Some Things We Need to Teach Our Children

Devotional

Day 1: Stones from the Jordan’s Bed

The Israelites stood at Jordan’s flooded banks, priests’ feet sinking into river mud. Waters piled up as twelve men hauled stones from the dry riverbed. These rocks became altars of remembrance—concrete proof for children who’d ask “What do these stones mean?” Like Asaph’s dark sayings, these markers held stories only covenant people could decode. [07:42]

God designed generational faith to flow through tangible acts. The stones weren’t just history—they were invitations to retell miracles. When parents make God’s works visible, children inherit living hope rather than abstract ideas.

Your home needs Jordan stones. What brokenness has God turned into a monument of grace? What answered prayer can you physically display? Where have you seen His faithfulness carve itself into your family’s story?

“That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD.”
(Joshua 4:6-7, KJV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one specific work He’s done in your life that needs to be shared with the next generation.
Challenge: Write that testimony on paper and place it where your family eats today.

Day 2: Inscribing Praise on Small Hearts

Asaph compared parenting to chiseling stone—every word and worship moment etches truth into children. The Hebrew word “kafar” means both showing and engraving. When Israel sang hallelujahs in the great congregation, their joy became a chisel shaping children’s view of God’s worth. [13:42]

Praise isn’t a Sunday performance but a daily engraving tool. Kids absorb how you talk about God at breakfast, react to flat tires, and sing during chores. Each moment either carves “He is worthy” or leaves blank stone.

What’s your chisel made of—grumbling or gratitude? Do little eyes see you prioritize bills over blessings? When trouble comes, do they hear “God’s still good” or silence?

“My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.”
(Psalm 22:25, KJV)

Prayer: Confess one area where your actions have written confusion instead of praise on a child’s heart.
Challenge: Sing one worship song aloud with your family before bedtime tonight.

Day 3: When Hundred-Dollar Bills Return

A father gave his last $100 at camp meeting, teaching his son radical trust. Two nights later, a stranger returned the exact amount—a modern Jordan stone. Like Psalm 78’s call to declare God’s strength, this dad turned wallets into classrooms. [26:07]

Financial stress often silences testimonies. But bills become parables when we say “Watch what God will do.” Kids who see provision during lack learn God’s strength better than any sermon.

Where are you pretending self-sufficiency instead of demonstrating dependence? What current struggle could become tomorrow’s faith lesson if you involve your children?

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
(Psalm 9:10, KJV)

Prayer: Thank God for a specific time He provided unexpectedly.
Challenge: Share that story with a child today while holding a dollar bill as a visual aid.

Day 4: Monday’s Hymns

The psalmist warned against Sunday-only praise. Asaph’s congregation sang hallelujahs while washing dishes and herding sheep. Their kids saw worship as life’s rhythm, not a weekly event. [16:25]

Music molds theology. Children who hear parents sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” during storms learn that God’s character outshines circumstances. Silent homes raise practical atheists.

What soundtrack plays in your car? Do little ears hear more complaints than choruses? What if you made laundry time a praise session?

“I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”
(Psalm 104:33, KJV)

Prayer: Ask God to bring one scripture-based song to mind that addresses your current struggle.
Challenge: Play that hymn during dinner and discuss its lyrics with your family.

Day 5: The Law in Lunchboxes

God commanded fathers to bind His words “as frontlets between your eyes” (Deut 6:8). The psalmist rephrased this: make testimonies the fabric of home life. Like Timothy learning Scripture from infancy, children need Bible truth packed with their sandwiches. [43:09]

God’s Word isn’t for pews but playgrounds. A verse taped to a lunchbox, a bedtime Psalm, a Deuteronomy discussion during soccer practice—these moments build spiritual muscle memory.

When did you last open the Bible outside church? Do your kids associate Scripture with joy or duty? What one verse could you discuss today?

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.”
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7, KJV)

Prayer: Pray for courage to speak Scripture naturally during routine moments.
Challenge: Write Proverbs 3:5-6 on a napkin and put it in someone’s meal today.

Sermon Summary

We find Psalm 78 as a direct instruction about how we must raise the next generation. We begin by tuning our ears to God's law, then move to telling: the psalmist insists on passing down precious, previous, perpetual truths so the next generations will know, hope in, and obey God. We commit to showing children what praise looks like, not just talking about it. That means inscribing worship into daily life through speech, gathered worship, and music so praise becomes visible and habitual. We demonstrate God’s power by teaching both his ability to act and his past acts, giving children a robust confidence that nothing lies beyond God’s reach and that prayer and trust move mountains. We build memorials of providence by recounting answered prayer and visible provision so memories of God’s faithfulness anchor future faith. We place Scripture at the center of upbringing, making the testimony and law known so children learn to cleanse their way by God’s Word. If we will show worship, works, and words to our children, the psalm promises two outcomes: they will set their hope in God, and they will keep his commandments. That shapes a legacy that flows beyond our parenting years, because what we carve into young hearts becomes the foundation for their children. Therefore we must live deliberately, choosing daily acts that inscribe faith rather than habitually presenting a Sunday-only religion. We must model praise and trust in ordinary moments, narrate God’s interventions aloud, and daily open Scripture with our children. Doing so cultivates trust and obedience in them, and it raises a godly seed that can declare God’s works to the generation to come.

Key Takeaways

1. Teach children Godly worship patterns We must shape worship so children learn to praise in speech, gathered worship, and music, not only as a Sunday exercise but as a life language. When we vocalize gratitude in hardship and rejoice publicly, children internalize a practical theology of praise. This spiritual grammar trains them to recognize and name God’s character in everyday moments. [15:37]
2. Inscribe faith through consistent example Our actions score impressions deeper than words; consistent, visible devotion becomes an indelible inscription on a child’s heart. When home life matches public worship, children do not learn religion as performance but as trustworthy reality. We therefore choose practices that leave traces of trust rather than traces of hypocrisy. [13:42]
3. Demonstrate God's power and providence We teach both God’s ability to act and the record of his acts so hope rests on an active God, not on abstract doctrine. Sharing concrete stories of answered prayer and provision trains children to pray boldly and expect God to move. This cultivates resilience and daring faith when they face their own Jordans. [26:07]
4. Make Scripture central in upbringing We commit to daily exposure to God’s law and testimony so children learn to cleanse their way by the Word. Regular, accessible Scripture forms moral judgment, spiritual vocabulary, and the habit of turning to God first. That discipline yields children who both hope in God and keep his commandments. [41:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Choosing Psalm 78
[04:50] - Title and instructional intent
[07:02] - Tune ears to God's law
[11:18] - Precious, previous, perpetual truths
[13:42] - Inscribing faith on hearts
[15:37] - Teaching worship to children
[26:07] - Showing God's works and power
[37:32] - Building memorials of provision
[41:45] - Making Scripture central
[45:06] - Invitation and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 78:1-8 (ESV)
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Observation Questions

According to Psalm 78:4, what three things are we called to show the next generation about God?
In Joshua 4:6-7 (referenced in the sermon), what was the purpose of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River? [37:32]
Psalm 119:9 asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” What answer does the verse give? [42:45]
What two outcomes does Psalm 78:7 say result from teaching children God’s works and words?

Interpretation Questions

Why does the psalmist emphasize showing God’s praises (Psalm 78:4) rather than only telling about them? How does this connect to the idea of “inscribing” faith? [13:42]
How might building “memorials” of God’s faithfulness (like the stones in Joshua 4) help future generations trust Him during their own challenges? [39:53]
The sermon states, “Sunday morning upbringing is not the issue… It’s Monday morning disobedience.” How does this contrast with the warning in Psalm 78:8 about being a “stubborn and rebellious generation”?
Why is daily exposure to Scripture (Psalm 119:9) described as central to forming a child’s “moral judgment and spiritual vocabulary”? [41:45]

Application Questions

What is one practical way you could “show” worship (e.g., through speech, music, or gratitude) in your home this week so others see it as a daily habit, not just a Sunday activity? [15:37]
Share a specific story of God’s faithfulness in your life (answered prayer, provision, etc.). How could you intentionally retell this story to a younger person as a “memorial” of His power? [26:07]
Identify a moment this week when you felt stressed or discouraged. How could you vocalize gratitude to God in that moment, even if quietly, to model trust for those around you? [18:50]
What is one small step you could take to make Scripture more central in your family’s routine (e.g., mealtime verses, bedtime stories, or discussing a verse during car rides)? [41:45]
Think of a time your actions contradicted your faith in front of others. How can you proactively “inscribe” consistency between your public worship and private life this month? [13:42]
Who is one person in the next generation (a child, teen, or younger believer) you could intentionally invest in by sharing how God has worked in your life? What would that look like practically?

Sermon Clips

Now, if if I was to take a chisel out and score or inscribe something on this pulpit right now, you can't get that out, can you? It's embedded in this piece of wood forever now And the Psalmist uses that word to describe inscribing something or or carving something in and he makes the idea that when we do this with our kids, it leaves an indelible mark and an impact on their heart. [00:13:29] (28 seconds) #CarveFaithOnHearts

He said, if we'll do that, they'll trust god but not only that, they'll obey god. Look right here verse seven that they may set their hope in god and do what? Not forget the works of god but keep his commandments. Ain't that what we want? Kids who will trust and obey god. We sing that song, trust and obey for there's no other way. And that's what we want for our kids. We want them to trust god. We want them to obey god but how are they going to get there? Well, the Psalm has just told you three things. [00:44:15] (30 seconds) #RaiseKidsToTrustAndObey

Do your kids ever hear that come out of your mouth? Do they hear you just reminisce on how good the lord's been to you? You want to know what what will cause a child to believe that the salvation you have is real? If they see you just tore over, tore up over what god's done for you. I mean, if they see you come in church and worship, if they see you at the house and they see you with tears in your eyes worshiping because god has been so good to you. I think that looks real. [00:19:09] (24 seconds) #LetKidsSeeYourPraise

The praises of the lord and so the Psalm has says, listen, I got something precious to tell you and it didn't come from me. It came from my fathers and he says, and I want you to perpetually pass this on to the next generation and here here's a parenting mindset. When you parent your kids, do not make your decisions on the basis of what it's going to do today. You gotta look down the road at twenty years from now. How's that decision going to affect them? [00:11:21] (24 seconds) #ParentForTheLongHaul

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Some Things We Need to Teach Our Children | Psalms 78