Direction Determines Destination

Nothing will move the Good News of Jesus forward into the next generation more effectively or thoroughly than healthy families. Families center on the Good News that God loves them, and Jesus connects them to God. The role of supporting parents in the community is equally critical.

Many of us set out in the parenting role, thinking, “Having a healthy family is largely intuitive.” Those of us supporting parents can think the same thing.  We may not use those words, but that is the approach many take. We desire a healthy family and believe that desire will be enough for us to lead our families to healthy and happy places. But desire does not determine destination; direction does. Nevertheless, vision and desire determine neither realization nor destination. Concerted effort determines realization, and direction determines the destination.  

Then there is the enemy of Good News, and one of the greatest threats to our enemy is the healthy family. His first temptation was designed to make God’s character doubtful, with the result that marriage became difficult, and it rippled to create dysfunction in the original family. (Genesis 3:1-13; 4:8)

Parenting is difficult because it requires all we have and risks the deepest parts of our hearts. Plus, the enemy of God is dead set against it. The crucial and pivotal nature of parents cannot be overstated, and those who support parents are invaluable.

We are journeying through a series of messages in September called Future Family. This series is for all who are parents or have a parent we are cheering on; it is for all of us who care about the Good News of Jesus and want it to extend to the next Generation. The aim is to give hope and direction to parents (married or single, original or step) and inform the prayers of those supporting them. If you are a parent, please attend the Parenting Conference on September 14 and be present throughout the series. Your calling is too high, and the resistance is too great for you not to take advantage of this opportunity to reset or reinforce your direction.  If you care about the next generation, focus your prayers during this month and be tenacious in your presence on Sundays.

Looking forward,
Blake