What Kind of Legacy Are You Leaving Your Kids? | Pastor Sizemore

Devotional

Day 1: Choosing Whom Your House Will Serve

Joshua’s bold declaration cuts through the noise of competing priorities. A godly father doesn’t wait for cultural trends or convenience to decide his family’s spiritual direction. He plants his flag in the ground, declaring allegiance to God alone. This choice ripples through generations, shaping identity and purpose. Like Joshua, fathers today must confront the same question: Will we serve the gods of our culture or the God who gave us victory? The land we dwell in—our homes, relationships, and legacy—belongs to the Lord. [41:49]

“If it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15, ESV)

Reflection: What “gods” subtly compete for your family’s allegiance today? How does your daily leadership actively choose to serve the Lord in practical, visible ways?

Day 2: When Dad Prays, Children Learn Prayer

A father’s actions preach louder than his sermons. Children absorb spiritual habits by watching knees bend at bedsides, Bibles opened at breakfast, and hands raised in worship. Paul’s charge to “follow me as I follow Christ” becomes tangible when fathers model relentless pursuit of God. The rhythm of a godly home isn’t built on perfection but on persistent faithfulness—showing up, repenting, and trying again. [53:46]

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV)

Reflection: What spiritual habits do your children see you prioritizing this week? Where do your actions unintentionally teach them something contrary to Christ?

Day 3: Cadillacs and Cross-Shaped Love

Sacrifice defines divine fatherhood. Just as Christ exchanged heaven’s glory for a cross, earthly fathers trade personal comforts for their family’s flourishing. The preacher’s Cadillac analogy reveals a deeper truth: love measures its wealth by what it gives away. A godly father’s legacy isn’t in possessions accumulated but in Christ-like love demonstrated through daily dying to self. [01:02:17]

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
(Ephesians 5:25, ESV)

Reflection: What personal “Cadillac” have you willingly surrendered for your family’s spiritual good? How does your love mirror Christ’s sacrificial giving?

Day 4: Discipline That Builds, Not Breaks

Biblical correction isn’t about control but course-setting. Like a gardener pruning for growth, godly fathers discipline to cultivate Christlike character. The preacher’s blunt truth—“pain follows bad behavior”—reminds us that loving fathers teach consequences while children are still under their roof. True discipline flows from a heart that wants children to thrive, not just obey. [01:07:06]

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
(Hebrews 12:6, ESV)

Reflection: When you correct your children, does it feel more like frustration venting or future-building? How can your discipline point them to God’s perfect love?

Day 5: Leaving Footprints in Eternal Soil

A father’s greatest inheritance isn’t stored in banks but in hearts. Timothy’s faith—passed from Lois to Eunice to him—shows how godly legacies outlive earthly possessions. Fathers plant gospel seeds they may never see bloom, trusting future generations to reap the harvest. The preacher’s challenge echoes: Will your children inherit a faith worth replicating? [01:13:32]

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”
(2 Timothy 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: What specific faith practices are you intentionally passing to your children? If your spiritual legacy stopped with you today, what would future generations lack?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 24:15 stands right in the middle of the call: a father has to choose. Joshua does not wait for convenience, culture, government, or the school system to decide what his house will be. Joshua looks at a people standing on land God gave them and says, in effect, “Don’t you know whose land you’re standing on? Don’t you know who you are?” A godly father chooses God first, and that settled commitment becomes one of the greatest gifts he can give his family.

Father’s Day gives honor to men who have loved, sacrificed, worked, prayed, taught, and provided. Earthly fathers may leave wonderful memories or painful ones, but the heavenly Father remains the perfect example of love, faithfulness, and compassion. The world has plenty of fathers, but the need is for godly fathers, men who stand for truth, love their families, and lead their homes toward God.

A godly father leads by example because children learn more from what a man does than from what he says. If dad prays, reads the Bible, worships, and serves God faithfully, the children see the value of it. Abraham’s household followed him because God knew Abraham would command his children after him. Before a man leads in public, he must lead in private, and before he influences a community, he must influence his home.

A godly father loves his family with sacrifice. Ephesians 5 shows Christ loving the church and giving himself for it, and that becomes the pattern for husbands and fathers. Real love is not just saying the words. Real love gives, serves, and puts others first. The picture of the Cadillac says it plain: the family becomes the treasure worth sacrificing for, just as Jesus went to the cross for his bride.

A godly father disciplines with love, and that starts with disciplining himself. Biblical correction is not anger dressed up as authority. It is love that teaches responsibility, character, respect, and obedience. Eli’s failure to restrain his sons shows what happens when fathers surrender responsibility instead of correcting with wisdom.

A godly father leaves more than money, property, or possessions. The greatest inheritance is a spiritual legacy. Job prayed over his children, David trusted the faithfulness of God to the righteous and their seed, and Timothy carried faith handed down through Lois and Eunice. Earthly fathers fall short, but the heavenly Father never abandons, never gives bad advice, and always stands ready for the lost child to come home.

Key Takeaways

1. Godly fathers choose God first A father’s first decision is not about career, comfort, or reputation, but about who will rule the house. Joshua’s words refuse passive leadership and force the issue of allegiance. A home drifts when no settled choice has been made, but it gains direction when a man plants his feet and honors God first. [47:30]
2. Example preaches louder than words A child may forget many spoken lessons, but a faithful pattern leaves tracks in the soul. Prayer, worship, Scripture, and service become believable when they are seen in a father’s ordinary life. Private consistency gives public words their weight, especially inside the home. [53:24]
3. Sacrifice reveals real love Love becomes visible when it gives up something costly for another’s good. Christ’s love for the church is not sentimental, but cruciform, a giving of himself for his bride. A father’s sacrifices, even the hidden ones, can show a family what love actually is. [62:17]
4. Discipline must begin with self Correction loses its spiritual authority when the one giving it refuses correction from God. A father who disciplines himself in prayer, worship, and holiness can correct without merely venting anger. Biblical discipline forms character because it comes from love and points toward life. [64:11]
5. Legacy outlasts inheritance Money can be spent, property can be sold, and possessions can fade, but faith can keep speaking for generations. A spiritual legacy teaches children what prayer, worship, holiness, and obedience look like before the pressure comes. The greatest inheritance is a family that knows how to turn toward Jesus. [72:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:57] - Worship and Father’s Day Gratitude
[41:21] - Joshua’s Choice for His House
[45:29] - Honoring Fathers and the Heavenly Father
[47:30] - Godly Fathers Choose God First
[53:24] - Leading the Home by Example
[58:35] - Sacrificial Love in the Family
[64:11] - Discipline That Starts With Self
[67:23] - Correction, Respect, and Responsibility
[71:59] - Leaving a Spiritual Legacy
[75:19] - The Perfect Heavenly Father
[78:28] - Fathers Who Change Generations
[80:41] - Called to Lead the Home

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 24:15
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [41:27]

Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” [58:45]

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” [01:02:37]

2 Timothy 1:5
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” [01:13:22]

Observation questions

In Joshua 24:15, what specific choices does Joshua place before the people, and what clear decision does he make for his own house? [47:55]
What repeated examples were given of things children learn by watching a father’s life, not just by hearing his words? [53:48]
According to Ephesians 5:25 and John 3:16, what do Christ and the Father both do that shows what love really looks like? [01:02:58]
In 2 Timothy 1:5, which family members are named as passing faith down to Timothy, and what does that show about how faith can move through a home?

Interpretation questions

Joshua’s words make serving the Lord sound like a present and deliberate choice, not a passive drift. Why is that especially important in the life of a household? [49:37]
Children often follow what they see before they follow what they are told. What does that reveal about why private prayer, worship, and faithfulness matter so much in the home? [54:51]
Christ loved the church by giving Himself for her. How does that shape the meaning of love inside a family beyond simply providing money or saying the right words? [59:00]
A spiritual legacy is greater than money, property, or possessions. Why does faith passed down through a family outlast other kinds of inheritance? [01:13:06]

Application questions

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” is a settled decision. Where does the home most need that kind of clarity right now: church attendance, prayer, priorities, conversations, or something else? [50:15]
If children learn from what they see, what are they learning from everyday patterns right now? What do they see about prayer, worship, repentance, kindness, and love for God in the home? [53:24]
Love is more than working hard or paying bills. What are some simple and specific ways love can be shown more clearly this week through time, attention, encouragement, and sacrifice? [01:03:24]
Discipline begins with self. What area of personal discipline needs attention right now: temper, words, prayer life, consistency, purity, or follow-through? [01:04:11]
Correction should come from love, not anger. When tensions rise at home, what helps keep correction calm, clear, and truly aimed at building character? [01:06:47]
A legacy of faith is built over time. What kind of spiritual inheritance is being left right now, and what is one step that could help strengthen that legacy for the next generation? [01:15:02]
The heavenly Father remains faithful even where earthly fathers fall short. How does that truth speak into personal memories of fatherhood, whether those memories are sweet, painful, or mixed? [01:16:57]

Sermon Clips

71s

“``A godly father leads by example. Children learn more from what we do than from what we say. You believe that today? I Paul wrote, be followers of me even as I also am of Christ. A father's example carries tremendous influence. If dad prays, children learn to pray. If dad reads the bible, children learn the value of god's word. If dads worship, children learn how to worship. If dads serve God faithfully, children learn faithfulness. The greatest sermon children hear will be not from the preacher, but it will be from a father who faithfully serves God year after year after year.”

70s

“Most importantly, it need fathers who point their families to Jesus. One man committed to god can change the course of his entire family. One father living for god can influence his children, his grandchildren, and generations that are yet unborn to him. As Joshua declared, and if it seemed evil unto you to serve the lord, choose you this day whom you will serve. But he goes on to say, but as for me and my house, we will serve the lord. May every father here today make that decision. May every man and woman here today make that decision as we all stand.”

62s

“Josiah teaches us that our family history does not determine our spiritual destination. Fathers, your children need to see a man that has chosen god. While your father may or may not have chosen to to serve the lord, you have the choice. They need to see it. Men, I challenge you to choose today that your home will be centered on Christ. Right. That you will be a faithful in prayer, that you will be faithful to church, that you will be faithful in your worship, that you will be faithful in living for god. Honor god first. Love god first. And I assure you everything else in your life will fall in to where it needs to be.”

61s

“Children will eventually spend an inheritance but a legacy of faith can impact generations. Let's look at Timothy. Paul reminded Timothy of the faith that had been passed down to him by his mother and grandmother. When I called to remembrance the unfade faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that is in thee also. In other words, he was saying, Timothy, you know better. You know better. You know that god can do it. You know that god will help you. You know that god will intervene on your behalf. You know what it is to pray. You know what it is to worship. You know what it is to be a part of the family of god because you saw it in your family.”

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What Kind of Legacy Are You Leaving Your Kids? | Pastor Sizemore | Joshua 24:15