Building a Lasting Legacy Through Humility and Grace
Summary
The sermon begins with the speaker honoring his father for his 70 years of faithful ministry and sharing the lessons he learned from him about success in life. The speaker's father emphasized the importance of serving with intensity, speaking with integrity, and giving with generosity. He also advised his son to stay humble, warning that arrogance would lead to downfall. The speaker then shares a personal anecdote about his father meeting Johnny Cash and the impact of their collaboration in a crusade.
The speaker then welcomes all the campuses of Dream City Church and announces that they will be celebrating what God has done over the past decades. The theme for the day is leaving a lasting legacy, and the speaker mentions that churches, as well as individuals and families, can leave a legacy. The speaker shares a personal story about visiting Disney World with their family and seeing the phrase "leave your legacy" on granite walls, which resonated with the desire to have their life matter and count.
The sermon then shifts to a celebration of the church's 100 years of faithfulness. The speaker expresses gratitude for the young people worshiping and highlights the rebranding of Dream City Church with a new logo. They emphasize the importance of standing on the truth and mention upcoming events, such as the unveiling of a new wall showcasing the church's history. The speaker also shares a personal story of their father's call to move to Phoenix, Arizona and the impact their church had on the community through various programs and ministries.
The speaker then emphasizes the importance of leaving a lasting legacy and acknowledges that it cannot be achieved alone. The speaker highlights the need for an internal power, referred to as the grace of God, to drive and empower individuals to live the kind of life they desire. The speaker then invites the congregation to raise their hands if they want to ask God to fill them with saving and empowering grace, and many hands are raised. The sermon concludes with a collective prayer, where individuals give their lives to God, ask for forgiveness, and commit to living their lives in a way that honors God and leaves a legacy.
The speaker concludes the sermon by emphasizing the importance of dressing for success according to the Bible's standards. They contrast the cultural idea of success, which involves projecting a phony image of perfection, with the biblical concept of success, which is to clothe oneself with humility. The speaker highlights that building an image of pride to prove one's perfection is not pleasing to God and is unattractive to others. Instead, they encourage the audience to learn to laugh at themselves, be humble, and focus on building a lasting character.
Key Takeaways:
- Serving with intensity, speaking with integrity, and giving with generosity are key to success in life. Humility is also crucial, as arrogance can lead to downfall. This wisdom was passed down from the speaker's father, who lived a life of faithful ministry for 70 years. [49:33]
- Leaving a lasting legacy is not just for individuals and families, but also for churches. The speaker emphasizes the importance of making one's life count and matter, and this can be achieved by leaving a legacy that impacts others. [49:33]
- The grace of God is the internal power that drives and empowers individuals to live the kind of life they desire. It is through this grace that individuals can leave a lasting legacy. The speaker encourages the congregation to ask God to fill them with this saving and empowering grace. [57:57]
- The biblical concept of success involves clothing oneself with humility, in contrast to the cultural idea of success which involves projecting a phony image of perfection. The speaker emphasizes that character is what truly matters and what will be taken into the next reality, not one's image. #!!52:51!!#
- It is never too late to start building a great legacy. The speaker encourages the audience to reflect on what they want to be remembered for and to make the choice to live a life that reflects their values and faith. #!!55:17!!#
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Proverbs 13:22 - "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous."
2. Psalm 112:6 - "Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever."
3. Proverbs 29:23 - "Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor."
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the three key principles for success in life that the speaker's father emphasized? [49:33]
2. How did the speaker's father demonstrate humility in his ministry, according to the sermon? [46:17]
3. What does Proverbs 13:22 say about the legacy of a good person?
4. How does the speaker describe the cultural idea of success versus the biblical concept of success? [52:46]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does the speaker believe that serving with intensity, speaking with integrity, and giving with generosity are crucial for success? [49:33]
2. How does the concept of humility play a role in leaving a lasting legacy, according to Proverbs 29:23 and the sermon? [45:27]
3. What does the speaker mean by "the grace of God" being the internal power that drives individuals to live the life they desire? [57:30]
4. How does the speaker's story about his father's interaction with Johnny Cash illustrate the importance of humility? [46:17]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the three principles of success mentioned in the sermon: serving with intensity, speaking with integrity, and giving with generosity. Which of these do you find most challenging, and why? [49:33]
2. The speaker emphasized the importance of humility and warned against arrogance. Can you think of a time when pride led to a negative outcome in your life? How can you practice humility in your daily interactions? [45:27]
3. The sermon highlighted the need for God's grace to live a life that leaves a lasting legacy. How can you invite more of God's grace into your life this week? [57:30]
4. The speaker shared a personal story about visiting Disney World and seeing the phrase "leave your legacy." What steps can you take to ensure that your life leaves a positive legacy for future generations? [21:15]
5. The sermon contrasted the cultural idea of success with the biblical concept of success. How can you shift your focus from building an image to building character in your life? [52:46]
6. The speaker mentioned that it is never too late to start building a great legacy. What is one specific action you can take this week to begin or continue building your legacy? [55:17]
7. The speaker encouraged the congregation to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously. How can you incorporate more humor and humility into your life to reduce stress and improve your relationships? [50:53]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Humility and Integrity
In the pursuit of success, it is essential to serve with intensity, speak with integrity, and give with generosity. Humility is a cornerstone of this journey, as arrogance can lead to downfall. This wisdom, passed down through generations of faithful ministry, serves as a guiding light for living a life that honors God and impacts others. [49:33]
Proverbs 11:2 - "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
Reflection: Reflect on your daily interactions. Are there areas where you can improve in serving with intensity, speaking with integrity, and giving with generosity?
Day 2: Leaving a Lasting Legacy
The desire to leave a lasting legacy is not just for individuals and families, but also for churches. Making one's life count and matter can be achieved by leaving a legacy that impacts others. This legacy is a testament to the faithfulness and dedication to serving God and the community. [49:33]
Psalm 78:4 - "We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done."
Reflection: What do you want your legacy to be? How can you start building that legacy today through your actions and decisions?
Day 3: Empowered by God's Grace
The grace of God is the internal power that drives and empowers individuals to live the kind of life they desire. It is through this grace that individuals can leave a lasting legacy. Asking God to fill us with this saving and empowering grace is a step towards living a life that honors Him. [57:57]
2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need God's grace to empower you? How can you invite His grace into these areas?
Day 4: Dressing for Success with Humility
The biblical concept of success involves clothing oneself with humility, in contrast to the cultural idea of success which involves projecting a phony image of perfection. Building an image of pride to prove one's perfection is not pleasing to God and is unattractive to others. Instead, focusing on building a lasting character is what truly matters. [52:51]
1 Peter 5:5 - "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
Reflection: How can you practice humility in your daily life? Are there areas where you are projecting an image of perfection instead of embracing your authentic self?
Day 5: Building a Great Legacy
It is never too late to start building a great legacy. Reflecting on what you want to be remembered for and making the choice to live a life that reflects your values and faith is the first step towards leaving a lasting legacy. [55:17]
Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Reflection: What do you want to be remembered for? How can your daily actions reflect your values and faith to build a great legacy?
Quotes
"Luke, if you want to be successful in life, and by the way, God wants you to be successful, he'd say. Look, God wants you to win. He wants you to have victory in your life. And the way you do that is by serving with intensity, by speaking with integrity, and by giving with generosity. If you will do those three things, you will be a success in life." [44:11]
"Son, stay humble, or you'll stumble. He'd say, never forget the lesson of the whale. When you get to the top and you're ready to blow, that's when they harpoon you. Amen. So stay humble. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29, 23, arrogance will bring our downfall. But if you're humble, you'll be respected. You will leave a legacy." [45:03]
"But our question to you this morning is what about you? How can you leave a lasting legacy? Because deep down inside every one of us there's something in us where we want to leave a legacy. We want to know that our life mattered." [20:25]
"God's grace is not just forgiving grace that takes you to heaven. It's a power that you live on every single day. It's empowering grace." [57:57]
"The Bible says in Colossians 3.12, clothe yourself with humility. Man, that's the best dress for success in God's eyes." [52:51]
"If you want to leave a legacy, stop focusing on your image and start focusing on your character. Image is what other people think you are. Character is what you really are." [54:33]
"Can I just ask you, what do you want to be remembered for? Wouldn't it be awesome for those who know you really well to say, I remember them. They made an impact in my life spiritually." [55:17]
"Moms, wouldn't it be great if your daughters were able to say, my mom, she wasn't perfect, but she loved the Lord. She was sincere. She was so generous and she served others. What a legacy." [56:11]
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