1. Share about something that you received that was passed down from the previous generation.

As a note of caution this week is about generational faith, based specifically around Mother’s Day. Please be sensitive and prayerfully discern how to guide any conversation that could involve any negative experiences associated with Mother’s Day and/or negative family experiences, in general. A few examples that may come up are: men and women who want children but have been unable; people who lost their mothers early; people with absent mothers and fathers; people who are still single and have been deeply desiring marriage and children, etc.

For question 1, this can be a physical possession, general life advice, or whatever comes to mind. This doesn’t need to be just about faith or religion.

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2.  Read each of the following passages together as a group. What do we learn about generational faith and God’s design for the family in these passages?

2 Timothy 1:1-5
Psalm 61:5
Exodus 20:5-6
Joshua 4:20-24
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Joel 1:3
Psalm 145:4

If you have a larger group, it might be helpful to break up into smaller groups and assign each group 1 or 2 passages to unpack. Then, have each group present their findings to the larger group.

2 Timothy 1:5 - Timothy came from a lineage of sincere faith that was passed on to him from his grandmother and his mother.  These women had a substantial impact on his faith.  We know that God used Timothy in powerful ways, and these women were an important part of his preparation.  

Psalm 61:5 - It is a great gift to have a heritage of family faith. This verse tells us that it is, in fact, a gift from God.

Exodus 20:5-6 -  While each person and generation are responsible for their own choices, we clearly see the example of faith in family being meaningful and impactful to the next generation. This text highlights the weight and impact of parental choices, either choosing to sin against God or loving Him and following His commands. We see the punishment for sin lasting through a few generations, but, while serious, it pales in comparison to the love He freely gives to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Joshua 4:20-24 - We are to remember what God has given us and done for us, and to do so in intentional and specific ways. These stones served as a reminder for parents to tell their children about God’s faithfulness. Tangible, visible reminders are so helpful.    

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - Here we see a calling to remember the commandments that God has given us and regularly talk about them in everyday life with our children.  Each part of our day presents a good time to talk about God and His call for us.  Verses 8-9 remind us again of the importance of tangible, visible reminders that are constantly before us.  We are a forgetful people and we need help remembering!  

Joel 1:3 - Joel continues the idea of sharing God’s faithfulness, particularly to Israel, and makes it clear the model is for each generation to tell the next.

Psalm 145:4 - David encourages older generations to tell younger generations of God’s mighty acts.

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3. Discuss the impact of the breakdown of the family on the passing down of generational faith.

The family is the primary vehicle for passing on faith to the next generation. When the family is fractured, faith is not passed down with the same impact. In fact, fractured families can sometimes cause a very negative experience of faith within children.

In our society today, we see an increase in broken families, and also an increase in secularism. More and more people come from broken families, and more and more people are rejecting faith. The relationship between these two is profound.

Therefore, we must have high regard for the importance of healthy marriages and families as we seek to pass down faith to the next generation.

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5. What did your family of origin do to positively impact your faith growing up?  

We recognize that not everyone had a family that encouraged their faith, and not everyone grew up in a Christian home.  For those that did not have any family that encouraged their faith, ask them to share about anyone (outside of family) that positively impacted their faith.    

6.  What have you or are you presently doing to pass on faith to the next generation?

You might have group members that did many things right as parents, but their kids have not led a godly life.  This is a hard reality, and it does NOT mean that these parents caused this outcome for their child(ren).  But, it is still something to grieve.  Allow space for parents in this situation to process their thoughts and feelings.

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7. Spend several minutes of individual time with God, asking Him to bring to mind specific memories that impacted your faith as a child. When positive memories come, offer Him thanksgiving.  When negative memories come, surrender those memories to Him, asking for Him to meet you in that place.  

8. If you have a role of influence in any young people’s lives, ask God to give your more clarity and vision for how He could use you to impact them and their faith.

Guard against the belief that anyone is unqualified to show God’s love and positively impact the faith of others. No one is too far gone.  No certain amount of education or training is necessary.  This is just about understanding the simple gospel and being willing to submit and follow wherever God might lead.

9. Debrief together your time in prayer.  What came to mind?  What was challenging?  What was encouraging? What did you sense from God?  As appropriate, pray for each other as you share.

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