by David Dewitt

Created on: July 15, 2008

Several years ago, Tombstone Pizza Company had a series of humorous commercials with people about to be executed. Now it doesn't sound funny at first. Each time the person was about to be killed they were asked what they wanted on their tombstone. The person would answer some type of pizza topping and then they would be shown eating a Tombstone Pizza. The commercials were kind of funny and made you remember Tombstone for your pizza.

Today, I want to ask an important question: what do you want on your tombstone? Do you realize that each day you live, you are writing your own epitaph? Every new day we are creating a wake of legacy in our path. We develop a lasting impact in this life on a daily basis. Each day we reveal pieces of our character that connect us to either finishing weak or finishing strong.

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8

I want to give you five principles for living a life of legacy.

Live your life as an offering to Christ
Paul gave all of himself over to Jesus until there was nothing left for him to give. Paul gave his life to Christ as an offering. Paul wrote to the Philippians about his desire to give all to Christ. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" This means that Paul gave his mind, his strength, his devotion, his heart and his time. All that Paul had left to offer Jesus was life itself and now he was laying that last offering down on the altar. He held nothing back from Christ and he was used in amazing ways for the Kingdom.

We often talk a great deal about giving in the church. We ask for a variety of things time, tithe and talents. What we need to understand is that those things are simply part of an offering, not to the church but to Christ. When we get our lives focused on Christ, something changes. We cannot remain so fixated on ourselves; what we think, how we feel, what we desire or what we might like. When your life is an offering to God, He gets the glory, He gets the attention, and He gets the credit. When we lived as an offering to Christ, He gets what he most desires, you.

Be ready to depart
Paul understood that his time had come to depart. He was set to leave this

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