Sermon Tone Analysis

Life

Life can be strange and hard to figure out.

I’d like to share this list of “Strange Facts” and here are some strange facts to consider:

· A duck quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows why.

(Well they do, but it’s so quiet we don’t hear it)

· Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating services are argumentative.

· Only 1 person in 2 billion will live to be 116 years or older.

· It’s possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.

· A snail can sleep for three years.

· No word in the English language rhymes with ‘month.’

· The average lifespan of a major league baseball – 7 pitches.

· All polar bears are left-handed.

· Americans on average eat about 18 acres of pizza every day.

· It’s physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.

· Before this day is over, anyone who hears that it’s physically impossible to lick your elbow will try to lick their elbow.

If you don’t learn how to define success you might spend much of your life trying to lick your elbow.

Ecclesiastes 1:16–2:3 (CSB)

16 I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”

17 I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.

18 For with much wisdom is much sorrow;

as knowledge increases, grief increases.

1 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.”

But it turned out to be futile.

2 I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3 I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

1 Am I defining the SUCCESSFUL LIFE BY THE CREATOR or CULTURE?

a God put Family first.

b.

Do I Prioritize the important things?

you can earn more money.

You can get more degrees.

You cannot purchase more time.

Make sure the important things go in first!

“You CAN have it all.

You just can’t have it all at once.”

Oprah Winfrey

Today, on Valentines Day you can find yourself put under a lot of social and commercial pressure to make a public display of being in the perfect romantic relationship.

“You CAN have it all.

You just can’t have it all at once.” — Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is the epitome of her own quote, coming from a childhood of poverty and abuse to become one of the most powerful, wealthiest and influential women in the world, whilst constantly publicly battling her own weight issues.

She is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others and several assessments regard her as the most influential woman in the world.

By 2008, her yearly income had increased to $275 million.

Forbes’ international rich list has listed Oprah as the world’s only black billionaire from 2004 to 2006 and as the first black woman billionaire in world history.

As of 2014 Oprah has a net worth in excess of 2.9 billion dollars and has overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as the richest self-made woman in America.

“You CAN have it all.

You just can’t have it all at once.”

Recognize that Good things can get in the way of the right things.

Learn to say NO to the good so you can focus on the GREAT.

Do you feel pressure to say yes and then feel conflicted?

Two areas the Lord may be calling you to say “NO”:

Two areas the Lord wants you to say yes.

Cats in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon.

Well, my son turned ten just the other day

He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on, let's play"

"Could you teach me to throw?"

I said, "Not today"

"I got a lot to do."

He said, "That's okay"

And he walked away

And he smiled and he said

"You know, I'm gonna be like him, yeah"

"You know I'm gonna be like him"

[Chorus]

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

"When you comin' home?", "Son, I don't know when"

"We'll get together then"

"You know we'll have a good time then"

[Verse 3]

Well, he came from college just the other day

So much like a man, I just had to say

"I'm proud of you, could you sit for a while?"

He shook his head, and he said with a smile

"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys"

"See you later.

Can I have them, please?"

[Chorus]

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

"When you comin' home?", "Son, I don't know when"

"We'll get together then"

"You know we'll have a good time then"

2. Do I simply attend or have I joined in a Community that grows me and encourages me in life’s journey.

Personally

Publicly

Professionally

You need a people to love and serve with.

Write down the name of someone who has positively impacted you:

Lets take a moment and thank God for them.

At times we need a mentor.

At times we need to mentor others.

At one point in your life, you need someone to pour into you.

But, once you’ve been poured into, you are called to pour out to others.

Let’s say you were getting discipled by someone and you had weekly lessons, how far ahead do you need to be to take someone else on that journey. 1 week ahead.

We all need to learn.

But we all need to mentor someone else to continue to grow and add value to our lives and others.

So the question is—am I helping other people grow?

Where have you been encouraged?

Where do you need encouragement?

Where are you serving others or where can you best serve others?

there are givers and takers.