Engraved Faith

The word "impress" in Scripture means engrave — a mark pressed so deep it can't be rubbed off. Drawing on the VBS theme of the king's signet ring, we look at what it means for God to put His signature on our lives and homes.

We unpack Deuteronomy 6 and the rhythm of faith lived out while you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. That raises a blunt question: who is shaping you right now? Spiritual formation doesn't come from occasional religious events — it comes from a home where Scripture is lived, not just discussed.

At the center is the truth we must pass on: the Lord is one, and we love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. Parents are the first voice. Children, as the Bible pictures them, are arrows to be prepared and released into a fast-changing world.

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Transcript

VBS Signet Ring And Authority

SPEAKER_00 0:10

So this message actually comes out of this last week. We had VBS here, all right? Vacation Bible school, and we had all the kids come here, and the last five days of teaching, learning, and growing took place. Amen. And I'm going to read the key scripture for the VBS is Haggai chapter 2, verse 23. I will make you like my signatoring, for I have chosen you. Alright, so it was all about signatureing and the emphasis of how you can have authority. So all these little ones, we had about 54 of them attend the VBS. All the little ones understood what a signature ring is all about. Do you know by the way who has this signature? Who has? Only kings have this signature, right? And the kids were taught how to live like a king, how to have authority, how to walk in dominion, how to have the Spirit of God, the leading of the Holy Spirit in making decisions in life. So the kids were taught all of these in these five days, and the actually the journey continues, amen. Of teaching them and training them. Now, mind you, this message is more towards the parents, parenting, you know, taking that role and responsibility, but it applies to all of us. If you are a single, this message applies to you. If you are newly married, you know, uh, or a couple, this applies to you because one day we'll all pass through this phase in our lives. Amen. We need to always understand that God has given

Impress Means Engrave The Word

SPEAKER_00 2:10

each of us a responsibility. Um, Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 6 and 7. The Bible says these commandments I give to you today are to be on your hearts, impress upon them on your children, talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up, what are we shaping? How are we shaping our children? Right? If you are married, if you have children, how are we shaping? If you're not yet married, still it applies to us. How are we shaping our lives? Who are who's actually helping us or who is influencing our lives? So the Bible here talks about how you know we need to uh talk about the uh uh talk about the importance of the commandments and how we have to live by them. Something interesting, one of the words that really gripped me or took me was this word called impress. Somebody say impress. Impress, and that leads to my uh sermon title, which is called Impress, Raising Children Who Carry the Mark of God. Raising children who carry the mark of God. You might be thinking, I'm not married, okay, fine. Or maybe just you are just still a couple with no children as yet, it's still fine. But what is the kind of mark that you are leaving in your life? Because everybody else around us are observing, watching, and looking at us. So it is very important for us the kind of mark that we are leaving. So God says, these commandments I give you today, and that they should be on your hearts. The commandments of God, that means the word of God should be upon your hearts. Then it goes on to say, impress. Impress. Something was unique about this word, impress. If you go back and read the Bible in the Hebrew, it uses a word called engrave. Engrave it upon your children. I I'll read that scripture. It says, impress them on your children. Not just talking to them, it also says talk to them when you sit in ho at your home or when you walk, when you lie down. This is good. To an extent, we are doing that. But here, something unique that the Lord is impressing upon our hearts is impressing, impress, engraving it into our hearts, into our lives. And if we have children, we are supposed to engrave it into our children's lives. Going back to the VBS, you know, the theme was signet ring. As I mentioned to you, this ring only a king can hold. That means when a decree is passed, any order, any decision is made that has to go through the city, right? And it's all written, and then he will put a stamp on it with a signet ring. That means it is done, it is final. Everybody must obey this order now, you like it or not. That's how it functions. And now, when God says, obey my commandments, teach them to your children, and he uses this word, impress, and this word is engraving. So you take the word of God, right? And Jesus being the king, he wants to embrace or he wants to engrave his word upon our hearts, upon our lives. It is not just about talking about it or just sitting down and just meditating, or sometimes some people get into argument of the word of God. No, it is not just about that, it is beyond that. It should be impressed. I'll just read something that we all can understand. Amen. To press or impress so deeply into a surface that what you leave behind cannot be rubbed off. Once this is engraved, it cannot be rubbed off. You understand what God wants to do in each of our lives, in our marriages, with our children, that the word of God must be engraved, and he wants to put his signature upon us. Amen. He wants to put that upon us

Stop Chasing Changing Impressions

SPEAKER_00 7:45

so that we can walk with him and live with him. What is impressing you? Who is impressing you? We live in a world of impressing one another. Impressing boss. Anybody like that? Only one brother is smiling. Everybody else is serious. Impressing. Any boy impressing one girl? Now few more people are smiling. Impress! We are all caught up in this world. We are all caught up in this race, impressing one another. They should have good impress impression about they should have good impression about us. No, no, no, they should not have a bad impression. In a way, it is right, but at the same time, that's not the end to it. Don't just be caught up by impressing one another. Because that will change one day. Honestly, I'm telling you, especially in relationship, boy and a girl, you thought something else, and after marriage, something else will happen. So, oh my god, I thought it is now I have to hold this, and rest of my life I have to live like this. Why? The impression has changed now, but the impression God is talking about cannot be changed. When God puts it, it is engraved. No matter what you put, it cannot be taken off. Amen.

Events Versus Environment At Home

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Many times we live by events. Like, you know, VBS was an event. Right? And we think sometimes, oh, it's great, it has done a lot. Yes, to an extent it has done. I that's what I feel. To an extent it has done it it has done its work. But is that the end of it? No, it's not the end. There's a lot. For me as a parent, right? Uh, we have raised two kids who are now into adulthood right now, right? They are our responsibility. And you who are parents, it's your responsibility to train them. They don't just live by events, but they are fashioned by environments. What kind of environment do we create? What kind of environment are we living in? Now, if you are not married, you are still still a single, that means you're still with your parents. So when you go back to your home, there's an environment that is already set and created. I remember going back to my own life. You know, none of our homes are perfect. Suddenly we realized my brother, my older brother, he never came back home one day. He never came back home. Day one is gone, day two is gone, day three is gone, day four is gone, my older brother is gone. Suddenly he's nowhere. He never came back to house. Why? Why do we have such situations in our lives, in our families? It is the environment that has been created. After work, you want to go to a home, not to a hotel. Hotel, you are there for a few days, but a home you abode, you live there. But your home is not is only based on event, this event, that event, you are progressing, you're joyful, that celebration, this celebration, you will not go much further. Because your environment where you live matters in shaping you and making you. Don't just look for events in your life, but the environment you create will actually fashion you. A good environment, a godly environment. The responsibility lies with you and I. Who's impressing you? Is the mark of God upon you? What kind of home are you living in? And by the way, my mom had to run around the city. I think after a week, my mom went and found him somewhere close to Begampit. The city and brought him back home. Why? We all go to church. We all read the Bible, we all pray. Yet the environment was not a good environment. Dear people of God, as we live in this world, may I encourage you to impress, engrave the word of God into your lives. If you have children, take the responsibility to engrave it upon your kids' lives. Now, when coming back to God, what does God want to be engraved upon

The Creed To Teach First

SPEAKER_00 13:38

you? What does he want to see in your life? I want you to uh go through the scripture. Amen. Uh, in uh Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 4 and 5. This is what he wants it to be. What does it say? Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. How many of you know the scripture? Five people only. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of his strength. You probably have learned it by heart. And God says this. Right? If you have to teach something, teach yourself or teach your children, it's your responsibility. What will you teach? He's telling them, Hero Israel, the Lord our God. What? The Lord our God is ten. One na ten now. Tell me. But what does the world tell you? Many roads to God. You live in a culture, in an environment that is telling you there are many roads to God. But God is telling you, the Lord our God, Lord our God is one. You teach yourselves. If you don't teach yourselves, if you don't teach your children, the world will teach you. They will confuse you. They will tell you there are many roads to God. No, my friend, according to the word of God, there is only one road to God. There is only one way. And that is why when Jesus came, he boldly declared, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. Without me, you cannot go to the Father. He did not talk about two ways, he only talked about one way. So you teach yourself, you live in an environment that is forcing ideas, concepts, and philosophies that are not linking to the word of God, but God is telling you, if something has to be engraved upon your lives, upon your hearts, this must be engraved. The Lord our God is one God. Then you love the Lord with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, with all of your strength. This is your reasonable service. What is being impressed upon you, my friend? Who's shaping you? Who's making you? Who's preparing you? These are some of the things you must ponder on. Last week, the teachers invested in kids' lives, telling them, you live in such a kind of world, right? You are the signature in this world. You, you carry that authority, you carry that power, you carry that anointing, and you go into this world to change the course of destiny. Amen. This is what God is asking us to declare that He is the one true God. Amen.

Parents As The First Voice

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Going back to parents, the first thing I want to talk about, you were chosen as the first voice. Right? If when you were a baby yourselves, right, you would have heard your parents speak to you. And the baby also can recognize the parents' voice, even though nothing is taught, right? Nothing, you know, um, you know how it happens, only God only knows. You know, the infant baby can recognize mom and dad, the voice, right? And uh it's such a unique way. So God gives the responsibility to the parents because they are the people, right, who speak into the child's life. When you become a parent, learn to speak into your child's life. It is your responsibility, and because they are hearing your voice. If you don't preach to your children, the world will preach to them. They will be conformed to that pattern procedures. Amen. And they live like that, but that's not how God wants us. You have a voice, you speak it over your children. This morning in the first service, we dedicated a baby, and it's such a beautiful responsibility that uh God has given the parents to raise. Amen. We all have a responsibility. Now, parents have to speak in. We cannot ask the Sunday school teachers and VBS teachers and all. They will do their job. But end of the day, if God has blessed you with children as of now, and even in your course of life, God will ask you of your responsibility. What did you impress upon them? Oh, yes, you told them to get a good job. Did you tell them to go and study? Did you go to go and tell them to go abroad and have a career? All great. Above all of it, did you impress, engrave the spiritual things of God? Because you are the first voice that your children will listen to. Psalm 78, verse 4 to 7. We will not hide them from their descendants, we will tell them to the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children they would put their trust in God. Did you see how many generations are listed here? How many generations? Go through the scripture. At least three or four generations are listed here. The pattern must progress. If your previous generation did not pass this on to you, right, and you said, no, I have nothing, I you know, I did not grow up, that doesn't give you any license to live ignorant lives. You are supposed to study the scriptures, and today you are here in the church and you are hearing this sermon, and it is telling you that now at least you pass it on to your next generation, you impress it upon your hearts. Sometimes, like the way I told you how I was growing up, the situation of my family, right? Sometimes there are families like that. And people can turn their back, kids can turn their back on God. But thankfully, none of us did that. We all love the Lord, all my siblings, we love the Lord, we worship the Lord. Amen. But you will be caught up into that. Pass it on to another generation or your friend or your colleague. Pass these good things. Worthy things, how you trust the Lord, please pass it on. Because somebody's life will be touched.

Training Kids And Passing Faith

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Second thing, if you don't train your children, somebody else will train them. If you don't take up the responsibility to train your children, others will train them. Proverbs chapter 22, verse 6. Start children off on the way they should go. And even when they are old, they will not turn from it. The word here, start, right? Literally means to dedicate, to consecrate, to set apart for the purpose right from the beginning. Right from the beginning. It is your responsibility to do that. Start the children off that they should go. And when they are old, they will not fall away from it. Me and my wife, our responsibility, you know, in life, as uh in regards to our kids, was to train them with the word of God and in prayer and live a model life. That's who we are, and we have been doing that all our lives so far. What we can give, how you are impressing, right? Sometimes, you know, parents will give a lot of things to children, like property, you know, and some bank balance and this and that, that is good, great. The Bible says a good father will leave inheritance to his children. But one of the biggest things, even if you don't give these things, the good thing that you can give is to impress the word of God upon your children. Because if you don't shape them, somebody else will shape them. I've seen n number of people in life, culture, you know, and uh philosophies would shape them. And they find themselves difficult. Parents come from church, but kids don't go to church, and they are finding it difficult. Amen.

Arrows Legacy And Letting Go

SPEAKER_00 24:39

The third thing, leave. The legacy you live will outlive you. Psalm 127, verses 3 to 5. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. I hope you all understood this scripture. Children are a heritage of the Lord. You were a child too, once upon a time. Do you know that? To your own parents. Do you know what the Bible says? It's a blessing of God. You are blessed by God to be on this earth. You may not feel like that probably today. You may feel challenged in every area of your life because life did not treat you well. But that doesn't put aside what the Lord says. Children are a heritage of from the Lord. That's it. You were a child back then, you are an heritage from the Lord. And if you have children, then they are a gift from the Lord. It's as simple as that. That means you are planned by God. You have been sent by God into this earth. God used your parents as a tool to bring you onto this earth. But who is your originator? Who is your creator? Who is your master? It is God Himself. And He brought you onto this earth. You are an heritage of the Lord and goes on to say, a reward, a reward. You know you work for a company. Do you know what they give you? Huh? Salary, yeah. Apart from salary? When I was working for HSBC a long time ago, they gave me something called gun. One gun they gave me. They had at those they got top gun. You perform well, you are a top gun. So I got one award called Top Gun Award. So what will your company give you? Award. Somebody say award? God doesn't give awards. Reward. Reward. Right? You are a reward unto this earth. You came as a reward. Maybe you are born in a difficult family, but you are a reward on this earth. Maybe you're born in a rich family. You are a reward onto this earth. Irrespective of what it is, my friend. The Bible says children are a heritage from the Lord. Offspring, a reward from Him. Amen. And it says, like arrows. Somebody say that, like arrows. Everybody says that like arrows. In the hands of a warrior. Do you know what it's saying? If you have children, train your children like arrows. Like in the hands of a warrior. You know, bow and arrow, right? You have a bow, you know, you have the arrow, I don't know, whatever it's called. You have that bang and you have all the arrows. If they are useless, then it will not work. He's saying, prepare your arrows. Who, your children? Like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Amen. Children are not decoration material. Hello? Children are not? Ah, just put them and say, come see, see, look at my child. Oh, it's okay, we can do that. But don't limit to that. Many times I go to houses that they'll bring their children. Come, come one by one, one by one, come. Ah now tell, tell what? Psalm 23. Then I'm sitting there, and Lord, Lord, they are preaching to me. The Lord is my shepherd. I say, my God, they can memorize the Lord. I don't memorize. I don't have that capacity. And sometimes I they move me in such a guilty phase. One by one, like Amma, Amma, like one and Psalm 119, also somebody can quote. And then I'm sitting there, Lord, what is this test for me? I thought I'll do a house visit. They're not decoration material. That's good to do, my friend. I enjoy doing that with kids. If they come share and all. But some parents should know that's not the limit. You have to prepare them as arrows because God has a plan for them. They have to hit the bull's eye. No matter where they are placed. And the same with you all. As you have grown up and young people, you know, and probably will be married soon. Are you like an arrow that is sharp, like a warrior can use? Like if there are ten arrows, which one the soldier will use? Hello? He has choice, by the way. Yes? The one which is sharpest. Because the work has to be done. Right? And some of us we are in that lot, but we are not sharp enough. The word is not inscribed on our hearts. We are just nominal Christians, going church Christians, that's all. But we don't read the word, we don't pray, we are not inscribing. The Lord is not putting his signature in upon us. Like arrows, like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Our children, our children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man. You know, is a man who has queer full of them. That means that bag full. So just not know. I have ten children, you know. My dad's generation, they had they were ten children in one family. Praise God. Says, my grandfather said, Oh, look at me, you know, this is all my battalion. But how good are they? How good are they? The Bible says you should have a bag full of them, but they should be like sharp arrows. Prepare them, train them. The Bible says. Your children are not decorations, listen to me, not trophies to put on display, not positions to control.

Preparing For The Future World

SPEAKER_00 31:41

They are designed to be launched. Listen to me, church. They are designed to be launched toward a target with force, with purpose. The job of a warrior is not to hold on to the arrows. The job of a warrior is to aim them well, draw the bow with strength and release them at the right moment. Your children are not to, you know, yours to be kept. You have to release them one day. But before you release them, you prepare them. You prepare them. The world out there, the next ten years, the next twenty years, the next thirty years, I don't know how it will be. It's getting worse, worse and worse. Bad, bad, bad. Crazy world. And all these tiny thoughts, the little ones who are standing here, will actually walk into that kind of world one day. The glamorous world, the world with AI and so and so forth, they are going to walk with it into that kind of world. We already foresee lack of jobs. You know, AI is pulling out all the jobs, it seems, and so much that is happening. What will they do? How will they survive? What is their future? Think about it. You have to leave a legacy. You're in your job, my friend, leave a legacy. Touch the life of your colleague. They are not just sit and work with you. Yes, that is one of their jobs, but the greater job is to inscribe the word of God upon you and to touch their life. Leave a legacy. And if you're married and you have children, prepare your children like arrows. They are God's heritage. God has entrusted you into your hands a season of shaping so they can be set into this world as the agents of his kingdom. Who's impressing you? What is the mark that you're leaving behind upon yourselves, upon your children?

Final Questions And Charge

SPEAKER_00 34:10

What is the environment that you're living in? Maybe somebody has created an environment that is not right for you. But what kind of environment are you setting yourself? Your homes. What kind of environment are your homes? Think about it. You have to make a decision. The Lord is clear in what he wants to do. The Lord's word will not change. Times will change, seasons will change, ages will change. But God will never change. And today he's asking all of us to be that signatory, to impress into this world the word of God, the very life of God.