Gen Next by Preacher Bob Grove

A vivid, three-generation parable sets the stage for a sobering reading of Judges 2:6–12: faith can disappear in two generations when wealth, story, and worship subtly shift. The first generation works, remembers, and trusts; the second compounds prosperity, softens its grip on God’s mighty deeds, and largely inherits belief; the third feels entitled, forgets the story, and eventually abandons the Lord. This is the “natural order” in a fallen world—faith digresses unless God intervenes. Yet the biblical vision invites families to live by the “spiritual order,” where grace disrupts drift and the Spirit strengthens faith across generations.

Three lenses expose the drift and offer a path forward. First, wealth: the elders fought for the land and received God’s provision; their children grew it; their grandchildren presumed upon it. To counter entitlement, Christians must practice gratitude and generosity. Gratitude names God as the Giver of every good gift and trains the heart to worship rather than presume. Generosity reflects God’s character and disciples children in giving, not grasping.

Second, storyline: Israel’s elders cherished and retold God’s saving works—especially the Passover—cementing identity in redemption. Their children knew the stories but stopped telling them; their grandchildren did not know the Lord or his works. Today’s families are fluent in pop plotlines but often undernourished in testimonies where God is necessary. Scripture calls households to narrate God’s mighty acts—at the table, on the road, at bedtime, and at breakfast—and to treasure the only story that saves: the cross of Christ.

Third, faith: the first generation’s faith was forged in the wilderness; the second largely inherited belief inside a theocracy; the third did what was right in its own eyes. The remedy is intentional, first-generation experiences: plan what requires trust. Put faith-stretching obedience on the calendar—serving beyond comfort, crossing cultures, witnessing to mercy where need is real. Without faith it is impossible to please God; with faith, families encounter him and are changed.

All of this lands in sober accountability. God will ask how spouses, children, and grandchildren were shepherded toward him. The aim is not control by moralism but formation by worship: grateful hearts, generous hands, gospel-shaped stories, and calendars that make room for risk and obedience. By the Spirit’s power, families can arrive home together—faith alive, not assumed.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Without intervention, faith declines Faith tends to diminish across generations when comfort grows and spiritual memory fades. Judges 2 shows drift from devotion to abandonment within two handoffs, not because God is weak but because people stop remembering and obeying. Naming this pattern is not defeatist; it is wisdom that drives intentional practice. Grace interrupts drift when families choose worship over autopilot. [09:04]
• 2. Wealth must train worship, not entitlement Prosperity can either tutor gratitude or incubate presumption. When gifts are received without naming the Giver, hearts quietly relocate their trust. Practicing gratitude and visible generosity reorders love, placing God above comfort and training children to treasure the kingdom. Stewardship, not accumulation, becomes the family culture. [11:48]
• 3. Tell God-required stories consistently Stories where God is necessary form a people who expect his presence. Scripture commands households to rehearse his mighty acts so that identity is rooted in redemption, not in trends or fears. Testimonies of providence, rescue, waiting, and endurance work like liturgy, keeping the cross central and hope resilient. Silence is not neutral; it is formative. [27:42]
• 4. Move from inherited to forged faith Borrowed belief rarely endures; owned faith is forged through decided obedience. Plan experiences that require trust—service beyond comfort, crossing cultures, costly love—so that God is encountered, not merely discussed. Faith grows when calendars make space for risk and dependence, and Scripture becomes food for the journey, not just decor. [30:10]
• 5. Lead with accountable, intentional care Spiritual leadership is not accidental; it is answerable. One day, God will ask how families were shepherded toward him, which dignifies daily choices about prayer, story, service, and sacrifice. Aim for presence over performance, formation over control, worship over mere rule-keeping. Love plans, prays, and perseveres. [32:18]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:52] - Three-generation story
• [02:59] - How faith is lost
• [05:14] - Judges 2 background
• [07:12] - Reading Judges 2:6–12
• [09:04] - Natural drift vs spiritual order
• [10:33] - Inheritance and three generations
• [13:33] - Stories that shape us
• [16:02] - Passover remembered and forgotten
• [18:32] - Forged, inherited, abandoned faith
• [20:53] - Toward a Spirit-empowered home
• [22:22] - Gratitude and generosity practices
• [25:40] - Prioritize God-necessary stories
• [30:10] - Plan faith-stretching activities
• [31:57] - Accountable leadership and closing prayer

1. In Judges 2:7 and 2:10–12, what clear shifts do you see from one generation to the next? List what each generation did (or didn’t do) in relation to the Lord.
2. Where do you see “inheritance” and “take possession of the land” in this passage? How does that detail set the scene for what follows about devotion or drift?
3. According to verse 10, what two things did the next generation not know? What actions follow in verses 11–12 because of that lack?
4. Using only this passage, match these three lenses to phrases you see: wealth (inheritance/land), storyline (the work he had done), faith (served the Lord/did not know the Lord).

1. “Did not know the Lord” (v. 10) can mean more than lack of information. What does it suggest about relationship and loyalty? What in verses 11–12 supports your answer?
2. How can receiving an inheritance become a test of worship—moving a heart toward gratitude or toward entitlement? “The third generation seemed entitled” ([11:48]). What attitudes would steer a household one way or the other?
3. Why does forgetting “the work he had done for Israel” (v. 10) so often come before bowing to idols (v. 11)? What does that teach about the power of repeated stories and testimonies? “They knew the God stories, but they did not value them anymore” ([17:01]).
4. When a community gets to “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg 17:6), what does that reveal about borrowed faith versus owned faith? How does that connect back to Judges 2? ([20:16])

1. Train the heart toward gratitude. Name three everyday gifts you want to thank God for this week (for example, “a car that starts,” “a warm, dry house,” “money to eat out”) and when you’ll say thanks out loud at home ([23:10]).
2. Put generosity where your calendar is. Which act of visible generosity will you plan in the next 30 days—filling a shoebox, taking a gift card to a family in need, sponsoring a child, opening your home to serve? Pick one, name a date, and share the first step ([24:31]).
3. Tell God-required stories on purpose. When this week will you share one testimony of God’s help—at the table, on the road, at bedtime, or at breakfast? Name the story you’ll tell and the moment you’ll tell it (Deut 6 pattern) ([27:42]).
4. Keep the cross central. Since “only the story of the cross of Christ has the power to save,” what small shift will keep the cross front and center in your home conversations this month? Name one pop storyline you’ll dial down, and one gospel story you’ll repeat more ([17:58]).
5. Move from inherited to forged faith. Pick one faith-stretching act to put on your calendar (serving beyond comfort, crossing cultures, sharing Christ, a mercy project). What date will you do it, what risk does it involve, and how can the group pray for you? ([30:10])
6. Lead with sober care. One day, God will ask about the people entrusted to you. What is one sentence that describes the spiritual legacy you want for your spouse, children, or friends—and one step you’ll take this week toward it? ([31:57])