Bible Text: 2 Timothy 1:5 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship

— Pastor Lou’s Notes —
Intro: We all realize that in the past 30 years, much change has happened in our culture and churches. There have been many economic changes that influence the time pressures of families. We also know that culturally, the divorce rate has increased while the marriage rate has decreased. Where you find yourself in a tradition family, (husband, wife, children), or a single parent, a godly mother or grandmother can leave a powerful legacy to children and grandchildren. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul gives us some great insights into the legacy of a grandmother and and mother.

1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is Meant to Be Passed on to the Next Generation
1. We pass on the great principles of Christianity to the next generation
1. The treasure of a praying grandmother and mother e.g. Lois and Eunice
1. Seeing authentic and sincere Christianity being lived out daily in all of life’s good times and bad times

2. We communicate with words and illustrations they understand
1. Sharing the great stories of the Bible
2. Sharing the great stories of God working in their daily lives
3. Grandmothers and mothers can leave a godly legacy through storytelling and reading the Scriptures

3. We give them the liberty and room to ask questions and start to own their faith
1. Children and adults learn by asking questions
1. Answer them honestly
2. Answer them with love
3. Give them the treasures from the Scripture to consider

2. We must live what we teach
1. Children need to see a sincere faith e.g. our walk matches our talk
1. We will not be perfect, and we need to be honest when we fall short
2. We need to be authentic with our children

3. We need to continually pray for our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren
1. If you read some biographies of Christian leaders, many have said they remember their moms, dads, grandparents reading their Bibles at home and/or praying at home.
1. For many, this left a lasting impression on them because they saw first hand the importance of a living relationship with God in the lives of their moms/parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

2. Never give up praying for our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
3. Don’t let discouragement stop you!

Closing: I believe our most precious resource is our children. I also believe the most precious legacy parents could leave their children is the principles of the Christian faith and the experiences of then seeing parents living life by faith in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Would it not be wonderful to see our children choose a living dynamic life with Christ over the lies of empty and sometimes deadly promises of the world?