Dear Church Family,
This week we are starting a very special time of prayer and fasting. We are praying and believing that God is wanting to do something real and transformative in our lives. This whole week isn’t simply about skipping meals or going through an "agenda". This is a week devoted to building something that will far surpass our generation. This week is about seeking God. Not only for today, but for the generations that come after us.
Think about it this way. A legacy isn’t made in a single moment. It’s shaped by the daily choices and by the way we live out our faith. Some of us understand the weight of patterns we don’t want to pass on: fear, shame, unforgiveness. Others are just eager to leave something better for generation to come: a faith-filled foundation that points our families and community toward Jesus. This week our desire is to answer the question: what kind of legacy am I leaving behind?
Fasting is more than what you give up. It’s what you make room for. When you set aside distractions and truly focus on God, you are creating an atmosphere where He can bring clarity, fresh vision, and a new strength. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
So listen to me very clearly... expect Him to move! Maybe He’ll give you wisdom for your family. Maybe courage to break old generational bondage. Or boldness to walk into a new future. What He does in you this week won’t transform your life, we are believing it can change generations.
Encounter Church, let’s do this together! Read each devotional, pray with faith and ask God to show you the legacy He wants you to leave. Remember: your obedience today writes tomorrow’s story.
We’re praying with you and believing this week will forever change your life and the lives of generations to come. Let’s chase after God together and trust that the seeds we plant now will bear fruit for years to come.
With love & expectation,
Pastors Nathan and Lindsay
Have you ever stopped to think about “what will I be remembered for?”
Let’s face it. In the grand scheme of life, life is short. We spend lifetimes building careers, saving money, and making life comfortable. But let me be completely blunt: none of that lasts. That house you worked for? One day, someone else will own it. The clothes you love? They’ll fade or end up forgotten. That job you shed blood, sweat, and tears for? It will eventually be given to someone else.
But there’s one thing that can outlast you: your faith.
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4
Legacy always begins with belief. What you believe about God today shapes the choices you make tomorrow, and those choices affect the lives of the next generation. Listen to me very clearly, faith should not be “private”. It’s generational. The faith you live out today can bless people you’ll never meet and reach places you’ll never go.
FAITH IS THE SEED THAT OUTLIVES YOU
Think about a building. Some of the most beautiful structures in the world were created not only with the intention of design but also functionality. The truth is, you can design the most beautiful building in the world, but if the foundation is weak, it won’t stand. It will crumble, and do so quickly. Your legacy works the same way. The strength of your life is measured by what you’ve built it on, and only what’s firm will remain when the storms hit.
For some, I would even go as far as to argue that most, that foundation looks like religion handed down without transformation. It’s tradition without depth. It can look polished and pretty but still be hollow and dead. God invites us to something more. Not routine religion. A living, breathing relationship with Christ. One that not only informs you, but also transforms you!
If your family, friends or even your co-workers really looked at your life, would they see a faith that’s alive? Would they see a life that’s transformed? Would they see religion or relationship? Would they think, “I want to know God because of what I see in them”? That’s the kind of foundation worth passing down.
YOUR LIFE IS A SERMON SOMEONE ELSE IS ALREADY HEARING
Words matter, yes. Words are important. But I have come to find out that actions carry far more weight. Most people won’t remember every sermon they hear. But they sure will remember how you made them feel. They’ll remember how you treated them. How you lived day in and day out. Legacy is shaped in those quiet, everyday choices to keep following Jesus, even when no one notices.
Every generation needs its own encounter with God. Your faith today will not cover the mistakes that future generations will make. With that said, that “encounter” often starts with the faith of the one before them.
Think about the life and story of Abraham. His faith didn’t stop with him; it shaped his descendants. Timothy grew strong in faith because of the example of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5).
Your faith might be the spark that someone after you needs. That’s why it matters. The way you pray. The way you react when life gets messy.
The way you speak about God. The way you deal with your finances with they are tight. The way you speak about others when they are not around. All of it leaves a path for others to walk.
Leaving a legacy of faith doesn’t mean being perfect. It means staying consistent. It means showing people that faith is constant in the highs and in the lows. People aren’t looking for flawless faith. In fact, I think most people are tired of “flawless faith”. What people are looking for is faith that doesn’t let go when life gets hard.
LEGACY ISN’T BUILT IN A DAY, IT’S BUILT EVERY DAY
So today, ask yourself: “What will I be remembered for?” Just habits and routines? Or a faith that’s alive?
Take a moment to pray:
“Lord, I don’t want to leave behind empty religion. I want to leave behind a legacy of faith that shows people who You are. Make my faith alive and active. Help me build my life on You so others may see and know You.”
The other day, one of my sisters jokingly called me “ugly.” (I won’t name names… but let’s just say Ella heard my comeback.) Without missing a beat, I responded: “It runs in the family.”
We’ve all heard the saying: “It runs in the family.” Sometimes it’s funny: maybe everyone in your family has the same curly hair, a very obnoxious laugh, or a love for sports. But other times, those words hold a little more weight. Anger. Addiction. Fear. Divorce. Unforgiveness. Anxiety. Cycles that keep repeating themselves generation after generation.
The truth is that we all inherit something. But the good news is that in Christ, what has always been doesn’t have to be what will always be. Your past might explain your story, but it certainly doesn’t get the final say.
A legacy worth leaving means refusing to pass down the same chains that held you or the chains of past generations. It means choosing freedom so the next generation inherits hope and freedom, not bondage.
WHAT YOU DON’T BREAK, YOU WILL PASS DOWN
Some legacies are easy to see, like financial security, heirlooms, or family traditions. But what about the invisible ones? Those are a little heavier.
Things like addiction, fear that controls decisions, inability to trust, anxiety, and divorce. These invisible chains quietly shape how we live. And what's even scarier is that it often happens without us noticing.
When Israel left Egypt, they were free on the outside but still carried a “slave mentality.” Here’s the crazy thing about the mind. You can be living in freedom, but if your mind is still in captivity, the results will be no different. That mindset kept them wandering when God was calling them into promise. The same thing can happen to us. Sometimes the chains aren’t on our wrists; they’re inside our hearts and minds.
But there’s good news: Jesus didn’t just save us from the penalty of sin; He freed us from sin’s power. With the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to repeat the same cycles. You don’t have to live stuck and stagnant in what your family handed you.
YOU MAY BE THE FIRST IN YOUR FAMILY TO BE FREE,
BUT YOU WON’T BE THE LAST.
Here is something we all need to understand: breaking chains isn’t only about saying “no” to the past. It’s also about saying yes to a different future. This takes real courage. It’s easier to ignore family patterns than confront them. It’s easier to just deal with the addiction. It’s easier to never confront the patterns of divorce. It’s easier to just avoid the anger, the anxiety, the depression. But what you don’t face will keep taking root and keep growing
Look at Gideon in Judges 6. He came from a family trapped in fear and idol worship. Yet when God called him, He said: “Go in the strength you have… am I not sending you?” Gideon was not the strongest or the most qualified. But you know what he was? He was willing. And God used him to bring freedom.
That same courage is available to you today. Even if you didn’t choose the baggage you inherited, you can choose not to pass it on.
BREAKING CHAINS ISN’T JUST ABOUT ENDING SOMETHING.
IT’S ABOUT BEGINNING SOMETHING NEW.
When you choose freedom, you’re not just tearing something down; you’re building something better. The enemy wants to lie and deceive you. He wants you to think the chains are permanent. He wants you to think that you will never be able to change. But Jesus promises: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
Look at the life of Timothy. His faith didn’t start with him. His faith was passed down from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Think about this: what if Lois or Eunice had stayed stuck? What if they hadn’t chosen faith? What if they decided to be complacent? Their decision to live free created an inheritance that carried into Timothy’s calling.
The same is true for you. When you forgive where others held grudges. When you choose purity where others compromised. When you live in hope where others lived in fear. When you decided NO MORE! Not for my kids, not for my kid’s kids, not for every generation to come, you’re not just changing your story; you’re rewriting the story for those who will come after you.
Today, take inventory of your life and ask: What am I carrying that I don’t want my children, my family, or my community to carry after me? Fear? Unforgiveness? Bitterness? Addiction? Whatever it is, bring it into Christ’s light.
Pray this:
“Lord, I refuse to let the chains of the past define the future. In Your name, I break the cycles of sin, fear, and shame that have haunted my family. Let my life be the starting point of freedom, peace, and purpose for generations to come. What has run in my family will stop with me.”
What if your life wasn’t just about you?
That one question has completely flipped my world upside down. It’s changed how I think, how I live, and even the things that I chase. I have come to realize how easy it is to get caught up in me… You know… my comfort, my name, my success. But here’s the truth: a selfish life ends when you do. A surrendered life? Multiplies long after we’re gone.
God didn’t design you to contain His love. He designed you to carry. His truth and love are meant to flow through us and onto others.
LEGACY BEGINS WHEN LIFE STOPS BEING ABOUT YOU.
The easiest person to live for ourselves. It doesn’t take much effort to be selfish. It’s almost as if it's our natural instinct. What does take work, however, is surrendering to be selfless.
The world around us is consistently shouting at us: “Do whatever makes you happy! Focus on what you deserve! You do you!” But in the middle of all that noise, Jesus is calling for our attention, saying, “Follow Me.”
24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:24-30
When the disciples argued over who was the greatest, Jesus didn’t scold them or make them feel bad for wanting to matter. I love what He does. He redefined greatness. He redefined “success”. He said the greatest among them would be the one who serves. This simple statement flipped the script.
YOU’LL NEVER FIND PURPOSE STARING IN THE MIRROR.
I’ve found that when I’ve made my life about me, I make my story smaller. But when I give myself away… all of me, my time, my love, my attention, God fills my life in ways success (or at least our worldly definition of success) never could.
You don’t just want your life to matter now; You want it to matter beyond my lifetime. Paul writes this perfectly when he says, “I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.” 2 Corinthians 12:15
That’s the very essence of a legacy. Living in such a way that people encounter Jesus through me.
Can I be honest here for a second? There are days when I wonder if what I do really makes a difference. But when I remember that even the smallest, most “simple” act of faithfulness can make a difference for generations to come, it's all worth it. I might never see the ripple or effect of my obedience, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
THE GOAL ISN’T TO BE KNOWN BY MANY.
IT’S TO BE REMEMBERED BY ONE: JESUS.
Living for Jesus doesn’t erase who you are; it actually reveals who you were always meant to be. God keeps shaping us, He deepens our purpose, and continuously shows us that the real reward is making a difference that points people to Him.
Here’s something that you may not expect: living for others doesn’t drain us, it fills us.
When we stop chasing attention and start chasing obedience, we find peace. Jesus meant it when He said, “If you lose your life for My sake, you’ll find it.”
Living beyond yourselves isn’t about ignoring who you are; it’s about discovering your true identity in Christ. Every time we choose to love, serve, or give, we get to feel a joy deeper than anything the world could offer
Today, ask God to help me live with open hands. To give more. Serve more. Love more. Trust me, you don’t want to look back one day and realize you built a castle for yourself instead of a legacy for Christ.
Pray this with me:
“Lord, help me to live beyond myself. Break any selfishness that keeps me from seeing others the way You do. Teach me to live open-handed—to give freely, serve joyfully, and love deeply. Let my life be a reflection of Your heart.”
One day, you will no longer be here. When the noise quiets down, when the funeral is over and all the “pretty words” are said and done and your achievements fade into the background of everyone's busy lives… what will people actually remember?
Not your title. Not your paycheck. Not the stage you stood on. They’ll remember you. Who you were when no one was watching.
Legacy isn’t built on how gifted you are. It’s built on truth. The truth about how you live when the lights go off. The truth about what happens behind the closed doors no one sees. It’s built on how “consistent” you were in what you said and believed. The truth about whether your life matched your lips.
We live in a world that idolizes looking right instead of being right. But the truth? Image fades. Integrity lasts.
WHO YOU ARE WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING
IS WHO YOU REALLY ARE.
Integrity always comes with a price tag, and I would argue a pretty big one.
It will certainly cost you comfort.
It might cost you applause.
Sometimes, it may even cost relationships.
But it’s the only way… YES, THE ONLY WAY, to build something that lasts.
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10
When the king signed a law forbidding prayer to anyone but him, Daniel didn’t hide or change his rhythm. Daniel refused to bow to culture even when it could’ve saved his life. That’s conviction. That’s integrity.
He could’ve chosen silence. He could’ve blended in. He could have chosen comfort over calling. But Daniel understood something that we need to understand in our pursuit of leaving a legacy: obedience to God is worth more than approval from man. His integrity wasn’t situational.
That’s what real faith looks like. Standing firm when compromise feels safer. Staying true when the pressure to conform is shouting. Choosing conviction over convenience, because integrity doesn’t bend to culture, it bows to Christ.
Stop talking about what you believe and start showing it. Your actions preach louder than your posts ever could. Your actions preach louder than your words. Your actions speak louder than your “intentions”. YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER!
If you have to consistently twist the truth to get ahead, you’re not winning, you’re digging yourself a hole. God can fix your past, but He won’t bless a life built on lies.
Integrity isn’t tested when people are watching. It’s tested when they’re not. When no one’s checking. When you could get away with it. That’s when your character shows up. I’ve learned this the hard way. Integrity very rarely feels heroic. It feels hard. I’ve had moments where I told myself, “It’s not a big deal.” But small cracks become big collapses if left unchecked.
You can’t live in freedom while keeping secrets. You can’t pray for blessings while walking in deceit. You can't ask God to bless something you haven’t invited Him into.
A MOMENT OF COMPROMISE CAN DESTROY WHAT TOOK YEARS TO BUILD.
If you’re hiding sin, stop. Bring it into the light before it breaks you. Sin grows in the dark, but healing begins in honesty.
Your name is only as strong as your integrity. People may forget what you built, what you earned, your achievements, your money, or even your fame, but they’ll never forget if you were real.
Were you honest?
Did you keep your word?
Were you the same person at all times?
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9
You can’t outrun what’s hidden. Eventually, God exposes what we cover and covers what we expose. Read that again:
GOD EXPOSES WHAT WE COVER AND COVERS WHAT WE EXPOSE.
At the end of the day, you’re either building something stable or something seconds from collapse. Integrity is what will make the difference and determine whether you’re stable or about to collapse.
YOU CAN’T BUILD A GODLY LEGACY ON UNGODLY DECISIONS.
Stop excusing the “little sins” that are draining your strength.
Stop pretending your secret life doesn’t matter. It does.
Your future, your legacy, and the generation to come depend on it.
Pray this:
“God, expose anything in me that’s fake, hidden, or inconsistent with who You’ve called me to be. I don’t want to build my life on lies. Give me the courage to live clean, to tell the truth, to make things right. Even when it costs me, help me walk in integrity.”
Let’s be honest, our world is obsessed with more.
More money. More followers. More stuff.
But here’s the problem: we’re filling our hands and emptying our hearts.
We spend years chasing things that won’t last a moment past the grave. The car will lose its value. The house will eventually deteriorate. The clothes go out of style. The phone you love today becomes old news tomorrow.
And yet… we keep reaching for the next thing, hoping it’ll finally make us feel full. Newsflash: It won’t.
When your time runs out, no one’s going to talk about what you owned. They’ll talk about who you impacted.
IF YOU’RE TOO BUSY BUILDING YOUR BRAND, YOU’RE TOO DISTRACTED TO BUILD GOD’S KINGDOM.
Let me say this and make it very clear: we cannot say we’re building our lives for God when really, we’re just building our image.
I’ve seen it time and time again, people who have the “right intentions”, the “right motives”, I would even go as far as to say the “right actions,” however, they are doing it all for the wrong reasons.
We’ve made success about status. Comfort. Possessions. But look at the life of Jesus. Jesus didn’t chase any of that. He didn’t collect things—
He connected with people.
He invested in twelve ordinary men and changed the world.
If we’re not careful. We can spend our lives stacking things that fade, or you can build a life that shapes souls.
Ask yourself this:
Because you can’t serve both Christ and consumerism.
YOUR LEGACY ISN’T FOUND IN WHAT YOU OWN
IT’S FOUND IN WHAT YOU GIVE AWAY.
Unfortunately, especially in our Western culture, we’ve been sold a lie. We’ve been told that happiness can be bought, delivered, and posted.
Every ad we see whispers, “You need this.” Every scroll screams, “You’re not enough.”
And before we know it, we’re drowning in debt, comparison, anxiety & depression, calling it the “good life”, when in reality, all we feel is suffocation.
Jesus warned us in Mark 8:36: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
You can’t love God and worship comfort at the same time. The difference between those who make an impact and those who don’t isn’t wealth; it’s willingness. You see, money is not the problem. It’s the love of money that is. You see, it’s not necessarily about what you have but rather how you use it.
Jesus didn’t own much, but He gave everything. He didn’t build an empire; He built eternity into people. That’s REAL success.
When your priorities revolve around paychecks, promotions, or possessions, you’ll always feel behind. You know why? Because there will always be someone who gets a better paycheck, a better promotion, and has better possessions. But when they revolve around people, purpose, and God’s presence, you’ll finally feel like you are truly living in your purpose.
THE KINGDOM DOESN’T NEED YOUR STUFF.
IT NEEDS YOUR SURRENDER.
It’s time to break free from the weight of “more.”
More money. More recognition. More control. More comfort. The pursuit of “more” is robbing this generation of meaning. We’ve mistaken abundance for purpose and success for significance. But you can’t build an eternal legacy while only sowing in temporary materials.
Ask God to loosen your grip on the things you think you need: status, possessions, applause, and open your hands to what actually matters: people, purpose, and obedience.
Leaving your legacy isn’t about dying rich; it’s about living you surrendering to God. It’s not about how much you achieve, but how many people you impact.
Pray this, but only if you mean it:
“God, forgive me for wasting time building things that don’t matter. Break the selfishness in me. Show me the people You’ve called me to invest in—and give me the discipline to follow through. I’m done living small.”
Anybody can start strong.
Finishing? That’s another story.
You see, starting is not the issue. Many people start, but very few actually “finish”.
The world is full of people who once burned bright for God; they were passionate, focused, on fire. Just go in your friend group or your family, and ask “who is or was once a Christian”, I would argue that many people, by “default” would say “yes, I am/was”. Somewhere along the way, however, life got comfortable. Or tiring. Or distracting. And slowly, that fire faded.
Because finishing well doesn’t just happen. It takes grit. It takes Endurance. It takes perseverance. Faith that keeps going when everything in you says, stop.
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4
You can’t leave a legacy if you quit halfway, and you certainly can’t pass down faith if you’ve stopped living it.
Here’s the thing: most people don’t walk away from God in one big moment. They drift. Slowly. Quietly. First, they skip prayer. Then they stop serving. Then church becomes optional. And before they know it, they’re far from where they used to be.
Drifting never feels dangerous at first. But the longer you drift, the harder it is to find your way back.
Here’s the thing: the enemy doesn’t need to destroy you if he can slowly just distract you. If he can distract you long enough, you’ll destroy yourself. What the devil will do is whisper things like, “You’ve done enough. You’ve served enough. You’ve given enough.”
Sounds like peace, right? But it’s poison.
Stop sugarcoating your drift. Stop calling laziness “rest.” Stop calling compromise “balance.”
IF YOUR FAITH ONLY WORKS WHEN LIFE FEELS EASY, IT’S NOT FAITH, IT’S CONVENIENCE.
God isn’t after part-time believers. He’s looking for finishers. He’s looking for people who stay faithful when it’s lonely, who stay faithful when it’s hard, who stay faithful even when it hurts.
Finishing well means you stop letting feelings call the shots.
You don’t worship because it’s easy.
You don’t pray because you’re “in the mood”.
You do it because God is worthy.
Here’s something I’ve learned the hard way: emotions make terrible leaders. If I wait to feel it, I’ll never finish it. Discipline will take you places desire never will.
STOP WAITING TO FEEL IT.
START CHOOSING TO FINISH IT.
God isn’t moved by emotional highs. He’s moved by faithful endurance. Hear me when I say this: Legacy isn’t built in a weekend of passion, it’s built in a lifetime of obedience.
When life gets heavy, your feelings will shout, “Quit.”
But faith? It’ll whisper, “Keep going.”
The mark of spiritual maturity isn’t how loud you start, it’s how steady you stay when everything gets hard.
This life isn’t the finish line. It’s the training ground. Every decision. Every sacrifice. Every step of faith, it all counts toward eternity.
Paul said it best:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
That’s the goal. Not perfection. Perseverance. If you want to finish well, stop running with the world. You can’t sprint toward heaven while holding onto hell. Drop the pride. Cut the compromise. Repent. Get back in the race.
GOD DOESN’T REWARD TALENT.
HE REWARDS ENDURANCE.
When you start living for eternity, you stop wasting time on things that won’t matter five minutes into heaven.
You stop chasing applause and start living for “Well done.”
This is your moment to draw the line.
No more coasting. No more drifting. No more half-hearted living.
You’ve come too far to let comfort rob you now. Too many prayers have been prayed, too many battles have been fought, and too much grace has been given for you to quit halfway.
God didn’t bring you this far just for you to stop now. There are generations coming that depend on you.
He’s not done with you. No, not even close.
You may be tired, but that’s where His strength shows up. You may feel overlooked, but God sees your endurance. You may not be where you thought you’d be, but you’re still in the race, and that means there’s still purpose in your stride.
Finishing well isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. It’s about showing up again. Believing again. Running again. For your children, for your future children, for their children, for every single generation to come.
So today, make the decision:
Because finishers don’t fade, they fight to the end.
Pray this:
“God, I’m done living half-hearted. Give me endurance. Give me focus. Expose distractions that have slowed me down. Teach me to finish the race You’ve called me to run. Let my life end in faith, not fatigue.”
