A Faith that Shapes Generations - DJ Dickerson - 5/10/26

There are few influences in this world

as powerful, as quiet, and as lasting as

that of a godly mother.

Long before a child understands

doctrine,

long before they grasp even the

structure of scripture, they are

watching, they are listening, they are

absorbing.

Not sermons from a pull pit, but sermons

lived out in a home.

And I would submit to you that some of

the strongest faith that has ever

existed was first shaped at a mother's

knee.

Today, we honor mothers and we do more

than celebrate a role. We recognize a

Godgiven influence that has eternal

consequences.

And while not everyone here is a mother,

every one of us has been influenced by

someone. And every one of us is

influencing someone. And I hope you see

that throughout this lesson because it's

not just about mothers this morning.

It's about a faith that shapes

generations.

A faith that shapes generations.

I want you to go to second Timothy

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. This sermon

comes from that very verse. 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. There's other passages that

I'm going to share with you this morning

obviously,

but 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 5,

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

we're going to learn some things. And

again, not just uh maybe things that

we've already known, but again

reinforcing those things that we've

already known and look and do some

self-examination in our lives. Because

as I mentioned in

the introduction here already

that we're talking about

the sermons that's lived out in a home.

And as they think about a mother's faith

is often the first Bible that a child

reads. Did you know that?

I want you to look at second Timothy 1

and verse 5. Paul's telling Timothy, he

says,

"When I call to remembrance the genuine

faith that is in you,

which dwelt first in your grandmother

Lois, and your mother Ununice,

and I am persuaded is in you also." I

want you to think about what Paul is

saying to young Timothy here. Think

about that.

Timothy's faith did not begin in a

classroom setting, if you will. It did

not begin with Paul.

Where did it begin?

Home.

Paul says that faith dwelt first

in Lois, then Ununice, then Timothy. So

faith was passed down. We might use

those words not genetically speaking

but spiritually

that teaches us something powerful that

faith is not just taught as we think

about it can be caught. The influence

that we're talking about is that

children may not remember every lesson

but they remember what they see. Y'all

know that

they see how one handles hardship and

difficulties. They see how one responds

to pressure. They see whether our faith

is real

or just Sunday deep.

Yes, a mother's life often becomes the

first Bible her child reads.

A child once said this, "I learned to

pray not because my mother told me to,

but because I saw her do it when she

thought no one was watching."

that has power in it because what I see

from that that's genuine faith

that the influence

is greater than one may ever realize

even in the small moments when I say

what's a small moment I would say a

small moment maybe a bedtime prayer a

scripture read at the table a quiet

moment of trusting God those moments are

shaping ing souls.

And for all of us, the principle still

stands.

Someone is reading your life today.

Someone's reading it.

Let me also submit to you that a

mother's instruction must be rooted in

God's word. Go to Second Timothy chapter

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

3. If you go over a couple chapters, 2

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 3, I want you to look at

verses 14 and 15. And and pay attention.

Sometimes, you know, we we read these

passages and we just kind of go on. But

notice what's being stated specifically

in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 14 and 15.

2 Timothy 3:14

But you must continue. Again, Paul's

talking to Timothy. But you must

continue in the things which you have

learned and been assured of, knowing

from whom you have learned them. And

from that childhood

you have known the holy scriptures which

are able to make you wise for salvation

through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I want you to notice this carefully.

Timothy didn't just have a faithful

mother. He had a mother who taught him

scriptures,

the scriptures, the word of God. And and

and again, I would submit to you there's

a difference between between raising a

good child and raising a godly child.

There's a difference. There's a

distinction that the scriptures even

make known of this because good behavior

is not something that saves.

Only truth does that. Only truth saves.

And so the home must be a place where

God's word is present and prevalent.

It's not just owned, it's open. It's not

just displayed, it's discussed.

It's not just heard, it's applied.

Deuteronomy chapter 6 and 7 from our

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

scripture reading this morning, brother

Daniel Cecil read. Daniel uh Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:6

chapter 6 verse 6 and 7. Look at it

again. And these words which I command

you today shall be in your where heart.

You shall teach them. How often you

going to teach them? Sunday come around.

Maybe a Wednesday. We might have some

more. Right. No. He said you shall teach

them diligently to your children and

shall talk with them where?

When we get to services in our Bible

classes.

Maybe there's something bad that goes on

in the house. will bring out the Bible

will talk about it. That's not what it

says. And shall talk of them when you

sit in your house, when you walk by the

way, when you lie down, and when you

rise up. Sounds like diligence, doesn't

it? That sounds like persistence.

It says diligently, not occasionally.

Because the danger today is where we're

living in a world, in a society where

culture teaches louder than parents do.

Y'all know that

screens

disciple more than scripture

and truth is often replaced with

opinion. That's the problems. And if

God's word is not intentionally and and

diligently taught as the scripture says,

the world will gladly fill that void. I

promise you, the world will do that.

So, mothers, fathers, our day is coming

in June, by the way.

We have to be intentional.

We speak scripture into daily life.

That's what we do. We use everyday

moments as teaching moments.

We make God part of normal conversation.

Let me tell you something here, friends.

If your child looks at you crazy because

you started talking about God and Jesus

and and the Bible at any given moment on

any given day, that's an issue.

Why? Why do I say that?

Because when you look at second Timothy,

we saw in chapter 1 and verse five,

when Lois or Ununice said something from

the the scriptures,

Timothy is not going what they talking

about, right? He didn't do that because

that was part of Timothy's norm. Y'all

see that

norm?

because his mother and grandmother made

it that way.

Friends, I believe that Lois and Ununice

understood something that we need to

certainly understand still to this day.

And that is if we don't teach truth,

someone will teach error.

Absolutely.

Make God part of normal conversation.

And I'll say no matter how old a child

gets, my mother and I still have

conversations about God, about Jesus,

about the Bible, about not just because,

well, DJ's a preacher, right? Cuz she

wants to know what I'm preaching on

Sunday usually, too.

Are you prepared?

Yes, mom.

Because that's our norm.

That was my norm growing up in a house.

Not that we didn't have trouble because

we did. But you know what? Every

trouble, where did we go for it?

We didn't look for man's opinions and

all those other things. We went to God's

word and said, "That's that's the

solution."

And I'm thankful for it to this day.

Let me submit to you this one. A

mother's faith is proven through

sacrifice and perseverance.

You know, a lot of times I think about

Hannah. Hannah's one of those that comes

up in scripture a lot of times.

1st Samuel chapter 1, we read about her

and some of the things that's notable

about Hannah obviously is, you know, she

was barren. She she longed for a child.

Uh she prayed with tears. She she even

made a vow to the Lord, didn't she? And

and when God answered her prayer, she

did something remarkable. And I honest

1st Samuel chapter 1 and verses 27 and

28. I want you to look at this.

1st Samuel 1:es 27-28. For this child I

prayed, and the Lord has granted me my

petition which I asked of him.

Therefore, I also have lent him to the

Lord. as long as he lives, he shall be

lent to the Lord. So they worship the

Lord there.

This is remarkable here to me because

she gave her child back to God.

He would serve, wouldn't he? He would

serve.

The very thing she prayed for, she

entrusted back to the one who gave the

Lord. And and again, what I want to

point out in that is that that really is

getting to the very heart of a godly

mother who is willing to sacrifice,

who's willing to trust, who's willing to

put God first, even above her own

desires.

Because motherhood is not easy.

Long nights,

endless patience, emotional strength,

spiritual endurance, and often it goes

unnoticed.

But God sees it. Yet we're all reminded

of this very same truth from Galatians 6

and verse 9. And let us not grow weary

while doing good. For in due season we

shall reap if we do not lose heart.

You know, I know my own mother who I've

watched just throughout my life, you

know, feels tired. You know, I've

watched Kinsey feels tired, hair all

different places when I walk through the

door and I'm thinking, "What happened?

Are you okay?"

Right. Yeah, that's the first question

she wants to hear.

And then I just close the door and I go

back. No, I'm joking.

I know better. Okay, I know better.

But sometimes that's the question that

comes up.

Am I even making a difference?

Am I making a difference?

Well, I can answer that question. You

are. You are making a difference.

Your children being in Bible class,

you're making a difference. You're

you're putting out that effort, that

extras. Yep. We we we need to make sure

when you open that Bible and you have

Bible study with them throughout the day

at any given part of the day, you talk

about God, you pray with them, you know,

that influence that you're leaving that

that mark, that's what they're going to

remember. There's a lot of things that

you can be involved in. Yeah, that's,

you know, those things are good in of

themselves, you know, of of different

activities, but this one right here has

eternal. This is eternal right here.

That's the That's the part that's the

one that holds the most weight. So

seeds planted in faith will produce

fruit in time. Now again, we we like to

have things right now. I know that's the

way we are. Plant a seed in the ground

and we're like, we hope to have some

tomatoes later. We know today. That's

not the way that works. Okay. It's the

same way with the word.

You plant the seeds, you water, and God

will give the increase.

Our position,

every one of us, our position is always

to stay faithful. Always remain

faithful.

Because what I see when I look at the

scriptures

and this prime example that I'm using

this morning

is a mother's influence can shape

generations

for God.

You know, when you go back to our our

passage there, we start out with 2

Timothy 1 and verse 5. I I want you to

notice again what we might call the

story of of Lois, Ununice, Timothy.

This is not just about three people.

Sometimes we might look at it and we

might say, "Well, all I see is three

people in that verse.

I see Lois, I see Ununas, and I see

Timothy." And Paul's al he's talking to

him.

But I want you to notice that there's

something else that happens here

that we might miss.

When I talk about generational faith,

the point that I'm saying is one life is

influencing another and that life is

influencing another.

And Timothy would go on to do what?

Preach the gospel,

which means a mother's faith helped

spread the truth to countless souls.

Now, there's a lot more to that verse

than we thought.

You think about it this way.

When a mother raises a child in the

Lord, she's not just raising the child.

She is shaping a future Christian.

She is shaping a future spouse.

Right? See, I think about this a lot all

the time really as my kids are getting

older,

right? Because do you know the spouse

that I want them to have is one whose

families have been devoted to them in

teaching them truth and ingraining the

the very life of what it means to be a

Christian, a disciple

because I want them to have the same

mind,

right?

I want them to have the same mind as to

what the scriptures present. So when I'm

saying, "Hey, who's growing up out there

in the church? Who's growing up out

there?" Yes.

I want them to find a spouse

that has the very same values, the very

same morals, the very same instruction

from God's holy divine word.

I don't want just a good person that's

good. I want a godly person for my

children

and mothers and again fathers even

is shaping

a future parent.

You're shaping a future influence.

So it's more than just saying I'm I'm

doing this. This has farreaching effects

to generations to come.

And we should always say that's

important because that's exactly God's

design even from the very beginning.

Those

lead to hard conversations, don't. It

does.

And I'm sure as Lois and Ununice spoke

to Timothy,

preparing him for life

in midst of some very difficult things

that he was going to face.

It was important to them because of the

of who his life would influence later

on.

Proverbs 31 verse 28 says her children

Proverbs 31:28

rise up and call her blessed her husband

also and he praises her.

You know we know Proverbs 31 is the the

virtuous woman. It's a beautiful passage

from the book of Proverbs. And you know

we sometimes ask the question well why

like Proverbs 31:28 why why do they do

Proverbs 31:28

that why do the children and and and and

and uh her husband also

because her life

le is leaving a legacy

a legacy.

So the real question is what kind of

legacy are we leaving?

A legacy of faith or or a legacy of

indifference

because again influence doesn't stop

with us. It doesn't stop with us.

It continues

long after I am gone from this world.

The influence will still be there.

That's why we got to guard it. That's

why we got to be so careful.

Let me bring the lesson to a close this

morning.

Some simple thoughts that I want to

share with you

as we close.

When you think about the greatest gift a

mother can give,

you know, a lot of times you say, "Well,

what did your mother what's the best

gift your mother gave you?"

You know, some people will automatically

think materialistic things might have

bought him a car or something, you know,

whatever it might be.

But I can say to this day

that the greatest gift my mother gave me

was faith.

Faith that's lived out before.

She showed me what it meant to be

Christian.

She showed me what it meant to go

through hard times, but yet always rely

on God,

to trust in the Lord with all your

heart. Lean not on your understanding.

She taught my brother and I that.

That's the greatest gift she ever gave

me.

now life. I'm glad to have life

obviously, but the greatest gift she

gave me is living out her faith in front

of and that God and his word

has always been the norm.

Nothing ever took present over

worshiping God ever.

Nothing.

And that means something to me.

When I look for a spouse, do you know

what I was looking for?

Someone who had that same mindset.

And I am blessed

beyond measure

because again, the greatest gift a

mother can give is not success. It's not

comfort. It's not even protection.

In the physical and secular sense, it is

faith in God.

A faith that says God comes first. His

word is truth. Heaven is the goal.

That's the greatest gift.

So, let's bring this home to everyone

this morning.

This lesson is again as I stated it's

not just for mothers

because every one of us must ask the

question what kind of faith am I living?

Is it genuine? Is it visible? Is it

influencing others toward God?

I'm asking is do you have a faith that's

shaping generations?

That's the design of God.

all the way from Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

He's saying that's what's important.

That's number one.

Perhaps today you are thankful for a

mother who taught you the truth. Honor

her. Not just with words. But how do you

do that? By living that faith in God out

daily.

Perhaps you recognize your life is not

where it needs to be.

The greatest way to honor godly

influence is to respond to God's will.

The gospel is simple, friends. You

believe that Jesus Christ is the son of

living God.

If you believe that, repent of your

sins. Confess him to be the son of

living God as Romans 10:es 9 and 10

says, and be baptized for the remission

of your sins. Acts 2:38 to be buried

Acts 2:38

with him in baptism to rise and walk in

newness of life as Romans chapter 6 and

Romans 6 · chapter mention

verses 3 and 4 says and you come out of

that watery grave to live faithfully.

Live faithfully

because in doing so that's the way we

honor God ultimately. Obviously,

we honor him because he gave us,

his revealed word,

his life, his son Jesus

to die on the cross at Calvary for the

remission of our sins.

And we go and we live out that faith in

God to shape generations.

Yes, friends, a mother's faith can shape

a life, but ultimately each soul must

choose.

So today, I submit to you, choose faith,

choose truth, choose Christ

because it has an impact not just for

now on the lives you influence, but on

your eternity.

Eternity.