Ministry Without Competition 2: Closing a Critical Gap

Right after Moses and Joshua team together to get the children of Israel out of slavery and into their Promised Land (no small feat!), we have a sad commentary.  The very next generation is described in the Book of Judges:  

“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10

That one sentence describes the tragic result of a generational breakdown. They left a gap.

A people who had seen God’s miracles firsthand.  FIRSTHAND.  Can you imagine some of the miracles they experienced? They had walked through the Jordan River on dry ground.  They were there and watched Jericho’s walls crumble.  They experienced victory after victory under Joshua’s leadership.  How had they failed to pass on their faith to their children? The next generation grew up disconnected from the stories, the power, and the presence of God.

(How were these stories not told?  Y’all, we brag if we find a great sale.  We post pictures of the dinner we made last night. Just saying…..)

The next generation didn’t know Him. Because they didn’t know Him, they didn’t follow Him. It took ONE GENERATION for this loss to occur. 

This wasn’t a failure of programs or passion; it was a failure of discipleship. The older generation neglected their divine mandate to diligently teach, model, and live out their faith before the next.

The Failure of the Older Generation

Joshua’s generation experienced God in powerful, tangible ways. They saw the impossible made possible, but somehow, they failed to ensure that their children personally knew the God who had delivered them.

The next generation didn’t reject God—they simply didn’t know Him. That’s a critical difference. My grandmother used to say, “there’s enough blame to go around, so let’s start with you.” We can pinpoint the failure here. We see when and where the gap was left.

To “not know the Lord” wasn’t a lack of information; it was a lack of relationship. It means they had no personal encounter, no firsthand faith, no living memory of His faithfulness. Maybe these parents talked about God, but they didn’t lead their families to walk with Him. Surely they remembered His works, but they didn’t reproduce His ways.

When one generation stops experiencing God, the next stops believing He’s real. (Say that louder for the people in the back.  No - wait a minute, let’s say that louder for the people in the FRONT, the MIDDLE and the back). Catch the first in this series of ministry without competition here

Let's talk about what it means to "not know":

1. Lack of Personal Experience: Those in the Gap

The new generation hadn’t personally seen God’s power. Their parents had walked across the Jordan, but they hadn’t. Their parents had watched walls fall and enemies flee, but they hadn’t. Faith stories are meant to be shared, but they’re also meant to be continued. When faith becomes only historical—something that happened “back then”—it loses its power to transform “right now.” God desires for each generation to have their own testimony, not just an inherited history. 

Perhaps this previous generation became lazy. Perhaps they became complacent.  Perhaps they thought they had “earned” a rest or reprieve from the hardships they had endured along with the miracles they experienced. After all, they had worked hard. They had been through a great deal.  This was their time to sit back and finally relax (you see what I am doing there?  Self care is great - but it can become selfish really easily if we don’t watch it.  That’s another subject for another day).  Somewhere along the line, the testimony was lost, and the cost would be great. An entire generation. A huge gap in a huge legacy of faith.

2. Spiritual Ignorance: Those in the Gap

Because they lacked experience, they also lacked understanding. They didn’t know God’s character, His authority, or His faithfulness. Without that foundation, they were easily swayed by the gods of the surrounding nations.

We see the same danger today—when biblical literacy fades, spiritual compromise follows. If we don’t teach our children the truth, culture will gladly fill the gap with imitation wisdom.

3. Consequences: A Cycle of Decline from the Gap

Judges describes the painful cycle that repeats over and over:

• The people forget the Lord.
• They turn to idols.
• God allows oppression.
• They cry out for deliverance.
• God raises up a leader.
• Peace returns for a time… until the cycle starts again.

At the root of it all was one missing link: discipleship.

When one generation fails to pass on the faith, the next is left spiritually unanchored—and the enemy never wastes a gap.

4. Loss of Identity: Those in the Gap

When Israel forgot God, they forgot who they were. They lost sight of their purpose as God’s chosen people and began to blend into the nations around them.

That’s what happens when faith isn’t transferred intentionally. We don’t just lose knowledge—we lose identity.

Our Mandate: Don’t Leave a Gap

God never designed faith to fade from one generation to the next. His plan is continuity—truth flowing like a river from parent to child, mentor to mentee, leader to follower.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Faith (and the accompanying behavior, speech and example that comes along with being a person of faith) isn’t meant to be private (kept to yourself) or passive (without action).  Faith is meant to be lived out loud and passed on deliberately. The Lord’s instruction isn’t to occasionally mention Him, but to weave His truth into the rhythms of daily life - in our lives, in our children’s lives.  As much as we are able, in the live of those we influence.  When we rise up and when we lie down, when we sit in our homes and when we walk along the way—He should be part of every moment.

Psalm 145:4 captures this beautifully:

“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

Our worship should echo through generations. What God has done for us must be shared with those coming after us, so they too can know His goodness and power.

To Teach the Word, You Must Know the Word

You can’t pass on what you don’t possess. If we want to raise a generation that loves the Lord, we must love Him deeply ourselves. If we want them to treasure the Word, we must be people of the Word.

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

An effective discipleship tool is example. The next generation learns what we live as much as or more than what we say. They need to see faith in action—real, humble, steadfast faith that stands through storms, rejoices in trials, and trusts God’s promises even when life doesn’t make sense. Use your words and use action.  Use everything, honestly.  Every gift that God has given to you, every tool in your toolbelt - be passionate about standing for God before the gap is even created.

Preparing the Next Generation Is Ministry Without Competition

This is where “ministry without competition” becomes essential. Preparing the next generation isn’t about building our name—it’s about building His Kingdom. When we live out the gospel authentically, we hand the baton of faith to those behind us. We don't leave a gap.

Joshua’s generation made the mistake of keeping the focus on what they had done: their victories, their faith stories, their leadership. They left no room for new leaders to grow, no opportunity for the next generation to encounter God for themselves.

But true ministry is never territorial. It doesn’t guard influence—it gives it away.

When we disciple others, when we pour into those coming behind us, when we intentionally prepare young believers to lead, we’re saying: “This isn’t about me. This is about the Body of Christ being strong long after I’m gone.”

That’s ministry without competition.

It’s recognizing that the Church is not a platform—it’s a people. And every believer, young or old, is part of that divine design. When we see our role as stewards rather than owners, we stop comparing and start multiplying. We stop protecting our “place” and start preparing others for theirs.

Your Legacy Is Not What You Keep — It’s What You Give

Refusing to compete means refusing to cling. It means being willing to teach, train, and release others—even if they someday lead in ways that look different from us. It’s not about who gets credit. It’s about who continues Christ’s work.

When we invest in others, we extend Kingdom impact beyond our own lifetime. We ensure there will not arise “another generation who does not know the Lord.”

Every child taught to pray, every young woman mentored, every believer equipped—that’s another link in the unbroken chain of faithfulness stretching from one generation to the next.

Don’t Leave a Gap

This story in Judges doesn’t have to be repeated in our time. We can choose differently. We can be the generation that does pass on the faith. We can be the ones who refuse to compete and instead collaborate—who live with open hands, open hearts, and open Bibles. Let’s pour into others not for our own recognition, but for God’s glory. Let’s strengthen the Body of Christ by making sure every generation knows His truth, feels His presence, and walks in His power.

Refuse to compete.  Refuse to keep the truth that God reveals to you to yourself - He revealed it to you so you can shout it to others! Don’t leave a gap. Let your faithfulness close the gap.

The next generation is watching—and waiting—for you to show them what faithful looks like.  It’s not only a treasure for you - faith in God is a treasure for them, too.

Let’s continue this conversation on Thursday’s podcast - join me at https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferWSpivey