Sermon Audio, Calvary Community Church, Williams Bay, WI

What would you pay to get the most valuable thing ever thought of? What if it cost you everything? The kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price. In order to intentionally engage with God to build a legacy that brings Him glory, we need to understand what it means to be in the Kingdom of God and what the cost is to be a part of that kingdom.

Scripture gives us some great insight into what it means to receive care from our Chief Shepherd, but it also provides us with a model of care for one another. The shepherd and the sheep metaphor is rich in truth and outlines for us a pathway that we can follow to receive and give care. Be encouraged this week as you reflect on the great truth that the Lord is your Chief Shepherd and that He cares deeply for you and let it motivate you to reach out and shepherd others.

Our theme for this week comes from part of our theme verse, 2 Cor. 5:18b. “…and he gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Our Domestic Ministry Partners are all involved in reconciliation ministries. First, there must be reconciliation with God, and then, reconciliation with those that have hurt them and with those they have wronged and hurt. This involves focused prayer, tough love, good teaching and supporting care.

Priorities shape legacies. We provide our priorities both time and resources. Priorities reign in the life of a person, family, business, church, even government. When priorities clash, there’s trouble. What are the top 3 priorities in your life, your legacy? What are God’s 3 top priorities for your life and your legacy?

Each of us is, all of us, are building legacy. Personal legacy, family legacy, business legacy, church legacy, etc. That which is most important to us (that which we worship) is most significant in shaping our legacy. Look closely. What is your legacy thus far and what is most influential in shaping it?

Leaving the shoreline of our life-changing encounters with God, life patterns develop quickly. They should be new, since an encounter with God leaves us changed into a “new creation with Christ,” but too often we return to the familiar old attitudes and lifestyle patterns, forfeiting what could have been. Let’s learn a better way.

We each balance our personal, private lives with our involvements in many “worlds," family, work, school, social friends, civic and charitable organizations. God invites each person to find great fulfillment in being part of a living, dynamic, strategic, world-impacting “ekklesia,” led by Jesus Christ Himself, to accomplish God’s purposes around the world in each generation. What does God have in mind as He builds His Legacy through each of us and our CALVARY “ekklesia” in our troubled world, in our generation?

From the Syrian refugee crisis, to African child labor slavery, to Asian sex trafficking, to homelessness and poverty in America… our broken world lives in sin bondage and it’s killing us! God has an answer… an “Ekklesia” movement delivering hope, making a difference! Will we be “all in” or spectators?

Our footsteps, which have traced our path for the "Journey 33: 100 days of Summer 2013," bring us now to the threshold of fall. The Anchors of Hebrews are available to hold us firm through change and storm (6:19). As you look ahead, what do you see in the rest of your 2013 and into 2014? Ready or not, September and beyond is here!

Entering the final week of Summer 2013, what anchors your life in both the calm and storms of life in our unpredictable world? This week of transition from summer to fall will bring change to all of us. To what will you hold firmly? Will it prove reliable and trustworthy as the winds of change blow?