This small group discussion guide draws directly from Christopher D King's sermon “Faithful Grandparents A Legacy That Lasts final” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
Small Group Discussion Guide
"Leaving a Legacy: The Faithful Grandparent"
Based on Sunday's Sermon | 2 Timothy 1:5
For the Facilitator: Welcome! This guide is designed to help your group have a meaningful conversation about the legacy we leave for the next generation. You don't need to be a theological expert to lead this discussion — your job is simply to ask good questions, listen well, and create space for honest sharing. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group or spend extra time where conversation is flowing naturally. Estimated total time: 60–90 minutes.
OVERVIEW
Sunday's message reminded us that grandparents hold a uniquely powerful role in shaping the faith, character, and memories of the next generation. Drawing from Paul's letter to Timothy and the example of Timothy's grandmother Lois, the sermon challenged us to be intentional about the legacy we are building — not through possessions or position, but through presence, storytelling, and a visible, living faith. Whether or not we are grandparents ourselves, we all have the opportunity to invest in the lives of younger generations and point them toward Jesus Christ.
SECTION 1 — ICEBREAKER
⏱ 5–10 minutes
Begin here to warm up the group and help everyone feel comfortable sharing. There are no wrong answers — just memories and stories.
Opening Question:
"Think of one grandparent, older mentor, or older family friend who had a meaningful impact on your life. What is one specific memory you have of them — something they said, something they did, or something they taught you?"
[Leader Tip]: This question is intentionally light and personal. Give everyone a chance to share briefly — even just one sentence. If someone didn't have a close relationship with grandparents, invite them to think of any older person who invested in them. This question naturally leads into the heart of the sermon.
SECTION 2 — SCRIPTURE READING
⏱ 5 minutes
Ask a volunteer to read the following passages aloud. Encourage the group to listen for words or phrases that stand out to them.
Primary Text:
"I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well." — 2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)
Supporting Text:
"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers." — Proverbs 17:6 (ESV)
Background Note for Leaders: Paul wrote 2 Timothy near the end of his life, likely from a Roman prison. He was writing to his young protégé Timothy to encourage him to remain faithful. Significantly, Paul begins by honoring Timothy's grandmother — recognizing that the faith Timothy now carried had been passed down through the women in his family. Lois (grandmother) passed it to Eunice (mother), who passed it to Timothy. This is one of the clearest pictures in the New Testament of multi-generational faith.
Related Passages for Further Exploration:
- Deuteronomy 6:4–9 — The Shema: Passing faith to the next generation
- Psalm 78:1–7 — Telling the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord
- Proverbs 22:6 — Training up a child in the way they should go
- Joel 1:3 — Tell your children, and let your children tell their children
SECTION 3 — DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
⏱ 30–45 minutes
Work through these questions as a group. They are organized from lighter and observational to deeper and more personal. You don't need to cover every question — follow the energy of your group.
THEME A: The Power of Presence and Story
(Questions 1–3)
1. What stood out to you most from Sunday's message, and why did it stick with you?
[Leader Tip: This is a great opener for the discussion section. It invites everyone in without requiring deep theological knowledge. If the group is quiet, share something that stood out to you first to model openness.]
2. The pastor said, "Every memory I have of my grandparents had to do with their involvement in my life — not how much money they had or what position they held." What do you think it is about presence — simply being there — that makes such a lasting impression on children and grandchildren?
Follow-up if needed: Can you think of a time when someone's simple presence or attention meant more to you than anything they could have given you?
3. The pastor described grandparents as "storytellers" who pass down legacies. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul knew the story of Lois — a woman we never hear speak a single word in the Bible, yet her influence shaped a key leader of the early church.
What does it tell us about legacy that Paul honored Lois by name, even though she likely never knew the full impact of her faithfulness?
[Leader Tip: This is a great moment to remind the group that we rarely see the full fruit of our faithfulness. Encourage anyone who may feel like their investment in younger generations isn't "working."]
THEME B: The Spiritual Role of Older Generations
(Questions 4–5)
4. The pastor said grandparents have a unique spiritual opportunity because grandchildren will often listen to them in ways they won't listen to their parents. Why do you think that is? What is it about the grandparent-grandchild relationship that creates that kind of trust and openness?
Follow-up: Have you ever seen this dynamic play out — either in your own life or in a family you know?
5. Little Fisher, the pastor's grandson, began associating his grandparents with "this Jesus." He would say, "Papa, you need a Jesus" — connecting his grandparents with faith in a natural, everyday way.
What does it look like practically to make faith a natural, visible part of your everyday life — not just something you do at church, but something younger generations can see and absorb?
THEME C: Intentional Investment and Healthy Boundaries
(Questions 6–8)
6. The pastor gave a practical list of ways to be a faithful grandparent: storytelling, being an emotional safety net, teaching life skills, being a patient playmate, encouraging creativity, and modeling unconditional love.
Which of these resonates most with you — either as something you received from an older generation or something you feel called to give? Which feels most challenging?
7. The pastor made a pointed statement: "You are the grandparent, not the parent." He acknowledged that one of the hardest things is watching your children make parenting decisions you disagree with — and choosing to stay in your lane.
Why is it so difficult to hold that boundary? What does it require of us spiritually and emotionally to encourage and support parents rather than criticize or undermine them?
[Leader Tip: This topic can be tender for some group members — especially those navigating difficult family dynamics or estrangement. Keep the tone grace-filled. Affirm that this is genuinely hard, and avoid letting the conversation become a venting session about specific family members.]
8. The pastor mentioned that roughly 33% of grandchildren today are being raised primarily by their grandparents — a reality that is "not how it was supposed to be," but one that many families are living.
How does this reality shape our understanding of what it means to be faithful to the next generation? What does the church's role look like in supporting grandparents who are in that situation?
THEME D: Legacy Beyond Biology
(Question 9)
9. Near the end of the sermon, the pastor said: "There are children anywhere you look who would love to have an adopted grandparent." Not everyone in the room is a grandparent — and not every child has a grandparent nearby.
What opportunities exist in your own life, neighborhood, or church to invest in a younger person who could use an older, wiser presence? What might hold you back from stepping into that role?
[Leader Tip: This question is important for including younger group members or those without grandchildren. It broadens the conversation beyond biological family and invites everyone into the legacy-building mission.]
SECTION 4 — PERSONAL APPLICATION
⏱ 10–15 minutes
These questions are more reflective. You may want to give people a moment of quiet to think before sharing. Remind the group that it's okay to share honestly — or to simply sit with a question privately.
1. The pastor asked: "What are you leaving behind?" If the people who come after you — children, grandchildren, younger friends, or the next generation at your church — were to describe the legacy you left, what do you hope they would say? What do you fear they might say instead?
2. Think about the faith that has been passed to you. Who are the "Lois and Eunice" figures in your story — the people whose quiet, faithful lives shaped who you are spiritually today? Have you ever told them (or told someone else) what their influence meant to you?
3. The pastor said he hopes his grandchildren remember him as someone who "loved the man he preached about — Jesus Christ." What is the one thing you most want the next generation to know about you and your faith?
4. Is there a younger person in your life right now — a grandchild, a child, a neighbor's kid, a young person at church — who might need more of your time, presence, or encouragement? What is one concrete step you could take this week to invest in them?
✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose one of the following and commit to it before your group meets again:
- 📞 Call or visit a grandchild, younger family member, or young person in your life just to tell them you love them and are proud of them — no agenda, no correction, just encouragement.
- 📖 Write down or record one story from your life — a memory, a lesson learned, a moment of faith — that you want to pass on. Share it with someone younger than you.
- 🙏 Pray specifically by name for the grandchildren, children, or younger people God has placed in your life. Ask God to show you one way to point them toward Jesus this week.
- 🤝 Identify one child or young person in your neighborhood, church, or community who could use an "adopted grandparent" — and take one small step toward building that relationship.
- 💬 Thank someone who invested in you when you were young. Write a note, make a call, or simply say it out loud to someone who knew them.
SECTION 5 — PRAYER FOCUS
⏱ 5–10 minutes
Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, invite volunteers to pray, or use the prompts below to guide a time of guided, conversational prayer.
Suggested Prayer Topics:
🙏 Gratitude — Thank God for the people who invested in you and passed faith down to you. Name them if you feel led.
🙏 The Next Generation — Pray by name for the children, grandchildren, or young people in your life. Ask God to draw them to Himself and to use you as part of that process.
🙏 Faithfulness — Ask God for the courage and consistency to live a life that points others to Jesus — not just in big moments, but in ordinary, everyday ones.
🙏 Families Under Pressure — Pray for families in your church and community who are struggling — grandparents raising grandchildren, parents overwhelmed by the pace of life, children growing up without strong spiritual foundations.
🙏 Legacy — Ask God to help each person in the group leave something worth passing on — not possessions, but faith, love, and a life well-lived.
Optional Closing Scripture: "We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done." — Psalm 78:4 (ESV)
SECTION 6 — OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
For groups wanting to go further — use these if time allows or save them for a follow-up conversation.
Deep Dive 1: Read Deuteronomy 6:4–9 together:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
This passage was originally written to parents, but its principle applies broadly to all who invest in younger generations. What does "teaching diligently" look like in modern life — in an age of screens, busy schedules, and fractured family time? What would it look like for faith to be woven into the everyday rhythms of family life rather than compartmentalized to Sunday mornings?
Deep Dive 2: The pastor mentioned that Lois's legacy was visible to Paul even though Paul had likely never met her. Timothy's faith was the evidence of her faithfulness.
What does this tell us about the long reach of a faithful life? How does knowing that our influence may extend far beyond what we can see — across generations and even to people we'll never meet — change the way you think about how you live day to day?
Deep Dive 3: The sermon touched briefly on a difficult reality: sometimes parents are not raising their children in faith, and grandparents find themselves as the primary — or only — spiritual voice in a grandchild's life.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:6–7: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." How does this passage bring comfort or perspective to grandparents (or spiritual mentors) who feel like they are planting seeds in soil that doesn't seem ready? What does faithfulness look like when results are uncertain or invisible?
QUICK REFERENCE FOR FACILITATORS
| Section | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Icebreaker | 5–10 min |
| Scripture Reading | 5 min |
| Discussion Questions (pick 5–7) | 30–45 min |
| Personal Application | 10–15 min |
| Prayer Focus | 5–10 min |
| Total | 55–85 min |
A Note to Facilitators: If your group is running short on time, prioritize Questions 2, 5, 7, and 9 from the discussion section, and Personal Application Questions 1 and 4. These cover the core themes of the sermon most directly. If your group is especially talkative, feel free to skip ahead to the application section early — the goal is transformation, not coverage.
This discussion guide was prepared for use by small groups at First Baptist Church Kimberling City. For questions or prayer needs, please contact the church office.