Today's inspiration comes from
Jesus Followers by Anne Graham Lotz & Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright |
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| A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children… — Proverbs 13:22 Webster's Dictionary defines a legacy as "something coming from a predecessor". Others will remember us by what we leave behind. As I have contemplated my predecessors and what their legacies have been to me, my mother comes quickly to mind. Besides her sparkling wit, her commitment to world evangelism, her devotion to my father and her fierce loyalty to her children, the legacy that stands out above all else is the legacy of God's Word. She loved it! She spent hours reading and studying it. At the end of her life, she was still memorizing passages from it. As a result, hers was a life well-lived. Because she didn't just obey God's Word, she also increasingly grew passionately in love with the One who is revealed in its pages. |
Her legacy is summarized by the inscription she wrote in the flyleaf of the Bible she gave to me on the day I was baptized. It was a navy-blue Scofield King James Version that I treasure to this day. The inscription reads, To Anne, (Who on this January 13, 1957 publicly took her stand for Christ, her Savior). We give you this Book, your one sure guide in an unsure world. Read it, study it, love it, live it. In it you will find a verse for every occasion. Hide them in your heart. We love you. Mother Her words could have been just inscriptions on a page, except for the fact that I saw them inscribed on her life. Their meaning is her legacy that ripples throughout my own life, my family and my ministry. Sixteen years after she moved to our Father's House, her legacy is a spiritual inheritance that continues to bless her five children, 19 grandchildren, and over forty great-grandchildren…and beyond.
Which leads me to wonder…
What can I do today to make sure that I leave a rich spiritual inheritance for my children's children tomorrow? What will be my legacy to those who come after me?
The counsel my mother gave me so long ago is one that has stood for a lifetime --it's a legacy of faith that will stand. I want it to be my legacy also because it's a sure foundation for those who come after me. It began for me in the log home of Western North Carolina where I was born and raised. |
There's a long one-lane winding road that leads up to that home, the one I now refer to as my father's house. I know every curve, every foot along the way because when I was a child I was schooled down in the Valley. So I walked down this mountain every morning, and I walked back up this mountain every afternoon, five days a week. |
But later in life when I moved away and had my own family, I would return to visit my parents in that same house. If I arrived after dark my mother would keep the light on near the driveway to let me know I was expected, and I was welcomed. |
This home has always been a place where I felt welcomed, unconditionally loved, accepted, safe and comforted. But the home is quite different today than it was during my childhood. All the sights and sounds of family activity are no longer here, because like many family homes - children grow up, move out, parents age and eventually pass on. And our homes can eventually become an empty shell. |
What lives on is the eternal truth that was taught to me as a child. All the lessons I learned. Some were spoken, some were observed, some good, some difficult. Those were the truths that as a parent I sought to pass on to my children…and now my grandchildren… by my own words and by my example. |
What are you passing on that has eternal value? Your legacy is not something to be thought about toward the end of your life, because whether you know it or not it's already begun. The good news is that you can start now, right where you are, to be a Jesus follower. You can model a faith that will influence the generations that come after you by incorporating into your life four characteristics introduced in our free summer study offered by FaithGateway: Your Witness, Your Worship, Your Walk, and Your Work. Don't delay. Start now to build a legacy that lasts forever. You will be grateful that you did! |
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ANNOUNCING OUR SUMMER ONLINE BIBLE STUDY |
ANNOUNCING OUR SUMMER ONLINE BIBLE STUDY |
Join Anne and Rachel-Ruth on June 12th as we discover together how to become a Jesus follower and leave a legacy for generations to come. |
Filmed on location in the Billy Graham family home, see and hear behind-the-scenes personal stories of the Graham family legacy and learn how you too can be an authentic Jesus Follower in the Jesus Followers Online Bible Study with Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright! Join the free online Bible study now and get access to 5 weeks of study videos, plus some other great free resources to help you build a legacy that lasts. |
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| To make the most of your study experience, we recommend the Jesus Followers study guide. For a deeper experience, check out the Premium Bundle with the NIV Thinline Bible & Journal Pack + The Joy of My Heart 365-Day Devotional for one low price! |
PREMIUM BUNDLE The Best Value - includes free* U.S. shipping! Get 3 incredible resources for one low price of $45! |
$45.00 52% off *Free U.S shipping included! |
This Premium Bundle includes: - (1) Study Guide - The study guide includes discussion and reflection questions, video notes, scripture memory cards and coloring pages, and a leader's guide. You'll also receive an individual access code to stream all eight video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!).
- (1) NIV Thinline Bible + Journal Pack - Super-size your scripture in style with this large-print NIV Bible and journal gift set. Includes a Bible, coordinating journal, prayer cards, notepad, and stickers.
- (1) The Joy of My Heart, 365 Day Devotional - A companion devotional by author Anne Graham Lotz. Each of the 365 devotions includes a meaningful Scripture verse and reflections and meditations from Anne on topics such as eternity, grief, and faith.
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STANDARD BUNDLE Study Guide + Bible/Journal Pack |
$37.99 49% off *Free U.S shipping included! |
This Standard Bundle includes: - (1) Study Guide - The study guide includes discussion and reflection questions, video notes, scripture memory cards and coloring pages, and a leader's guide. You'll also receive an individual access code to stream all eight video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!).
- (1) NIV Thinline Bible + Journal Pack - Super-size your scripture in style with this large-print NIV Bible and journal gift set. Includes a Bible, coordinating journal, prayer cards, notepad, and stickers.
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STUDY GUIDE with lifetime streaming access to all 5 videos |
The ultimate resource for the Jesus Followers Online Bible Study! Join Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright for this five-session study as they demonstrate a family Bible study discussion, plus four ways to ignite faith in the next generation, centered around your Witness, Worship, Walk, and Work. The study guide includes weekly individual Bible Studies, group discussion questions, a facilitator's Guide, and answers to FAQs. You'll also receive an individual access code to stream all five video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!). |
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