Raising the Next Generation
Welcome
There is a pattern in Scripture, and in history.
The first generation encounters God. The second generation enjoys the blessing. The third generation forgets the cost.
Judges 2 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who neither knew the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.”
They didn’t reject God in rebellion. They simply didn’t know Him. No one had impressed the story upon them deeply enough to carry it forward.
That’s how revival dies.
But it also shows us how revival spreads.
When Israel drifted toward idolatry, God raised up prophets like Jeremiah and Zephaniah — faithful voices in a dark time. Their preaching didn’t immediately turn the nation. But while they were faithful, a young boy named Josiah was listening. Years later, Josiah would lead one of the greatest reforms in Israel’s history. The revival that seemed impossible began in the heart of a child formed by faithful adults.
History echoes that pattern.
Harriet Beecher Stowe didn’t wake up one day and decide to reshape the conscience of a nation. She grew up in a home saturated in Scripture. Her father preached from the Word. Sunday school teachers invested. The seeds were planted long before the book was written.
Billy Graham didn’t begin in a stadium. He began as a young man listening to a traveling evangelist named Mordecai Ham — one faithful voice in a small town.
Nobody sees the seed. Everyone sees the harvest.
The question is not whether the next generation will be shaped. They will. The question is: by whom?
Revival that lasts requires a remnant willing to invest — in kitchens, classrooms, parking lots, and prayer circles.
You may never preach to millions. You may never write a history-changing book. But you can disciple one child. Mentor one student. Pray over one future leader.
And decades from now, when someone stands boldly for Christ in a divided world, heaven may whisper:
That started with someone who chose to plant.
The seeds you plant today are the revival of tomorrow.
Connect
Take a few minutes to discuss one or both of the following questions:
- What is something that spoke to you in last week’s devotional or something that you experienced with God this week that you would like to share with the group?
- Who invested in your spiritual life when you were younger? How did that shape the person you are today?
Watch
Watch the video, and write down anything that stands out, challenges you, or raises a question.
Discuss
- Have someone read 2 Kings 22:1–2. Josiah became king young, and Scripture says he “did not turn aside to the right or to the left.” Josiah was crowned unexpectedly after the king was killed. When the moment came, he was ready because of years of quiet formation. How does this connect to David preparing “in the pasture” before facing Goliath? What are you doing now to help the young people in your life be ready for moments that haven’t come yet?
- Have someone read Deuteronomy 6:4-7. Notice the order: the commandments are to be on your heart first, then impress them on your children. What does this passage suggest about the connection between your own faith and your ability to influence the next generation?
What stands out to you about how intentional this passage calls parents and leaders to be?
Where in your daily routine could spiritual conversations happen more naturally—with your children (or grandchildren) or with other younger people God has placed in your life? - We heard the story of Mordecai Ham who faithfully preached the gospel in a small town. He never saw the 10,000 people he prayed for come to faith, but one of the young men who did respond was Billy Graham.
What does this story teach about the relationship between faithfulness and visible results? How can you stay motivated to invest when you can’t see the outcome? - Nation-changing revival does not happen by accident. It happens by intentional discipleship. What is the difference between accidentally influencing someone and intentionally discipling them? Which are you currently practicing? How could you become more intentional?
- Teenagers don’t do what you say. They do what you are. If you teach Scripture but worship money, they’ll see it. If you preach love but live angry, they’ll absorb it. Where do your actions align with what you want the next generation to believe? Where might there be inconsistency?
- The teaching gave three concrete ways to invest in the next generation: (1) Train them in the Word, (2) Model kingdom-first living, (3) Serve the next generation. Which of these three areas needs the most growth in your life right now? What is one specific step you could take this week in that area?
Pray
Close your time together in prayer.
- Thank God for the people who invested in you.
- Ask Him to revive your own heart first.
- Pray together against the drift. Ask God to make your group a faithful remnant that invests intentionally in the generation coming behind you.
- Pray for the children and students in your church.
- Ask God how he wants to use you to invest in the next generation.
This Week
Plant one seed. Encourage one younger person spiritually. You could:
- share a Scripture
- pray with them
- ask about their faith
- invite them to church or group
Don’t worry about results. Just plant the seed. Next week we’ll share what happened.
