will be like well-nurtured plants,

and our daughters will be like pillars

    carved to adorn a palace.

– Psalm 144:12 NIV

Friends,

The Psalms were penned by regular men walking through the real and raw depths of the human experience. With body and soul, animated by the life of God, these brave authors invite us into a God-permeated vision of Reality more visceral and personal than our often emotionally reserved contexts reflect.    

In Psalm 144, the psalmist vividly depicts the robust well-being of future generations as they stand on the shoulders of men and women seeking and interacting with the Living God. 

What depth and breadth of life in God would prepare the way for our children and grandchildren to experience this quality of soul-flourishing? 

“What story are we inviting our kids into? Is the story they are watching us live big enough to contain all the hopes, dreams, disappointments, and fears? Is the story that our lives tell filled with life and promise? Or do our lives tell a small story, a religious story, a limp and narrow story that is painfully less appealing than the competing narratives they’re also being offered? Sports achievement, mind-altering substances, unrestricted sexual expression, a girlfriend or boyfriend, and followers on social media—these are powerful stories. If I’ve learned anything, it is this: our kids’ hearts will gravitate toward the biggest, best, and most life-filled story they can find. If we don’t model a Christianity brimming with life, it simply won’t be attractive enough to captivate their hearts. So our first mission must be to come home ourselves to a Gospel and a God so vibrant with life that we can’t help but model the joy and vitality of what we have discovered. And then we must find ways to give our kids direct access to the Kingdom of our Father for themselves in order to cultivate their own faith journey.”*

Join me and longstanding Become Good Soil like-hearted apprentice Jeff Zaugg for Part 2 of this conversation as we recover another ancient stone in the narrow road that leads to life.

For the Kingdom,

Morgan

*BGS Father's Day devotional PDF