“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 (NIV)
Today is my dad’s birthday. He is now on the spiritual path to finish well. However, when I was a child, my dad became an alcoholic which led to my parents’ divorce and ultimately to his imprisonment. As a result, my dad was not an integral part of my upbringing. When I look over my childhood, the one constant in my life was church. My mother and my mamaw made certain that I went to church with them each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. My mother played the piano and my mamaw played the organ.
God used that consistency in my life to allow me to be under the influence of the gospel each week in Sunday School, in worship, and in my church’s basketball league. God brought godly men into my life at church that would take me fishing, camping, and hunting. I watched those men closely to see how they treated their wives and their children. On March 28, 1979, I gave my heart to the Father who would never let me down. Jesus became the Lord of my life and He also became my Heavenly Daddy!
Paul identified the sincere faith that Timothy’s mother and grandmother exhibited before him consistently. Timothy became a follower of Christ and devoted his life to teaching and preaching God’s Word. I love how Paul affirms the sincere faith that first lived in Timothy’s grandmother and mother.
Are you handing down the faith? Is your faith sincere? Will the next generation be able to look at your life and see the reality of Jesus and His Lordship?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor