Lesson 4, Week 5: The Purpose in Passing on a Spiritual Heritage

Scripture Focus: “That they may arise and declare them to their children.

*Before you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you as you read God’s Word and seek His meaning.

I am fascinated by the new journaling Bibles, but really it’s not a new idea to me. My Bibles have notes written in the margins throughout. As a writer, I need to have lots of translations on hand. Year by year, I like to switch translations so I look at the Scriptures with a new awareness. It is my hope that when I go to my heavenly home, each of my grandchildren will want of them. I can go to my row of Bibles now and tell you what was going on in my life when I read a particular translation. The verses that encouraged me through that time period are written in the front, underlined, and marked as special to me. The Bible will be a way I can pass on my spiritual heritage.

Think on These Things

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:14-15 that we are all to become full-grown in the Lord. This becomes exceedingly important when we are hoping to pass on a Spiritual heritage. Paul encourages us in 2 Peter 2:2 NIV to be like newborn babies and, “Crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” We are to choose to study God’s Word so that we may grow spiritually.  By engaging in a Bible study and being in the Word daily, we will progress from the elementary teachings of Christ and move on to more mature studies (Hebrews 6:1) 

Our goal must be to always be growing in our knowledge of the Lord. Grandparents have a wonderful chance to help their grandchildren grow spiritually.  These observant young people are looking to us to see how important we consider the principle of spiritual growth. What they may not buy into with their parents, is more easily accepted from their grandparents.

King Manasseh almost waited too long to come to the Lord, but after a reign of wickedness, he did turn to God and his heart was changed. This was timely because about this time, he became a grandfather to young Josiah.  Josiah’s father, was suffering the consequences of his father’s years of sin and was very wicked. But young Josiah spent his first six years, which psychologist tell us are the formative years of our personalities with his godly grandfather.

I imagine that King Manasseh, a new believer, was pouring over God’s laws, trying to learn all he could about God’s teaching.  I can almost see, young Josiah being taught at his grandfather’s knee.  As Manasseh shared what he was learning, Josiah was observing a faith that was growing.   He saw how his Grandpa Manasseh valued God’s Word by letting it dwell in his heart and becoming a doer of the Word.  Josiah’s training at his grandfather’s knee was potent because two years later, after his grandfather’s and father’s death, he became the King of Judah at age eight.  2 Chronicles 34:2 tells us “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.”  I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of grandparent I want to be.  I want to give them the godly heirloom of spiritual maturity.  I want to help them grow-up in the Lord.

What I Have Learned

--Grandchildren need to know/observe grandparents taking spiritual nourishment from God’s Word.

--Grandchildren need to know/observe grandparents letting God’s Word dwell in their heart and becoming doers of the Word.

--Grandparents need to share God’s Word with their grandchildren.

--Grandparents need to serve as guides in a grandchild’s spiritual growth.

I Will Apply What I Have Learned

v  Grandparents, make a scrapbook journal of your spiritual growth journey.  Include baptismal certificates or snapshots, photos of any conferences, camps , or church events which kept you on track and growing in the Lord. Share with your grandchildren how you formed the habit of a daily quiet time.  If this is still difficult for you, share your struggle with your grandchild.  Talk about how you learned to walk with Jesus one day at a time.  Be sure to provide your grandchildren with the materials to start recording their own spiritual journal.

v  This activity will encourage your grandchildren and help them understand why we need to be in church.  Give each grandchild a magnet and some metal items (paper clips are a good choice, for they are not particularly sharp).  Let the grandchildren experiment by picking up these items with the magnets.  Talk about how the metal objects stick together and to the magnet.  Discuss how it is easier to remove one item, then to remove several at one time.   Suggest that they let the strength in the magnet represent the love and power of Jesus Christ, and the magnet represents His church.  We, the believers, are drawn to Him and become stronger in our faith as we pull together towards Him.  This is why Jesus said, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. . . Hebrews 10:25 NIV

Gracious Father,

What an important responsibility You have given to grandparents. Enable me to reach out to my grandchildren and share Your faithfulness. Grant me opportunities to nurture their spiritual growth by showing them how I’ve grown in my relationship. In area’s that I’m lacking, let me join with them in renewing my relationship with you. Let me pass on a spiritual heritage to my grandchildren like King Manasseh with his grandson Josiah. Amen