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Word UP with Webb
Daily Devotion for Teens and Students
Word UP with Webb
When Surrender Creates Generational Impact: A Family's Faith Revival
What keeps us from returning to our old ways when life gets challenging? This question forms the heart of today's deeply moving conversation about spiritual growth and family transformation.
The journey begins with an exploration of our personal "Egypts" – those aspects of our former lives that tempt us when we face obstacles. Just as the Israelites longed for Egypt when confronted by Pharaoh's army, we often look backward rather than forward during difficult times. One teenage girl's powerful insight reveals that consistent time in Scripture prevents this backward glance by continually showing us who to invest in next, creating new relationships that replace what we've left behind.
The conversation takes a profound turn when Tommy shares his family's transformation story. Recently baptized alongside his wife, Tommy describes how his surrender to Christ led directly to his son's salvation just days later. His testimony demolishes the common myth that parents need biblical expertise to influence their children spiritually. Instead, Tommy's authentic faith journey – complete with questions, struggles, and imperfections – created space for God to work powerfully across generations.
This episode offers hope to every parent who feels inadequate as a spiritual leader. You don't need all the answers. You don't need to be perfect. You simply need to demonstrate where your joy comes from and lead your family to a place where God can speak directly to them. The genuine smile on Tommy's face as he describes studying Scripture with his wife and witnessing his son's salvation speaks volumes about the true source of lasting joy.
Ready to experience the ripple effect of authentic faith in your own family? Listen now, and discover how your testimony – not your theological expertise – might become the catalyst for transformation in the lives of those you love most.
Good morning guys. Welcome to Word Up. It is Friday morning and our quiet times this morning. Proverbs, chapter 4 and Matthew 4, 1 through 10, which was the scripture that we did Wednesday night, and I hope that you are going back to that. Look through that again. Just see how God reveals on your quiet time sheets for the students that are tuning in. I put a couple of questions on there For our adults. As you read through Matthew chapter 4 this morning, think about what is my weakness? What is it that Satan is keying in on? Where is it that he wants to attack me? And then what can I do to prepare myself for those attacks that are coming? But if you have not opened God's word, if you haven't given God an opportunity to show you what he wants you to do today, pause right here, go spend some time in God's word and then come back and let's look through today's quiet time.
Speaker 1:So yesterday we looked at Exodus, chapter 14, and the message was about the Israelites facing the Egyptian army and how they began to look back at their old life. Last night I sat down with our kids and we started talking through this. You know what is your Egypt? What is it about your old life, that, as you see the new challenge approaching that you want to go back to. And one of my girls shared about her old friends that she knew she was hanging out with friends that she shouldn't be hanging out with and they were leading her away from Christ. And oftentimes she said, you know, as she's walking this new walk with Christ, there are times when she looks back to that life. She thinks about going back to that place and wanting to be back with those old friends.
Speaker 1:And I think that's a true challenge that a lot of us face. As you start a new walk with Christ, sometimes you have to get rid of people that would pull you away from it. But as we begin walking with Christ, if we're not surrounded with godly people, if we don't have friends that are grounded in Christ, at times we begin to feel lonely. We kind of get on an island and for whatever reason, when those challenges are coming and we feel lonely, we're kind of like the Israelites. We start looking back to the fun times we had, the parties we went to, whatever it was that we did with that old crowd, and sometimes we think, well, hey, it might be easier for me just to go back to Egypt, it might be easier for me to just stay where I was and not try to spend all this time with the Lord and to change things about my life.
Speaker 1:And so, as we were talking through that, ultimately what it boiled down to and she hit it I said well, what keeps you from going back to that Egypt? What is it that you can do or that you are doing that'll keep you from going back there? And she said it's all about the quiet time, it's all about spending time in God's word, because when I spend time in God's word, he reveals to me the next person that I'm supposed to go share with. He reveals to me the next person that I'm supposed to go and invest in, and I find joy in carrying out what God has asked me to do, and I make a new friend. I make a new friend when I lead somebody to the Lord. And so that was uh, that was a great answer and, and I truly believe, that's what God had put on our heart, and that's true for all of us, no matter what your Egypt is, no matter what you're looking back to, the reason they were looking back to Egypt was because they couldn't see right after that that God was about to part the Red Sea and make a way for them out. If they could have seen that, they wouldn't have been looking back. Same for us. If we're so deep in God's Word and we're focused on what he's about to do, knowing that he's always provided the next step, then we'll stop looking back to what we used to have in the life that we used to live. And so that was powerful from a teenage girl in a thing that a lot of teenagers struggle with. And so this morning we jump into Proverbs, chapter 4. I'm going to go to Proverbs instead of going to the Matthew part of our quiet time.
Speaker 1:Proverbs chapter 4 starts out, and it's Solomon. He says Listen, sons, to a father's discipline and pay attention so that you may gain understanding, for I'm giving you good instruction. Don't abandon my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother, he taught me and said your heart must hold on to my words, keep my commands and live. Solomon here is talking about the things that his father taught him, and now he's teaching it to his sons.
Speaker 1:This just stood out to me as we had this time together with our kids last night and we see God revealing things to them. Guys, parents, to all the parents that are listening, we are called to be the dominant moral influence in our kids' lives. Does that mean that I have to be a Bible expert? No, it does not. But it does mean that I've got to put God first in my life. First I can't give somebody something that I don't have. And I've got to lead my kids to the place that God can speak to them.
Speaker 1:It's not about me being able to answer every question they have. It's not about me having the solutions and being the perfect father. It's about me having my mind focused on Christ and to be able to show them what it is that I get my hope and my joy from. And so, as I'm reading through that, it was so special. This week we had an awesome testimony those of you that attend our church or if you're listening in we had a couple, tommy and Kay Jacks, that have come to Leatherwood and both of them recently surrendered their life to Christ. This past Sunday they were baptized on Kay's birthday. They were baptized and their children came, and I've been meeting with Tommy. Tommy's here with me this morning. Tommy, thank you for being available and willing to jump in here last minute and just share the testimony of what God's doing.
Speaker 2:Thank you, bob, thank you.
Speaker 1:So Tommy's been coming in. We've been meeting about once a week and just reading through God's Word together. And from the very beginning, tommy's burden on his heart was his kids. He was burdened for being able to reach them, being able to show them what it looks like to walk with Christ. And Tommy said you know, hey, I've been in and out of church throughout my life, but I've never truly surrendered to the Lord and give Him everything, so that Sunday that they were baptized.
Speaker 1:This past week his family came to support him and this Wednesday night his youngest son came back with him to our Wednesday night service and after the service went home. And I get home about 9 o'clock and I've got a text. He says I've got some good news. As soon as I opened the text, I knew what the news was Like. There was no doubt in my mind what had just happened, and so, instead of texting him back, I just went outside and picked up the phone and give him a call. And as soon as I answered the phone I could hear the joy and the tears.
Speaker 1:And I mean just a, just a complete breakdown, but not a sad breakdown, a breakdown in all of God, and I think this is really just a true testimony to what God does when we surrender and the generational influence that we have. So, tommy, talk just a little bit about what God has done in your family's life and how hard it is to take that first step, to admit that, hey, I've gone to church, I've done the things, but I haven't truly surrendered. And once we make that commitment, what can he do to our families?
Speaker 2:Well, boss, it's like you and I was talking and you even brought up. You know, when we definitely give ourselves to God and open, Open up everything to him, he can completely flip our world. I mean, just take it from where, as you just said, we were out in the wilderness, you know, and completely put your whole family, everyone just right in line with his word, with what he's doing, and I'm just, I am truly thankful, I mean just amazed at the power that God has and just the blessings that he poured upon my family within just the last couple of weeks. It's truly been amazing.
Speaker 1:Tommy. I mean, do you think, are you a theologian? Do you have the Bible memorized from front to back? No, no, far from it. Do you know every scripture that you need when somebody asks a question Negative? You were just sharing with me about you and your wife sitting down and having a quiet time last night and not understanding one part of the scripture you were reading and y'all had to go look it up, right, so you're not a Bible expert, but we don't have to be a Bible expert. I think a lot of times as parents, we hold back, we resist from stepping out and leading, because we think we don't know enough, we don't want to teach and we don't want to invest in other people, even outside of our family, because we think, well, I'm not well-versed enough.
Speaker 2:Right, and I think that was our thing last night, as you were saying, with our quiet times. You know, she and I both had studied, done our meditation, and we just sat down there at the table and just started bouncing ideas, bouncing things off of each other. Just to add to it, I guess you could say, and it was here again. I mean it's amazing.
Speaker 1:You know, I think back as we've been talking through baptism and we've all met together and we talked before your baptism and we talk about what God's Word says. It talks about that being our testimony of what God has done, the commitment that we've made and I think you know you're not a Bible expert and I'm not either but your testimony that morning, just your willingness to stand there before the church and to say I am a follower of Christ. For the first time in my life, I'm putting everything I've got into my walk with Christ and it was that testimony that brought your family that day. It was that testimony that led your son to wanting to join you again three days later and it was that testimony that opened the door for him to hear God calling his name and to accept the call to become a follower of Christ. You didn't have to know the scriptures, you didn't have to use the Romans road, you didn't have to use the Evangicube, you didn't have to use the three circles, EE, all the things that we use. They're great tools, but God does it. All we have to do is be willing and unashamed of what God has done in our life, to let people see that and through that he can work miracles, and that's what we've seen in your life and in your family. And, Tommy, you're not going to be perfect. You're going to make more mistakes, and sometimes that's hard for us because in our families they see our mistakes more than anybody else. Well, how are you going to preach to me when you just acted that way? You know what that happens to me all the time. I've told you.
Speaker 1:I joke about Sunday mornings. I get up early and I come to church before my wife ever gets up, because I know that Satan's going to create an argument before I go to church on a Sunday. If I don't get out of the house, he's going to throw something out there for us to argue about. And then I'm going to get up and I'm going to say what God put on my heart, and then when we leave, she's going to be like oh, you can stand up there in front of the church and say that, but you mad at me this morning.
Speaker 1:That's the way Satan works. He wants to distract us, he wants to hold us back from being able to give the testimony that's going to lead somebody to Christ. And so I'm proud of you. I'm proud of the excitement, the joy on your face. You know what that joy is, what I tell our students all the time that joy don't come from Alabama winning a football game, that joy don't come from going out and having a party on the weekend. I mean, all that stuff is temporary. The smile that I see on your face and the joy that you got right now comes from spending time with God doing what he's told you to do and seeing your family be transformed in the process.
Speaker 2:It does it truly does.
Speaker 1:Man, I am so excited. Guys, if you're out there, parents, if you're listening, realize that you can make a difference. You don't have to be a Bible scholar. You don't have to be a Bible scholar. You don't have to be a pastor, you don't have to be anybody.
Speaker 1:The Bible tells us right here in Proverbs 1-4, that we, as parents, are to be the moral influencers and instructors of our children. Get in God's Word, Take them to the place that God can speak to them and let Him do the work. I promise you it won't fail. I love you guys. We'll be back here tomorrow. We've got another special guest tomorrow, quarterback from Pleasant Valley High School, braxton Solster, one of our key students in our student ministry. God has really been doing a work in his life and so he's going to be on to just share some of the things that God has put on his heart and how he went from being, I guess, a shy Christian to outspoken and being able to lead his friends to Christ. So y'all come back here tomorrow morning and let's hear Braxton's testimony. I love you guys. Have a great day.