THE BATTLE OF INFLUENCE Every Generation Has a Voice

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

There is one truth I've learned over the years:

Every generation is shaped by influence.

Whether we realize it or not, someone is always teaching us what to believe, what to value, and how to live.

Sometimes that influence comes from our parents.

Sometimes it comes from our teachers.

Sometimes it comes from our friends.

Sometimes it comes from our culture.

Today, much of it comes through a screen.

The battle has never simply been about behavior.

It has always been about influence.

I Thank God for My Foundation

I was born in 1975, making me part of Generation X.

As I look back over my life, I realize how blessed I was to have parents who modeled something greater than success—they modeled faith.

My father and mother weren't just my parents; they were my pastors.

They didn't simply preach the Gospel.

They lived it.

They taught me that God wasn't someone we visited on Sunday morning.

He was the center of our home.

They taught me to pray.

They taught me to work.

They taught me to honor my word.

They taught me integrity.

They taught me reciprocity—to never forget the people who helped you along the way.

Most importantly, they taught me to put God first.

Looking back now, I realize they were giving me something far more valuable than money.

They were giving me a foundation.

No generation is perfect.

The Silent Generation wasn't perfect.

The Baby Boomers weren't perfect.

Generation X isn't perfect.

Millennials aren't perfect.

Generation Z won't be perfect.

Every generation has strengths.

Every generation has weaknesses.

But every generation leaves something behind.

The question is:

What are we passing on?

Five Things That Shape Your Framework

Whether we acknowledge it or not, every person develops a framework—a way of thinking, making decisions, and viewing the world.

Much of that framework is formed long before we realize it.

Five primary influences shape who we become:

• Credible People – We naturally believe people we respect, admire, or trust. Parents, pastors, teachers, coaches, mentors, authors, and leaders all leave lasting impressions on our thinking.

• Environment – The places where we spend the most time influence our attitudes, expectations, and worldview. Home, school, church, work, and our community all contribute to our development.

• Association – Scripture reminds us that the people we surround ourselves with either sharpen us or slowly pull us away from God's best. Relationships always influence direction.

• Repetition – Whatever we hear, watch, read, or think about repeatedly eventually becomes familiar. Repetition builds beliefs, habits, and expectations.

• Experiences – Successes, failures, victories, disappointments, trauma, and joyful moments all help shape how we interpret life. Experiences are powerful teachers, but they should never become greater than God's truth.

This is why Scripture continually points us back to God's Word.

Not because God wants to control us.

But because He wants to transform us.

We Are All Products of Influence

One thing life has taught me is this:

Our environment matters.

Regardless of our ethnicity...

Regardless of our age...

Regardless of our financial background...

Regardless of where we grew up...

Our surroundings influence us.

Our parents influence us.

Our neighborhoods influence us.

Our schools influence us.

Our churches influence us.

Our friendships influence us.

The music we listen to influences us.

The movies we watch influence us.

The conversations we entertain influence us.

The voices we repeatedly hear eventually shape the way we think.

Scripture says,

"Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'"
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV)

Good influences build us.

Bad influences slowly reshape us.

That is why we must guard our hearts.

My Generation Had Different Influencers

People often say today's generation is different.

They're right.

But every generation has fought the battle of influence.

When I was growing up, we didn't have smartphones.

We didn't have TikTok.

We didn't have Instagram.

We didn't have YouTube.

Our influencers lived in our neighborhoods.

Many young people in minority communities didn't grow up dreaming about becoming entrepreneurs, engineers, software developers, investors, or business owners because those examples weren't always visible.

Instead, many of the people receiving the most attention were gang leaders...

Drug dealers...

Rappers...

Professional NBA and NFL players...

Entertainers...

And the individuals driving expensive cars through our neighborhoods.

Those cars represented something.

Success.

Power.

Money.

Respect.

Status.

For many young people, they looked like they had escaped poverty.

Some of those athletes and entertainers earned their success through discipline, sacrifice, and years of hard work.

Others built an image through illegal lifestyles that eventually led to prison, addiction, broken homes, or death.

As children, we often couldn't tell the difference.

We simply admired what looked successful.

I watched young men join gangs because they were searching for identity.

I watched drugs destroy families.

I watched violence become normal.

I watched mothers cry over children who never came home.

I watched fathers disappear.

I watched friends bury friends before they had the opportunity to discover their God-given purpose.

The problem wasn't simply crime.

The deeper problem was influence.

People weren't looking for destruction.

They were looking for significance.

They were looking for purpose.

They were looking for someone to believe in them.

Then Hollywood Joined the Conversation

As I grew older, Hollywood became one of the loudest voices shaping culture.

Movies glorified violence.

Drug empires became entertainment.

Sex became casual.

Greed became ambition.

Rebellion became freedom.

Music often reinforced many of the same messages.

Eventually, what we repeatedly watched became what many admired.

Scripture reminds us,

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Whatever continually captures our attention eventually shapes our thinking.

Today's Generation Faces a Different Challenge

Today's generation doesn't necessarily face greater evil.

It faces greater volume.

Millions of voices compete for our attention every single day.

YouTube.

TikTok.

Instagram.

Streaming platforms.

Podcasts.

Artificial intelligence.

News.

Advertisements.

Algorithms.

Every swipe teaches something.

Every video promotes a worldview.

Every platform is discipling someone.

The greatest battle today isn't simply for our attention.

It's for our minds.

Imagine the Prophets

Sometimes I imagine Elijah sitting alone in a cave.

No television.

No phone.

No notifications.

No social media.

Just silence.

Prayer.

Meditation.

Listening for God's voice.

Imagine Moses spending forty days on Mount Sinai.

Imagine David watching sheep while writing songs to God.

Imagine Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to spend time with His Father.

Their greatest breakthroughs didn't come from consuming more information.

They came from spending more time with God.

Silence became the classroom where God shaped their hearts.

Today many people are uncomfortable with silence because we have become conditioned to constant stimulation.

Sometimes God isn't absent.

Sometimes our lives are simply too noisy to hear Him.

The Greatest Influence Is Your Example

One lesson I've learned as a pastor is this:

People may hear what you say.

But they believe what you consistently live.

Children watch their parents.

Employees watch their leaders.

Church members watch their pastors.

Communities watch believers.

Your life preaches long before your mouth does.

Paul boldly wrote,

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)

The world doesn't simply need better communicators.

It needs better examples.

Only God Can Transform the Human Heart

We can influence people.

We can teach principles.

We can coach.

We can mentor.

We can encourage.

We can help shape habits.

But there is one thing we cannot do.

We cannot give someone a new heart.

Only Jesus Christ can do that.

You can teach honesty.

Only God creates integrity.

You can teach generosity.

Only God removes greed.

You can teach forgiveness.

Only God heals bitterness.

You can teach discipline.

Only God transforms desires.

Christianity is not behavior modification.

It is heart transformation.

God promised,

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you..."
Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV)

Religion may modify behavior.

Jesus transforms people from the inside out.

The Legacy We Leave

Every generation is influencing the next.

The question is not whether we have influence.

We all do.

The question is:

Where are we leading people?

Toward Christ...

Or toward culture?

Toward purpose...

Or popularity?

Toward character...

Or convenience?

I thank God for parents who pointed me toward Jesus.

Now it is my responsibility to do the same for the next generation.

Our children don't simply need more content.

They need more godly examples.

Because culture may shape habits...

Education may shape knowledge...

Experience may shape wisdom...

Only Jesus Christ can transform the human heart.

When God transforms a heart...

He changes a family.

He changes a community.

He changes a generation.

May our lives become examples worth following, always pointing people to Jesus Christ.

Because every generation has a voice.

Let's make sure ours leads people to Christ.