Here is a talk Pastor Phil, the Ballard marriage and family pastor, recently gave on building a legacy through godly discipline for a night to help equip and train families.
“Christian parenting isn’t a new method. It’s sharing a gospel you already know.” Elyse Fitzpatrick
Fifteen years ago, Pastor Phil and Jen’s son Jacob was born. As Phil was walking out of the hospital with Jen, carrying Jacob in the car seat, he felt like he was shoplifting: Are they serious? They’re just gonna let us walk out of here with this baby? They’re not checking ID or anything?? he thought.
They got in the car, drove home, and walked inside. As they sat their sleeping baby’s car seat on the kitchen table, they looked at each other and said, “Well now what do we do?”
It’s the question they’re still asking themselves and each other over and over again, even after 15 years.
What we think sometimes, says Pastor Phil in this talk, is that God gives us children, tells us to build a legacy, and then leaves it up to us.
But here’s the truth: God doesn’t leave it up to us, because he loves your kids more than you do. That’s good news.
Phil and Jen were part of the original core group of Mars Hill in 1996. Jacob was the first Mars Hill kid. This past Sunday, there were 2,211 kids 7 and under at all Mars Hill churches.
