Granite United Church Online | Grandparents Weekend

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Age as an Asset, Not a Liability

Grandparenting seasons overflow with purpose, not expiration dates. The psalmist declares old age as a platform to proclaim God’s power to new generations. Years lived become wisdom earned, mistakes transformed into lessons, and faithfulness proven through storms. Gray hair isn’t a liability but a badge of God’s sustaining grace. Every wrinkle tells a story of His mercy. This season isn’t about slowing down but stewarding hard-won spiritual authority. [40:31]

“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” (Psalm 71:17–18, ESV)

Reflection: What specific experience of God’s faithfulness in your life could you share with a younger person this week? How might your age uniquely position you to amplify hope?

Day 2: A Steady Voice in a Shifting World

Grandparents anchor grandchildren in truth when culture drowns in noise. Like a lighthouse cutting through fog, a grandparent’s voice declares, “God’s Word is final authority” amid TikTok trends and moral confusion. This isn’t about lectures but leaning into the sacred trust of influence. When parents’ words feel like “blah blah,” grandparents speak life with the weight of decades walking with Christ. [48:49]

“I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.” (Psalm 71:7–8, ESV)

Reflection: When have you seen a grandchild respond differently to your spiritual input than to others’? What one biblical truth will you intentionally reinforce to them this month?

Day 3: Leaving More Than Possessions: Depositing Faith

Legacies aren’t inherited through wills but whispered through bedtime prayers and car ride conversations. While heirlooms gather dust, faith deposits shape eternities. The psalmist prioritized proclaiming God’s miracles over accumulating treasures. Grandparents hold power to turn ordinary moments into altars—texting prayers, asking “What’s God teaching you?,” and modeling relentless worship. [58:00]

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” (2 Timothy 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: What intentional spiritual conversation have you avoided with a grandchild? What simple step (text, letter, activity) could make faith-sharing feel natural?

Day 4: Starting Today: The Power of Now in Legacy

Regrets over yesterday’s silence dissolve in today’s resolve to speak. The psalmist didn’t wait for perfect timing but leveraged present breath to declare God’s works. A single “I’m praying for you” text or shared Bible story cracks open doors for eternity. Grandparenting with intentionality begins not with grand plans but consistent, small obediences. [01:07:02]

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14, ESV)

Reflection: What past hesitation keeps you from engaging a grandchild spiritually? What specific action will you take this week to “press on” in legacy-building?

Day 5: Echoes of Faith: When Your Voice Outlives You

A grandparent’s words echo beyond graves. Like ripples from a stone tossed in water, declarations of God’s faithfulness shape generations unborn. The psalmist’s determination to “constantly tell” ensures his voice still speaks through Scripture today. Every prayer whispered, Scripture quoted, and testimony shared becomes eternal currency in grandchildren’s lives. [54:56]

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9, ESV)

Reflection: What phrase or truth do you want your grandchildren to forever associate with your voice? How will you reinforce it in your next interaction?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 71 gives grandparents and great grandparents a big reminder: as long as they are still on this side of eternity, their God-given assignment is not finished. The psalmist does not say, “God, I’m old now, so I’m done.” The psalmist says, “Now that I am old,” let me proclaim God’s power to a new generation and tell about His mighty miracles.

Age is not a liability. Age is an asset. Grandparents carry a testimony that children and grandchildren have not lived yet: mistakes made, lessons learned, prayers answered, losses endured, victories won, and seasons where God showed up right on time. That testimony becomes a steady voice in a world where everything is loud, everything is moving, and everybody has an opinion.

Faith matters. Family matters. People matter. Most importantly, Jesus matters. God’s Word remains the final authority for faith, practice, and morality, not TikTok, social media, popular opinion, or whatever culture happens to say this week. God is immutable. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Grandchildren need somebody who can look them in the eye and say, “I love you. You are who God says you are. You can do what God says you can do. I’m praying for you.”

Grandparenting calls for more than spoiling grandkids, buying gifts, taking pictures, and making memories, though those things can be fun. Godly grandparenting makes faith deposits. A spiritual inheritance matters more than merely leaving possessions, money, pictures, or heirlooms behind. The bigger question is not what grandparents will leave for their grandchildren, but what they are leaving in them.

Intentional faith conversations may feel awkward at first, but awkward can become normal. A text asking, “What are you praying about today?” or “What can I pray for?” can become a seed that eventually bears fruit. Prayer, presence, wisdom, testimony, and example remain powerful gifts. Grandparents may not have the energy they once had, but they still have a voice.

Jesus Christ cannot become the family’s best kept secret. A relationship with Christ must come before anyone can pour godliness into another generation. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again so sinners could be forgiven, brought back into the Father’s family, and live in real relationship with Him. Yesterday cannot be rewound, but today can become a new starting place for a constant, steady, Jesus-loving voice.

Key Takeaways

1. Your assignment is not finished Grandparenting is not a season for checking out. Psalm 71 presents later years as a time to proclaim God’s power with greater clarity, not less purpose. God can use every hard-won lesson and every evidence of His faithfulness for the good of another generation. [37:29]
2. Age is an asset, not liability Age carries a testimony that cannot be learned from a screen, a trend, or a quick opinion. Grandparents have watched God answer prayer, carry them through pain, and prove faithful in seasons that once looked impossible. That kind of lived faith gives young people a reason to stand when life gets shaky. [45:07]
3. Leave faith deposits within them Possessions can be passed down, but possessions cannot carry a soul through confusion, temptation, grief, or fear. A spiritual inheritance teaches grandchildren that God is real, Jesus is Lord, prayer works, and God does not leave them when life falls apart. What is placed in a grandchild’s heart can echo into the when and then. [57:35]
4. Turn awkward faith into normal Intentional conversations do not need to be polished to be powerful. A simple text, a prayer, or a question about what a grandchild is facing can make room for faith to become part of everyday life. Consistency often opens doors that one big speech never could. [59:33]
5. Jesus cannot remain a secret Godly influence flows from a real relationship with Jesus, not from religious habit or family tradition. Christ’s death and resurrection make forgiveness and adoption into God’s family possible by faith. A family needs more than good grandparents; a family needs grandparents whose lives point clearly to Jesus.

## [63:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:54] - Gratefulness Cannot Be Silent
[32:14] - Celebrating Grandparents Weekend
[36:14] - Grandparenting With Intentionality
[37:29] - Your Assignment Is Not Finished
[38:49] - Psalm 71 and a New Generation
[41:20] - The Testimony of God’s Faithfulness
[44:00] - What Really Matters in Life
[45:24] - A Steady Voice for Grandchildren
[47:32] - God’s Word Is Final Authority
[50:21] - Pray Over the Next Generation
[53:38] - Jesus Will Not Be a Secret
[57:35] - Leaving a Spiritual Inheritance
[59:33] - Turning Awkward Into Normal
[61:17] - A Relationship With Jesus
[67:02] - Starting Today for the Family

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 71:18 — “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” [39:28]

Psalm 71:17 — “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.” [52:01]

John 1:12 — “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” [01:03:06]

Observation questions

In Psalm 71:17–18, what has God done for the psalmist from youth through old age, and what does the psalmist still want to do?
What kinds of life experiences can become a testimony of God’s faithfulness for children and grandchildren? [41:20]
What messages do grandchildren need to hear from a steady, godly voice in a world full of changing opinions? [49:21]
What specific “faith deposits” are described as more important than simply leaving money, possessions, or heirlooms? [57:35]

Interpretation questions

Psalm 71 does not treat old age as a time to be finished, but as a time to proclaim God’s power. Why might lived experience make an older believer’s testimony especially meaningful to a younger generation? [45:26]
What is the difference between being a good grandparent and being a godly grandparent? How does that difference shape what a grandchild receives over time? [53:38]
Why is consistency important when talking about faith with children, grandchildren, or other younger people? Why might a simple, repeated question about prayer open a door over time? [59:33]
John 1:12 says that becoming a child of God comes through receiving and believing in Jesus. Why must a person have a real relationship with Christ before that person can faithfully point the next generation to Him? [01:03:26]

Application questions

Who is one younger person in your life—child, grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor, student, or friend—who needs a steady voice right now? What is one encouraging, God-centered sentence they may need to hear from you? [48:49]
Think about a season when God carried you through pain, loss, a hard decision, or an answered prayer. How could you share that story in a simple way that points to God’s faithfulness rather than drawing attention to yourself? [45:26]
What are you presently leaving in the people closest to you? Would they say they are receiving faith, prayer, truth, encouragement, and an example of following Jesus? [58:25]
Is there an awkward faith conversation you have avoided with a family member? What would it look like to take one small step this week, such as sending a text that says, “What can I pray for you about?” [01:00:42]
In what ways have social media, culture, or popular opinion become louder than God’s Word in your home or daily life? What practical habit could help you treat Scripture as the final authority for faith, practice, and morality? [48:16]
If you are carrying regret over missed opportunities or past inconsistency, what would it mean to believe that yesterday does not have to keep you from starting today? What phone call, invitation, prayer, or conversation could be a new beginning? [01:07:10]
Do you personally know Jesus Christ, or do you mainly know facts and traditions about Him? How does receiving Christ by faith change a person’s identity and ability to influence others? [01:03:58]

Sermon Clips

69s

#LeaveFaithNotThings

“we do more than just. Listen, I just wanna say this. Let's do more than just leave stuff to our children and our grandchildren. Let's do more than leave things for them. Although my grandkids are like, yeah, but you still can leave things to us. Right? Amen? Like money. Listen. How about how about we be intentional with leaving something in them? These faith deposits. Of course, can leave our grandchildren money. Possessions. I got a couple things from my granddad. They're cool. Some stuff from my dad. It's yeah. Whatever. Pictures, possessions, heirlooms, and it's great. But I wanna leave something in my grandchildren that matters in the when and then. I wanna leave them some faith deposits that does help them in the here and now. I wanna show them that hope has a name and again his name is? Jesus. So the bigger question isn't what can we leave them. The bigger question is what are we leaving inside of them? What are we investing in them?”

40s

#StillHavePurpose

“I want you to see this. It's kind of the big idea today, and it's this. Because as grandparents, we're still here, so your God given assignment isn't finished. There's still work to be done. If you're with me, give me a spiritual amen. Amen. In other words, there's still stuff there's still something God wants to do not only in you grandma, grandpa, but through you. I mean, we're still on this side of eternity. So your assignment given to you by God continues.”

42s

#KnowHimPersonally

“Jesus didn't die so we could be religious. Go through this checklist of denominations. He died so that we could be in a relationship, and the overflow of that relationship could impact generations. So I ask you today, do you know him? Now listen to what I didn't ask. I didn't ask you if you knew or know about him. I'm asking you, do you know him? Do you have peace in your heart that there has been a time in your life when you asked Jesus Christ to be your savior?”

50s

#StartTheFaithConversation

“We can't rewind the tape. We can't go backwards. We can only go forward. What you can do this week, you can start that conversation this week. You can make that phone call. You can send that text. You can invite your grandchildren to sit with you in church. We can fight for our families. Amen? Not with our families. We can pray with them. We can send them prayers. You could tell them your faith story. You could tell them what Jesus has done in your life because your assignment is not finished. You're still here. So you and I have more work to do for the glory of God. Amen?”

42s

#TeachBibleAsAuthority

“I say we leave our grandchildren knowing that faith, you know, a faith that says that God is real, Jesus is Lord, the Bible is, somebody say, Bible is? Bible is. Teach them the final authority for faith, practice, and morality. have to use that now. That prayer works, that God will not leave them nor forsake them, and that when life gets hard, grandson, granddaughter, we don't run from God, we run to God.”

35s

#FaithfulInThisSeason

“We may not have the energy we once had. We may not be able to do everything we used to do. And I want you to hear this. That's okay. That's okay. God doesn't need you to be who you used to be. He needs you to be who he wants you to be in this season. And I need you to lean in and listen. I need you to hear this. The Lord wants you to be faithful to him and for him in the season of grandparenting that we're in right now.”

34s

#StartTodayNotYesterday

“I'm gonna close this service out a little bit different. I'm gonna pray over the grandparents, but let me just say this just before I pray. Maybe you're sitting here and you're thinking, pastor, I haven't been in that constant steady voice that I should've been. It's okay. There are no perfect grandparents. Amen? No perfect no perfect parents, grandparenting. It doesn't matter about yesterday. What matters is today. And I wanna encourage you with this. Don't let yesterday keep you from starting today.”

31s

#ShareGodsFaithfulness

“Somebody say amen. Amen. You said, what do I have to give? Grandparents, listen. We have a testimony of God's faithfulness. We've seen what our kids haven't seen, and we've been where our kids haven't been. We've seen what our grandparent our grandkids haven't seen, and we've been where our grandkids haven't been. We have a testimony to share. Our grandchildren need to hear and know that God has been and continues to be faithful. Amen? That's gonna be challenged.”

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