Deuteronomy 6:6-9; 2 Timothy 1:3-8; Luke 6:46-49
Introduction
In the ancient catacombs of Rome, archaeologists found a simple inscription near a child’s tomb, “In peace, for he was a child of the promise.” Today, we stand in a world that feels less like a quiet catacomb and more like a digital wilderness. Never has a generation of children been more interconnected and more vulnerable than today's. With a swipe of a screen, a child today can access the world’s knowledge or its darkest distortions. Families migrate across borders, cultures collide, technology reshapes identity, and governance debates the future our children will inherit.
In such a world, the church must ask: What foundation are we giving the next generation? As we celebrate our heritage, we must realize that heritage is not a museum to be guarded, but a foundation to be built upon. If the foundation is solid, the skyscraper can reach the heavens, but if it is crumbled, even a bungalow will fall. On Sermonette today, we look at the child in the 21st century who is not supposed to be a passive recipient of the past, but as the living bridge to the future. Remember, faith survives not by accident but by intentional formation (cf. Rom. 10:17).
God's Blueprint for Today's Child
The 'Shema,' as found in Deut. 6, is the theological bedrock for every family. God commands that these words be "upon your heart" before "Impress them on your children" (Deut. 6:6, 7) taught through diligent parenting. Apostle Paul indicates, "your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice" (2 Tim. 1:5).
The verb, 'shinan' in Deut. 6:7, translated as "teach diligently," literally means 'to whet' or 'sharpen a blade.' Parenting must not be a passive lecture from the adult, but rather a consistent, repetitive, and intentional sharpening of the child’s soul against the whetstone of Truth, practically modeled for the child.
In this era of cyber-saturation, where algorithms compete for a child's attention, and the "doorposts" of our homes have moved into digital space. Our "gates" are now digital firewalls. If we do not "write" the Word on their hearts, the secular world will write its own code on their minds. It is all right to “Train up a child in the way he should go," but the adult must be sure to go that way also. Children learn through observation and imitation, so the best way to impress the Word in their hearts is to live by it.
John Chrysostom once urged parents to treat the home as “a little church” where you are the pastors. Such a vision remains vital when digital culture often becomes the child’s true environment.
The Legacy of Unfeigned Faith
Paul identifies a "sincere faith" in Timothy that first dwelt in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. This recognition highlights the intergenerational transfer of grace.
Timothy lived in a Greco-Roman world of pluralism and persecution, similar to our modern globalized society, with the filtration of the world's religions making room for syncretic practices even in the church. Paul reminds him to "fan into flame the gift of God," which recognizes that inherited faith must become personally owned and lived out.
Let us understand that heritage provides a foundation, but not the complete structure. The Spirit given is not “of fear but of power and love and self-control,” the essential qualities desperately needed by today's children navigating personal challenges, cyberbullying, identity confusion, and social pressure to build on the foundation already laid.
The child in today’s world is often a "global nomad," navigating shifting borders and cultural identities either digitally or in practice. In the context of immigration, heritage becomes the reliable anchor to hold the child firmly to her/his roots. Whether a child is in Accra, London, Dubai, or New York, the foundation of a "sincere faith" provides a safe haven when the physical geography is unstable. Today, we must be attentive to build a "portable" heritage, that is, a sincere faith that survives the crossing of borders.
Importantly, Paul urges Timothy not to be ashamed. Public faith can carry social cost, especially in pluralistic societies. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Faith is only real when it is lived publicly.” Our children today need courage to embody their faith in secular educational systems, online spaces, and diverse communities. Our faith is for public acclamation not just in private experiences.
Priscilla J. Owens hymn, "Will your anchor hold," comes to mind. This has been an anthem for me as a boy in the Boys' Brigade.
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
Building a heritage on the foundation of the Rock of Ages for the Christian child of today, we can boldly answer this question to say, indeed, our anchor is "Fastened to the Rock which cannot move."
The Foundation: Rock versus Sand
Jesus presents a structural engineering crisis between two people's buildings. Two houses, two foundations, one storm.
We note that the difference is not the appearance of the house, but it is the depth of the excavation for the foundation. In fact, one had no foundation, the other did not: "A man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock." And "A man who built a house on the ground without a foundation" (Luke 6:48, 49).
Our world today is of fluid morality and shifting governance, where truth is often sacrificed for political expediency. Our children need a foundation that goes deeper than the superficial "feeling." Building on the Rock means teaching them that Christ’s Lordship supersedes any earthly regime. Jesus has already indicated to us that what the world will call "sin and righteousness and judgment" are wrong (John 16:8). Building on the foundation is being knit to the Holy Spirit, who reveals truth in all things.
"As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like."
(Luke 6:47)
For our children today, storms include information overload, displacement due to war, climate change, or immigration shift, and identity fragmentation in cyberspace. Christ teaches us that resilience does not come from sheltering our children from storms, but from grounding them deep in His teaching.
Beloved in Christ, technology is a marvelous tool, but a sinking sand foundation for the child in today's world. If a child’s identity is built on "subscriptions," "likes," and "views," they will collapse when the storm of life hits. Let's agree with Dietrich Bonhoeffer when he says, “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.”
Building on the foundation already laid, we must address the "Cyber-Temple" of our time. Our children are the first generation to grow up with a "digital twin" of Christian practices, a competition between in-person and online.
As parents and responsible adults in the lives of children today, we cannot just be "gatekeepers" providing "safeguarding" awareness to shield our children, we must be "navigators" and sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit more than ever. Our heritage isn't just "how we used to do it," but "Who we belong to." We must celebrate a heritage of resilience, prayer, and scriptural authority to equip the child in today's world to face AI, bioethics, and a hyper-connected world without losing their precious souls.
Conclusion
Let me end with this legend: A traveler who saw three men working with stone asked them, "What are you doing?" The first man said, "I am cutting a rock." The second said, "I am earning a wage." The third, with a raised eye, said, "I am building a cathedral."
Parents, when you pray with your child, when you limit their screen time for a scripture story, when you model integrity in your life, you are not just "parenting" them. You are building a cathedral of the Holy Spirit. You are honoring the heritage of the saints by ensuring that the foundation holds for centuries. The storm is coming, and it is here, but for the child anchored in Jesus Christ, that house will surely stand. Amen!
Shalom aleikhem...
