Podcast Summary:

Lakepointe Church with Josh Howerton
Episode Title: Don’t Drop the Baton: Gen Z Needs JESUS | Run To Win | Pastor Josh Howerton
Date: November 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, the conclusion of the “Run To Win” series, revolves around the critical mission of passing the gospel—“the baton”—from one generation to the next. Pastor Josh Howerton issues a call to both younger and older listeners, urging Gen Z to rise into spiritual leadership and challenging the older generations not to “drop the baton” in discipling and supporting youth. He explores biblical examples of generational legacy, reflects on great spiritual awakenings, and highlights the necessity for families, churches, and individuals to invest radically in youth for the sake of gospel continuity.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Christian Life as a Relay Race

• Scriptural Grounding:

  • Hebrews 12:1-2 establishes the metaphor of the Christian life as a race, emphasizing endurance and focus on Jesus.
  • Hebrews 11 is the “Hall of Faith,” listing generations of believers whose faith overcame incredible odds.

• Key Insight:

  • While many compare the Christian walk to a sprint or a marathon (individual effort), Josh reframes it as a relay race—a collective, multigenerational effort (09:00).
  • The exchange zone—the moment of passing the baton—is vital: “Everything comes down to who can perform in the exchange zone” (13:01).

2. What’s at Stake: The "Dropped Baton"

• Modern Parallel:

  • Josh recounts the 2021 Olympics where the U.S. Men's 4x100 relay failed, not due to lack of talent, but a failed baton pass (15:30).
  • In Christian terms, “The gospel is always one generation away from extinction if one generation does not pass it to the next” (17:25).

• Biblical Warnings:

  • Cites Judges 2: The generation after Joshua “did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel”—a clear picture of a dropped baton (36:40).

3. A Message to Gen Z and Millennials (“The Youngs”)

• Invitation to Vision:

  • For those under 35, Josh challenges: “You are our best chance” (21:40).
  • He refutes negative stereotypes about Gen Z:
    “People scream at you all day, ‘You’re lazy, entitled, narcissistic, purposeless, video game addicted, porn-addled, brat, waste of time’... That’s not your destiny” (31:04).

• Historical Perspective on Revival:

  • Outlines America’s four great spiritual awakenings, each driven by young people—Jonathan Edwards started preaching at 30, George Whitefield at 25, DL Moody at 18, Billy Graham at 18.
  • Parallels past awakenings with “tremors of spiritual movement” in 2025:
    • Attendance at Lakepointe surging to 27,000.
    • Bible sales up 41.6% since 2022.
    • Religious app downloads up 79.5% since 2019.
    • Gen Z and Millennials now the largest church attenders in America (29:40).

• Memorable Quote:

  • “These are not the years for you to spend your life drinking and playing Xbox and watching porn and scrolling TikTok three hours a day. These are the years to consecrate yourself for the purposes of God” (35:09).

• Reflection Prompt:

  • “What would you attempt with your life if you knew that God was with you and you could not fail?” (37:20).

4. A Message to Older Generations (“The Olds”)

• Responsibility:

  • Those 35+: “We gotta do our job. We gotta pass the baton” (38:42).
  • “If we do not do our job and we drop it, that next generation arises who will know nothing of the Lord” (39:34).

• The Power of Family Legacy:

  • Cites Genesis’ theme of “these are the generations of…” and the Abraham–Isaac–Jacob line:
    • Abraham: the first believer, “a blessed mess” but changed the trajectory for his family.
    • Isaac: built on Abraham’s faith legacy—“his ceiling became his son’s floor.”
    • Jacob: established Israel and the tribes, progressing even further.
  • “Each generation’s ceiling became the next generation’s floor” (40:51).

• National Application:

  • Critiques societal attempts to replace fathers with government programs:
    • “What we need is not more government—we need more godly fathers. That’s what we need, man. Generations” (43:12).

• Personal Illustration:

  • Shares the legacy of Jerry Howerton (grandfather), Rick Howerton (father), and himself as a progression of faith and ministry (48:07).
  • “When I was 35, I didn’t have 10 years’ experience pastoring a church—I had 80 years’ experience loaded into me by Jerry Howerton, Rick Howerton, and Josh Howerton” (53:03).

5. Testimony: The Power of Generational Investment

• Story of Sammy (Student Testimony):

  • Grew up without faith, struggled with self-worth.

  • Was invited to church by a friend, encountered Jesus.

  • Her transformation only possible because of church investment—including a camp scholarship provided by the church’s annual missions offering (42:15–44:48).

    “There’s no amount of hurt that God doesn’t already know and that his son didn’t suffer. You’re my creation. I made you perfectly in my image and that you could just live for me.”
    —Sammy (44:12)

6. Corporate Application & Call to Action

• Annual Missions Offering:
  • Supports international partners, local ministries, church planting, and student camp scholarships (45:00–46:40).
  • Invites everyone to pray and give sacrificially so that every student has the chance to encounter Jesus.

Notable Quotes

• “Everything comes down to who can perform in the exchange zone.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (13:01)

• “The gospel is always one generation away from extinction if one generation does not pass it to the next.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (17:25)

• “These are not the years for you to spend your life drinking and playing Xbox and watching porn and scrolling TikTok three hours a day. These are the years to consecrate yourself for the purposes of God.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (35:09)

• “What would you attempt with your life if you knew that God was with you and you could not fail?”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (37:20)

• “If we don’t do our job and we drop it, that next generation arises who will know nothing of the Lord.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (39:34)

• “Each generation’s ceiling became the next generation’s floor.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (40:51)

• “We need less government. We need more godly fathers. That’s what we need, man. That’s what we need. Generations.”
  — Pastor Josh Howerton (43:12)

• “There’s no amount of hurt that God doesn’t already know and that his son didn’t suffer. You’re my creation. I made you perfectly in my image and that you could just live for me.”
  — Sammy, Student Testimony (44:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Relay Race Metaphor & Exchange Zone: 09:00–13:30
• Historical Failures to Pass the Baton: 15:30–18:00
• Challenge to Gen Z & Revival History: 21:40–35:00
• Statistical Evidence of Spiritual Renewal: 29:40
• Vision for Consecration: 35:09
• What Would You Attempt? Reflection: 37:20
• Message to Older Generations & Judges 2: 36:40–40:00
• Biblical/Family Legacy—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob: 40:51–43:45
• Societal/Familial Application: 43:12
• Howerton Family Testimony: 48:07–53:03
• Sammy’s Story/Testimony: 42:15–44:48
• Missions Offering Challenge: 45:00–46:40

Conclusion

Pastor Josh offers both a battle cry and a blueprint: The health and future of the church rely on every Christian taking their place in the “exchange zone”—passing on a legacy of faith to the next generation. Gen Z is urged to rise up not in passivity but bold consecration, while older generations are called to intentionally “pass the baton” through discipleship, encouragement, and investment. The episode closes with stories and opportunities for practical investment in students, underlining the urgency and hope of sustaining the mission across generations.

For anyone not able to listen, this summary captures the episode’s rich, inspiring challenge: Don’t drop the baton. The next generation needs Jesus—and they need you.