Legacy can be defined as, "something transmitted or received from an ancestor." Usually these are amounts of money or property that are left in a will, but what if our 'legacy' could be something much more valuable. What if the legacy that we leave behind doesn't have some monetary value, but is instead priceless? If you're interested in that, keep reading.
Matthew 28:19-20 is the Christian call to leave a legacy. This call comes from Jesus himself, and it is traditionally called "The Great Commission." Jesus tells his disciples to make disciples, and he tells them that the way to do that is through: Baptising them, and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. Jesus is calling on his disciples to leave a legacy. He's calling on them to pass on what they have received. And thank God they did. I'm writing this, and you're reading this because those 11 boys did what Jesus told them. They left a legacy.
Now their calling, is ours.
We are called to pass on to the next generation everything that we've learned from Jesus. We're called to teach the next generation how to have a relationship with God, how to love him with our whole being, and how to love our neighbor as ourself. We're called to leave an eternal legacy. Not so that our name is remembered, but so that Jesus' name is glorified.
With this calling in mind, we're launching the Legacy Retreat for students and families in OSM (6th through 12th grade). At this retreat, families will engage in activities together like: prayer, developing a family mission statement, cultivating rhythms to maintain connection to Jesus, and a lot more. You can sign up for Legacy Retreat here:
Legacy Retreat
We're three weeks away from our OSM Legacy Retreat. So leading up to that retreat, I wanted to start leaving updates on ways that you can begin to leave a legacy for Jesus right now.
The first legacy challenge that you can do tonight may seem simple, but it's impact will be great.
Here it is: Eat at the table.
You may already do this as a family, and if so, great! But if you don't, eating at the table is statistically proven to increase connection between family members. While eating at the table, families get to have intentional and encouraging conversations around the highs and lows of their day, family goals, and how they saw God in their life that day.
Here are some questions you can ask to each other as you share a meal:
1. What made you smile today?
2. What made you sad?
3. What are you thankful for today?
4. Where did you see the love of God today?
5. What do we need to pray for as a family?
I hope that you take this challenge and eat at the table tonight! It is a small but important step in leaving an eternal Christ-centered legacy for your family!
