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.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good morning guys.
Welcome to Word Up.
It is Friday morning and ourquiet times this morning.
Proverbs, chapter 4 and Matthew4, 1 through 10, which was the
scripture that we did Wednesdaynight, and I hope that you are
going back to that.
Look through that again.

(00:30):
Just see how God reveals onyour quiet time sheets for the
students that are tuning in.
I put a couple of questions onthere For our adults.
As you read through Matthewchapter 4 this morning, think
about what is my weakness?
What is it that Satan is keyingin on?
Where is it that he wants toattack me?

(00:51):
And then what can I do toprepare myself for those attacks
that are coming?
But if you have not openedGod's word, if you haven't given
God an opportunity to show youwhat he wants you to do today,
pause right here, go spend sometime in God's word and then come
back and let's look throughtoday's quiet time.

(01:12):
So yesterday we looked at Exodus, chapter 14, and the message
was about the Israelites facingthe Egyptian army and how they
began to look back at their oldlife.
Last night I sat down with ourkids 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

(01:34):
challenge approaching that youwant to go back to.
And one of my girls sharedabout her old friends that she
knew she was hanging out withfriends that she shouldn't be
hanging out with and they wereleading her away from Christ.
And oftentimes she said, youknow, as she's walking this new
walk with Christ, there aretimes when she looks back to
that life.

(01:54):
She thinks about going back tothat place and wanting to be
back with those old friends.
And I think that's a truechallenge that a lot of us face.
As you start a new walk withChrist, sometimes you have to
get rid of people that wouldpull you away from it.
But as we begin walking withChrist, if we're not surrounded

(02:14):
with godly people, if we don'thave friends that are grounded
in Christ, at times we begin tofeel lonely.
We kind of get on an island andfor whatever reason, when those
challenges are coming and wefeel lonely, we're kind of like
the Israelites.
We start looking back to thefun times we had, the parties we
went to, whatever it was thatwe did with that old crowd, and

(02:38):
sometimes we think, well, hey,it might be easier for me just
to go back to Egypt, it might beeasier for me to just stay
where I was and not try to spendall this time with the Lord and
to change things about my life.
And so, as we were talkingthrough that, ultimately what it
boiled down to and she hit it Isaid well, what keeps you from

(02:59):
going back to that Egypt?
What is it that you can do orthat you are doing that'll keep
you from going back there?
And she said it's all about thequiet time, it's all about
spending time in God's word,because when I spend time in
God's word, he reveals to me thenext person that I'm supposed
to go share with.
He reveals to me the nextperson that I'm supposed to go

(03:20):
and invest in, and I find joy incarrying out what God has asked
me to do, and I make a newfriend.
I make a new friend when I leadsomebody to the Lord.
And so that was uh, that was agreat answer and, and I truly
believe, that's what God had puton our heart, and that's true
for all of us, no matter whatyour Egypt is, no matter what

(03:40):
you're looking back to, thereason they were looking back to
Egypt was because they couldn'tsee right after that that God
was about to part the Red Seaand 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 Wordand we're focused on what he's
about to do, knowing that he'salways provided the next step,

(04:06):
then we'll stop looking back towhat we used to have in the life
that we used to live.
And so that was powerful from ateenage girl in a thing that a
lot of teenagers struggle with.
And so this morning we jumpinto Proverbs, chapter 4.
I'm going to go to Proverbsinstead of going to the Matthew
part of our quiet time.

(04:26):
Proverbs chapter 4 starts out,and it's Solomon.
He says Listen, sons, to afather's discipline and pay
attention so that you may gainunderstanding, 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 saidyour heart must hold on to my
words, keep my commands and live.

(04:47):
Solomon here is talking aboutthe things that his father
taught him, and now he'steaching it to his sons.
This just stood out to me as wehad this time together with our
kids last night and we see Godrevealing things to them.
Guys, parents, to all theparents that are listening, we

(05:11):
are called to be the dominantmoral influence in our kids'
lives.
Does that mean that I have tobe a Bible expert?
No, it does not.
But it does mean that I've gotto put God first in my life.
First I can't give somebodysomething that I don't have.
And I've got to lead my kids tothe place that God can speak to

(05:34):
them.
It's not about me being able toanswer every question they have.
It's not about me having thesolutions and being the perfect
father.
It's about me having my mindfocused on Christ and to be able
to show them what it is that Iget my hope and my joy from.
And so, as I'm reading throughthat, it was so special.

(05:58):
This week we had an awesometestimony those of you that
attend our church or if you'relistening in we had a couple,
tommy and Kay Jacks, that havecome to Leatherwood and both of
them recently surrendered theirlife to Christ.
This past Sunday they werebaptized on Kay's birthday.

(06:18):
They were baptized and theirchildren came, and I've been
meeting with Tommy.
Tommy's here with me thismorning.
Tommy, thank you for beingavailable and willing to jump in
here last minute and just sharethe testimony of what God's
doing.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
Thank you, bob, thank you.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
So Tommy's been coming in.
We've been meeting about once aweek 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 ableto reach them, being able to
show them what it looks like towalk with Christ.
And Tommy said you know, hey,I've been in and out of church
throughout my life, but I'venever truly surrendered to the

(06:58):
Lord and give Him everything, sothat Sunday that they were
baptized.
This past week his family cameto support him and this
Wednesday night his youngest soncame back with him to our
Wednesday night service andafter the service went home.
And I get home about 9 o'clockand I've got a text.
He says I've got some good news.

(07:19):
As soon as I opened the text, Iknew what the news was Like.
There was no doubt in my mindwhat had just happened, and so,
instead of texting him back, Ijust went outside and picked up
the phone and give him a call.
And as soon as I answered thephone I could hear the joy and
the tears.
And I mean just a, just acomplete breakdown, but not a

(07:43):
sad breakdown, a breakdown inall of God, and I think this is
really just a true testimony towhat God does when we surrender
and the generational influencethat we have.
So, tommy, talk just a littlebit about what God has done in
your family's life and how hardit is to take that first step,

(08:03):
to admit that, hey, I've gone tochurch, I've done the things,
but I haven't truly surrendered.
And once we make thatcommitment, what can he do to
our families?

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Well, boss, it's like you and I was talking and you
even brought up.
You know, when we definitelygive ourselves to God and open,
Open up everything to him, hecan completely flip our world.
I mean, just take it from where, as you just said, we were out

(08:35):
in the wilderness, you know, andcompletely put your whole
family, everyone just right inline with his word, with what
he's doing, and I'm just, I amtruly thankful, I mean just
amazed at the power that God hasand just the blessings that he

(08:59):
poured upon my family withinjust the last couple of weeks.
It's truly been amazing.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Tommy.
I mean, do you think, are you atheologian?
Do you have the Bible memorizedfrom front to back?
No, no, far from it.
Do you know every scripturethat you need when somebody asks
a question Negative?
You were just sharing with meabout you and your wife sitting
down and having a quiet timelast night and not understanding

(09:26):
one part of the scripture youwere reading and y'all had to go
look it up, right, so you'renot a Bible expert, but we don't
have to be a Bible expert.
I think a lot of times asparents, we hold back, we resist
from stepping out and leading,because we think we don't know
enough, we don't want to teachand we don't want to invest in

(09:50):
other people, even outside ofour family, because we think,
well, I'm not well-versed enough.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Right, and I think that was our thing last night,
as you were saying, with ourquiet times.
You know, she and I both hadstudied, done our meditation,
and we just sat down there atthe table and just started
bouncing ideas, bouncing thingsoff of each other.

(10:21):
Just to add to it, I guess youcould say, and it was here again
.
I mean it's amazing.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
You know, I think back as we've been talking
through baptism and we've allmet together and we talked
before your baptism and we talkabout what God's Word says.
It talks about that being ourtestimony of what God has done,
the commitment that we've madeand I think you know you're not
a Bible expert and I'm noteither but your testimony that

(10:55):
morning, just your willingnessto stand there before the church
and to say I am a follower ofChrist.
For the first time in my life,I'm putting everything I've got
into my walk with Christ and itwas that testimony that brought
your family that day.
It was that testimony that ledyour son to wanting to join you

(11:17):
again three days later and itwas that testimony that opened
the door for him to hear Godcalling his name and to accept
the call to become a follower ofChrist.
You didn't have to know thescriptures, you didn't have to
use the Romans road, you didn'thave to use the Evangicube, you
didn't have to use the threecircles, EE, all the things that

(11:38):
we use.
They're great tools, but Goddoes it.
All we have to do is be willingand unashamed of what God has
done in our life, to let peoplesee that and through that he can
work miracles, and that's whatwe've seen in your life and in
your family.
And, Tommy, you're not going tobe perfect.
You're going to make moremistakes, and sometimes that's

(12:00):
hard for us because in ourfamilies they see our mistakes
more than anybody else.
Well, how are you going topreach to me when you just acted
that way?
You know what that happens tome all the time.
I've told you.
I joke about Sunday mornings.
I get up early and I come tochurch before my wife ever gets
up, because I know that Satan'sgoing to create an argument

(12:22):
before I go to church on aSunday.
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 upand I'm going to say what God
put on my heart, and then whenwe leave, she's going to be like
oh, you can stand up there infront of the church and say that
, but you mad at me this morning.
That's the way Satan works.
He wants to distract us, hewants to hold us back from being

(12:42):
able to give the testimonythat'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, whatI tell our students all the
time that joy don't come fromAlabama winning a football game,
that joy don't come from goingout and having a party on the

(13:03):
weekend.
I mean, all that stuff istemporary.
The smile that I see on yourface and the joy that you got
right now comes from spendingtime with God doing what he's
told you to do and seeing yourfamily be transformed in the
process.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
It does it truly does .

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Man, I am so excited.
Guys, if you're out there,parents, if you're listening,
realize that you can make adifference.
You don't have to be a Biblescholar.
You don't have to be a Biblescholar.
You don't have to be a pastor,you don't have to be anybody.
The Bible tells us right here inProverbs 1-4, that we, as
parents, are to be the moralinfluencers and instructors of

(13:40):
our children.
Get in God's Word, Take them tothe 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 guesttomorrow, quarterback from
Pleasant Valley High School,braxton Solster, one of our key

(14:02):
students in our student ministry.
God has really been doing awork in his life and so he's
going to be on to just sharesome of the things that God has
put on his heart and how he wentfrom being, I guess, a shy
Christian to outspoken and beingable to lead his friends to
Christ.
So y'all come back heretomorrow morning and let's hear

(14:23):
Braxton's testimony.
I love you guys.
Have a great day.