Outside the Walls: Legacy

“Let me show you how a blind man does it.” My father gripped the hammer in his hand, and with two swift hits the nail was in the board. Ironically, he was legally blind. I was amazed at how he could do this, and I wondered why the nails I hit would turn into very interesting shapes. Hammering a nail was one lesson of many that my father passed on to me. Some lessons were more important than others, and some carried eternal implications.

We had a chair at the end of the table my brothers and I called the “Lecture Chair.” Through the years, Daddy taught me many lessons as I sat in that chair: “If you are going to do something, give it your best effort.” “Don’t settle for the easy road.” “When you say you are going to do something, do it.”

It wasn’t the lessons, however, that are seared in my mind — it is, instead, what I observed. I observed a man who made others feel like they were more important than him. I watched children at the housing projects run to our car as he opened up the trunk and yelled, “Free toys!” I sat quietly as he talked about life lessons and spiritual matters with friends who were struggling. I witnessed him reach out to fatherless young men. I am a product of his legacy.

We are only one generation away from seeing a nation of people turn their backs on God and his call to take the gospel to our neighborhoods and uttermost parts of the world. What legacy are you leaving the next generation? Is the next generation watching you give your neighbors a repeated opportunity to see, hear and respond to the gospel?

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10).

Have your children or grandchildren heard you talk about someone who is far from God that you are praying will come to know Jesus? Have they heard you talk of recent stories of how you have talked to someone about the gospel? Have they caught you praying or reading your Scripture alone?

Our theme for this year’s Evangelism Conference is “Legacy.” Our desire is to challenge the church to be intentional about passing on the truths of the gospel to the next generation. Michael Catt is the pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., and also the executive producer of films “Facing the Giants,” “Fireproof” and “Courageous.” He has a desire to see the next generation impacted for the Lord. In addition to Pastor Catt, we have three father/son combinations who will be preaching, as well as David Gallamore, Jeff Laborg and Phil Hoskins.

God changed the world with a hammer and three nails. Let’s do our part to make sure the next generation gets the word out about the cross and the resurrection. I hope to see you Feb. 18-20 at Rock Springs Baptist Church in Easley for this year’s Evangelism Conference.

— Lee Clamp is evangelism group director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Follow him at leeclamp.com and on Twitter: 
@leeclamp.