Inheritance Versus Legacy | Love Like Jesus
Joe Casiglia   -   June 21, 2023

Love Like Jesus: “Inheritance vs. Legacy”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Ephesians 6:4 
Often it is the presence or absence of FORGIVENESS that defines our experience of relationship with our dads.
What can I do right now to help grow my kid’s RELATIONSHIP with GOD?
What can I do right now to help grow my kid’s RELATIONSHIP with ME?
As parents, it’s easy to make our kids EXPERIENCE rich and RELATIONSHIP poor.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 pg. 284
v.6 “These commandments I give you today are to be upon YOUR HEARTS.”
v.7 “IMPRESS them on your CHILDREN.”
Inheritance is what you leave FOR your children.
Legacy is what you leave IN your children.
v.7 “TALK about them when YOU sit at home and when YOU walk along the road, when YOU lie down and when YOU get up.”
Ways parents think about their child’s relationship with God:
     1. Having a relationship with Jesus is a GOOD thing.
     2. Having a relationship with Jesus should be A PRIORITY.
     3. My child having a relationship with Jesus is the MOST IMPORTANT thing.
Two common mistakes that parents make about the spiritual lives of their kids:
   1. It’s too LATE.
   2. Confusing a PERSONAL relationship for a PRIVATE relationship with Jesus.

When the situation is most CRITICAL, it’s the quality of your RELATIONSHIP with your child that will determine the depth of your INFLUENCE with them.

Ephesians 6:4 pg. 1,823
v.4 “Fathers, do not EXASPERATE your children; instead BRING THEM UP in the TRAINING and INSTRUCTION of the Lord.”
Our role and our APPROACH towards raising our kids should match the way that     JESUS cares for the CHURCH.
In order to have a great relationship with your kids, they have to feel ACCEPTED by you and they have to have your TIME.
How do I get back a relationship that I’ve lost with my kids?
You LOVE them. You BLESS them. You SERVE them.
Discussion Questions:

1. There are 4 Basic Stages of Parenting:

The Discipline Years | 0-5
The Training Years | 5-12
The Coaching Years | 12-18
The Friendship Years | 18+

What stage of parenting are you currently in?

2. If you want to “Raise kids who want to be with you and each other when they don’t have to be,”  what are two family traditions that you hope to be doing when you’ve reached the friendship stage?

3. What’s one thing about each of your growing up families that you’d like to make true of your family as well?

In September, we hope you can join us on Wednesday nights for our church family dinners followed by small group for each age & stage. Dads friendships with other dads will better equip you to leave a legacy!

Fall Kick off Tailgate, outdoor BBQ & lawn games | September 13
Parent Small Groups – Relational Parenting (Talking so kids will listen; listening so kids will talk) | September 20 – October 4

Check out our parents page for more info on this and all things parenting!

I’d love for you to watch the sermon if you missed it. You will be encouraged in your calling as a dad. You matter to your kids and you matter to us. Thank you for all you do to love and support your children and your wives.

In His Love,

Autumn

PS
If you’re looking for more parenting resources, these are three books that I love and think you’ll find incredibly helpful!

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys – David Thomas 
Raising Worry Free Girls – Sissy Goff
Modern Parents Vintage Values – Sissy Goff