Message summary: Today we consider generations. We are all part of one!

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"Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died" (Exodus 1:6). "One generation passes away, and another generation comes" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). "A time to be born and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2).

Yesterday afternoon we returned from our trip out to Wisconsin for our annual Steincross family reunion. We've been meeting annually* for 50 years after my grandparents on my mom's side passed away in the early seventies. Aunt Frances and Uncle Gentry started it so that their siblings (my aunts and uncles) and their families would stay connected.

Brooksyne attended the very first reunion in 1975, at the young age of 19 (the summer before our junior year). We had not yet talked of marriage, but perhaps she was wanting to get a look at what she was getting herself into as she met my extended family.

Now that entire generation has passed away and five of the sixteen grandchildren (my cousins) have died also, two in the last several months. There were just eight of us at this last reunion, me being the youngest at the ripe old age of 70!

We demonstrate the truthfulness of the Scriptural statement, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

Our first daily text soberly describes the passing of a generation, "Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died". This is the Joseph who was Jacob's son and instrumental in the family's temporary relocation to Egypt described in the latter chapters of Genesis.

Based upon the forty-year generation cycle there have been some 75 generations that have come and gone since King Solomon wrote the words in our daily texts from Ecclesiastes. Actually in most cultures there have been even more. Indeed generations come and go. When you're young you think you'll never get old, when you're middle-aged you know better. And now that I am old I personally realize that "time flies" is more than just a cliche'!

Reunions are beneficial for a number of reasons but let’s focus on just one today: They’re a reminder of how temporary life really is, how fast it goes,  and it should prompt us to focus on what really matters.

Today I encourage you to examine your roots and your destination. Generations indeed come and generations indeed go. You have come and you are most certainly going. We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (see James 4:14).

Scripture is full of reminders that faith is not just a personal treasure, but a blessing meant to be shared from generation to generation. In Psalm 78:4, we read, “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.” The psalmist understood that each generation has a sacred responsibility to pass on the truth, hope, and encouragement found in God.

Many of us can recall the influence of a praying parent or grandparent, a pastor or Sunday school teacher, or a faithful friend whose words and actions left an imprint on our hearts. Their encouragement became an anchor during life's inevitable storms. Perhaps you are now filling that role for someone younger—a child, grandchild, neighbor, or a friend who looks to you for guidance and hope.

But generational faith is not just about the stories we tell. It’s about the daily example we set. Children and grandchildren watch how we respond to adversity, how we pray, and how we serve. Our trust in God—especially in uncertain times—can become the very foundation upon which future generations build their own faith.

If you sometimes wonder whether your quiet acts of faithfulness make any difference, remember the promise of Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The seeds of encouragement we plant today may bear fruit in ways we cannot yet see.

As we look ahead, let us commit ourselves to being conduits of blessing—living out a faith that is visible, resilient, and contagious. Let’s encourage one another, and especially the next generation, to walk in the light of God’s truth, trusting that He will guide their steps just as He has guided ours.

Let us stay faithful to that which really does matter!

Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber