What is "old"? I don't know. The older I get the older "old" gets! 

If you’re getting mail from AARP, I’m talking to you.
If your kids are out of the house (or they should be), I’m talking to you.  
If you have been offered a senior discount without asking....yeah, talking to you. 
If you are old enough to have grandchildren. Yep.

We need you to be our grandparents — spiritually speaking.

My maternal grandparents were some of the most admirable people I’ve known. One reason is simple: they spent time with us grandkids.  One of my clearest memories is fishing with my grandfather — cane pole fishing for stocked catfish. We just sat there unitl it was dark. We'd talk some, but mostly we just sat there. His presence was steady and safe.  Here was a man who fought wars and built farms.   There were hayfields, cattle feedings, and long days outside. My grandmother was genuinely interested in my life and my walk with the Lord. She would sit at the kitchen table, ask about my girlfriend, school, sports — and she often wove a verse from her morning reading into the conversation. Christ was more attractive, trustworthy, and valuable to me because of them. 

A lot of people have never had anything like that.  
Many don’t even have it in the church.

Church, do not believe for one flippin’ minute that young people mainly need other young people.  
That matters — but what they really need is you.

You are not outdated.  
Scripture says you are finally primed for your peak influence.  
You are more valuable to the church now than ever before.

Your Wisdom  

Job 12:12 — "Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days."

Young people often don’t know enough to seek out wisdom. They don’t realize how much life, love, and
gospel wisdom sits right in front of them.  

Sure, they can google, Grok, or ChatGPT any question.  
But information is not wisdom.  
Wisdom is embodied. It’s often caught in relationship.  
Your years of walking with Christ are a treasure they can’t find anywhere else.

Your Training  

Titus 2:3-5 — "So train the young women..."

Older train the younger. That’s not a suggestion. It's an order.  
Sanctification and maturity are partly a generational hand-off.  
As you grow older, you aren’t just worshipping beside the younger — you are called to train them.

This means inviting younger believers to your table.  
Let them see your marriage.  
Talk about your struggles and your faith through the lens of Scripture.  
Don’t wait for them to figure it out.  
Don’t wait for them to ask.  
Train.

Your Perseverance  

Young people don’t understand the power of time. They haven’t lived long enough to.  
They need to see a life of faith stretched over decades — not just moments.

As Paul neared death in his mid-60s, he wrote:  "You have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness..." (2 Timothy 3:10-11)

Faithfulness is learned by watching.  Paul picked up Timothy when Paul was in his 40s. Over 20 years, Timothy watched Paul suffer, endure, and finish the race.  You can do the same: share your stories.  Start sentences saying, "Let me tell you about a time..." and finish with God’s faithfulness.

Your Testimony   

Psalm 145:4 — "One generation shall commend your works to another."

Go find a younger person. Ask about their life — their struggles, sorrows, and worries.  
Then tell them about God’s works.  
Tell them the gospel.  
Tell them why it’s going to be okay.  
Tie your encouragement back to Scripture — and to your own experience of God's faithfulness.

No one retires from discipleship.  
The more experience you have, the more valuable you are.  
It is your responsibility to pass down the mighty works of God.

An Old Man's Testimony | Polycarp (c. AD 69–155)  

Polycarp lived during a crucial time — the early church moving from the apostles to the next generation.  He served Christ faithfully for decades — through persecution, heresies, and hardships.

When he was arrested, Roman officials gave him every chance to save his life by swearing loyalty to Caesar.  
Instead, Polycarp replied:

"Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" (Martyrdom of Polycarp, chapter 9)

He was burned at the stake. When the flames wouldn’t consume him quickly, they killed him by the sword.  His death became a rallying cry for generations of Christians.

Notice "six" just doesn't have the same ring as "eighty and six".  There’s a certain weight, a beautiful sturdiness, when someone who has trusted Christ for a lifetime says, "He has done me no wrong."

Young people need to learn how to sing our songs:

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,  
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,  
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus,  
O for grace to trust Him more.

Right now, they mostly sing that in theory.  
We need you to teach them how to sing it from experience.

Getting In There

Talk To Them When You Gather
Look for young people — members and visitors. Don’t assume they need someone their own age. Walk up, introduce yourself. Ask, "What brought you here? Where are you from?" Sit near them. Follow up after the service. Feed them. 

Sit with Them at Church  
Don’t just sit with the old people. Find younger folks. Sit near them. Tell them, "I’m glad we get to worship together."   Your presence and words communicate we are here togeher.  Young single guy shows up at church....thats your target! Young woman sitting alone? Emergency! Get in there!

Pray for Them and Let Them Know
Pray for them in your personal prayer time and text them that day. "Hey, I was praying for you today!"

Get Some Pictures
Pictures symbolize and create memories. You share a meal say, "Hey, lets take a picture". Then share it with them. It means you want to remember.  

Feed Them and Eat With Them 
Invite a younger Christian over. Doesn’t have to be fancy. Sandwiches are fine. They don't care.  Ask about their life. Share some of yours. Pray with them before they leave. Have a whole young group LifeGroup over and share yours story. 

Read the Bible With Them  
Pick a book like Philippians or Mark. Meet once a week or every other week.  Read a chapter. Talk about it. Share how God’s word has shaped your life.

You do your thing. Grandparent them in the faith. Love on them. Invite them. Pursue them. Encouage them. Tell them your are proud of their efforts in faith. Remind them of God. 

You have something we cannot google, stream, or download — a life of faith.  
We need it. We need you.

For His Glory,
Pastor Nathan