children.
0:07
SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to get that clear.
0:10
SPEAKER_00: Sorry, sorry, it's not disciplining.
0:12
SPEAKER_00: And then secondly, I was just letting everyone know that I am I'm gonna talk a touch a little bit about discipling your grandchildren.
0:19
SPEAKER_00: I am not a grandma.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: My oldest is 20 years old, and and I've heard that being a grandparent is great.
0:25
SPEAKER_00: Looking forward to it one day.
0:27
SPEAKER_00: Just wanted to get through school, meet the right guy, and then um then sure, I'll be a grandma.
0:33
SPEAKER_00: So I'm not ready for that.
0:35
SPEAKER_00: Um so and really I want to start by saying um when I was asked to speak on discipleship, I had to question it at first because I don't feel like I have a title.
0:49
SPEAKER_00: I don't feel like I've earned anything of, hey, I'm I'm a disciple, you know what I mean?
0:55
SPEAKER_00: And um also, you know, I look at our family, we're we're a normal family.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: We have issues, we have things that we are working on.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: I'll share with you even today, things that we had to intentionally work on.
1:08
SPEAKER_00: We're constantly working on things.
1:10
SPEAKER_00: So I share that with you, knowing I'm right here in the trenches with you guys.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: I did agree to do this because, yes, I do feel like my husband and I always have tried to be very intentional about raising our kids and raising them, talking about God and bringing them up with biblical truths.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: But I I wouldn't say that I can think of a lot of other families that I look at and that we look at, and I just think, wow, they're doing an amazing job.
1:39
SPEAKER_00: And so that's where I'm at.
1:41
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to speak on this because it's it's encouraging to me.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: Um I want to I want to gain some fresh ideas myself and I want to learn myself, which leads me right into what is discipleship.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Um and ironically, um, discipleship comes from the word the sheepuluse in Latin, which means student.
2:00
SPEAKER_00: And really, for us to be a good disciple, we first have to be a good student, don't we?
2:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, think about your best teachers.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: The best teachers you all have always had, um they they're constantly learning.
2:15
SPEAKER_00: They make learning fun, they're learning right along with you.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: And so, in order to be a good disciple, you we have to be good students of our teacher, right?
2:26
SPEAKER_00: And so I'm gonna talk about that first, actually.
2:28
SPEAKER_00: Um that um so there's this relationship going on with discipleship that involves a student and a teacher, where we are either the student being taught by someone or we have a student that we are teaching.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: And um, so I'm gonna start with us being a student.
2:47
SPEAKER_00: Um with intentionality and within the context of our church, it means taking that student-teacher relationship very seriously in all we do at all times.
2:59
SPEAKER_00: 24-7.
3:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, Bible Connections defines it as to actively follow Christ, to passionately pursue the Lord's will in all we do.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: So I want to let you know there's a difference between being a believer and a follower.
3:21
SPEAKER_00: Did you see my hands?
3:23
SPEAKER_00: A believer and a follower.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: When we are a follower of Christ, we should be someplace different today than we were even last year.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: We should be at a different spot.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: We should be growing in our knowledge of Christ, of biblical things, of producing fruit, and I'll talk about that a little bit too.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: We need to be growing, right?
3:48
SPEAKER_00: So that we are that disciple that those who are watching us need us to be.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: We're constantly growing.
3:56
SPEAKER_00: Um so we want to become a Christ follower, actively moving.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: So, in order to be a good student, we have to ask ourselves some questions.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: We have to evaluate ourselves first.
4:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, and we have to ask ourselves those things.
4:12
SPEAKER_00: What do I need to work on?
4:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, whoa, those streets.
4:16
SPEAKER_00: What do what does God want me to work on?
4:18
SPEAKER_00: What are my weaknesses?
4:20
SPEAKER_00: That'll tell you what you need to work on, right?
4:22
SPEAKER_00: That that tells me what I need to work on today.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: What are my weaknesses?
4:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, in the Psalms, David says, Search me and know me.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: You know, let me know what things I need to work on, Lord, and just pray about those things.
4:35
SPEAKER_00: And that's a start.
4:36
SPEAKER_00: That's where I need to start.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and that self-reflection of ourselves.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: Do I know him more today than I did last year?
4:46
SPEAKER_00: Am I more like him today than I was whenever?
4:50
SPEAKER_00: You know, I talked about our weaknesses.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: God, show me where I need to grow.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: Me, search me and know my heart.
4:57
SPEAKER_00: Um, this is gonna look really different for each of us.
5:00
SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's where we need to formulate our own plan.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: I was thinking about in schools, they have that.
5:06
SPEAKER_00: I'm not a teacher.
5:07
SPEAKER_00: Do we have any teachers?
5:08
SPEAKER_00: That individualized learning plan, is that what it's called?
5:12
SPEAKER_00: Your ILP, you know?
5:14
SPEAKER_00: IPL, thank you.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: What is it called?
5:16
unknown: I L P.
5:17
unknown: IPP.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: Well, I got the answer, didn't I?
5:22
SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, form one of those.
5:24
SPEAKER_00: We each have our own individualized learning plan.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: I don't know where you need to grow.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: It's going to look very different than me, right?
5:34
SPEAKER_00: It's it's very individualized.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: I don't know where you need to grow, but challenge yourself to be a little bit further than you were before.
5:43
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's in your Bible reading.
5:46
SPEAKER_00: I'll just give you an example.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: I've grown up a Christian all my life.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I've read excerpts of the Bible.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I've done Bible studies.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: I have never read from Genesis to Revelation.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: I'm on that.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: I started it.
5:58
SPEAKER_00: I I'm challenging myself.
6:00
SPEAKER_00: Always challenge yourself to do something different.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: Maybe, maybe you've read, but you haven't actually studied.
6:07
SPEAKER_00: You know, um, and it's available.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: And then one thing I want to say is group study is great.
6:14
SPEAKER_00: And maybe that's something that that next step you need to take is group study where you're conversing, you're talking about your faith with other women, you're being prayed for, you're hearing.
6:23
SPEAKER_00: Maybe, you know, you can get a lot done with a one-on-one mentor.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: And there are times that I just need to sit at his feet, and I can't tell you how much I grow when I do that.
6:36
SPEAKER_00: He knows what I need to work on, and I know what I need to work on, not anybody else.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: And maybe the Bible studies that are offered isn't something I particularly need to work on.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: And you know what?
6:46
SPEAKER_00: The thing that I found, just to make it real, um, is the concordance in the Bible.
6:51
SPEAKER_00: It's not tricky and hard.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe I just need to look up obedience.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: And I just, I just take one verse a day.
6:59
SPEAKER_00: And I just sit down with the Bible and I have a journal, and I just look up that scripture and I pray about it.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: God, what are you revealing to me?
7:05
SPEAKER_00: What are you showing me?
7:07
SPEAKER_00: And I just I grow so much.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: Again, I think the what do you call it, like the corporate, corporal uh type of group settings.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: There's a time and a place for that, but there's a time just sitting at the mentor's feet, my teacher, and and just growing.
7:21
SPEAKER_00: And and my journal, that's my treasure.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
7:24
SPEAKER_00: That's notes between him and me.
7:27
SPEAKER_00: And that I just write down.
7:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, anyways, that's that's something that just means a lot to me.
7:33
SPEAKER_00: Um, and just pray about it.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: He will he will teach you.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: Um, maybe it's, you know, this is a hard one, I'll just admit.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: Used to memorize scriptures when I was young.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe it's now you need to just memorize.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: Don't make it too hard.
7:45
SPEAKER_00: Make it easy, you know.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: Um it's it's hard sometimes to know where to start, but maybe you'll hear something in Pastor Jim's sermon.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: You know, I want to memorize that one.
7:54
SPEAKER_00: And you're gonna challenge yourself to do that.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe, I mean, there's people that memorize whole book, you know, books of the Bible or a paragraph or whatever.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: Just take it to that next level, that next step.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: Um, so we need to work on ourselves.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, I've given you a few things to do there.
8:11
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's not maybe it's our prayer life we need to work on.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe we pray at meals in the morning and at night.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: Maybe we just really need to spend some time just really praying longer, praying about certain things in life.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: Um, and maybe it's your prayer life.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's an area of obedience, and that's always a hard one, isn't it?
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Where does God, where do I need to be more obedient to him?
8:35
SPEAKER_00: And that's part of discipleship and growing in him.
8:39
SPEAKER_00: And only, again, only each of us knows what area that is.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: You know, is there an addiction?
8:44
SPEAKER_00: Is it my finances?
8:45
SPEAKER_00: Is it my relationships?
8:47
SPEAKER_00: Um, is it how I'm treating a certain person or my spouse or whatever?
8:52
SPEAKER_00: Where does God want me to be obedient?
8:54
SPEAKER_00: Make a growth plan.
8:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if a word pops up to you, you pray about it, God will show you.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: And then again, search the scriptures.
9:01
SPEAKER_00: You know, what do what do I need to work on there?
9:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't have to be perfect.
9:07
SPEAKER_00: I um that's another thing.
9:09
SPEAKER_00: That's a misnomer to be a good disciple.
9:12
SPEAKER_00: It's just people watching me grow.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that inspiring when you see somebody just growing and and learning and excited about it?
9:21
SPEAKER_00: And and then here's another one I'll tell you that you can do.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: I always like this one: the fruits of the spirit.
9:26
SPEAKER_00: Where are you?
9:27
SPEAKER_00: And just kind of go through them.
9:29
SPEAKER_00: How love?
9:31
SPEAKER_00: How am I doing there?
9:32
SPEAKER_00: Joy?
9:33
SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's one I need to work on.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: Because as we grow and the spirit is in us and we're growing in our relationship with God, we're bearing that fruit, meaning we're displaying more love.
9:43
SPEAKER_00: And maybe and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.
9:52
SPEAKER_00: Does one of those stand out to you that you're you're not bearing very much fruit, meaning people don't see it being displayed in you?
9:59
SPEAKER_00: Then pick that one and do a word study in the Bible.
10:02
SPEAKER_00: That's a great thing to do.
10:03
SPEAKER_00: You know, just look up all the void verses on joy and what would God teach you there.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, just Connie, you're gonna give me a, I'll watch my time, sorry.
10:12
SPEAKER_00: Um, I'll move on.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: We will live a lifetime and still never achieve, right, where we need to be.
10:23
SPEAKER_00: So let's get going now, right?
10:26
SPEAKER_00: Let's make a plan.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: As soon as you leave here, my challenge to you: the best thing you can do is to just leave here and say, I'm gonna form a plan.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: What is it I need to work on so I'm a better student?
10:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh ready to be a disciple to disciple others.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
10:42
SPEAKER_00: So now how do we intentionally disciple those around us?
10:45
SPEAKER_00: Um, I could I could go on, and so many different things to talk about, so I'll leave it to our kids and and grandkids.
10:53
SPEAKER_00: Um wow, as soon as you have children, you haven't you have an instant student right in front of you.
10:59
SPEAKER_00: We're always teaching them, aren't we?
11:00
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we're teaching them how to how to have manners at the table, how to how to tie their shoe.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: We should also, and and so many of you are, then incorporating then how to how to love God, how to how to grow in their relationship with God at a very young age.
11:19
SPEAKER_00: And again, I know that so many of you are doing that, and I hope that maybe I can give you a few ideas or this just spurs you on to do that.
11:27
SPEAKER_00: There are two ways that discipling our children and grandchildren happen, uh, that happens formally, I mean, formally is intentionally, right?
11:37
SPEAKER_00: It's usually very planned, very purposeful, very thought out beforehand, and you're gonna make it happen, and it happens.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: And I'll go over some of those.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: Informally, this is the one that gets us, okay?
11:48
SPEAKER_00: Informally, discipling is happening whether we're aware of it or not.
11:52
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
11:53
SPEAKER_00: Do you and that's the one that gets us, isn't it?
11:55
SPEAKER_00: Because they're always watching, they're always listening.
11:59
SPEAKER_00: And it even more so when they get older, I can see them watching my response to my husband.
12:05
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
12:06
SPEAKER_00: And it's like, wow, you know, that's that's a check and balance right there.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: I don't have to tell them how they need to treat their future husband.
12:14
SPEAKER_00: They're watching me.
12:15
SPEAKER_00: They're watching my face, my expression, you know, phone calls, I mean, our talk, how we talk about other people in the church, employees, they are watching.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: We're informally discipling our kids.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: Again, 24-7.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: We were on.
12:32
SPEAKER_00: And whether we want to be or not.
12:34
SPEAKER_00: Um, and so we need to be aware of that.
12:37
SPEAKER_00: And then that's that's where maybe that's an area we need to work on.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: Maybe God will bring bring something that we need to really work on because they're watching us and they're hearing us, and we need to get better in that area, so that we are informally discipling them better in that area.
12:50
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'll just kind of go through this quickly informally to give you some um ideas.
12:56
SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's the harder one.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: Um, they're gonna watch how we handle stress, you know.
13:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, they're gonna watch us, you know.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: How do we start our mornings?
13:06
SPEAKER_00: Do we, are we showing them that we're we're reading our Bible, that we pray, um, how we're handling things.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: And now with kids home more, we have an opportunity.
13:16
SPEAKER_00: They can actually see us, right?
13:18
SPEAKER_00: We don't just have to tell them, they can see us studying our Bible or or whatever.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think I okay, car talks.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: This is another like informal way.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: Um I don't have to formally go, okay, kids, you know, or okay, daughter, let's go into the living room.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: I got something to talk to you about, right?
13:38
SPEAKER_00: You know what you need to talk to about.
13:40
SPEAKER_00: Wait for that moment, okay?
13:42
SPEAKER_00: The car is the best place to have an informal uh discipleship going on.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: I don't know what it is about looking forward and not having to look at your parent.
13:51
SPEAKER_00: Um, but a lot of great conversations can happen in the car.
13:54
SPEAKER_00: Get them talking, you know, and then you know you can interject, right?
13:59
SPEAKER_00: A biblical worldview, God's worldview, what you want to say.
14:02
SPEAKER_00: Um lunch talks, I mean, good grief.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: I could go on and on.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: I know I have so much more here, but this was really good for me to learn too and be.
14:10
SPEAKER_00: Okay, formally, I'll start with.
14:12
SPEAKER_00: I don't feel like I'm trying to skip over because I'm looking at the age groups that we have.
14:16
SPEAKER_00: Okay, but grandmas, this could apply to you too.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: I hope you guys are just picture books, Bible picture books.
14:23
SPEAKER_00: I I love those.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: I still remember the pictures, you know.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: I hope you're taking time, grandparents, to sit the kids on your laps.
14:31
SPEAKER_00: Open up those Bible picture books and read through them.
14:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, what a treasure that is.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: And then parents too, um, just be reading to them.
14:41
SPEAKER_00: Find that time to intentionally make it happen.
14:43
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna look different for everybody.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: You know, maybe it's right before nap time, maybe it's before bedtime, I don't know.
14:49
SPEAKER_00: Songs.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, Di and I were talking, just those scripture memory songs.
14:54
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, find them, YouTube them, play them.
14:57
SPEAKER_00: They're memorizing God's word and they're putting it to music.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, grandparents, you can be playing this for them in the car, in the house too.
15:05
SPEAKER_00: You're coming alongside us in our parenting and helping to reinforce what maybe mom and dad are teaching in in their home.
15:13
SPEAKER_00: Um please, please join us.
15:15
SPEAKER_00: We need you.
15:16
SPEAKER_00: Um we need you to come alongside us and reinforce that.
15:20
SPEAKER_00: I grew up on veggie tails.
15:22
SPEAKER_00: You know, I don't I don't know if there's anything that's quite replaced them.
15:26
SPEAKER_00: And they're still out there, that Bible story in cartoon form, um, and loved that.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: So um so many things to talk about.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: And so I I there's not enough time for me to like give all the details, just be talking about things.
15:40
SPEAKER_00: Um I'm just gonna probably like popcorn now, that formal versus informal.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: You've got it, we've got to talk about what we're doing, and God just can't be on a Sunday, right?
15:53
SPEAKER_00: He's it's gotta be through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, all week long.
15:58
SPEAKER_00: And there's a verse in uh Deuteronomy that I that I I I love.
16:02
SPEAKER_00: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: Impress them on your children, okay?
16:12
SPEAKER_00: We have got to teach the next generation, right?
16:15
SPEAKER_00: We've got to, or we'll see what'll happen if we don't.
16:19
SPEAKER_00: You know, just like the Israelites, if we don't pass it on, we're doomed.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: Meaning, we've got to keep that generation of faith going.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, impress them on your children.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: Here we go.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, when you get up.
16:35
SPEAKER_00: Tie them as symbols on your hands, bind them on your foreheads, write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: Let it be everywhere all the time.
16:45
SPEAKER_00: Right?
16:46
SPEAKER_00: Our kids are getting saturated by the world everywhere, all the time.
16:51
SPEAKER_00: It's got to be in our speech throughout the week.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: Dinner discussions, in the car, sitting, lying.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: We've got to talk about biblical things, God's perspective, how are you growing?
17:02
SPEAKER_00: What are you dealing with?
17:03
SPEAKER_00: Can I pray for you?
17:04
SPEAKER_00: Grandparents, that's a great thing that you can do.
17:06
SPEAKER_00: Come alongside us, call the adult parent.
17:09
SPEAKER_00: Hey, you know, what things are the kids struggling with right now?
17:13
SPEAKER_00: What can I be praying for you as a parent, raising them?
17:17
SPEAKER_00: Now, now what is what are the kids struggling with?
17:19
SPEAKER_00: What can I pray for them?
17:20
SPEAKER_00: What do you see their issues that they're battling with?
17:24
SPEAKER_00: Um, that's great.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: And then also, in your grandparents, in your discussion with the kids, if if they are going to church, ask them what they're learning.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: And listen to them for a while and then interject something.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: You know, tell them what you're learning.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: Remember, you're gonna be, you're learning too.
17:41
SPEAKER_00: So tell them what you're learning.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: Share with them how you and and and grandpa, what you're doing, the Bible studies that you're in.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: We've been blessed with that, with a um a godly heritage that I'm so thankful for on both sides of the family.
17:54
SPEAKER_00: I know that not everybody has that.
17:56
SPEAKER_00: But if you're here today, you're the one God wants to use.
18:00
SPEAKER_00: You know, use your your grandchildren need you.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: Your adult children need you to come alongside them uh in a mighty way, no matter how old they are.
18:11
SPEAKER_00: Um, just talking about um things all the time.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: Formally, we used to have, you know, a night a week.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: It's always gonna look different.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: Their schedules are always changing.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: A lot of times we can do more when the I'm gonna say when we have uh darkness longer.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you know what I'm saying, after the time change, then people are inside longer.
18:30
SPEAKER_00: So it seems like if we just kind of be flexible and know that we're a little bit more consistent when um we can all get inside.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: And um we we used to do talk about Tuesdays where we'd eat a meal together and then have family discussions or a devotion or something like that.
18:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, another way that we're intentional, I'm just I'm just sharing to give you guys ideas.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: Um, when each of my kids turned 13, we did a coming of age ceremony.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: Jacob's about to do that, my baby.
18:56
SPEAKER_00: And you know, we're gonna teach him things, godly things about becoming a young man.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk about those, how to treat a young lady, how God wants you to treat a young lady for our girls.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: Uh we talk about purity and we talk about living their lives and just biblical values.
19:10
SPEAKER_00: We introduce them to mentors.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: We set them up with um for our girls, like three different ladies, um moms, that we would have them each meet with them before their birthday ceremony, um, talking to them about a certain topic that we gave them, and then they could contact them as they're growing up if they wanted to, outside of our home to mentor them.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: Um just, you know, ideas, things that you can do.
19:34
SPEAKER_00: If you if someone isn't coming to mind for you to mentor, um, like you're like, well, I don't have grandchildren.
19:41
SPEAKER_00: Call the church.
19:43
SPEAKER_00: We need you in our children's ministry.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: There's lots of kids that could use a godly grandparent figure in their life.
19:49
SPEAKER_00: And I've seen some of you guys helping with a wana, you know?
19:54
SPEAKER_00: What how great for these little kids to have like that second or third generation helping with Sunday school or some of the ministries.
20:03
SPEAKER_00: And again, we need you.
20:04
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for doing that.
20:05
SPEAKER_00: Another thing I've seen happening in this church is um a grandparent calling a grandchild, and then they go do a service project, a church service project.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: That is so neat to see.
20:17
SPEAKER_00: That's just reinforcing what their parents are teaching.
20:20
SPEAKER_00: So keep that up.
20:22
SPEAKER_00: Um I think I'm running on time uh on time, so I'm gonna see what I'm gonna skip to.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: Um the main thing is just consistency.
20:34
SPEAKER_00: Um, I I did ask a couple other families because I know we don't have all the answers.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: Like I said, we're still trying to implement and still being at um we don't want to give up.
20:43
SPEAKER_00: I've got two at home, two graduated.
20:45
SPEAKER_00: I want to pour into the two that are there, probably more so now, because I know how short the time is.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: Um so consistency.
20:53
SPEAKER_00: Um, just keep it up, persist.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: Another thing I want to share that one of the families shared with me is make Sunday a priority, make church a priority.
21:03
SPEAKER_00: That's so hard right now, isn't it?
21:06
SPEAKER_00: Um, sports really doesn't know a special day, there's no day out.
21:11
SPEAKER_00: And I've seen some of you parents really trying.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: I'll see kids come up to our Sunday school class that Chris and I was were teaching.
21:17
SPEAKER_00: They'd be in their soccer uniform because they're gonna go to church and then they're going to their soccer game.
21:21
SPEAKER_00: Good for you, parents.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
21:23
SPEAKER_00: And maybe you have to get up earlier and go to the earlier service.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna get resistance, don't you?
21:27
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
21:28
SPEAKER_00: The kids go, Oh, are you kidding?
21:30
SPEAKER_00: You know, yeah.
21:31
SPEAKER_00: No, I mean, no, I mean, no, no, we're not kidding.
21:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're gonna make church a priority.
21:36
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna get up early, we're gonna go to the early service.
21:39
SPEAKER_00: And one thing that we started doing at times, um, maybe there's a church that offers a Saturday evening service.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, here's another thing you can think about.
21:48
SPEAKER_00: There were times when we had like uh a fair going on at the Expo Center and we were involved in that.
21:55
SPEAKER_00: We had church on the bleachers, and anybody could come who would want to come, and we'd actually even have music and do a short devotion.
22:03
SPEAKER_00: You can lead it.
22:04
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
22:05
SPEAKER_00: Letting your kids know that this is Sunday and we're making this a priority.
22:10
SPEAKER_00: Um and that was just advice uh given to from another, and that we had actually instituted, you know, ourselves.
22:17
SPEAKER_00: So don't grow weary in doing good.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: The last thing that I will end with is um remember this too.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: Um we can only control what we do, right?
22:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm responsible before God for uh what I do, what I teach my kids, right?
22:38
SPEAKER_00: There's free will.
22:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying that that there's this a perfect formula.
22:42
SPEAKER_00: You do this and your kids are gonna turn out great, and they're gonna go into ministry, or they're gonna marry a pastor, right?
22:49
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's no, you just keep at it.
22:52
SPEAKER_00: You keep doing it, you keep persevering.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Um you just keep discipling them, you keep praying for them, because God's word is living and active, and it's sharper than a double-edged sword, and it pierces both bone and marrow.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: I know that, and I'm gonna get that word in there.
23:15
SPEAKER_00: And whether I have a child or not, and maybe I have a child who's struggling, right?
23:20
SPEAKER_00: Struggling with some issues, and I know they're struggling, but that word is in their heart.
23:25
SPEAKER_00: That word is planted, right?
23:27
SPEAKER_00: And God's word does not come back void.
23:29
SPEAKER_00: And I know that they come, they will come back to that, right?
23:33
SPEAKER_00: Or I know that that child will turn to me for answers, even though I may not always see that child making the right decisions, and that's hard.
23:44
SPEAKER_00: That that's the hard part.
23:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean, but I can't take their test, right?
23:50
SPEAKER_00: You know that like when your kids bring home their homework, they gotta do it.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm there to help you, right?
23:56
SPEAKER_00: And I and I mean I'm here to give you some answers, I'm here to lead you in the right direction, but this test is yours, and and I can't take it for you.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes, you know what, they might flunk.
24:06
SPEAKER_00: And that's hard to watch.
24:08
SPEAKER_00: But be there for them, love on them, be praying for them, and continu show them grace and mercy and guide them right back in the in the in the right in the right path, right?
24:17
SPEAKER_00: Don't give up on them.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, uh so much more.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: I know this was a blessing to me, um, and I hope it was a blessing to you.