The Inheritance You Can't Deposit
OPENING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me see beyond the material legacy I might leave behind to the spiritual inheritance that truly lasts. Shape my life so that what I pass on reflects Your kingdom, not just my bank account.
"Give freely and become more wealthy. Be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."
Proverbs 11:24-25 (NLT)
This paradoxical proverb reflects a core principle of God's kingdom economy—generosity creates abundance while hoarding creates scarcity. Solomon isn't promising a financial formula but revealing a spiritual truth about how God designed blessing to flow.
REFLECT:
Pastor Christian Hallberg asked a piercing question: What are you passing on to the next generation? Most of us, when we think about inheritance, think monetarily. We think about the estate, the assets, what we can leave behind when we're gone. But here's what the message pressed on: if all our kids and grandkids see is us clocking in and clocking out, grinding for more money, reaching for a little more comfort, then that's the real inheritance we're leaving... a vision of life where money is the point.
Christian talked about his own parents and grandparents who modeled faith for him, and how he and his wife Amy are trying to do the same for their kids. He said something beautiful: "My hope is that someday my kids will understand why they always had to eat off-brand cereal." Not because their parents were cheap, but because Mom and Dad had a vision for life that was bigger than their stomachs. They had a purpose and meaning that transcended comfort. That's the inheritance that matters - not just what you leave in a will, but what you model while you're alive. Do your kids see you being insanely generous? Do they see you putting God first? Do they see you refreshing others with what God has given you? That's the legacy that lasts, the inheritance you can't deposit in a bank but that changes generations.
APPLY:
Have an honest conversation with someone you love—your spouse, your kids, a close friend—about the legacy you're building. Ask them: "What do you think matters most to me based on how I spend my time and money?" Listen without defending yourself. Then share with them one way you want to be more generous or more intentional about putting God first. If you have children or grandchildren, find one specific way this week to model generosity in front of them—let them see you give, let them help you bless someone else, let them witness what it looks like to refresh others.
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will put in the big rocks first.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for the times I've been more concerned about what I'm accumulating than what I'm modeling. Help me build a legacy of faith and generosity that outlasts any material inheritance. Let my life point the next generation to You.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.