As for Me and My House
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." — Joshua 24:15
Introduction
There is a quiet crisis in Christian families today. It is not a crisis of resources or intelligence. It is a crisis of intention. Many parents long for their children to follow the faith, but few make the deliberate decision to build a legacy that actually leads them there. Joshua, at the end of his life, left nothing to chance. He gathered all the people, laid out the choices before them — and then declared, with unshakable clarity, which direction his household would go.
We come today to the fourth sermon in this series, and the challenge becomes more personal. We have already spoken about the foundation of the family, about communication, about forgiveness. Today we speak of something that reaches beyond the present moment: legacy. What we leave behind when we are no longer here. The roots we plant today, in whose shade our grandchildren will one day rest.
The question Joshua puts before us is direct: who governs your home? Who defines the values, the rhythms, the spiritual direction of your family? This is not a question for tomorrow. It is for today.
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1. A Legacy Begins with a Decision, Not a Wish
Joshua did not say "I hope my house will serve the Lord." He said "we will serve." There is an enormous difference between wishing and deciding. Wishes stay in the heart. Decisions change the trajectory of a family.
Abraham left without knowing where he was going — but he left. He did not wait for better conditions. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is clear: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children." The Hebrew verb shanan means to engrave through repetition, the way a blade is sharpened. Faith is passed on through repeated, intentional acts — not by osmosis.
Practical Application: What one concrete decision can you make this week? A moment of family prayer. Reading a psalm together at dinner. An honest conversation with your children about what you believe. Do not wait for the perfect moment. The best time to begin a legacy of faith was yesterday; the second best time is today.
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2. A Legacy Is Lived Before It Is Taught
Children do not inherit what their parents say. They inherit who their parents are. This is a truth that both comforts and unsettles.
In Joshua 24, Joshua rehearses before the people everything God had done — the story of deliverance, the crossing, the conquest. This was not abstract theology. It was living memory. And Joshua himself was part of that memory. Children need to see faith working at home, on the hard days, not only on Sunday mornings.
When a father prays before making an important decision, his child learns that God is real. When a mother reads her Bible not out of obligation, but out of genuine hunger, her child learns that the Word truly nourishes. When parents ask each other for forgiveness, their children learn that grace is not just a concept.
Practical Application: Ask yourself honestly: what image of God am I conveying at home under pressure? In conflict? In financial hardship? Your legacy is being written right now, in the small, everyday scenes of family life.
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3. A Legacy Endures Through Rituals and Memory
Families that preserve faith across generations share something in common: intentional rhythms. The Jewish Passover is not merely a date on the calendar — it is an annual reenactment of God's story with His people, repeated so that children will ask, "What does this mean?" (Exodus 12:26).
The word "legacy" comes from the Latin legatum — that which is formally handed down and entrusted. A legacy of faith does not happen by accident. It is built with stones of memory: stories of how God moved in your family, moments of grace in which He proved faithful, promises that were fulfilled when doubt seemed reasonable.
Practical Application: Create a family tradition that anchors your faith. It might be a specific prayer before meals, a New Year's verse to guide the coming year, or a monthly evening where you share testimonies together. What is repeated, remains. What remains, is passed on.
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Conclusion
Joshua was old enough to sit down and rest. Instead, he stood up and made the most important declaration of his life. Not as an authoritarian patriarch, but as a man who knew his God and wanted his family to know Him too.
You are building a legacy, whether you intend to or not. The question is: what kind of legacy are you building? This week, make one decision. Small, concrete, doable. And declare, even if only in your heart: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
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Closing Prayer
Lord, thank You for entrusting families to our care. Give us the courage to make intentional choices, the wisdom to live out what we teach, and the grace to begin again when we fall short. May the generations who come after us find in our lives faithful signs of Your love. Amen.
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