http://www.biblestudytools.com/nrsa/2-timothy/passage/?q=2-timothy+1:1-7 (II Timothy 1:1-7) I’d like to share a quote with you on parenting I have come to appreciate, and I think you will too. It was written by pastor and author Chuck Swindoll.  “Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” As Christian parents, Julie and I worked to deposit many things into our children, such as our love for them, how much we value them, our wisdom, our knowledge. We tried to give them our best. We also passed along our love of music, learning, reading, baseball, and the Minnesota Twins. Our love for our extended family. Our values, service and respect, kindness and compassion, love of neighbor, citizenship, acting rightly, doing one’s best, working hard, being honest. At the end of our lives when Julie and I are in heaven, we will pass along some of our possessions to them through our will as well. We have also passed on our faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, it is at the top of our list. We want our children to always trust in Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We want them to follow Him, serve Him, and shine for Him. I’m glad to say they do. It all began at the baptismal font when they were infants. We promised God we’d do our best, and it continues even today as they are grown and have their own children. We love being grandparents and want to pass the same spiritual legacy onto our grandchildren as well. After all, without Jesus Christ they would be lost now and for eternity. They’d be lacking in the fruit of the Spirit – joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control – which enriches one’s life and their relationships with others. Without Jesus they’d be living without knowing God’s true purpose for their lives. As followers of Jesus, we were taught by our parents who modeled the importance of parenting. It is a sacred trust from God. He loves our kids even more than we do and wants them to follow Jesus Christ. Someone once said, The home is God’s built-in training facility to relay the truth of Jesus diligently and consistently. So how does one get a grip on this high, challenging calling called parenting? Today, we read the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to young Timothy about his Jewish mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, who took their calling quite seriously. They were a real blessing to Timothy, and they passed on some good things to him. Good deposits. Of course, they loved Timothy and saw to his physical, emotional, and intellectual needs. Family was an important part of the Jewish culture. We read about the importance of family in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. The Old Testament has many stories about family – parents raising their kids, taking care of them, and loving them. Eunice and Lois also saw to Timothy’s spiritual needs. They introduced him to Jesus Christ and raised him in the faith. They wanted him to know and follow Jesus and to have eternal life. They recognized the value of the Christian faith from their own experience. Lois and Eunice had become believers in Jesus in the early days of Christianity when they heard the Good News of Jesus during Paul’s first visit to their area. They lived in a place called Lystra. They were Galatians. Eunice was married to a non-Jewish man. We don’t know if he even had a faith life. Paul, on his second visit, was so impressed with young Timothy and his faith in Jesus that he took him on his mission trip and mentored him. Timothy eventually became Paul’s right hand man in his ministry and spent many a night, I suppose, in jail with Paul. When they’d enter communities and share the Good News of Jesus, they would often be arrested. Timothy learned what it meant to deny oneself, pick up the cross and follow Jesus. Paul came to love him like a son. Years later when Timothy was leading his own church, Paul wrote him a letter of encouragement. He had heard Timothy was having troubles, and he wanted to...