A L ASTING L EGACY MAKING YOUR MARK Deuteronomy 61:15

MAKING YOUR MARK  Five years ago, when you heard the name “Tiger Woods,” what did it make you think of?  If Tiger’s dad had put a Bible in his hands instead of a golf club, how might things have turned out differently?  Before we come down two hard on Earl Woods, let’s stop and consider what we are putting into the hands of our children.  Will it have eternal significance? Are you leaving the kind of mark you want on your children?

A LASTING LEGACY  Over the coming weeks, we will learn what it means to leave a spiritual legacy for our children and their children.  God’s Word underscores the importance of making a mark on our children and gives us instructions on how to do it.  It all starts with a solid foundation.

B UILD ON THE R IGHT FOUNDATION D EUTERONOMY 6:1-5  1 "This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has instructed me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. 2 Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. 3 Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey. FollowFearListenFollowFearListen

B UILD ON THE R IGHT FOUNDATION D EUTERONOMY 6:1-5  4 "Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. HeartSoulMindStrengthHeartSoulMindStrength

S HARE Y OUR L IFE M ESSAGE D EUTERONOMY 6:6-9  6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. RepeatTalkBindWriteRepeatTalkBindWrite

K EEP Y OUR F OCUS D EUTERONOMY 6:10-15  10 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give you—a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build, 11 houses full of every good thing that you did not fill them with, wells dug that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 13 Fear the Lord your God, worship Him, and take your oaths in His name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you, 15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. RememberAppreciateAweWorshipLoyalRememberAppreciateAweWorshipLoyal

 You can build on the right foundation by fearing the Lord, obeying His commands, and loving Him with your whole being.  Your devotion to God should be heartfelt and heart-deep so that your obedience and desire to share your faith are a natural overflow.  You must recognize the temptation of abundant physical blessings and keep your focus on God alone.

 This week, take a moment to make a list of the major people whom God has placed under your influence.  Prayerfully choose one or two with whom you will speak this week about what you have learned.  Ask God to give you the opportunity and the courage to influence their lives this week. N OW W HAT ?