Wisdom for the Next Generation
One of the great blessings of Vacation Bible School is that it reminds us of something we should never forget: children need to hear the gospel.
Many of us grew up going to VBS. Some of us went to our own church. Some of us went to a friend’s church. Some of us went anywhere someone would take us. What mattered was that we were placed in a room where someone opened the Bible, taught us about Jesus, sang songs with us, prayed with us, laughed with us, and helped us see that the gospel was good news for us.
That kind of influence matters.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
This verse reminds us that children do not simply drift into wisdom. They must be trained. They must be taught. They must be guided. They must be shown the way they should go.
Children Will Be Trained by Something
Too many parents today are worried that teaching their children the Christian faith will somehow “indoctrinate” them. But what they fail to realize is that every child will be shaped by something.
There is no such thing as a spiritually neutral upbringing.
Our children will either be taught to see the world through the truth of God’s Word, or they will learn to see it through the lies and schemes of this world. Someone will teach them what to believe, what to love, what to pursue, and how to live.
The only question is who will do the teaching.
That is why the spiritual training of children cannot be treated as optional or left to chance. Parents have a God-given responsibility to train their children in the way they should go. But this responsibility also belongs to the whole church.
Parents and adults in the church must train up children in the gospel.
The Church Must Help Train the Next Generation
At Hillcrest, we want children to know and grow in Jesus.
That does not happen only through one sermon, one lesson, or one week of VBS. It happens through faithful, steady investment over time. Every Sunday School lesson taught, every snack prepared, every room decorated, every hug or high-five given, every laugh shared together—it all matters.
Children are not only learning the importance of following God’s law. They are also learning the importance of God’s grace when they fall short of God’s law.
That is the beauty of gospel training.
We do not merely want children to behave better. We want them to know Jesus. We want them to understand sin, grace, forgiveness, faith, repentance, and eternal life. We want them to see adults who love Jesus and live out the gospel in front of them.
Parents are the primary disciple-makers in the home. But the church comes alongside parents to help train up the next generation. When the whole church takes that responsibility seriously, children are blessed with a community of people pointing them toward Christ.
Vacation Bible School Is One Way We Do This
Vacation Bible School cannot be our only strategy for discipling children, but it has been one of the great ways churches have reached the next generation for over 100 years.
VBS gives us an opportunity to invite children, welcome families, teach biblical truth, and shine a light on who Jesus is.
Many people first heard the gospel at Vacation Bible School. Many first understood that Jesus loved them during a week of VBS. Many volunteers also discovered how God could use them to serve children and share the good news.
That is why VBS matters.
It is not simply crafts, snacks, games, decorations, and songs—though all of that can be a lot of fun. VBS is about Jesus. It is about putting the truth of God’s Word into the hearts and minds of children.
Jesus Is the Light of the World
This year at VBS, our theme points us to John 8:12, where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
That is the message children need most.
Jesus is the light of the world. He is the light that shines in the darkness of sin, confusion, falsehood, sorrow, and death. He is the One who gives truth, wisdom, righteousness, freedom, joy, and life.
And He is not only the light of the world. He is the light for His people.
God has given us His Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. He has given us His Spirit to guide us into truth. He has given us His people, the church, to encourage us, equip us, and help us walk as children of light.
The world is dark, but Jesus has not left the world without light. His light shines through His people.
Like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, the church reflects the light of Jesus. We have no light of our own. But when Christ shines on us, we reflect His light for others to see.
Let Us Shine the Light
Children need the light of Christ. So do adults.
The promise of Jesus remains true: whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. That includes our children. That includes the children who will walk through our doors for Vacation Bible School. That includes the next generation we are called to train up in the gospel.
So let us do the work.
Let us teach them the Bible. Let us pray for them. Let us welcome them. Let us serve them. Let us show them the joy of following Jesus.
And let us remember that training up the next generation is not a small thing. It is gospel work.
In a dark world, we have the privilege of pointing children to Jesus, the light of the world.
You can watch this sermon in its entirety on our YouTube page.