Cookies Series

3/2 Cookies Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Crumbs along the trail that leave a legacy:

1. Make God your boss v.4

2. Love Him with all your heart v.5

3. Soak in His word privately v.6

4. Live out His word publically vv.7-8

5. Pray for His protection over hearts and minds v.9

(start chewing on cookies) We finish our series on Modern Family today. It’s been quite a trek. We’ve looked at God’s operating system for male/female relationships. We’ve looked frankly and maybe embarrassing at this wonderful thing that God created and gave to married folks called sex and how to upgrade our marriages by upgrading our sex lives. We’ve looked at the viruses that sneak into our communication; viruses like criticism and sarcasm and disinterest that destroy intimacy, particularly in marriages. We’ve taken a hard look at what to do with our failures, because honestly, there are no perfect people, no perfect marriages, no perfect families. And sometimes you need to reboot and get a brand new start. We talked about that last week.

Now this week we finish our series by talking about cookies. No, not what I’m eating, but a different kind of cookie. When your computer visits any website, it leaves what is called a cookie on that website. It essentially says to your computer, “Remember me” That’s why when you begin to type in a url of some place you’ve already been, it completes it; or you go to a website and it has information you put in before. It’s kind of a cookie crumb trail between your computer and websites.

Scripture talks about this, believe it or not. The scripture talks about passing the faith down from generation to generation. This is so that God will be glorified and the light of Jesus carried on until He returns.

From a human standpoint, we call this leaving a legacy. If you’re single, you can begin praying now and living now to leave a cookie trail that glorifies God and leaves a legacy amongst those who know you at school or work. If you’re a single parent, you’ve got your work cut out for you alright, but what a great motivation, to leave a cookie trail that speaks for generations: Remember me! Parents and grandparents: we have a chance to invest in our kids and grandkids in such a way that for generations to come, says, “Remember Jesus! And remember me.”

Turn with me to Deuteronomy 6. We finish this series with one of the great passages in all of the Bible. It’s known as The Shemah. It’s called that because of the 1st word shemah: hear or listen. In the Bible, the words hear or listen mean more than just audibly sensing a sound; it’s the concept of hearing something with the desire to respond and obey.

When you tell your kids to clean up the room, they may hear what you said, but if they don’t respond and obey, they didn’t really hear. In the Bible, to hear, to listen, is to do so with a willingness to apply, respond, and obey.

“Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This morning I want us to understand how to leave the right cookie trail, one that will say “Remember Jesus and remember me” for generations to come.

Crumbs along the trail that leave a legacy:

1. Make God your boss v.4 “Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One”

Nobody is perfect. We talked about that last week. But if you are a Christ-follower, you have to make a conscious decision as to who is going to run your life. Are you going to be God or are you going to let God be God in your life? If your kids see your job being God or your comfort being God or your money being God, they’ll know it. They may not be able to articulate it; they may not want to. But early on children know who is calling the shots in your life. Is God #1 in your life? If we asked your kids, your grandkids what or who has 1st place in your heart, if their answer is anything or anyone but God, you’re failing at leaving a godly legacy.