For the Next Generation – Some thoughts from the Edges while following Jesus –

For the Next Generation
Pastor Calvin Cook
October 23, 2025
“All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.” — Isaiah 54:13–14 (NIV)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to be at Grove City College for their mid-week Chapel Service. My brother and friend James had been invited to be the speaker for the service and I was able to be there as well. You know my heart and support for what is commonly called the “next generation”, though I really don’t prescribe to that title, for I believe they are the generation of today that will get us in our communities especially our churches back on track and to the place that we need to be. I have been blessed to have some great young people as guides, friends, and inspiration.

Every generation stands on the foundation of the one before it. The earlier generation have left us either in a good place or on shaky ground depending on what we choose to receive. The faith we live, the choices we make, and the example the earlier generations have been and in turn what we will be, will become the lessons and foundation for that next generation. Isaiah speaks a promise from God that “all your children will be taught by the Lord,” but this teaching and example begins through the witness of those who walk with Him now. We are praying for and must be bearing witness to those of all ages who have not experienced the desire to follow Jesus and are lost in the distractions of the evil one.

The peace and righteousness promised to the next generation are not automatic, they are cultivated through living examples of faithfulness. The way we live becomes a sermon our children will never forget. When we model forgiveness, they learn to forgive. When we choose faith over fear, they learn courage. When we consistently put God first, they learn to do the same. Being a living example of faithfulness to God is the greatest thing that the next generation can be offered.

Isaiah reminds us that “in righteousness you will be established.” God is calling His people not only to receive His peace but to pass it on—to build homes, churches, and communities where righteousness and grace are visible, not just spoken. The legacy of faith we leave is not written in words alone, but in how we love, worship, and trust God in every circumstance.

Our children, and those who look to us as the church, disciples, and the followers of Jesus, are watching how we live. They are learning how to pray by hearing us pray. They are learning how to trust by watching us endure trials with hope. They are learning how to love by seeing us love unselfishly and unconditionally.

Now a word about this next generation – I am seeing an uprising of this generation to a place where we have never been before. Deep in thought, faith, and a willingness to stand on something so firm that it will finally shake the gates of hell that will bring transformation like we have never seen before. However, we the older generation are going to have to step out of the way and become the guides that continue to encourage them and guide them to this deeper faith in God and not just the parts of God that fix things and answer prayers, but the God who is, who was, and always will be. I pray for this everyday !

Now the challenge is what about the ones from the “next generation” that are not in the same place as some are. That is where being the example of Christ comes in and is so very important for all of us.

The next generation will not remember every sermon we preach, but they will remember how we lived, the lessons we taught and the grace that carried us through.

Let us be the generation that makes it easy for those who come after us to believe in God’s goodness—because they saw it alive in us.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the promise that our children will be taught by You and live in Your peace. Help me to live in a way that reflects Your righteousness and faithfulness. Let my life be a living testimony of Your grace, so that those who follow will find strength, peace, and faith in You. Amen.