What does it mean to truly invest in the next generation? In this powerful message, Jacob unpacks what it looks like to have strong, available, and faithful shoulders for the young people around you — using a simple but unforgettable moment of lifting his son up to a basketball hoop as the entry point.

Drawing from 1 Timothy 4:12, Mark 10, and Matthew 11, this sermon explores three types of shoulders the next generation needs from us: strong shoulders that call them up, faith shoulders that make room for them to encounter Jesus, and shoulders yoked to Jesus that are healed and formed through intimacy with God.

You'll be challenged to reflect on the condition of your own heart — whether life's circumstances have made it old, hardened, or guarded — and invited to receive rest and renewal from Jesus before you pour into others.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, pastor, or mentor, this message is for anyone who wants to leave a legacy that goes beyond what they accumulate and extends to who they lift up.

Big Idea: True legacy is not what you leave behind — it's who you lift up.

0:00 - Introduction: Basketball, Kids & Lifting Them Up

1:55 - The Bigger Picture: Standing on Someone Else's Shoulders

2:38 - Big Idea: True Legacy Is Who You Lift Up

3:54 - Biblical Examples of Passing the Torch

4:40 - Strong Shoulders: Call the Next Generation Up

5:03 - Paul's Letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12)

6:39 - Correction With Calling vs. Correction That Crushes

7:02 - Practical Challenge: Speak Life Over Someone Younger

8:18 - Faith Shoulders: Make Room for the Next Generation

8:36 - Jesus and the Children (Mark 10)

10:19 - The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These

10:37 - Has Life Made Your Heart Old?

11:25 - Young at Heart: A Story From the Bahamas

13:43 - Wonder, Trust & the Childlike Kingdom of God

14:36 - Receiving From the Father vs. Achieving for the Father

16:26 - LVC Kids: Discipling, Not Babysitting

17:22 - Honoring Teachers: Your Influence Changes Legacies

18:23 - Youth Ministry & Creating Belonging for Teenagers

19:41 - Strong Shoulders Must Be Yoked to Jesus

20:03 - Your Shoulders Are Only as Strong as Your Intimacy With God

20:52 - For Those Who Never Had Shoulders to Stand On

21:45 - Jesus Invites the Weary to Come (Matthew 11)

24:05 - Jesus Wants to Work In You, Not Just Through You

25:33 - Why Daily Time With God Matters 28:17 - Whatever Is Forming You Will Flow Through You

29:19 - We Pass Down What We Carry

30:12 - Jesus Wants to Be Part of Your Life, Not Just Use It

30:44 - Let Jesus Heal Your Shoulders

31:27 - Altar Call: Bringing Your Tired, Wounded Shoulders to Jesus

32:07 - Come to Simon (Coming to Jesus First)

32:43 - Closing Prayer

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1. Description

What Do You Do When Doubt Is Louder Than Faith?

We've all been there — the moment when life doesn't go the way you prayed it would, and your doubts start drowning out your faith. In this message, we explore what it truly means to wrestle with God and still hold on.

Drawing from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, we uncover a third option beyond either denying your faith or burying your questions: you can doubt and keep seeking God. Habakkuk's name literally means "to wrestle and to embrace" — and that tension is exactly what authentic faith looks like.

In this message, you'll discover:

• Why doubt doesn't make you a bad Christian — it makes you human
• How honest, raw prayer can actually deepen your relationship with God
• What Habakkuk's journey from wondering → waiting → trusting teaches us about holding on through the hardest seasons
• Why God would rather have you yell at Him than walk away from Him
• How wrestling with God changes the way you walk — just ask Jacob

Whether you're in a hospital room, grieving a loss, questioning why God hasn't answered your prayers, or simply feeling like life's rounds are breaking you down — this message is for you.

Doubt isn't the enemy of faith. It's often the pathway to a deeper, more meaningful one.

Part of the series: The Benefit of Doubt, based on the book by Craig Groeschel.

2. Tags

faith doubt Christianity sermon church prayer Habakkuk Bible worship trust spirituality theology God Jesusencouragement hope healing belief discipleship scripture

3. Chapters

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What if Jesus' words "Why did you doubt?" weren't a rebuke but an invitation? In this message from the Benefit of Doubt series, we revisit the familiar story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14 and discover something surprising: Jesus doesn't shame our doubt. He uses it to draw us closer to Himself. We also explore the raw, honest prayer of a desperate father in Mark 9 and what it reveals about how God meets us in our most uncertain moments. Whether you're wrestling with hard questions, carrying pain from the past, or simply wondering if God is really there, this message is an encouraging reminder that doubt is not the end of faith, but it can be the doorway to something deeper.

0:00 A missions trip, a girl, and a crisis of faith
1:57 Landing in Mexico with a broken heart
3:22 The Benefit of Doubt series introduction
4:06 Peter walks on water
5:19 What if "why did you doubt?" was an invitation?
6:43 Jesus reaches out
7:56 When the church responds with shame instead of grace
9:14 Jesus didn't humiliate Peter
10:10 Doubt is often connected to pain
11:28 Jesus moves toward the doubter with compassion
12:23 A father's desperate prayer
13:48 How we often pray
15:11 Hearing Jesus' response differently
15:41 "Help me overcome my unbelief"
16:29 Daily time with God through doubt
17:28 The relatability principle
18:41 Jesus' statement vs. Peter's "if"
19:59 Jesus' response to every "but what about..."
20:29 The real miracle
21:25 Closing prayer

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Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.