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Today I want to give you a place to start your week. It’s Monday and in the wake of a great weekend and a workweek ahead, sometimes you just need a “kickstart” to get focused.  So grab some coffee let’s start a great week together.

Yesterday we continued our series on Elijah entitled, “Whirlwind.” In week 6, we looked at the next part of Elijah’s story as we see him looking to pass on what God began in him into a new generation.

Elijah used his cloak, or mantle, to symbolize what God was wanting to pass on. So when he puts his cloak upon Elisha, it was a challenge to accept a new legacy.

I believe there is a legacy we live and there’s a legacy to live. There was a place where Elisha lived and operated, but God was calling him into another direction. I also believe there’s a legacy to receive and there’s a legacy to leave. Elisha had a choice about accepting the new direction. But it should end with him, God was beginning to do something that would outlast Elisha.

God wants to build a legacy with your life. And we wanted to share some thoughts about building a healthy legacy.

1. A healthy legacy is intentional. – 1 Kings 19:19 “…Elijah went and found Elisha…”
   1. Look for opportunities to pass on what God has done in your life.
2. Healthy legacies may necessitate healthy closure. – 1 Kings 19:20-21 
   1. Elisha said goodbye to family and sacrificed his oxen. In other words, he gave closure to his connections to the past in order to move forward.
3. Healthy legacies are not built alone. – 1 Kings 19:21 
   1. The scripture says, Elijah and Elisha “went together.” We are missing out on true community if we are just attending church on Sunday. You and I were meant to do this faith-journey together.
4. A healthy legacy is the acceptance of a responsibility. – 2 Kings 2:1-18
   1. Three times Elisha reinforced his dedication. And that tenacity cause him to ask for the “double portion” or the “first-born role/responsibility.” He wanted more than the blessing, he was willing to accept the responsibility that came with it.

This week, see yourself as someone either living a legacy life handed or embracing a legacy God has given you. And what God has given, look to pour that into someone else.

Love you all. Praying for you this week.