November 13, 2020
Dear Cathedral Family,
He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.
Psalm 78:5-7
What sustains a country, a state, a city, a community, a neighborhood in troubled times? It’s strong families with an abiding faith in God!
When you read accounts of Jewish families during times of captivity and intense persecution, e.g. the Babylonian captivity (you may remember the story of Daniel in the lions den) and the Holocaust, you’ll discover that what sustained and preserved the Jewish culture was their faith in God and their intentionality in training up the next generation.
As a church, we take seriously the mandate to share the Good News and create opportunities for people to encounter God’s presence, then make the decision to become a Christ follower. It’s also vital for us to equip believers, including our youngest of believers, to grow in their relationship with God and learn how to live in a way that glorifies God and fulfills their purpose.
Here’s the challenge: our time together in church is only an hour or so a week, maybe a few more if you’re involved in a group or ministry. But that’s just a fraction of the amount of time spent on social media, watching TV or YouTube, in the classroom, or in the workplace where very powerful (and not always positive or biblical) influence happens.
So, where did God intend for the majority of discipleship to happen? In the context of relationships – in the home and in the family, in the day-to-day activities of life.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NIV)
I love the way the Message translation expresses verse 6: “Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.”
In order for us to get God’s truth inside our children, we have to get it inside us first. That’s why we’ve been in this MIND BLOWN series for the last several weeks. To help equip us all so we can live like God intended and train our children to do the same. Our culture and our future depend on it!
We’ve covered a lot of ground during this MIND BLOWN series. Dr. Schultz laid a strong foundation – helping us understand creation, the fall, redemption and restoration through Jesus, and that the ultimate purpose of all – especially mankind – is to glorify God. Then I took it to the next level with unpacking God’s plan and purpose for marriage and learning the biblical roles of husbands and wives. (If you missed any of the messages so far, you can watch or listen on our website or on the Cathedral app.)
This Sunday, we’re continuing our series, MIND BLOWN: Family Edition, and shifting our focus to parenting. Parents, God chose YOU to be the one to bring up your children. Go ahead and settle this in your heart and mind – YOU are the Mom or Dad that your child needs. I can’t wait for you to hear the message Pastor Dave Ammons has for us this Sunday.
Cathedral, thank you for being an incredible church! Your continued generosity in giving of your time, talent and resources is changing lives. I’m so grateful that God chose me to serve you.
I’m looking forward to seeing you this Sunday! We’ll be worshipping together in-person at 9am and 11am and via Facebook live and Livestream at 11am.
Praying for you and our future,
Mike Lewis
Cathedral