What is the ultimate reason for discipling the next generations? To what end should parents, ministry leaders, teachers, and volunteers devote wholehearted effort? Years from now, what should we long for our children and students to express with genuine conviction, earnestness, and joy?
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
[10] For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
[11] Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
[12] I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.—Psalm 86:9-12
Our ultimate goal should be to teach and inspire the next generation to worship God for the glory of God! And yes, this is ultimately dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit making spiritually dead sinners alive to Christ so that they might love, trust, and follow Him all their days. But there is a kind of teaching and discipling that more readily fuels and fosters true worship for the glory of God.
Here are two helpful resources for exploring this further:
“A God-Centered Vision for Worship in the Next Generations” In this video, David and Sally Michael carefully outline and describe how to ground and develop our children’s discipleship with this ultimate goal in mind. Additionally, they provide very practical examples as to how to continually point our children Godward, so that they might “taste and see” the greatness of God who does wondrous things and is truly worthy of their highest honor and praise.
“Parenting for the Glory of God” In this message, John Piper reflects on Psalm 78:1-7 and gives parents helpful and practical advice.
