Building For The Next Generation

Bishop Mark Cottrill's message from our second session on Sunday, January 11th 2026

What does it mean to build for the next generation? This powerful message challenges us to see beyond our immediate needs and recognize that we stand on the foundation laid by faithful believers who came before us. Through the story of Jacob's well in John 4, we discover a profound truth: the woman at the well encountered Jesus at a place that had been providing refreshment for 1,700 years. Jacob dug that well through solid limestone, four feet wide and 150 feet deep, by hand—a labor of sacrifice that blessed countless generations. He had no idea that centuries later, the Messiah himself would sit at that very well and offer living water to a broken woman who would then evangelize an entire city. This teaches us that our faithfulness today—our worship, our giving, our commitment to holiness and Acts 2:38 truth—isn't just for us. Every time we pray at the altar, every offering we give, every moment we choose godliness over worldly compromise, we're digging a well for future generations. We're preserving something precious so our children, grandchildren, and people we'll never meet can encounter Jesus. The question becomes deeply personal: What are we building that will last? Are we creating cisterns that leak and fail, or are we digging deep wells of faith that will provide living water long after we're gone? Our legacy isn't measured by what we accumulate but by what we pass down—a heritage of prayer, worship, and uncompromising devotion to God's truth.