Commitment and Community: Nurturing Faith Across Generations

Devotional

Day 1: Commitment as a Daily Choice

Every day, individuals are faced with choices that reflect their commitment to God. Like Joshua, who declared, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," believers are encouraged to make a conscious decision to serve God daily. This commitment is not a one-time declaration but a continuous journey of aligning one's actions with God's will. Proverbs 3 emphasizes the importance of love and faithfulness, guiding believers to trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding. By doing so, they ensure that their paths are directed by God, leading to a life that honors Him. [51:12]

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you need to make a conscious choice to serve God today? How can you let love and faithfulness guide your actions in this area?

Day 2: The Power of Mentorship

The story of William Wilberforce and John Newton illustrates the transformative power of mentorship. Wilberforce's life was profoundly impacted by Newton, who rekindled his faith and inspired him to become a leading voice against the slave trade in Britain. This narrative highlights the importance of investing in others, helping them find purpose and courage to pursue a righteous life. Mentorship is not just about guidance but about empowering others to make a significant impact in the world for God's kingdom. By nurturing relationships and offering support, mentors can help individuals discover their God-given potential and live out their faith boldly. [53:18]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can mentor or encourage in their faith journey? What steps can you take this week to invest in their growth and development?

Day 3: Addressing the Crisis of Faith

Young adults today face a crisis of faith, often feeling disconnected from the church. This disconnection is reflected in declining church attendance and a sense of being undervalued. The story of Thomas, one of Jesus' apostles, serves as a reminder of the importance of community and support in overcoming doubts. Thomas experienced a crisis of faith but was brought back through his relationships with fellow believers. Creating environments where young adults feel seen, heard, and valued is crucial for the church's future. Their presence and gifts are vital, and the church must actively engage with them to address this crisis. [56:39]

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: How can you contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for young adults in your church community? What specific actions can you take to ensure they feel valued and included?

Day 4: The Role of Relationships in Faith

Thomas's return to faith was facilitated by his relationships with fellow believers, highlighting the importance of community in one's faith journey. Doubts and crises of faith are natural, but they can be overcome through the support and encouragement of others. The church is called to be a community where individuals can share their struggles and find strength in their relationships with one another. By fostering genuine connections and offering support, believers can help each other navigate their faith journeys and grow stronger in their relationship with God. [59:03]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your faith community who may be struggling with doubts or challenges. How can you reach out to them this week to offer support and encouragement?

Day 5: Seeing Potential in Others

The relationship between the Apostle Paul and Timothy exemplifies the importance of seeing potential in others. Paul recognized Timothy's gifts and invested in his development, despite societal labels. This mentorship led Timothy to become a significant figure in the early church. Today's church is called to follow this model, looking beyond societal labels and nurturing the gifts of young people. By investing in their lives and encouraging their growth, the church can help them take Jesus seriously and become leaders in the faith community. [01:08:50]

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: Who is a young person in your life that you see potential in? How can you encourage and support them in developing their gifts and pursuing their faith journey?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the importance of commitment and the role of relationships in nurturing faith, particularly among young adults. We began by encouraging families to come together and make a collective commitment to God, drawing inspiration from Joshua's declaration, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." This moment was a symbolic altar, a reminder of our daily choices to follow God and the significance of love and faithfulness as outlined in Proverbs 3.

We explored the story of William Wilberforce, whose life was transformed by the mentorship of John Newton. This relationship not only rekindled Wilberforce's faith but also propelled him to become a leading voice against the slave trade in Britain. This narrative underscores the power of intergenerational relationships and the impact they can have on one's faith journey.

The sermon also addressed the current crisis of faith among young adults, highlighting the alarming statistics of their declining church attendance. We reflected on the story of Thomas, one of Jesus' apostles, who experienced a crisis of faith but was brought back through his relationships with fellow believers. This illustrates the importance of community and support in overcoming doubts and strengthening faith.

We were reminded of the role of older generations in mentoring and encouraging young adults, as exemplified by the Apostle Paul and Timothy. Paul saw potential in Timothy, despite societal labels, and invested in him, leading Timothy to become a significant figure in the early church. This relationship model is crucial for today's church, emphasizing the need to see and nurture the gifts in young people.

Finally, we were challenged to take our commitment to Jesus seriously, to pursue relationships that reflect God's love, and to create a community where all generations are valued and engaged. This is not about programs or superficial changes but about genuine relationships and a shared pursuit of Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Commitment as a Daily Choice: Every day presents opportunities to choose whom we will serve. Like Joshua, we must declare our commitment to God and let love and faithfulness guide our actions, ensuring that our paths align with His will. [51:12]
2. The Power of Mentorship: The story of William Wilberforce and John Newton illustrates how mentorship can transform lives. By investing in others, we can help them find purpose and courage to pursue a righteous life, impacting the world for God's kingdom. [53:18]
3. Addressing the Crisis of Faith: Young adults face a crisis of faith, often feeling disconnected from the church. We must create environments where they feel seen, heard, and valued, recognizing that their presence and gifts are vital to the church's future. [56:39]
4. The Role of Relationships in Faith: Thomas's return to faith was facilitated by his relationships with fellow believers. This highlights the importance of community and support in overcoming doubts and strengthening one's faith journey. [59:03]
5. Seeing Potential in Others: Like Paul with Timothy, we must look beyond societal labels and see the potential in young people. By investing in their lives and encouraging their gifts, we can help them take Jesus seriously and become leaders in the faith community. [01:08:50]
** [68:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Family Commitment Moment
[01:30] - Joshua's Declaration
[02:45] - Proverbs 3 Reflection
[04:00] - Blessing and Prayer
[05:30] - Introduction to REACH Conference
[06:45] - William Wilberforce's Story
[08:30] - The Role of Mentorship
[10:00] - Crisis of Faith in Young Adults
[11:30] - Thomas's Faith Journey
[13:00] - Importance of Community
[14:30] - Paul's Mentorship of Timothy
[16:00] - Encouragement for Young Adults
[17:30] - Call to Action for the Church
[18:36] - Closing Prayer and Song

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What was the significance of Joshua's declaration for his household, and how does it relate to the concept of daily commitment? [49:33]
How did the relationship between William Wilberforce and John Newton illustrate the power of mentorship? [53:18]
What crisis of faith did Thomas experience, and how was it resolved through his relationships with fellow believers? [59:03]
How did Paul’s mentorship impact Timothy’s role in the early church, despite societal labels? [01:08:50]

Interpretation Questions

How does the story of Joshua's commitment challenge individuals to make daily choices in their faith journey? [49:33]
In what ways can mentorship transform a person's life and faith, as seen in the relationship between Wilberforce and Newton? [53:18]
What role does community play in overcoming a crisis of faith, as demonstrated by Thomas's experience? [59:03]
How can the church today emulate Paul's approach to seeing and nurturing potential in young people? [01:08:50]

Application Questions

Reflect on your daily choices. How can you ensure that your actions align with your commitment to serve the Lord, like Joshua? [49:33]
Identify someone in your life who could benefit from mentorship. What steps can you take to invest in their faith journey? [53:18]
Have you ever experienced a crisis of faith? How did your community or relationships help you through it, and how can you support others in similar situations? [59:03]
Think of a young person in your church or community. How can you encourage and affirm their gifts, as Paul did with Timothy? [01:08:50]
What specific actions can you take to create an environment where young adults feel seen, heard, and valued in your church? [56:39]
How can you foster genuine relationships across generations in your church community, moving beyond programs to meaningful connections? [01:11:09]
Consider the potential impact of your commitment to Jesus on those around you. How can you model a life that inspires others to take their faith seriously? [01:15:32]

Sermon Clips

You know this is one of those moments that I think that I hope will live with you every person has a moment in their life when they have to commit and choose who they're going to be and what they are going to do we all choose every single day with little bitty choices about what we're going to follow who we're going to follow what kind of decisions were going to make so today let this serve as our little stone altar to God to say this was the day we committed to follow so there was a moment way back whenever Joshua stood in front of his people and it was his farewell sermon and he wanted to tell them I don't know what you're going to do but he says as for me in my house we are going to serve the Lord and so I let this be a mutual commitment to God and to one another and to your family that this is the day we choose to commit our life in our year to God [00:40:52] (62 seconds)

And he was struggling to maintain his faith. And at some point, a few older people started to make their way into his life to help him understand the importance of his faith. Now, I can't remember when it was exactly. And he may not have been able to expressly say this. But at some point, he met a man named John. Now, John was a 60 -something who had befriended this 20 -something man. And he began to spend time with him. And although he was much older, he was encouraging him. Because he saw that there was some gifts in this young man, William. And I don't know if William saw that for himself. [00:53:06] (40 seconds)

And instead of leaving his church or leaving his faith, he embraced them both. And he found new purpose. And he actually started to want to pursue a righteous life. So in the next few years of William's life, he developed this courage. Because of the things that he had seen and the relationships that he started to have, this resolve to help others, specifically those people who didn't really have a voice. You know, he wanted to no longer be a spectator in his faith. See, at that time, slavery was still an issue. And so he decided, and he felt called, that God was leading him to speak up for the slave. For those people who had no voice. [00:54:00] (48 seconds)

I mean, there is a crisis of faith happening all around us, and we cannot simply tell our young people to get over it. Or let me tell you what I had to deal with when I was young. We can't do that anymore. I mean, remember when you were young, how did you respond to those statements? This is real. And it's happening all across our country. And I'm sure many of you who are older know exactly what I'm talking about. I know you probably had a moment in your life when you had a crisis of faith too. [00:58:11] (30 seconds)

Even Thomas, one of the apostles. Now, you need to remember, all of the apostles, they weren't these old wise sages. A lot of them were probably teenagers. Some of them may have even been in their early teens, late teens. Some of them, Peter's probably the oldest. These were young adults here. And Thomas, did you know that after the resurrection, Thomas, he scattered. He wasn't even around the apostles for a whole week after Jesus died. Resurrected. He wasn't even around. He had left. [00:59:15] (33 seconds)

That's why I call him Doubting Thomas. I mean, that's not technically in the Bible. He's Doubting Thomas. But we know that I believe he came back because of the relationships he had with his group. They were probably telling him, Jesus is alive. And he's like, I'm coming back. I'm going to tell you, no he's not. Y 'all are crazy. Whatever. But he loved these guys, and he's coming back to them. And this is what I need us to remember, is that relationship brought Thomas back to this group. [01:00:45] (28 seconds)

And all the while, Shelly's father, who's an elder for 30 years, right? Cliff. He's a constant, stable presence. Always up for a conversation. Always curious. Never judgmental. He would always encourage me whenever things got difficult. You know what he told me? He says, Scott, just show up. Just show up and keep going, right? Your presence matters. That's what he did. He showed up, and he told me that so much. You know what? I started to believe him. [01:03:20] (33 seconds)

And then I want to ask our people in this room, when's the last time you saw a young adult, whether it's here or in your daily life, and told them how valuable they are? How many young people have ever heard us tell them, we cannot do this without you? Do you realize how important it is just to show up in the life of a young adult? To be curious, not judgmental. The importance of validating gifts and seeing them and recognizing their presence. [01:04:56] (39 seconds)

Now we know about Timothy because of Paul. Paul took Jesus seriously. And because of this, Timothy took Jesus seriously. And I wonder if young adults in our culture today would take Jesus more seriously if church members took him more seriously. Shelly and I were both challenged to pursue Jesus with our life and our gifts. And you know what? We took that challenge and ran with it. Have you taken the time to see the giftedness in our younger generation? I encourage you, take them seriously. [01:10:07] (36 seconds)

We were built for community and relationship and connection. This is what it's all about. This is what Jesus did for his followers. He saw them. He shared his life with them. It's about doing what people did for me and for Shelly. It's about validating the gifts of those people who, that's what they need. They need to know that they matter. You know, it's not just because for us it wasn't just because we were the church of tomorrow. You know what? People saw us as the church of today. [01:12:26] (27 seconds)

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