Hope for the Next Generation / Deuteronomy 6:4-7 / Psalm 71:17–18
Cultivate: Hope for the Next Generation
A special welcome this week to the guests who are with us. We are in the fourth week of a series we’re calling Cultivate. This series introduces one of the most significant kingdom ventures in the history of our city, where we are attempting by God’s grace to do three very critical things. First, we are going to give away $500,000 to gospel-centered initiatives in our community. Second, we are going to renovate our historic Fig Garden campus. And third, of course, we are going to relocate the North Campus.
So there is a lot going on. What we’re trying to do over these six weeks is lay down the framework that helps people understand who we are, where we’re going, and why we’re going there. If you’ve just joined us, the series has unfolded like this: week one, we talked about the church—what I called the history of redemption and the use of God’s church to save the world, but since nobody would remember that, we called it “The Church.” Week two, we explored the idea of being compelled by the gospel—what it means that the gospel changes our affections. Week three, we looked at having a heart for our city. And now, in this fourth installment, we are considering what it means to have a hope for the next generation.
What does it mean for a faith community to have a hope for the next generation?
The Pattern of Creation: From Maturity to Reproduction
Honestly, if we are going to talk about the next generation, it starts in Genesis. When you read the beginning of the Scriptures, God creates the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep.
Genesis 1:1 (NASB)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
As God speaks the world into existence in chapter one, He makes a statement in the midst of creation that lays out a pattern for us in terms of growth.
Genesis 1:11-12 (NASB)
Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, [and] fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
Here you see the beginning of what we know to be the plant cycle. A plant begins as a seed. You take that seed and place it in the ground. With a little water and the right soil, it begins to germinate. As it germinates, it puts out roots and shoots up a stalk. It produces leaves, and through photosynthesis, it creates its own food source and continues to grow. Those roots go deeper, growing root hairs that take in minerals and water. In that process of growth, it forms a mature plant, which often results in the production of flowers.
Flowers are used for the plant’s reproduction. Much like the human body, they have eggs and ovaries that become fertilized through pollination. Those fertilized ovaries produce a seed. That seed is dispersed—carried by the wind, water, birds, animals, or even by us planting a tomato in the garden. Those seeds are transplanted, they germinate, and the cycle repeats over and over again.
The process God lays out is simple: what begins as a seed grows to maturity, and in maturity, it reproduces. Creation reproduces based on maturity.
It is not just vegetation that follows this rhythm.
Genesis 1:21-25 (NASB)
God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind’; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
God looks at this creation and gives a clear command.
Genesis 1:22 (NASB)
God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’
That is the plan of God: everything He creates reproduces after its kind. It grows to maturity, and in maturity, it reproduces. It is the same for vegetation, sea life, animals, birds, and humans—physically and spiritually. Spiritually, we are called to reproduce as well. What starts in infancy must grow to maturity, and in maturity, it should reproduce.
The theme of Cultivate is about two significant things: to strengthen this generation and to grow the next into a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
Grounded and Established in Christ
To understand this, turn to the book of Colossians. The city of Colossae was located in modern-day Turkey, in the Lycus Valley. Outside of the biblical letter written to it, you probably wouldn’t hear much about it because it was dwarfed by two monster cities just miles up the road: Hierapolis, known for its travertine hot springs and medicinal benefits, and Laodicea, a wealthy banking juggernaut. Colossae was a smaller city with a freshwater spring.
Colossae was deeply influenced by Gnosticism—a Greek philosophy holding that knowledge was hidden, and the more you learned, the more spiritual doors you could unlock. They were also influenced by a Judaistic legalism that said Jesus was fine, but you needed Jesus plus works. To the Greeks, it was Jesus plus secret wisdom equals salvation. To the Jews, it was Jesus plus works equals salvation.
Paul writes Colossians to defend two very significant realities: the supremacy and the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. In chapter one, he uses the words he, him, or his thirteen times in just six verses.
Colossians 1:15-20 (NASB)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say], whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Is there any question who the hero of the text is? Paul is raising their sights to see Him—the incomparable Christ. That is why he writes:
Colossians 1:28-29 (NASB)
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
Paul is saying, “You don’t need secret wisdom. Just find Him. He is incomparable. He reconciles all things. He died on the cross. Let us proclaim Him, teach everyone, and admonish everyone so that we may be complete in Him.”
In chapter two, Paul expresses his deep pastoral longing:
Colossians 2:1-3 (NASB)
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul says the mystery you are seeking is not some secret door; the mystery is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If you come to know Jesus, He changes everything. He is enough.
Colossians 2:4-5 (NASB)
I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
Paul says, “I am rejoicing to see the stability of your faith.” When a young tree is blown by the wind, if the wind is too fierce too early, it snaps. But if that tree can sink roots, the wind actually benefits it. As the wind blows, the tree sinks its roots deeper and deeper. If we are constantly rescuing our kids from every difficulty, they will never sink deep roots. Paul is telling them, “You are being challenged, but you are holding fast to Christ and sinking deep roots.”
Colossians 2:6 (NASB)
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him,
“Walk in Him” is present active indicative—an ongoing lifestyle. Having received Christ, we are called to walk in Him every day. How do we do that?
Colossians 2:7 (NASB)
having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.
Paul combines two metaphors here: an agrarian metaphor (“firmly rooted”) and an architectural metaphor (“built up”).
Notice the language: “having been firmly rooted” is a perfect passive in the Greek. It is a completed work that was done to you. You do not root yourself; God roots you at a point in time when you receive Christ. But “being built up” and “established in your faith” are present passive—ongoing actions currently being done to you by God every single moment. God is actively involved in your life, building you up and establishing you.
What is our part? The verse concludes with “overflowing with gratitude.” That is a present active participle—it is our responsibility right now. In the entire process of being rooted, built up, and established, our primary responsibility is to choose gratitude and joy. Is it always comfortable to grow through the winds of culture? No. But we choose joy because what God began in us, He is faithful to complete.
Ephesians 4:11-15 (NASB)
And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him who is the head, [even] Christ,
The biblical paradigm is clear: spiritual infancy must grow to maturity.
Spiritual Maturity and the Home
Once we reach maturity, what should follow is reproduction.
I was talking to a friend the other day—a guy I dearly love. As we talked, he kept downplaying his faith, saying, “You know me, I’m just a dirtbag. I’m a scumbag, I’m this, I’m that.” With every self-deprecating comment, he was lowering the bar of expectation.
I stopped him and said, “Time out. You know it doesn’t have to be like that. The Spirit of God is doing a work in your life, and if you lean into that, God can transform you. You don’t have to stay the struggling dirtbag. You can lean into the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God. You can walk in the light, embrace community, confess sin, and experience the power of the gospel.”
Infancy should lead to maturity. A lack of spiritual maturity will never reproduce spiritual maturity, because you cannot lead someone where you have never been.
As we grow into maturity, our focus turns outward: how do we help the next generation walk intimately with Jesus?
Dads, make no mistake: God has placed the direct spiritual responsibility for your home squarely on your shoulders. Moms play an indispensable, vital partnering role, but men, we cannot outsource the spiritual formation of our children. You can hire a mechanic for your car or a plumber for your sink, but you cannot hire out the spiritual leadership of your kids.
If that feels heavy, welcome to The Well. We want to help you grow to maturity so that you can lead your family well. It starts with biblically centered homes, healthy marriages, and fathers opening the Word of God with their kids. It looks like sitting at the breakfast table and sharing what God is teaching you, or walking into your teenager’s room, putting a hand on their shoulder, and praying over them.
It is not how you start; it is how you finish. If you missed your kids’ elementary years, welcome to junior high—step up now. If your kids are grown, invest in your grandkids. Step up and lead. There is no greater joy than leading your family in the ways of the Lord.
Declaring God’s Power to the Next Generation
While spiritual leadership begins in the home, God also uses the church community to train and equip the rising generation. The driving theme verse for Cultivate is found in Psalm 71.
Psalms 71:17-18 (NASB)
O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when [I am] old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to [this] generation, Your power to all who are to come.
This has become a life verse for me, and I hope it becomes a life verse for our church. I want to spend my life faithfully proclaiming Christ until I am an old, gray-haired man who has to be helped onto the stage. And when I have declared His strength to this generation and His power to the next, if God calls me home, great. But as long as He gives breath, we must declare His wondrous deeds.
God snatched me out of debauchery, drunkenness, and foolishness during college. He didn’t save me so that I would remain spiritually immature; He saved me so that I would grow to maturity and help reach the next generation. There are young people out there trapped in the same brokenness, and they need someone to show them the hope of Jesus Christ.
Look at the world our young people are navigating today. We are ministering to what is arguably the first post-Christian generation. Many grew up with parents who were more committed to club sports than to the local church. As a result, many have abandoned absolute truth for subjective reality. Biblical views on sexuality, gender identity, marriage, and fidelity have been largely discarded.
We see a generation marked by relational breakdown, isolation, and unprecedented rates of depression. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 25. Connected to screens yet profoundly lonely, they search for answers on YouTube and social media, facing digital cruelty and finding little hope.
Yet, we have the remedy. The answer is not cold religion; the answer is the living gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” In His presence is fullness of joy.
Welcoming the Mess to Win the Next Generation
What does it mean for us to have hope for the next generation?
It means we commit intentionally to personal spiritual maturity so that we can reproduce. And it means we become aggressively compelled to reach young people.
They may dress differently than you prefer. Their music might be louder than you like. They might make a mess, break things, or disrupt our comfort. But if they are coming and hearing the gospel, who cares? Let’s reach them.
We are going to invest heavily in modernizing our spaces, renovating our campuses, and creating environments where kids and students can encounter Jesus. We will invest in the kids within our church walls and the kids across our city who have no connection to faith.
As Proverbs says, where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. Life in the church would be tidier if we catered only to personal preferences, but we are choosing the mess of mission over the comfort of maintenance. We want our children, students, and college young adults to say, “I love my church,” even while their parents are sitting right beside them.
To our seasoned generation: we need you. You are the mentors, shepherds, and spiritual mothers and fathers who will pour into these young lives.
We must not make the mistake of King Hezekiah in the Old Testament. When the prophet Isaiah told him that future generations of his family would be carried away into Babylonian captivity, Hezekiah responded:
2 Kings 20:19 (NASB)
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?’
Hezekiah thought, At least there will be peace and security in my lifetime. What a tragic sellout. May it never be said of us that we cared only about our own comfort and ignored the generation coming behind us.
Let us grow from seedlings to maturity, and from maturity to spiritual reproduction. Let us go after the next generation with the life-transforming hope of the gospel.
Pastoral Prayer
Father, I am deeply grateful for the men and women who invested in my life when I was a young college student who did not understand the gospel or biblical morality. Thank you for their patience as they discipled me and pointed me to Christ.
I pray for our church family. Grow us into spiritual maturity, and in our maturity, empower us to reproduce. Deliver us from the mindset of Hezekiah. May we never sacrifice the next generation for our own comfort. Instead, give us a passionate, unified commitment to the mission of Jesus—to seek and save the lost.
Anchor our young people in Your truth, sink their roots deep into Your grace, and let our lives be hidden securely in Christ. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.