South County Church
Legacy – Faith, Character, Health, and Wealth
Does a name matter?
· What do you want your family name to represent?
· Honest, trustworthy, faithful, loyal, reliable, kind, caring, humble, hardworking, lifegiving, servant, generous, teachable, compassionate, confident, competent, patient, tactful, diligent, creative, inspiring, resilient, disciplined, punctual, resourceful, considerate
Big Idea: Character takes a lifetime to build, but only a moment to destroy.
Establishing the Foundation
· Our standards for life and character come from God.
o John 17:17 NLT – 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
o Psalm 119:11 NLT – 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
The Life of David
· 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT – 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
· Acts 13:22 NLT – 22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
What character traits led to David being called, “A man after God’s own heart?”
· When David made a mistake, he owned it.
o Psalm 51:1-3 NLT – 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
· David sought forgiveness and corrected his course.
o Psalm 51:4a NLT – 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
o 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT – 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
· David understood God’s presence meant everything
o Psalm 51:10-12 NLT – 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
o Exodus 33:15-16 NLT – 15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
Questions as we think through our legacy of character:
· What about your character makes you cringe when you think about it being passed on to your family?
· Is there any sin that is separating you from the Lord today?
What character trait do you want your family to be remembered for most?
· Psalm 51:17 NLT – 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Next Steps
o Memorize: Psalm 51:10
o Evaluate: What areas of my heart need to be surrendered to God?
o Action: Take ownership of your mess and allow the Lord to bring healing to the dark areas of your soul.