BIG Questions for Grandparents What is the purpose of “grandparenthood”? What is your role with your adult children and grandkids? What kind of family legacy are you helping to leave behind?

Psalm 92: 12-14 12  “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,     they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord,     they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age,     they will stay fresh and green”

Enoch was a man who “walked with God” during his lifetime. Genesis 5: 21-24 Enoch was a man who “walked with God” during his lifetime. This set an example for his descendants and earned the extremely rare privilege of being taken up to Heaven, without dying.

How we “walk” or live our lives will go on to determine a large piece of our legacy. Did we walk with and for God? Did we go our own way?

Genesis 5: 25-27 25 “When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.”

of our hands caused by the ground the Lord Genesis 5: 28-31 28 “When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, ‘He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord  has cursed.’ 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.”

Genesis 5:32 & 6: 8-9 “After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.” “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. …Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”

We can see evidence of godly parenting and godly grand-parenting in the life of Noah.

Evidence #1: Noah was a righteous man in a totally corrupt age. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Genesis 6:5 & 7:1 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.”

The Faith of Artist Jean-Francois Millet

Noah followed God’s instructions exactly. Evidence #2: Noah followed God’s instructions exactly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Genesis 6: 14-16 14  “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening 18 inches high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.”

Noah totally submitted his life to God. Evidence #3: Noah totally submitted his life to God. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark…”

“Legacy-Builders” for Your Grandkids * Play with them. * Tell them that you love them often. * Look for good things in your grandkids and not just the bad. * Share your life, the good and the bad, so they can learn from you. * Be consistent and follow through on things. * Eliminate bad habits so they don’t learn them.

“Legacy-Builders” for Your Grandkids * Model a healthy marriage. * (if applicable) * Teach them about God and spiritual things. * Let them see how Jesus has worked in your life and how He continues to work, even though you may have past failings. * Point them towards heaven as your time on earth is most likely shorter than theirs, let them know how family can all live together forever.