Legacies Revisited

We had a great banquet Saturday evening. Our theme was Legacies and we decorated with vintage items, took vintage photos of everyone who attended and talked about the Legacies that have been passed down to us by our families. Because some have asked, I have posted the message outline I used Saturday night.

LEGACIES

Introduction: I used mom and daughter volunteers to show how we pass down family traits in our appearance. We can't control this physical legacy, but it is something we pass down - sometimes even generations later, there will be a trait that will pop up out of the blue -For example, my son is tall but the rest of the family is shorter. He apparently got that from several generations back - one of my grandfathers who was very tall.

1. Another legacy we pass onto our children is a historical legacy. Here I talked about family trees - genealogy. I shared some interesting facts about my ancestors that I had found out through research and stories that were passed down through the family. We also cannot control this legacy -we have no choice who our ancestors were or what they did, whether they were preachers or horse thieves.

2. But we do have control over the Intellectual/educational legacy we leave our families
a. I shared some important lessons my mom passed down to me - bits and pieces of advice
b. I shared how my grandmother and mother in law taught me to cook and shared some old cookbooks
c. I also shared how my parents made it possible for me to do many different things to help me develop my fullest potential as a person
d. Then I tied it in to how Christ provides the opportunities and experiences we need to prepare us to be all we can be for Him

3. Spiritual Legacy
a. How we as parents pass down a spiritual legacy to our kids -taking them to church, teaching them to pray, modeling the Christian life - with family examples
b. God also brings people into our lives to mentor and guide us - examples
c. God also gives us the legacy of His word - full of stories of real life people who suffered as we do, who felt the same emotions we do including, fear, abandonment, anger, etc.
d. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 challenges us to keep his life-lessons always in front of us - He does this through object lessons - like the feasts the Israelites celebrated and Communion

Conclusion: So the question is - Who are we in Christ?
- You are who you are because of the physical and family tree legacy passed on to you. You can't control what you look like or who your family members were, but God gives you the choice to be the same or different from them.
-You are who you are because of the intellectual and educational opportunities you have had or will have whether they were provided by God the father or your earthly parents..
- You are who you are because of the Spiritual legacy from you r Parents and your Heavenly parent who loves you and is investing in your life through people and experiences to bring out the best in you

Christ has provided us with an inheritance - a legacy as unique and individual as each of us here tonight. He is investing heavily in our future each day though we don't always see it . Why? So we can bring as many to heaven with us as we can. He's giving us a living legacy - a legacy of faith to pass on to future generations.

I finished by singing the song by 4 Him - Future Generations

We must be a light to future generations!