R. ALBERT MOHLER JR., RUSSELL MOORE, JOHN PIPER, BRUCE A. WARE, AND MORE

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1 W I TH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM R. ALBERT MOHLER JR., RUSSELL MOORE, JOHN PIPER, BRUCE A. WARE, AND MORE EDITED BY DAVID AND SALLY MICHAEL

2 Introduction 9 Introduction For the Indestructible Joy of the Next Generations AS A CONCLUSION to his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told a story that, for generations, has been famous among Sunday school children and, for decades, has captured the desire of our hearts for the next generations: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27). We don t want to raise a generation of fools who grow up hearing, yet neglecting, the words of Jesus. We want our children to be among the wise in their generation. We want them to be equipped for living by faith in the Son of God, walking in His ways, trusting Him in every circumstance, standing firm against the schemes of the devil, forsaking the things of this world and the desires of the flesh, laying up treasures in heaven, holding fast with confidence in His goodness, resting in His sovereignty, running with endurance the race that is set before them, persevering in the full assurance of hope, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, standing on the promises of God, and enduring in an unshakable

3 10 indestructible joy for the next generations faith when the inevitable storms of life blow and beat against them. The fruit of this unshakable faith is an indestructible joy. As Jesus final hour was approaching he warned his disciples that the storms were coming. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name s sake (Matthew 24:9). On the night before He endured the cross, Jesus said, Truly, truly you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful But on the heels of that warning, Jesus quickly assured them that their `sorrow will turn into joy.and no one will take your joy from you (John 16:20-22). In other words, the fruit of their unshakable faith was an indestructible joy. For more than 20 years, the pursuit of this indestructible joy for the next generations has been the heartbeat of Children Desiring God. On several occasions during this span, God used many voices to inspire, encourage, and support thousands in this pursuit as men and women from across this country and around the world gathered in Minnesota, and once in Indiana, for our national conferences. This book is an effort to gather a taste of these timeless messages into one place with the prayer that they will continue to inspire, encourage, and support thousands more. As you read the words of these servants, and perhaps listen to their original messages online at Truth78.org/anthology, let them serve as a reminder of this pursuit that has defined our ministry. This pursuit for indestructible joy remains unchanged as Children Desiring God begins this new season as Truth78.

4 Contents Introduction For the Indestructible Joy of the Next Generations DAVID MICHAEL 9 1 No Greater Joy Leading the next generations to walk in the truth DAVID MICHAEL 13 2 Declaring the Whole Counsel of God What's at stake for our children MARK VROEGOP 29 3 Why Theology and Doctrine Matter in Children's Ministry Right thinking for right living JOHN PIPER 43 4 The Fullness of the Whole Counsel of God From grand story to grammar, it all matters BRUCE A. WARE 61 5 Teaching the Difficult and Complex Doctrines to Children The conviction and confidence to teach what's hard SALLY MICHAEL 77

5 6 Parents, the Primary Disciplers of Their Children You can't give your children what you don't have TIMOTHY PAUL JONES 95 7 Teaching the Essential Truths of the Gospel to Children Are we building unshakable foundations? JILL NELSON Sovereign Grace and the Salvation of Children There is no such thing as a seeker C. J. MAHANEY Showing Children the Authority of Jesus The only way to war against the powers of darkness RUSSELL MOORE Holding Fast to the Word Under Cultural Pressures Are we raising Canaanites or believers? R. ALBERT MOHLER JR. 157 Afterword The Fruit of Proclaiming the Glorious Gospel to the Next Generations Scripture Index Truth78 181

6 Having a long-term vision is crucial for discipling children and youth. This book presents a vision of indestructible joy for the next generations a joy that can t be destroyed in the best, or worst, of times a joy that can withstand the temptations, the trials, and the persecutions of the world. Each chapter is drawn from messages given over the past 15 years at the national conference for Children Desiring God (now Truth78). John Piper, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, Bruce Ware, and more encourage parents and teachers to proclaim the whole counsel of God to nurture the faith of the next generations. Our vision for the next generation is a vision for the indestructible joy of our children, and for the unsurpassable joy of those who love them and care about the outcome of their faith. David Michael Children need to hear the words of God because when they hear the words of God, they are not just hearing a story, they are not just hearing doctrines, they are hearing Jesus Christ. russell moore Do you want the children in your ministry to come to a deep, strong, unshakeable faith and be saved from sin and hell? The word of God rightly taught does that. John Piper The default is that if we re going to live in Canaan, our children will be Canaanites, unless there is some massive intervention that will prevent it. The last thing that should surprise us, given the biblical worldview, is that our children will look like the culture around them. That should never surprise us. The exception is anyone who would stand over as separate from that culture. Albert Mohler We will only understand the glory of grace, of salvation, of freedom from the bondage of sin, and forgiveness from the guilt of sin, when we understand how bad sin is. Without a true understanding of their problem, children will have no context for seeing how glorious the solution is in Christ. Bruce Ware DAVID AND SALLY MICHAEL are the co-founders of Truth78 (originally called Children Desiring God). Their ministry has been marked by a strong commitment to equipping and partnering with parents and churches in discipling the next generations. Supported by John Piper, their pastor for 33 years and ministry colleague, they have developed a philosophy of ministry and resources which reflect sound doctrine for ministry to children. The Michaels now live in Indianapolis where they serve families at College Park Church. They enjoy spending time with their daughter Kristi, daughter Amy and her husband Gary, and three grandchildren. Truth78.org