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In the past, the classic retirement scene went something like this, there was a dinner in the retiree's honor, there were some heart-warming but predictable speeches, and if you'd put in enough years, like a gold watch, or at least a plaque or a certificate. And then very quickly the hole that you left in the company closed up, and you wondered what was really accomplished for all those years of service. Well, now it's worse. You may not get to retire. You might be "downsized." You end up asking yourself the question, "What do I have to show for my years of service?" Frankly, I think you can do better than a gold watch or a severance check.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Legacy of a Lifetime."

Let's think about, "What will l have to show for my life?" Good question. What do you want to have as your monument to show for your years? Certainly more than a gold watch, huh? A book you wrote, a fortune that you made, a house that's finally like you want it, a title, a work of art, a business you built? You may be aiming too low with all of those.

Our word for today from the Word of God, Psalm 127 - I'll begin at verse 1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." Now, we're going to find out what kind of priorities there are in a house the Lord builds. "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise up early and stay up late toiling for food to eat, for He grants sleep to those He loves."

Here's a value that God really prizes, "Sons are a heritage from the Lord. Children are a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of the warrior, are sons born in one's youth." You know what God meant for your inheritance to be; your monument - what you're remembered for? Your inheritance is your children, your son, your daughter, or the children or young people you influenced and shaped, even if you're not their parent. They are to be the focus of your best time, your best energies in a house the Lord builds.

You may never communicate the values and experiences of your life in a book that a lot of people will read, but your children will be your book, and many people will read them.

They are your work of art, they are your fortune, the stocks that will appreciate and provide dividends long after you're gone and making many others rich for years to come.

The problem is it's really easy to be blinded, and detoured, and distracted by investments that are not nearly as valuable. Life's gold watches - sometimes they scream for our attention more loudly. They ask for us, they demand us. Often our children don't, and yet they are the top priority.

Maybe it's possible that your children are getting the leftovers of you because you're trying to make a name, or you're trying to make a business, or you're trying to make a fortune, or you're trying to make a point. Maybe you should be home more, and when you're home really be home. Maybe you've been driven away from those children who are what you have to show for your life because you thought you had something to prove outside the context of your family. Prove it there. Prove it at home! Make them your lifetime masterpiece.

If you want to make a mark that's immortal, mark your children with Christ, with character. See, they are meant to be the legacy of your lifetime.

As believers in Christ, we’re called to share our faith—but many of us struggle with how to do that. And yet, sharing what the Lord has done in your life should be as natural as breathing. Ashley and Heather Holleman equip you to stand strong in your faith and help others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. They take on that “scary” word—evangelism—and offer practical, encouraging tips for sharing your faith with confidence and grace.
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Everything we have ultimately belongs to God, and we are called to faithfully manage what He has entrusted to us. Listen in to Pastor Jonathan Laurie's message as he explores this life-changing truth.

Notes:

Luke 20
  
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (MSG)
Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.
 
Good parents get involved.
 
God created systems of authority, starting with the family.
 
Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
 
If you learn to submit to authority, things will go well for you.
 
Because we love our children, we discipline them.
 
“If you raise your children, you’ll get to spoil your grandchildren.
If you spoil your children, you’ll get to raise your grandchildren.”
 
1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV)
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
 
Provide: pronoeō
to give careful thought to, take thought for, take into consideration, have regard for,
to think about beforehand in a solicitous manner, care for, provide for someone
 
Teaching your children to honor your authority will naturally lead them to honor the Highest Authority, God Himself.
 
The Vineyard Isn’t Yours
Luke 20
 
Read Luke 20:1–8 (NKJV)
 
The Scene of the Crime
Luke 20:1–8
 
“They knew perfectly well, and they knew perfectly well when they had rejected John’s ministry. That was the trouble with them. God never condemns men for ignorance. God’s judgments are upon men who, having the light, disobey it.”  —G. Campbell Morgan
 
You were created on purpose, and you were created for a purpose.
 
God loves you. He is the ultimate authority.
 
There will come a day when God asks you,
“What did you do with my Son?”
 
Read Luke 20:9–19 (NKJV)
 
Stewards, Not Owners
Luke 20:9–19
 
The Son they wanted to get rid of was the same Son who would rise again from the dead.
 
Psalm 24:1 (NKJV)
The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
 
Job 1:21 (NKJV)
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
 
Read Luke 20:20–26 (NKJV)
 
Image Bearers
Luke 20:20–26
 
Luke 20:25 (NKJV)
"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
 
Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
 
Job 1:21 (NKJV)
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
 
“I didn’t thank God that it happened. In fact, I would have given anything to have Christopher back. I would have gladly taken his place. But I wasn’t given that choice. So, I simply said, ‘Lord, he is Yours. I dedicated him to You when he was a little boy, and I dedicate him back to You.’”  —Greg Laurie

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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Join us as Al Fadi, a former Wahabbi Muslim from Saudi Arabia, explains why the proponents of Sharia Law want to establish Sharia courts in America. How do followers of Christ respond to demands for the elimination of dog parks, or insistence on public prayers being played over loudspeakers from mosques? How do we deal with the political side of a religion that leaves people in darkness? Join us for a fascinating and timely conversation.

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We think if we had a nicer car, or a bigger house, or a larger salary, or a new face, or new body, then we’d be content. But Max Lucado says: “The good life begins not when circumstances change but when our attitude toward them does.” 

And writing to the Christians in Philippi, the apostle Paul said, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” (Philippians 4:11–12 NLT).

Paul was in difficult circumstances when he wrote these words. He wasn’t spouting theories from an ivory tower. He was under house arrest, writing from the school of hard knocks. Yet Paul found contentment because he rejoiced in the Lord.

Earlier in Philippians 4, he wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (verse 4 NKJV). He didn’t say that we should rejoice in circumstances. Sometimes that’s hard to do. But Paul did say that we should rejoice in the Lord. Listen in to this episode now for more encouragement!

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Creating Intimacy, Dr. Michael Youssef proclaims that true praise draws believers into deep, personal fellowship with the living God. Rooted in the inerrant Scriptures, this message reveals that the names of God are His gracious self-disclosure, inviting His people into worship, trust, and obedience. Through the revealed names of Yahweh, Dr. Youssef points to the character and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the final sacrifice for sinners. Praise is not ritual—it is relational. As believers confess God’s holy names, repent of self-rule, and depend on Him alone, intimacy with God grows, prayer deepens, and intercession is empowered for faithful witness and victory.

It seems like there are a lot of questions about Christianity we’re not supposed to ask—at least not in church. If we do ask them and arrive at surprising answers, we might ruffle too many feathers—a prospect scary enough to encourage most of us to keep our questions to ourselves. Andrew Farley joins us to answer questions like:
• Are any sins unforgivable?
• Can we lose our salvation?
• Am I really supposed to give 10 percent of my income to the church?
Join us to hear the answers to questions too many think but are afraid to ask.

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