14 day plan

Passing on the Faith

Day 1 of 14

NIV

Psalms 145:4

4One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

Series Introduction

For the next two weeks, we’ll be reading the Bible with Dawn Penney as she focuses on the family and the church family as the primary places in which faith is passed on to children. 

Reflection:  Faith is intergenerational

Throughout the Scriptures we see groups of God’s people working, living and worshipping together. As the community goes about its daily life, there are opportunities to demonstrate and learn about faith.

For most of us, the intersection of community and faith is defined by when we gather as a church community. The church community helps the children in our midst see how the body of Christ works together, prays together, learns together and lives out their faith in life.

We cannot underestimate what God is teaching the children in our multigenerational gatherings! A four-year-old in our new faith community had become restless, and responded that ‘they could not understand the new minister’. Let’s give children the opportunity to teach and encourage those of us who are older. God is more than capable of speaking to and through the youngest child. This passing on of the faith is mostly from older to younger but let’s not dismiss what God might be teaching us through the children in our life.

How are we facilitating multigenerational opportunities for believers to commend God’s works to the next generation?

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we commit to you today, all the children in our personal and collective lives. May we commend your works to them and tell them of your mighty acts that the faith of each of us may be encouraged and strengthened. Amen.

Psalms 145:1-21

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

3Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

4One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

5They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

9The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

10All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.

11They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

12so that all people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

14The Lord upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

16You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

18The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

20The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

21My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.