I heard an interesting story this week told by Jonathan Evans who is the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys. When Jonathan was a young man his father took him to the big city of Dallas to look at a construction site of a skyscraper building. Jonathan said his father took him as close to the constructions site tape as possible to look at the massive hole that was dug into the earth to serve as a foundation for the building. His father told him the deeper they dig, the higher the building could rise.  Jonathan’s father is a very wise man and used this construction site visit as an illustration as to why we need to dig deep into God’s Holy Word! He told his son that the deeper he dug into God’s word, the higher he would excel in his walk with God. The deeper he would dig into God’s word, he would find long life and peace. The deeper he dug into God’s word, he would find favor and high esteem with God and man. The deeper he dug into God’s word, he would not trust his own understanding but God’s. The deeper he dug into God’s word, he would acknowledge God and He would direct his paths. Jonathan’s father is a very wise man. What he did was set his son up for success in both this world and the world to come. What Jonathan’s father did was give his son a foundation worth building on. A foundation that was not built on sand but on the rock of Jesus. Matthew 7:24 says “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  This week I received a very difficult call from a father whom I admire and love greatly. This man and his wife raised their children in Church. If the doors were open, they were present. Once their children accepted Christ as their personal savior, the pressure was off. What they did is what I as a youth pastor see most folks do. After the salvation of their children they began to get on with their life. Church was still a steady thing, but the activities of kids (sports,etc), hobbies and full time careers left little energy to have family time sharing and memorizing scripture. They left that duty to the Church. This father has raised his children. One whom has had a set back. This father searched what he could have done differently and he came to this conclusion that he wanted me to share with you. He told me he would do anything to take back those “influencing” years. He would have backed off things that zapped the energy out of him (and the kids) that could have been used for the life giving energy of God’s Holy word. He regrets not having those important teaching times inside of the home, on a hunting trip, inside the car traveling, around the kitchen table or before the kids went to bed. This father has convinced me and I hope he has convinced you! Spend that time with your children reading them scripture. Memorize scripture with them.  Let them see evidence of you yourself reading scripture.  Explain to them your favorite verse. Explain why God’s word is so important to you.   Start this legacy in your home. Tonight could not be soon enough!