How to Build a Legacy That Outlives You

Well, come on, everybody, how are we doing today? Oh, we're glad you're here, it's so good to see you. And if you know a middle school or high school student, if you have one, if you are one, if you live near one, if you've ever seen one, come on, somebody. If you're connected to any middle school or high school student and we wanna make sure they know all about Student Summer Camp, it will be the best week of their summer. And I promise you this, it'll be life-changing for so many students. So the details are on our website and registration is closing soon, so you don't wanna miss it. Get your students signed up for Student Camp. Happy Mother's Day, everybody, you look good. Welcome to you right here in Yorktown and in Newport News, Virginia Beach. Of course, shout out to the men at Indian Creek and online. We love you so much and we are so thankful for the incredible men and women in our church who serve our country in the United States military. Can you show them some love today, everybody? We love you so much and we're thankful for you. Well, next Sunday, next Sunday we kick off a brand new series of messages. We're calling that series Battle Ready, Battle Ready. I'm gonna get you ready for the battle, which kind of feels like we should've started that on Mother's Day, come on, you know what I'm saying?

That's a good Mother's Day message too, but next week, a brand new series and you don't wanna miss it because the Bible actually gives us some weapons we can use to not just fight the battles, but to actually win them. And so I'm gonna help you with that in this upcoming series. You'll wanna make sure you're back next week and it'll be a great week, a great week to bring somebody with you. So bring a friend, family member, or neighbor and invite them to join you right back here for Battle Ready, a brand new series we kick off next Sunday. But today, today you finally get to hear some good preaching, everybody, because Tabitha Hodges is gonna bring the word. Let's go. We're so excited and I just wanna tell you, you know, not only is Tabitha gifted and anointed to bring this word today, but she actually has the authority to bring it. And gosh, I know there are a lot of young moms in our church who are maybe needing some encouragement and needing an example to follow. And I just wanna tell you, Tabitha is encouragement and she is an example to follow. I live with the lady, so I can testify to you that what you're gonna get today from her heart is what she lives out every single day.

Of course, she has lived that out with our three amazing kids, raising them to know love and serve Jesus. But not just in our home, she's lived it out in this home for 23 years as the first lady of this house, being the mama to this house. And she's such an incredible example of faith and integrity and love. And y'all, I listened to the first hour's message and oh my goodness, you are in for really, I believe, for a life shaping message today from Tabitha. She's gonna bring the word, it's gonna encourage you, but you better buckle up because it's gonna challenge you too. And here's what I just ask. Hey, give her some love, show her some support, let her know that she's read your mail, let her know that she's talking to you, let her know that she's leaned in on a few of your conversations because this message is gonna be straight to your heart, I promise you that. So open your hearts, get ready to lean in and receive the word. And I'd love it if on every campus, if you'd stand to your feet, show some love and honor to the first lady of our house, Tabitha Hodges, let's go. Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Thank you guys so much. Wow. Can you guys just take a moment to remain standing? Here's the thing, Mother's Day is amazing and we love celebrating moms in the house, but I also recognize that for some of us in the room, Mother's Day is difficult for a lot of reasons. Maybe you've struggled with infertility like we did, or maybe you've lost a child, or maybe even you've lost a mom recently. And this is hard. Today is a hard day. And I just wanna recognize today that God is near. to you. And so I just want to take a moment just to pray over you and pray over, um, pray over those that are experiencing that feeling of loss or hurt or pain today while we also celebrate the moms in the room. Can we do that? Would you pray with me? God, we just are so thankful for all the moms that are in the house today, but today we also recognize that there are so many in the house today that are just sad. They're weary and they're hurting for one reason or another because mother's day is hard for them. And God, would you just be near to them? Your word promises that you are near to the broken hearted. And so God, we claim that today. Would you give them peace and strength? And would you give

them comfort today that only Holy spirit can give them? God, we love you. And we trust you in this moment that you would be with them. It's in your name that we pray. Amen. Would you guys go ahead and have a seat? Got to get set up here. All right. Well, if you know anything about me, you know, one of the things that I'm most passionate about is legacy and legacy is the lasting impact that we leave behind the things that we hand down to generations after us. And I don't know about you, but I want to leave the kind of legacy that says about me that I've, I've served the Lord with all my heart, all the days of my life. That's the kind of legacy that I want to leave. And honestly, I think I've cared about legacy for a really long time. Even as a kid, I really wanted to make a mark. You know, I remember in fifth grade that I wanted to run for president. I mean, what better way to make a mark on your elementary school than to become the president, right? I wanted to be known for something. I wanted the grades behind me to look up to me and say, there's tab. She's the president. I wanted to make a real difference. You know, the kind of difference that matters for a 10 year old, you know, like changing the square pizza to a circle one, you know, or maybe making recess just a little bit longer. I wanted to make that kind of difference. You know, I wanted to get them to add some strawberry milk instead of that plain old yucky plain milk. You know, that was real leadership stuff, right? So I ran, I made the posters, I made the buttons. I did all the things to write, to get elected, you know? And then the big day came the day where we had to give our speeches in front of the entire school. I was ready. Let me tell you, I was prepared and I was poised. And so I got up there and I gave the most captivating speech that a 10 year old can give full of promises, full of vision and inspiration. And then my opponent got up there. His name is Luke. Just in case you wanted to know, I mean, I'll never forget Luke. I remember it like it was yesterday. It's like a core memory, you know, because while I was up there trying to inspire all the grades below me, Luke with his 10 year old boy self gets up there and he just says a few words, nothing inspiring. And then he ends his speech like this. Don't forget to vote for Luke. And then he says, give me an L. And he raises his hands like this. And I'm like, oh boy. And the crowd goes wild. They go, L. He says, give me a U. U. Give me a K. K. Give me an E. E. You got it.

And then he says, what's that spell? And the crowd erupts and they say, Luke. And I'm like, oh my goodness. And then he ends his speech and he says, don't forget to vote for Luke. And I knew right then and there, oh man, my hopes and dreams of becoming president were gone. I couldn't top that speech. Are you kidding me? Needless to say, I did not leave my legacy in elementary school because Luke won, y'all. And I gotta be honest. Luke, if you're watching right now, I'm still not happy about it. I'm still really mad. But I guess I didn't really need to become the president in fifth grade because guess what, Luke? I became the first lady of Water's Edge Church. In your face. We all wanna leave a legacy, right? And I think this is especially true for moms in the room. But listen, if there's one thing that motherhood has taught me, it's this, that leaving a legacy is actually harder than it looks. As moms, we really want so badly to make a lasting impact on the generations behind us. We want our faith and our love for Jesus to outlive us. But honestly, sometimes it feels like it's just hard enough to make it through the day, right? But today, I wanna encourage you with one big idea. And this is not just for moms in the house, it's for all of us. It's this, legacy isn't built in big moments, it's built in everyday moments.

And scripture gives us a clear picture of the kind of legacy we're called to leave and how to build it. So I wanna encourage you today, but I also wanna challenge you just a little bit. So lean in with a few ways that we can all leave a legacy that lasts. And I absolutely love this passage in the book of Psalms. But before we jump in, I wanna give you a little context, okay? Psalm 128, it's part of this group of Psalms. Psalm 120 through 134, it's actually known as the Songs of the Ascent. So these were songs that God's people would sing as they made their journey up the hill to Jerusalem to sing, to worship in the temple. And three times a year, families would travel to attend feast. And as they traveled up the hill, these songs, well, they were on their Spotify playlist, if you will. So they knew these songs really, really well. These songs reminded them that more than anything else, what they needed the most was the presence of God. And right in the middle of those Psalms is Psalm 128. So picture it, you've got families walking together, parents leading the way, children listening. Oh, wow. Generation after generation,

singing about the goodness and the blessings of God as they ascended towards His presence in the temple. And this is what they sang. Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor. Blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to see your children's children, peace beyond Israel. And what we see in Psalm is a picture of what God wants to do, not just in you, but through you. While the blessing starts with the fear of the Lord by the end of the Psalm, it extends to the home and to the children and grandchildren and even an entire nation living in peace. That's legacy. Levi Lesko says it this way. The greatest thing that you can do for the world is to have a strong home. The greatest thing you can do for your home is to have a strong marriage. The greatest thing you can do for your marriage

is to have a strong soul. That's the picture of Psalm 128. It shows us that legacy doesn't start out there. It starts in here. It starts in the soul. And I believe this passage gives us three truths about building a legacy. And the first is this. The fear of the Lord starts your legacy. Before God shapes generations through you, you have to have the fear of the Lord in you. in you. So let's go back to those first two verses. Blessed are all who fear the Lord who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor. Blessings and prosperity will be yours. The Psalm begins with this truth. Everything starts with fearing the Lord before legacy can even touch your children, your home, your marriage or generations that will come after you. It has to start in you. And it says blessed are all who fear the Lord. And I know that the word fear can seem a little bit complicated, right? Because when we hear it, we think, oh, like we're supposed to be afraid of God or, or we're supposed to be intimidated by God. But that's not really what scripture means here. What he's trying to say is the fear of the Lord. It's actually like a reverence. It's like an all, like if you were to look at a sunset, it recognized the recognizes the holiness and the power and the authority of God, and then ordering your life around him. And notice how closely the Psalmist connects fearing God with walking in obedience to him. That's because reverence always produces obedience to fear the Lord means

you choose what pleases God over what pleases you. It means you trust him enough to obey him. Even when you don't fully understand. I really do believe that anybody can say that they trust God. Anybody can say that they fear the Lord, but it's really only proven by the way that you walk. And here's the reality. You cannot obey what you do not know. You can't align your life with God's ways. If you don't know what God's word says. And I think sometimes we assume we know what God says when actually we've really just picked up pieces of social media clips or soundbites here and there, maybe like a piece of wall art that's inspiring or cultural opinions. And we've allowed those things to shape us instead of sitting in the truth of God's word for ourselves. You know, we're, we're sitting on Tik TOK or watching the news for like two hours. And, and then you come here every few weeks and you're hoping that that's enough, but it's not. Let me tell you the math isn't mapping there guys. So I really want to challenge you to dive in, dig in deep to God's word for yourself, because God is actually very clear about a lot of things in your life. Now there are moments when I read scripture and I think, Lord, I don't really understand why you're asking that of me. Like sometimes forgiveness, right? God says to forgive others, right? We can all agree. And if I'm honest, I wish that sometimes he would have added a footnote at the bottom of that scripture that says something like, um, forgive them unless they're really annoying, but he doesn't, does he? Or how about when he says that we're supposed to tell the truth, right? God says to tell the truth. And sometimes I think, Lord, but what about when the Amazon package arrives at my house? And Stu says, is that another new pair of shoes? And I'm like, Oh, I have to tell the

truth. He does. I have to tell the truth. Listen, I don't always understand why God says some of the things that he says, but he does. He's God. He has a plan. He's all knowing and he knows what's best. And my responsibility isn't understanding. It's just obedience. And if I'm going to obey him, I have to know his word. So what does it actually look like to fear the Lord and walk in obedience? Well, it looks like choosing patience when you want to yell. It looks like apologizing to your kids when you got it wrong, right? It looks like honoring your spouse when you're frustrated. It looks like getting up early to spend time in God's word. Even when you're tired, it looks like turning off the noise and opening up your Bible. It looks like praying over your children while they're asleep. It looks like choosing integrity when compromised would be so much easier. It looks like making hard decisions about your family schedule because you know not every opportunity is going to be worth what it would cost you spiritually. It looks like living out your purpose in your church. It looks like sharing your faith with your coworker, even when you're afraid. And as a student, it looks like saying no to that party, even if it means that you're not going to have friends. That's the fear of the Lord. Let me tell you guys, it's not perfection. Please don't get this wrong. It's not about a list of rules. That is not what this is about. It's about your posture towards God. It's about how you prioritize Him. It's how you trust Him. It's how you obey Him.

And I love verse two, it says, you will eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours. In other words, obedience produces fruit. Obedience may feel like it's costly in the moment. It is so, it's hard work y'all, but it will always be fruitful in the end. In some translations, I really love this. In some translations, the word is actually, the word blessing is actually interchanged with the word happy, with an exclamation point. And I love that because it's like, oh, you are going to be so happy when you eat the fruit of your labor. And I'm here to tell you that God's ways lead to blessing. His ways lead to joy and happiness. His ways lead to life. When you guys know me, I always get to learn these lessons the hard way. There was one Sunday when I was running late for church and I didn't have time to read my Bible and I was rushing around. I was thinking about all the things that I had to do when I got here. I had to talk to some people before the service and I had to get some things done before the service and so my mind was fixated on those things. And then also on our way out, on my way out, Stu and I actually got in what we like to call a holy disagreement. You know, I think you guys think that sometimes pastors are like, just like, like peace, love and harmony and we just sit around and pray all the time. Well, you're at the wrong church. That's not us. You know, I was so mad at him when I left. Not just a little bit mad. I was just like real mad. Okay. Like y'all been real mad.

And the whole time I'm walking to my car and Holy Spirit is speaking to me and he's saying, go back into the house and work it out. Make it right. But did I listen? Nope. I didn't want to be obedient to the Holy Spirit in that moment. Why? Because I was just being stubborn and I knew better. I knew I should have gotten up earlier and spent time in the word. I knew I should have slowed down and made things right before I left. But instead, you know what I did? I got in the car and I, I drove away. I peeled off like princess peach at the, at the starting line of Mario cart y'all. I'm telling you. And how many of you guys know that when you're mad like that, your foot gets a little bit heavier on the gas pedal? Well, this is where the story gets interesting. So I'm driving down the road and I'm getting it. I'm making record time to church by the way. And I'm going over the bridge and I'm heading down the bridge. And there he was, the police officer was like Oprah Winfrey at a giveaway saying, you get a ticket, you get a ticket. And I was like, Oh man, I was so upset. I was like, Lord, I'm just, I'm just trying to serve the Lord, get to church, what in the world? Is there not any bonus points for that? Come on. And as I sat there on the side of the road, it hit me. If I had just been obedient, if I had just listened to the prompting of the Holy spirit, if I had chosen forgiveness, if I had slowed down, if I had handled what needed to be handled,

I would have had peace. I would have been happy. I would have been blessed, but instead I was very unhappy, very unblessed. And I know that some of you are wondering, did you get a ticket? No, I mustered up some tears and the favor of the Lord was upon me. on me, I do believe. So I didn't get a ticket. But let me tell you, that was a reality check for me because it's still made for a really stressful, frustrating, unhappy start to my day. And I know that I'm making light of this, but that's the thing about obedience, right? Commands, God's commands are there, aren't there to make your life harder. They're there to keep you from unnecessary pain. When God says to forgive, it's because forgiveness, it'll just weigh you down. When God says to be slow to anger, it's because your anger will drive you to decisions you regret and possibly a ticket. When God says seek him first, it's because every single thing, everything else in your life flows better when he is first. Obedience is not restriction. I'm telling you, it is protection. And blessing is found on the other side of obedience. That's what Psalm 128 is teaching us. When we fear the Lord and obey his commands, we will experience the full fruit of that faithfulness. And that kind of faith, the kind that obeys

even when it's inconvenient, is the kind of fear of the Lord that will build a legacy. Now the second truth is this, the home you build carries your legacy. The fear of the Lord starts your legacy, right? Then the home you build, it'll carry it. Our scripture says this, your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. And I love that picture because after the psalmist talks about fearing the Lord, he immediately moves to the home. Because what you build in your home doesn't just stay in your home, it carries your legacy forward. The home is where obedience gets lived out in real time, not in theory, not in public, but in everyday rhythms of your life. And the psalmist, he uses two important images here, vines and olive shoots. To the people hearing this psalm, these were the two most valuable crops of ancient Israel. The vine produces grapes and wine. The olive tree produces oil. Both were symbols of blessing, abundance, and flourishing. They weren't just useful, they made life richer and more blessed. And that's the picture that God gives us of the home.

A healthy and flourishing home doesn't just sustain life, it makes it better. The vine is such a powerful image because it shows influence. A vine doesn't just stay in one place, it spreads, right? It wraps around every single thing that it touches, and that's what your life does inside your home. Your words shape the atmosphere. Your tone sets the temperature. Your reactions set the rhythm. Your obedience to God or disobedience to God creates the culture, because what's in you will eventually fill the space around you. And then the psalm says, your children are like olive shoots around your table. Let me tell you something about olive shoots, they don't just grow overnight. They take a lot of time. They take effort. They take intentional care. And honestly, that's what building a home feels like. It feels like repetition, everyday moments, small corrections, simple conversations, the same lessons over and over again. And let me tell you, I feel you moms of toddlers and teenagers. I remember those days, trust me. Sometimes you're wondering if any of it is working, because parenting can feel so slow, right?

Trust me, I remember those days of feeling defeated, feeling like I had failed, feeling like what in the world are we supposed to do with this child right here? Trust me, my kids were cute, but they were not saints. And it can feel like you're saying the same thing again and again and again, but one thing that I know is that after all of these years, legacy is not built overnight, it's built over time. And it's built with an intentional effort. And here's what I love. The olive shoots are around the table. The table matters because throughout scripture, the table represents more than a meal. The table is where community happens. It's where communication happens. It's where teaching happens. It's where correction happens. It's where stories are told. It's where values are transferred. The table is where hearts are shaped. And some of the most important things that your children will learn that'll never happen in a classroom. It will only happen around your table. And I'm afraid what I'm afraid for families today is that you're so busy packing your schedules and buying into these lies that they have to sign up for this and that. And if you don't, they won't get to live out their dreams. And some of you are you're letting your kids go off into the room and disappear and be on their phones and play video games for hours. And what's happening is conversations and laughter and the hard questions and prayers that God intended to happen around the table. They're no longer happening. And then we wonder why our kids are depressed and anxious and struggling. Some of it is because we're missing the table. We got to bring back the table y'all.

Because the table is always teaching something, whether you intend it to or not. And that's why obedience matters so much in the home, because your family doesn't just hear what you believe. They learn what you practice. And I can tell you firsthand that kids repeat what they're taught. The other day we were with our granddaughter, Belle. Oh, she's just the cutest. And she's in this really sweet stage where she repeats everything that we say, like a parrot, you know, it's so fun. But right now, Pastor Stu and I are in a little bit of a competition to see whose name she's going to say first, Pops or Gigi. Like we're like, come on, say Pops. Come on, say Gigi. Come on. Like we're just like in this big competition. And the other night she repeated something that I said, and Stu didn't exactly find this funny. But I think you guys will. So I'm going to share it with you. So check this out. Say Stu. It wasn't exactly the name he was hoping for. But isn't she the cutest? Oh my gosh, I think he's still recovering, you know. But that's how kids are. They're mirrors, sometimes very honest mirrors. What they hear, they repeat. What they see, they imitate. What is normalized in your home will often be repeated in theirs. And many times it's going to be magnified. So think about it. If your kids hear you gossiping about your friends, don't be surprised when they carry that on to a middle school relationships and eventually into their own home. If they hear constant yelling and disrespect between you and your spouse, they may grow up believing that that's what marriage is actually like. If church is optional in your home, it will likely become even less optional, less important in theirs. But if they see you get up and prioritize God's word, if they hear you pray, if they watch you forgive, if they watch

you choose obedience, that will shape them too. Because what is prioritized in one generation often becomes patterned in the next. And I'm not saying that this is a formula. Please don't misread this. I'm not saying that if you could just do A, B and C, your kids will automatically turn out like this. Because let me tell you, your kids, they have their own will. My kids got their own will too. They have their own choices. But what I am saying is this, what you build in your home opens doors for your family's future. And that's why I love the book of Proverbs. It says this, start children off in the way they should go. And even when they are old, they will not turn from it. That's actually not a guarantee. It's just, it's just wisdom. It's the reminder that what you plant early matters. What you build in your home today will echo into generations tomorrow. And listen, maybe you're hearing all of this and you're, you're kind of feeling like a little bit overwhelmed. Maybe you're thinking, well, I haven't done this perfectly. Maybe you're replaying some moments that you wish you could redo. Maybe you're thinking it's kind of too late. Maybe you're thinking of things you wish you had done differently. And I mean, trust me, I honestly don't have enough fingers and toes to list off the number of things that I wish I would have done differently. But here, hear me. This message is not meant to make you feel like you're not enough. It's not meant to make you feel like you haven't done enough. It's meant to motivate you. It's meant to awaken you, to remind you that it's never too late to change the course of your home. Because as long as there is breath in your lungs, there is still time to build a legacy in your home. And that leads us to the third truth from this psalm. The fear of the Lord starts your legacy. The home you build carries your legacy. And number three, your future, your future multiplies your legacy. So let's look back at our verses. The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to

see your children's children, peace be on Israel. Do you see how the psalm expands? It starts with one person fearing the Lord. Then it moves to the home and the family. And by the end, it reaches a whole entire nation because that's how legacy works. It was never meant to stop at your house. It was meant to multiply beyond it. And I can tell you this, if your entire goal is to simply have a happy home for your kids to just have a good job and have a good home, let me tell you, we're, we're aiming way too low here. A happy home is good, but let me tell you, it is not enough. God blesses our home so that our homes can be a blessing. His design has always been so much bigger than our homes. It's generational legacy and kingdom impact through his church. And one of my favorite women in Christian history is a woman named Elizabeth Elliott. I cannot wait to share this story. Elizabeth and her husband, Jim Elliott, they were missionaries in Ecuador in the 1950s. And while trying to share God's love with an unreached tribe in the jungle, Jim and four of his missionary friends, they were murdered by the members of the tribe that they were trying to reach. Can you imagine here's Elizabeth? She's a, she's a young wife, a young mother with just a 10 month old baby. And she was literally widowed overnight because her husband was trying to share the gospel. Most people would have packed up and gone home and they probably would have been really mad at God, but not Elizabeth because you know what she did a few years later, she took her daughter, Valerie back to live among that very same tribe that killed her husband. She learned their language. She shared the gospel with them. She loved them. And eventually many of them became Christ followers. Think about that. She didn't have bitterness. She just had obedience and forgiveness and the fear of the Lord. And because of that obedience, her impact didn't stop there. She went on to write 20 books and she, she traveled and she spoke and she discipled generations of women for decades. And then even her daughter, she carried the legacy forward as an author and a speaker and a pastor's wife too. But here's what I've been thinking. Where in the world did Elizabeth learn that kind of obedience? Where did that kind of strength actually come from? It didn't start in Ecuador. It started at home. You see, Elizabeth actually was raised by missionary parents. She grew up in a home where obedience was normal, where the fear of the Lord shaped the atmosphere, where surrender to God wasn't just preached, it was actually practiced. So when difficulty and grief came, oh, you better believe Elizabeth was already

knew what obedience looked like because her home had prepared her for it. And because one woman, because one woman and her home had prepared her. one woman impacted a tribe because one woman impacted a tribe. Millions have now been impacted through her books and through her teaching and even her story. And look at us today. We're even telling her story today. That's the kind of legacy that we want, right? That's how legacy is multiplied. And I believe that strong families strengthen cities, healthy homes strengthen communities, and homes grounded in obedience to God can change culture. If you want to see culture change, fear the Lord, and then start with your home. Start with your table. Start with what your children are seeing. Start with what your family is prioritizing because what happens in your home will not stay in your home. It will multiply. And for some of you right now, your heart and your mind is feeling just a little bit overwhelmed with everything that I've said today. Your heart's beating just a little bit fast. And can I tell you, that's, that's not condemnation. That's not guilt because there's no guilt here. That's Holy Spirit encouraging you, motivating you, comforting you. And this moment, I know that today I'm speaking to a lot of people in the room. Parents feel that feel overwhelmed by raising kids or teenagers and honestly feel like things are way out of control. Parents of adult children who are carrying the ache of distance or broken relationships or prayers that just haven't been answered yet. Single moms that are carrying the weight of everything, and they're just trying to make it through the day. Single dads that are trying to do their best to lead their families and feeling stretched thin. Grandparents who are trying to raise the next generation and wondering if what they're doing is even helping at all. Married couples that are trying to build, rebuild trust and connection and strengthen what feels fragile. People who long for marriage or children who are children and they're still wanting, wanting that. People who come from broken homes and are trying to build something different than what they came from. Maybe some of you are looking back at your story and wishing you could redo a few things. And I want you to hear me so clearly today. It's not too late. As long as God has given you breath in your lungs, there is still time to build something different. There is still time to obey. There is still time to heal. There is still time for your legacy. And I want you to know this right now, that you're not alone. You have a God in heaven who is with you and

will never leave you. You have a church family that loves you. You have campus pastors that want to walk alongside of you. You have groups that want to come alongside of you to help you in these seasons. And you have a church family that believes that there is a legacy inside of you. So before we leave today, I actually want to give you a charge from scripture, a charge that Moses gave to the people of Israel after they had received the 10 commandments. A reminder of what it looks like to obey God and build a legacy. And here's what I want you to do as we read this scripture. What I'd like for you to do is just open your hands. If you want to receive this scripture, I want you to open your hands and receive it from him. This scripture says this, this is the commandment, the rules and regulations that God, your God commanded me to teach you to live out in the land you're about to cross into to possess. This is so that you'll live in deep reverence before God lifelong, observing all his rules and regulations that I'm commanding you, you and your children and your grandchildren living good, long lives. Listen, obediently, Israel, do what you're told so that you'll have a good life, a life of abundance and bounty, just as God promised. in a land abounding with milk and honey. Attention Israel, God, our God, God, the one and only, love God, your God with your whole heart. Love him with all that's in you. Love him with all you've got. Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street. Talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and your foreheads as a reminder. Inscribe them on the doorpost of your homes

and on your city gates. You guys, that's what a legacy is all about. That's how you build a legacy. And before we end today, I just wanna take a moment to just pray over you, pray a blessing over you because right now this can all feel so overwhelming. It can feel like there's no hope. And I want you to know that there is hope in this moment for your legacy. So let me pray over you. Father God, I pray for every single person within the sound of my voice. I pray that you would be near them, those that feel overwhelmed with the weight of carrying a legacy. I pray that you would just be right with them, that you would feel so close to them in this moment. God, I pray that you would give them wisdom and clarity on how they can build a legacy. And God, I just pray for those that need healing in relationships. I pray for those that are broken. I pray for those that are trying to change what happened in the past. God, I pray that you would be right alongside of them, helping them to build the legacy that you want them to have, that would last all generations. God, we trust you,

and we know that we can lean on you in this time. So God, as we leave this place, would you help us to know exactly how we're supposed to leave a legacy, the steps we're supposed to take? Would your Holy Spirit speak to us even just one little step of what we're supposed to do? I pray a blessing of favor upon everyone that's within the sound of my voice. I pray blessing and favor upon them. Thank you so much for your word. And God, there may be some people in this room that have never received you as their personal Lord and Savior. And if that's you, you've never had a relationship with him, but today there's something different. Today there's something different about what he's speaking to you about, and you want a relationship with him. I wanna give you a chance to receive him as your personal Lord and Savior. Would you pray this prayer with me? God, I wanna know you. I want my sin forgiven by you. I wanna be made right with God in heaven through you. Come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. We love you, Jesus. It's in your name we pray, amen. Thank you so much.

Why don't we thank God for everything that he's done today? All right. You too. All right god bless you. Love you. Bye-bye. Love you, love you. Love you so much. Talk to you soon.