1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:04,189 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,850 --> 00:00:14,170 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,210 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is why it's important to 4 00:00:18,260 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 2: share stories of God's wonderful work with younger people. We'll 5 00:00:22,540 --> 00:00:26,220 Speaker 2: return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 6 00:00:40,030 --> 00:00:43,660 Speaker 2: Tell the Next Generation, written and read by Whitney Hopler. 7 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 2: I will open my mouth with a parable. I will 8 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 2: utter hidden things, things from of old, things we have 9 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,310 Speaker 2: heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We 10 00:00:55,330 --> 00:00:58,810 Speaker 2: will not hide them from their descendants. We will tell 11 00:00:58,850 --> 00:01:02,510 Speaker 2: the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His 12 00:01:02,590 --> 00:01:05,470 Speaker 2: power and the wonders He has done. Psalm 78, 2-4 13 00:01:05,470 --> 00:01:13,089 Speaker 2: NIV My paternal grandmother, Lena Wyckoff, told me many memorable 14 00:01:13,170 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: stories about how God worked in her life before she 15 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:21,100 Speaker 2: passed away at age 98. She emphasized how God was 16 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,060 Speaker 2: close by her side through everything she experienced, and good 17 00:01:25,220 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 2: and bad circumstances alike. Grandma's long life was full of 18 00:01:29,620 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: highs and lows. She enjoyed lots of love in her 19 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,900 Speaker 2: life from family and friends, Yet she was widowed young 20 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,340 Speaker 2: and suffered a lot as a single mother afterward. She 21 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 2: faced many challenges, but she overcame them all with God's help. 22 00:01:46,819 --> 00:01:50,740 Speaker 2: Along the way, Grandma stayed close to God through prayer 23 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: and recorded the details of how God answered her prayers. 24 00:01:55,220 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: She shared wonderful stories with me about the power of 25 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,700 Speaker 2: prayer and God's faithful answers to prayers. Thanks to Grandma's stories, 26 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: I was inspired to build my own prayer life with God. 27 00:02:08,490 --> 00:02:10,830 Speaker 2: Think back to the stories you heard when you were 28 00:02:10,870 --> 00:02:15,889 Speaker 2: growing up. Maybe a parent, a grandparent, a Sunday school teacher, 29 00:02:16,070 --> 00:02:19,270 Speaker 2: or a close friend sat with you and shared about 30 00:02:19,330 --> 00:02:22,820 Speaker 2: how God was working in their lives. They told you 31 00:02:22,980 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 2: about the prayers God answered, the times God brought them 32 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: through difficult seasons, and the wonderful ways God showed His love. 33 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,820 Speaker 2: Those stories were not just nice memories from the past. 34 00:02:35,410 --> 00:02:39,130 Speaker 2: They were living seeds of faith planted into your heart 35 00:02:39,490 --> 00:02:43,030 Speaker 2: to help you understand who God is and how well 36 00:02:43,110 --> 00:02:48,310 Speaker 2: He cares for you. In Psalm 78, 2-4, the Bible 37 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,060 Speaker 2: reminds you that you have an important role to play 38 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: in God's plans by passing along the stories of how 39 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: God has worked in your life. God wants you to 40 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,220 Speaker 2: share God's praiseworthy deeds, His power, and the wonders He 41 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,270 Speaker 2: has done with the next generation of people, like your 42 00:03:07,310 --> 00:03:12,169 Speaker 2: descendants and other younger people you know. You don't need 43 00:03:12,210 --> 00:03:15,829 Speaker 2: to be a biblical scholar or an experienced public speaker 44 00:03:15,930 --> 00:03:19,810 Speaker 2: to share inspiring stories of God at work. All God 45 00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:23,829 Speaker 2: asks you to do is to be an honest witness 46 00:03:23,990 --> 00:03:26,250 Speaker 2: of how He has worked so far in your life. 47 00:03:27,180 --> 00:03:30,940 Speaker 2: You can do so well just by sharing genuine stories 48 00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:35,020 Speaker 2: about God in your everyday conversations with the people you know. 49 00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:38,500 Speaker 2: God will bring you lots of opportunities to tell the 50 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,110 Speaker 2: next generation about him. You can tell stories whenever you're 51 00:03:43,130 --> 00:03:47,930 Speaker 2: spending time with your children and grandchildren, especially during family 52 00:03:47,970 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: meals when everyone is paying attention to family conversations. You 53 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: can also share your stories with young people you know 54 00:03:55,820 --> 00:03:59,820 Speaker 2: from your church and other places in your community. Get 55 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,430 Speaker 2: to know a few younger people as friends. Offer to 56 00:04:03,490 --> 00:04:06,390 Speaker 2: pray for them about the concerns they share with you. 57 00:04:07,090 --> 00:04:09,590 Speaker 2: And share stories of how God has helped you in 58 00:04:09,670 --> 00:04:15,100 Speaker 2: similar situations. When you share your stories about God, you 59 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,460 Speaker 2: help younger people make connections between God's faithfulness in the 60 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,460 Speaker 2: past and the hope they need for the future. Every 61 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:26,060 Speaker 2: time you share a story of God's wonderful work in 62 00:04:26,100 --> 00:04:29,790 Speaker 2: your life, you help a younger person see that God 63 00:04:29,870 --> 00:04:36,070 Speaker 2: is real, active, and trustworthy today. You help them realize 64 00:04:36,570 --> 00:04:39,330 Speaker 2: that the same God who performed wonders in the Bible 65 00:04:40,110 --> 00:04:43,730 Speaker 2: and who guided believers throughout history is ready to guide 66 00:04:43,790 --> 00:04:48,570 Speaker 2: them in their own lives right now. Never underestimate the 67 00:04:48,630 --> 00:04:52,430 Speaker 2: power of your positive influence on the next generation. when 68 00:04:52,470 --> 00:04:56,750 Speaker 2: you share your stories about God. Even the most simple 69 00:04:56,830 --> 00:05:00,310 Speaker 2: stories you tell younger people about God's wonderful work in 70 00:05:00,350 --> 00:05:04,580 Speaker 2: your life can help them learn and grow closer to God. 71 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 2: So ask God to help you notice the opportunities he 72 00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:12,140 Speaker 2: gives you to share your faith stories and to share 73 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,620 Speaker 2: the gospel message in fresh ways through those stories. Your 74 00:05:16,700 --> 00:05:22,620 Speaker 2: stories have eternal value. Intersecting Faith and Life As you 75 00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:25,859 Speaker 2: consider why it's important to share stories of God's wonderful 76 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:30,779 Speaker 2: work with younger people, reflect on these questions. Who in 77 00:05:30,820 --> 00:05:34,900 Speaker 2: your past faithfully shared God's wonders with you, and how 78 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 2: did their words inspire you to grow closer to God? 79 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 2: What's one story of how God answered your prayers that 80 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,350 Speaker 2: you can share with someone younger this week? What fears 81 00:05:46,529 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 2: might hold you back from sharing your faith stories? And 82 00:05:49,779 --> 00:05:52,060 Speaker 2: how can you rely on God to help you overcome 83 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:56,589 Speaker 2: those fears? How can you make plans in your schedule 84 00:05:56,670 --> 00:06:00,230 Speaker 2: regularly to talk about God with the young people around you? 85 00:06:01,690 --> 00:06:04,110 Speaker 2: Who is a young person in your life right now 86 00:06:04,170 --> 00:06:07,830 Speaker 2: who needs encouragement? How can you pray for that person 87 00:06:07,890 --> 00:06:10,910 Speaker 2: today and share an encouraging story with him or her? 88 00:06:12,370 --> 00:06:22,290 Speaker 2: Further reading, Joel 1.3, Deuteronomy 6, 6-7 Psalm 145.4 2 89 00:06:22,290 --> 00:06:29,770 Speaker 2: Timothy 1.5 Psalm 71.18. 90 00:06:31,060 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 91 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 92 00:06:36,220 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 93 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 94 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,690 Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 95 00:06:46,710 --> 00:06:50,330 Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. 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