I'm sure you know the running joke about fishermen exaggerating the size of their catch. But in 1959, Alfred Dean didn’t need to exaggerate when he caught a 2,664-pound great white shark in Australia, the largest fish ever caught in history. The Bible tells us about an even more unbelievable story, but in reverse—the story of a fish that caught a man. Jonah’s encounter with the great fish would make worldwide news today, but here’s what might surprise you: The fish story isn’t really the point. The book of Jonah is actually the missionary book of the Old Testament, revealing that God has a missionary heart and every Christian is called to be on mission. I like how John Stott said, “We profess to believe in God? He’s a missionary God. We’re committed to Christ? He’s a missionary Christ.” The truth that applies to us today is simple: We all are called. Every Christian has a mission to perform, a message to proclaim, a ministry to promote, and a Master to praise.

At the Alamo, legend tells us, Commander William Travis drew a line in the dirt, asking his men to choose their fate—cross the line and face certain death fighting for Texas, or leave and surrender. All but one crossed that line, choosing sacrifice over surrender. Like those brave men, we face crucial choices every day. The average person makes 773,618 decisions over a lifetime and regrets 143,262 of them. While some decisions are trivial, others shape our eternal destiny. After weeks of discussing generational discipleship—teaching God’s truth, modeling godly living, and stewarding opportunities—we now arrive at decision day. Just as Joshua drew his own line in the sand before the people of Israel, saying, “...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, NIV), we, too, must decide which side of the line our families will stand on.

According to Harvard Business School, any company that offers a product or service is in the business of solving problems. That’s not just true about companies; it’s true about churches. And we’re facing a massive problem in the church today: We're losing the next generation. Studies project that 35 million youths raised in Christian families will stop following Jesus by 2050, which would be the largest and fastest shift in religious association in American history. Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses gathered them all together and spoke these words—words that we must also impart to our children—to ensure they would maintain God’s favor: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, NIV). Every day, in every way, our generation must point the next generation to God.

In 1993, Nike faced a crisis when teenage boys stopped buying their shoes. The response was to produce the infamous Charles Barkley commercial where he boldly declared, “I am not a role model…. Parents should be role models.” This sparked a fiery debate, with NBA star Karl Malone saying, “We don’t choose to be role models; we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one.” The truth is, they were both right. Every person is a role model to someone. The question of whether you’re a positive or negative role model comes into focus with a statistic like this: 68% of Christians make their decision to follow Jesus before age eighteen. As the Apostle Paul mentored young Timothy to lead the church in Ephesus, he emphasized this important truth in 1 Timothy 4:11-16: One of your primary roles in this generation is to be a role model for the next generation.

At this moment in the United States, the odds of our children walking with Jesus as adults are equivalent to that of a coin toss. According to the Fuller Youth Institute, 50% of high school students actively involved in their churches walk away from their faith after graduation. These aren’t casual attendees; they were the most committed teenagers who are still choosing to do life apart from Jesus once they leave high school. As President Reagan famously said about freedom, “It is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” The same is true for faith. Psalm 78 addresses this urgent reality, revealing how the faith of a nation collapsed when they failed to pass God’s truth to the next generation. We must touch the next generation by teaching them and reaching them with biblical truth.

Introduction:

To this day, I remember the first summer I came home from college. As I walked up to our front door, my father didn’t welcome me with a hug or even a “Good to see you.” Instead, he met me with three blunt words: “Get a haircut,” though my hair barely touched my ears. My father had an unbending belief that a man’s hair should never be too long. For the first time in my life, I stood my ground. I reminded him of my good grades, my solid reputation, and how I’d never given him a minute’s trouble. Trembling, I told him if he meant what he said, I’d find another place to live that summer. Thankfully, my mother intervened, but that day revealed a powerful truth: Even people who love each other deeply can disagree profoundly over matters of personal preference.

In today’s highly-charged culture, disagreement is inevitable—especially when it comes to politics, social issues, and personal choices. Romans 14 addresses this very challenge faced by the early church, where Jewish and Gentile believers clashed over food choices and holy days. The principles Paul taught them apply to our own struggles. When it comes to the gray areas of life—those issues where Scripture isn’t explicitly clear—we must be free to disagree without making it “all about me.” These principles will help you maintain unity even when you don’t see eye to eye.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “My question was the simplest of questions…. ‘What will come of my whole life? Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything?’” This question echoes in every human heart: What’s my purpose? Why am I here? While philosophers may debate the greatest question of life, believers in Jesus don’t have to wonder about their purpose. As we continue our “Who We Are” series, we discover the fourth dimension of the cross-shaped life: we haven’t just been born into this world; we’ve been sent into it. Just as Jesus wasn’t merely born but sent with divine purpose, we too are commissioned with the same mission: to seek and save the lost. When Jesus told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21, NIV), He revealed our ultimate calling.

The great 19th century evangelist, Dwight L. Moody said, “The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves.” This is the essence of the cross-shaped life we're exploring in our “Who We Are” series. While our culture often measures success by what we accumulate or achieve, Jesus demonstrates a radically different measure of greatness. As He declares, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, NIV). The One who deserved to be served came to serve us! Today, we discover that service isn’t just something we do; it’s central to who we are as Christ-followers. It’s not an optional add-on to the Christian life but an essential expression of a life transformed by the Gospel.