Article by Dennis Call
Shortly after correcting the poor doctrine of the Sadducees in Matthew 19, Jesus rebukes His disciples for preventing young children being brought to Him saying, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt 19:14). As the Lord welcomed these little ones to Himself, He was approached by a wealthy young man with a very relevant question, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” (Matt 19:16).
The interaction with Jesus that follows is tragic, as the young man was extremely moral, however, the one thing he lacked was a love for God produced by simple, childlike faith. Jesus had a similar interaction with a young lawyer in Matthew 22, as the lawyer asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus response was quick, gentle, and poignant, He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matt 22:37-40).
Like the rich young ruler, the lawyer knew what the Old Testament required of the Israelites, but he fell short of the faith necessary to truly love the Lord and to love our neighbor.
Unlike a monetary inheritance, faith cannot be passed on to the next generation through a last will and testament, by must be intentionally taught and modeled by faithful Christian parents and grandparents whose love for Christ is undeniable in their daily lives.
That’s why the first Soldiers for Faith Family Gathering held on Saturday May 11, 2019 was so exciting. This is what some of the families who attended thought of there time in Ocean City.
“Where fellowship and faith fortify the family!” was more than just a theme, it was a commitment to equipping families to ensure the next generation does not simply come close to eternal life as the rich young ruler or lawyer in Matthew’s gospel, but embrace Christ through faith and learn to love the Lord their God.
We cannot stress enough our tremendous gratitude for your generous support and prayers to make outreach opportunities like the Family Gathering happen. We at SFF thank you and God bless your family as you seek to make faith in Christ generational.
Dennis Call
Author of Battle Hard Blog
Dennis Call joined the Army as an infantry officer shortly after the 9/11 attacks on our country, serving fourteen years on active duty. During his Army service, Dennis deployed for thirty-three months to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror. Prior to joining the Army Dennis served as the Director of College Ministries at First Baptist Church in Texico, N.M. where he mentored students at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. Dennis and his amazing wife Katie live in Colorado Springs, CO with their five children (four boys and one super sweet daughter).