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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Welcome to an experiment in intentionality and family life—an eight session study course designed to help you begin the process of launching your personal journey in family intentionality. This guide is built around the message of The Intentional Legacy, by David McAlvany, and is designed for small groups, for families, and even for individuals—anyone who wants to become intentional about their family and personal life.

The discussion leader guides the conversation and encourages each person in the study group to share their questions and thoughts and stories. Feel no obligation to complete every question from every session. If you discern that certain questions are an ideal fit for the group you are leading, then focus on those and encourage depth of insight in the conversation. Each session is divided into:

1. Intentions: Starting the Conversation

Open each study session with a conversation on the most important ideas, impressions, and questions generated by the concepts in The Intentional Legacy.

2. Colloquy: Diving Deeper with Dave

Eight thought provoking video shorts amplify the content in the chapters and open the door for further exploration of each topic.

3. Reverse Engineering: Casting Your Family Vision

Intentionality has many applications. And the most successful families not only cast a vision for the future, but they attempt to reverse engineer the process.

4. Strategies: Practicing Intentionality

This section contains initial commitments, questions that put you on the path to implementation, ideas which are adaptable to your individual needs, and objectives, all of which will aid you in getting started today.

Thank you for your willingness to oversee the conversations and shepherd the ideas that will unfold in the weeks ahead. May this journey be fruitful and life giving to you and those that you are serving through this study and your time together.

You are about to write a story about a future you cannot see or touch, but that is as real as the lives of your children. It is the unwritten story of the life of your family. The theme of the story is legacy—what it means, how to cultivate it, and how to protect it. You will be asked to start at the very end of the story. Or at least at the conclusion of your part of the story. The truth is that your story extends well beyond the scope of your life. It is an unfolding legacy. You are a contributing author to one part of a generational story. Write well and there will be many books which follow.

Your first task will be to ask a simple question: How do you want your story to end? Your part of the generational story. Another way to ask the question is this: What is your highest aspiration for how to finish well and leave a lasting legacy?

Introduction: An Inescapable Concept
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The Return of the Swineherd: How Grace Can Save a Family Legacy