WHAT LANGUAGE WILL YOUR CHILDREN SPEAK? (21 OF 21)
by Mike Stone
Scripture: Nehemiah 13:23-31
This content is part of a series.
What Language Will Your Children Speak? (21 of 21)
Series: Rebuilding - Questions From Nehemiah
Mike Stone
Nehemiah 13:23-31
I heard about a man who was looking for a Mother's Day gift for his elderly mother. Like a lot of people her age, she seemed to already have ''everything.'' So, one day while in a local pet shop he saw a giant parakeet on display.
It was $25,000. He thought that was quite expensive. The owner explained that the bird was fluent in 7 languages. The man bought it, sent it to her, and then waited. He called to ask, ''What did you think about the bird I sent you?'' She replied, ''Well, I overcooked it and it was a little dry but I added BBQ sauce to it and it turned out very nice.''
She didn't have any idea how many languages that bird spoke. And it turned out to be a costly mistake.
But there is a much costlier mistake in the life of a Christian family. It's when we give no consideration to what language our children and grandchildren will speak.
To be clear, I am not talking about race, ethnicity, or dialect. I don't mean, ''Will your child marry a Spanish-speaking believer and raise your grandkids to speak Spanish.''
I don't mean, ''Will your child marry a French-speaking Christian and raise your grandkids to speak French.''
I mean, ''Will you live so close to the world...so intermingled with pagan philosophies that your own kid and grandkids will not be able to speak about spiritual things?'' That when you talk to them about Jesus, you may as well be speaking a foreign language?
I was on a mission trip down to Haiti, trying to speak to someone who only spoke Haitian Creole. There was a barrier because we didn't speak the same language.
Sometimes I feel that way trying to preach the gospel.
I remember being on a trip to Mexico, going into a store, and trying to remember enough Spanish from high school to ask about a certain product I was looking for. There was a barrier because we didn't speak the same langu ...
Series: Rebuilding - Questions From Nehemiah
Mike Stone
Nehemiah 13:23-31
I heard about a man who was looking for a Mother's Day gift for his elderly mother. Like a lot of people her age, she seemed to already have ''everything.'' So, one day while in a local pet shop he saw a giant parakeet on display.
It was $25,000. He thought that was quite expensive. The owner explained that the bird was fluent in 7 languages. The man bought it, sent it to her, and then waited. He called to ask, ''What did you think about the bird I sent you?'' She replied, ''Well, I overcooked it and it was a little dry but I added BBQ sauce to it and it turned out very nice.''
She didn't have any idea how many languages that bird spoke. And it turned out to be a costly mistake.
But there is a much costlier mistake in the life of a Christian family. It's when we give no consideration to what language our children and grandchildren will speak.
To be clear, I am not talking about race, ethnicity, or dialect. I don't mean, ''Will your child marry a Spanish-speaking believer and raise your grandkids to speak Spanish.''
I don't mean, ''Will your child marry a French-speaking Christian and raise your grandkids to speak French.''
I mean, ''Will you live so close to the world...so intermingled with pagan philosophies that your own kid and grandkids will not be able to speak about spiritual things?'' That when you talk to them about Jesus, you may as well be speaking a foreign language?
I was on a mission trip down to Haiti, trying to speak to someone who only spoke Haitian Creole. There was a barrier because we didn't speak the same language.
Sometimes I feel that way trying to preach the gospel.
I remember being on a trip to Mexico, going into a store, and trying to remember enough Spanish from high school to ask about a certain product I was looking for. There was a barrier because we didn't speak the same langu ...
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