Teaching the Next Generation - Deuteronomy 6

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction

Happy Father’s Day! Let’s have all the fathers here today stand, so we can honor them. What makes a man a father is having children, and children are a great blessing to every father and a great responsibility. Today, I’ve entitled our Father’s Day message “Teaching the Next Generation.”

As fathers, our children are the next generation, and they will carry on the work of God when we are gone. This morning, we’re going to be talking about how to pass on our faith and understanding of God to our children. For those who no longer have children at home, our responsibility to them does not end. So this message is for fathers with children at home and empty nest fathers as well.

Psalm 78:4 (ESV) We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

The psalmist describes for us the goal of a godly heritage. For those of us with godly fathers, we have an obligation to maintain that faith for ourselves and to pass it on to the next generation. If you are a first generation believer, you also have a responsibility to tell the next generation about the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV) “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—

This verse makes clear that you can’t pass on something to the next generation that you don’t have yourself. As fathers, we must keep our faith strong and make it known to our children. This verse adds that we should pass on our faith to our grandchildren.

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

This verse is a wonderful promise that when we train up our children in God’s way, they will continue to walk with God throughout life. So, how can we teach the next generation as fathers? The Word of God gives us clear instruction and encouragement for this responsibility.

Heed God’s commands for blessing

Deuteronomy 6:1 (ESV) “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,

The passage that we’ll be learning from gives Moses instructions to the father’s of Israel prior to entering the promised land. God’s instructions are presented here as commands, not as suggestions. God’s Word does not give us multiple options to choose from, but specific commands to live by.

Deuteronomy 6:2 (ESV) that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Fear of the Lord is demonstrated by keeping God’s commands. We obey God’s commands first of all because we love Him and want to please Him. We also obey God’s commands because we fear Him and understand that obedience brings blessing while disobedience brings negative consequences.

Deuteronomy 6:3 (ESV) Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

This verse describes how you can reap God’s blessing. First, you need to hear, to understand, and to take to heart God’s commands. Then you must be careful to do them, resulting in things going well with you and blessing for your family.

Lead your family by faithful obedience

As a father, you are to lead your family in heeding God’s commands in your life. You teach your children first by your example through prayer, time in God’s Word, faithfulness in worship, and honoring God with your giving. When you lead by example, your words will carry weight and your children will follow both your teaching and your life.

Embrace wholehearted love for God

Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

To teach the next generation, we as fathers must embrace that the Lord God is one. There is no other God and there is none like Him. He is not only God, but Lord, and He must be obeyed.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

God is not just an all-powerful being who cannot be approached. God is our Father, and as His children we must love Him with all of our being. This love for God should be shown in every aspect of our lives through both example and words.

Model love for God through your life and relationships

To love the Lord God, your heavenly Father, is the most important thing. To impact your children’s lives for God, you must show that God has first place in your life and is the most important person to you. How you love your heavenly Father and how you love your children will shape how they understand and respond to God.

Teach your children diligently

Deuteronomy 6:6 (ESV) And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Alongside training your children through example, you must also teach your children diligently with your words. In order to teach your children, the Word of God must not just be in a book but must be on your heart. You must be both a student of God’s Word and one who lives it out daily.

Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

As a godly father, you have the opportunity to teach your children diligently in every season of life. This teaching happens at home, on vacation, at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day. You are called to be the primary teacher of God’s Word in your children’s lives.

Make time to teach faith in everyday moments

Some may say they don’t know enough to teach their children, which is why they bring them to church. The church is a supplement to what you teach at home and helps you grow as you worship and study God’s Word. As a father, you must lead the way, making time to teach age-appropriate Bible study and prayer to your children.

Remember God’s commands

Deuteronomy 6:8 (ESV) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

This instruction calls fathers to make personal provision to remember God’s commands. Remembering is necessary because we all tend to forget. The point is to do whatever works for you so that God’s Word stays before you daily.

Deuteronomy 6:9 (ESV) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This instruction focuses on creating reminders of God’s Word in your home. Your environment can quietly testify to your faith through Scripture, media choices, and conversations. A home shaped by God’s Word reflects a life centered on Him.

Keep God’s Word alive across generations

Your task as a father is not only to remember God’s Word yourself but to help your children remember it as well. This responsibility continues even after your children leave home and begin families of their own. Through conversation, prayer, and sharing God’s work in your life, you reinforce the truths they have been taught.

Conclusion

On this Father’s Day, we’ve talked about both the great blessing and the great responsibility of being a father. To be a great father, you must be a devoted child of your heavenly Father who follows His commands. As you embrace wholehearted love for God, He will help you teach your children diligently by both example and word.

God will also help you remember His commands and bring remembrance of His Word to your children. Whether your children are still at home or making homes of their own, your influence continues. Teach the next generation and their children to walk in God’s way, and both you and they will be blessed.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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