A legacy Worth Leaving

2 Timothy 1:3-8

Good Morning and happy Anniversary!!! Its not your typical anniversary, but today we have called everyone together to see if we can experience one service with all our members together. 105 weeks and 735 days is how long this church has been official, and we have yet to fully experience our full potential of worship together. Opportunities to encourage one another in psalms and hymns, prayer, and communion. So today, and prayerfully every year on this day that we can allow God to hear and see what this body of believers can do in a collective worship service. Why this day? because this is the day that we officially became the Forest Park Church of Christ. Now our annual day is June 23rd, but we could not give people time to prepare for this day. But next year, mark your calendars, June 28th,2026, is our official Sunday.

Sermon Title: A Legacy Worth Leaving

Introduction: We all will leave something behind, but will it be of value or not? A few years back, my mother and I were coming from a family member's funeral, and we were talking about some of the challenges the family was facing. I told my mother, you know what I don’t want you to leave me is bills.

As I was thinking of today’s sermon I’m reminded of the myth with marriage in wearing something old comes from the old English rhyme:“Something old, something new wearing, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” it actually has some context to our title today. Wearing something old symbolizes continuity, heritage, and the bride’s connection to her past, especially her family. It’s a way of honoring where she came from before starting a new chapter in marriage.

Common Examples:

A piece of jewelry from a mother or grandmother A family heirloom (veil, brooch, handkerchief, etc.) A lace trim from a mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress sewn into the new dress A Bible or locket passed down through generations

Spiritual or Emotional Significance:

It reminds the bride she is supported by the love and wisdom of previous generations. It reflects the belief that the strength of the past can bless the future. So, “something old” isn’t just a cute custom—it’s a meaningful nod to legacy, family, and enduring love.

When Paul spoke to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:3, he wasn’t just encouraging a young preacher; he was reminding him of a faith that had been handed down through generations. It was a legacy of sincere service to God, one that shaped Timothy’s life, guided his mission, and strengthened his purpose.

( tell the story about my mother the night before my wedding saying that)

It was time for Timothy to pick up the pen and begin writing the next chapter of faith. Every one of us is writing a story—not just with words, but with our lives. Whether we realize it or not, we are leaving footprints behind us that others will follow. The choices we make, the faith we display, the prayers we lift, and the love we share are all part of the legacy we leave for others.

As we celebrate the anniversary of Forest Park Church of Christ, we’re reminded that we are living today because of someone else’s sacrifice and faithfulness.

A legacy of faith is not about what you leave to people—it’s about what you leave in people.

And the real question is this:

What will future generations say about us a church?

Will they find that we left a legacy of prayer?

A legacy of faithfulness?

A legacy of courage and conviction?

You don’t have to be rich to leave a legacy—you just have to be faithful.

Today is not just about what God has done—it’s about what God wants to do through us. We are celebrating a legacy worth leaving.

Main Text:

“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” — 2 Timothy 1:3 (NIV)

Sermon Points

1. A Legacy of Faithful Service

“Whom I serve, as my ancestors did…”

Paul reminds Timothy that his ministry didn’t start with him—it was the continuation of a long, faithful journey that began with his Jewish ancestors, who served the one true God before Christ was revealed.

Forest Park Church of Christ wasn’t born in isolation.

On June 23, 2023, this congregation was officially planted, but the seed of this work was watered by the faith of those before us. And just like Paul, we are here to serve God faithfully in our time, just as they did in theirs.

Serve means you have a work ethic. Have you heard that before? Timothy was nervous and scared about whether or not his youth and ministry would be able to impact the church in Ephesus.

Talk about a person who kept quitting jobs, stating that people always had it out for her. She had more W-2s than weeks in a year. Do you find it easy to quit when things get tough? Apostle Paul says that we won’t survive in life anywhere. Our kids need this more than you can imagine. We have to be willing to jump in and serve.

✅ We don’t just honor the past—we participate in it. we keep it going.

✅ We are not just a church with a name—we are a church with a mission.

So ask yourself Are you committed to continuing that work?

2. A Legacy with a Clean Conscience

“Whom I serve, as my ancestors did…” point 2 “…with a clear conscience…”

Paul wanted Timothy to know that he wasn’t carrying someone else’s religion—he was carrying a real, sincere, personal faith. At some point, you can’t come to church so that your momma won't call and ask you where you are? You can’t worship him out of obligation, because everything you do will reflect that motive. It has to be yours.

I heard that when you are young, you look like your parents, but when you get older, you look like your choices.

Just like a recipe.

Faith must be authentic to have power.

We don’t want Forest Park to just be known for what we say—we want to be known for how we live.

✅ A clear conscience means that we live by what we preach.

✅ A clear conscience means that we don’t just come to church—we are the church.

→ Application: In Matthew 6:21 “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

So this is what I’m saying: put your faith where your heart is. Let your faith be the most valuable treasure you give to your children, grandchildren. Make sure that what we build is built on sincerity, integrity, and love for God.

3. A Legacy of Prayer

“…as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.”

Paul’s secret weapon wasn’t charisma or talent—it was prayer. Paul would stop in the middle of his writings and start praying why because he knew the value of prayer. Prayer can change things, fix things, heal things.

Behind every strong church is a praying church. And you know why, because Forest Park exists because of answered prayers.

We are living in the results of somebody’s midnight prayers, morning prayers afternoon prayers.

✅ Question: Who are we praying for?

✅ Challenge: Who will you start praying for today that you hope will be sitting in this church tomorrow?

4. A Legacy to Pass On

Verse 5“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice…”

Paul reminds Timothy that faith is generational. It doesn’t stop with us—it’s passed forward.

Let’s celebrate our generations. Please stand if you are a first-generation faith. Stand if 2nd, 3rd….

Biological is not always the way our faith model. DNA is not always connected to your legacy.

We don’t want to build a church that dies with us—we want to build a church that outlives us.

✅ We’re not just building for today—we’re building for eternity.

→ Illustration: A relay race isn’t won by one runner alone—it’s won by how well the baton is passed.

How will we pass the faith to the next generation of believers?

Conclusion:

✅ Let’s talk about a legacy worth leaving.

This week, the sports world watched the Oklahoma City Thunder win their first NBA Championship. For years, they were a young team—full of potential, still growing, still developing. But this year, they finished what they started.

And now, they’re not just known as a team that’s trying—they are now known as a team of champions.

But what they’re leaving behind is more than just a trophy.

✅ They’re inspiring kids who now believe they can do the impossible.

✅ They’ve put their city on the map.

✅ They’ve shown that consistency, commitment, and believing in your foundation pay off.

That’s legacy.

So the question today isn’t just: “What are you building?”

It’s: “What will you leave behind?”

What story will be told about your faith?

What lives will be changed because Forest Park Church of Christ stayed committed to the mission?

This anniversary is more than a celebration of our past.

It’s a challenge for our future.

Just like the Thunder—it’s time to build something that lasts.

We don’t just have a church name—we have a church mission.

We don’t just have a church name—we have a church assignment.

We don’t just have a church name—we have a church calling.

We don’t just have a church name—we have a church legacy to build.

This anniversary is also a celebration of answered prayers, fulfilled promises, and future responsibilities.

Forest Park Church of Christ lets's build something eternal.