Discipling the Next Generation: Sermon Guide

The following blog post contains notes and application questions from our February 2, 2019 message, Discipling The Next Generation. For more from this series, check out How He Built This.

Discussing and Applying the Sermon

• Regardless of whether you are a parent of a child, what are you doing to disciple and raise the next generation of leaders? What’s one way you can be more intentional to do so?
• What’s one thing your community group can do together to play the “team sport” of discipling the next generation?

Summary

From the very beginning of Watermark, we believed the psalmist when he said children are a blessing, not a burden. That they are worth our very best. We are raising the next generation of leaders—our leaders. Discipling children according to God’s Word is How He Built This.

Key Takeaways

• Five observations about arrows: 1) An arrow by itself is useless; 2) An arrow will go where you aim it; 3) An arrow can provide life, food, protection, blessing or great pain and destruction; 4) A warrior is responsible for His arrows; and 5) A warrior who leaves His arrows unattended is inviting destruction upon himself and his people.
• We hinder kids when: 1) We treat them as a burden not a blessing worth our very best; 2) We just try to keep them alive instead of showing them where life is; and 3) We ONLY tell them where life is instead of with integrity being able to say “follow me”.
• Three pillars of discipling the next generation: 1) Parents are primary; 2) Discipleship is a team sport; and 3) The future is now.
• The family is the most significant human influence on a child and the church of Jesus Christ should be the most significant influence on the family.

Mentioned or Recommended Resources

• Suggested Scripture study: 2 Timothy 3:1–5; Psalm 127:3-4; Proverbs 10:1,17:25,19:13,22:6; Matthew 18:5-6; Hosea 4:6-9; Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Mark 10:13-16; Psalm 78:4; Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:1-4; Hebrews 13:7; Colossians 3:16
• Sermon: Extraordinary Parenting
• Sermon: Can You Relate: Parenting
• Sermon Series: How He Built This
• Resource: Partnering with Families