“Legacy Matters!”

June 18, 2026

“Legacy Matters!”

Recently, my wife and I changed our Saturday morning routine. We had heard about a bakery that serves delicious cinnamon rolls. So, we made our way to “Cinnamon’s Bakery” in Loveland, Colorado. The cinnamon rolls were incredible, the owner was extraordinarily friendly, and the environment was very pleasant.

Several weeks before our visit, we had read an article about the bakery. We discovered that the cinnamon roll recipe originated in Tecumseh, a small county seat town in southeastern Nebraska. What was interesting was we had lived in Tecumseh for six years during the early part of our marriage.

We ate almost every Sunday lunch for six years at “Helen’s Café” located on the north side of the town square. I also ate lunch with friends at the café about three times a week. The owner of the café was Helen McPherrin and, of course, she was there every day.

We knew Helen’s husband, her sister, her daughter, and her father. Her Sunday lunch buffet was delicious, her ham salad sandwich at lunch each weekday was perfectly satisfying, and her pies were irresistible. And then, there were her cinnamon rolls. They were something special!

It was Helen’s cinnamon roll recipe that was being used the Saturday morning we visited “Cinnamon’s Bakery” in Loveland, Colorado. It’s a small world!

As we ate our cinnamon rolls, the memories flooded into our minds and our conversation. It was amazing how all of Helen’s love and devotion and hard work had left a legacy that outlived her and outlived and outreached Helen’s Café.

Helen loved her family, she enjoyed cooking and baking for people at her café, and she loved Jesus with all her heart. Helen left a lasting legacy that people along the front range of Colorado and at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park are still enjoying today.

A legacy is something we hand down to the next generations. Our legacy is defined by our values and how we live out those values as we interact with other people. A legacy stirs up memories, reinforces values, and empowers impact.

Our legacy is how we will be remembered by those who follow us. Our legacy is about our character, our values, and our spirituality. For those who love Jesus, an important part of our legacy is passing on our faith in Jesus, passing on a God-inspired wisdom, and demonstrating a God-honoring character.

In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we hear; “Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.”

We build a legacy when we share what is most important with our children. We share our values and our godly character and our faith in Jesus with our family at home. We may also share our cherished cinnamon roll recipe. Our legacy is formed by how we live each day and by how we share what is most important with other people.

In Psalm 78:4 we hear; “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders that he has done.”

We build a legacy when we share what is most important with our children. We share our values and our godly character and our faith in Jesus with our family at home. Our legacy is formed by how we live each day.

In Psalm 145:4 we hear; “One generation shall extol your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts.”

We build a legacy when we share what is most important with our children. We share our values and our godly character and our faith in Jesus with our family at home. Our legacy is formed by how we live each day.

What we say and how we say it leaves a legacy.  What we do and what we leave undone leaves a legacy. What we say is most important and how we live out those priorities leaves a legacy. How often and when we pray and worship and serve the poor and share our faith with those who do not know Jesus and read our Bible and show generosity and engage in conversation with other believers leaves a legacy for the next generation.

I like the way in which the Apostle Paul reminds the church in Corinth about how to live their lives. In I Corinthians 10:31 we hear; “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

Whatever you do and say forms a part of the legacy you are leaving for the next generation. If your life consistently brings glory to the Lord God, your legacy will last for generations. When your legacy brings glory to God and joy to people after you are gone, delight will overflow in the lives of many people.

A part of Helen’s legacy lives in a small bakery in Loveland, Colorado. I praise the Lord for Helen’s love for family, her joy in cooking and baking for other people, and her deep, deep love for Jesus. I count it a special gift that during the 1980’s I served as Helen’s pastor for six years.

I take delight in how the Holy Spirit changed my life through Helen. I wonder if the person the Holy Spirit used to change your life is an encouragement for you to leave a legacy in the life of someone today.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug