A Life of Vanity
Notes
Transcript
TURN— ECCLESIASTES!
BETWEEN PROVERBS & SONG of SOLOMON
PEW BIBLE PG: ###
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Introduction/Background
Introduction/Background
ECCLESIASTES—BIT DEPRESSING
SCHOLAR: “Think of Ecclesiastes as the only book of the Bible written on a Monday morning.”[1]
NATURALLY MELANCHOLY??— ECCLESIASTES = RELATABLE.
AUTHOR SEEMS PESSIMISTIC AT LEAST “REALISTIC”
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ECCLESIASTES = PROBABLY MOST MISUNDERSTOOD BOOK of the BIBLE
READING LAST YEAR—DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
CHALLENGE: READ in ONE SITTING,, SEE the WHOLE-NOT JUST the PARTS.
§ One scholar has said, “… one cannot isolate a negative section of Ecclesiastes and preach it as the Teacher’s message. Every preaching text must be understood in its broader literary context.”[2]
MUCH NEGATIVE = AUTHOR’S PONDERING,, WRESTLING && RHETORICALLY DRIVEN.
(T) BEFORE READING: SOME BACKGROUND
BEGINNING W/ GENRE.
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Background (Ecclesiastes)
Background (Ecclesiastes)
BOOK of ECCLESIASTES = WISDOM LITERATURE.
JOB, PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES
P.P.: Wisdom literature is written under inspiration in response to the author’s experience of life.
PROVERBS -- NOT BOOK of PROMISES!!
PROVERBS RECORD WHAT “GENERALLY HAPPENS”
Scholar, Thomas Long explains, “A proverb is larger than one case, but not large enough to embrace all cases”[3]
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ECCLESIASTES = COUNTERPART to PROVERBS
PROVERBS—GENERALLY HAPPENS
ECCLESIASTES—WHEN THINGS DON’T GO as EXPECTED.
ECC. PERSPECTIVE:
WHAT DO YOU DO?
HOW DO YOU LIVE?
WHEN LIFE DOESN’T GO AS EXPECTED?
ECCLESIASTES WILL HELP US NAVIGATE THINGS WE WOULD CHANGE ABOUT LIFE (IF WE COULD)…BUT WE CAN’T.
(T) Now, I’ve hinted briefly at authorship and a few issues of background, so WHO WROTE ECCLESIASTES?
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Authorship:
Authorship:
HOLY SCRIPTURE— WRITTEN UNDER INSPIRATION,, GOD-BREATHED.
TRADITIONALLY: SOLOMON = AUTHOR
MANY CONCLUDE: WRITTEN in REFLECTION of SOLOMON’S LIFE
SOLOMON = RELEVANT SOMEHOW!
MOST COMMENTARIES REFER to HIM BY HEBREW TERM for “PREACHER/TEACHER/PHILOSOPHER” (V1)
HEBREW TERM, UNDERLYING IDEA: “The one who addresses an assembly”
ECCLESIASTES MEANS “THE PREACHER/TEACHER”
THROUGHOUT OUR STUDY—WE’RE GOING to REFER to the AUTHOR as “the TEACHER”
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ECCLESIASTES— TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS on LIFE....
THE GOOD
BAD
UGLY
UNDERSTOOD
MISUNDERSTOOD
INTENDING to TEACH—NOT JUST a DIARY
In fact, MUCH of the NEGATIVE in Ecclesiastes is written to point out the FOLLY of LIVING WITHOUT GOD...
DEPRESSING PARTS—UNDERSTOOD THIS WAY— & IN LIGHT of WHOLE—AREN’T SO BAD AFTER ALL...
P.P. MAIN IDEA of ECCLESIASTES:
“In the midst of life’s problems, unanswered questions, and frustrations we ought to fear God and enjoy the ride.”
FEAR GOD—WALK BEFORE HIM UPRIGHTLY,, KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
ENJOY LIFE
THESE = TWO PRIMARY ADMONITIONS of the TEACHER.
WE MIGHT NOT LIKE HAND WE’RE DEALT
OR the RIDE WE’RE ON...
BUT MUCH of LIFE ISN’T UP to US...
MIGHT AS WELL FEAR GOD & ENJOY the RIDE.
(T) And so now, LET’S EMBARK!
I’d like to open by READING PASSAGE of SCRIPTURE... this morning.
V. 1---V. 11
SCRIPTURE SAYS...
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Passage Reading (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)
Passage Reading (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)
Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 (ESV)
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.
!!Open in Prayer!!
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Intro:
Intro:
FUN WAY to BEGIN a STUDY— LIFE = VAIN!
5X in ONE VERSE! —VANITY of VANITIES!
HB. WORD— SENSE of VAPOR
REF: HUMIDIFIER
SOMETHING WITHOUT SUBSTANCE
FLEETING
EMPTY
DEVOID of MEANING
TEMPORARY
VARIOUSLY TRANSLATED:
VANITY
MEANINGLESS
USELESS
FUTILITY
THIS is LIFE....UTTERLY POINTLESS
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PERHAPS—YOUR WEEK HASN’T BEEN the BEST
CAME to CHURCH—LOOKING for ENCOURAGEMENT..
& NOW YOU WISHED YOU’D STAYED HOME
CONTEMPLATING STAYING HOME NEXT COUPLE MONTHS
OUTSET—BOOK is DISCOURAGING
***STAY W/ ME***
(T) WHAT is the TEACHER DOING HERE…?
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(V3)
(V3)
Ecclesiastes 1:3 (ESV)
3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
REASON for HIS CLAIM— RESULTS from QUESTION from (V3)
TEACHER’S BIGGEST PONDERING TODAY: ALL TOIL UNDER the SUN…WHAT’S IT FOR???
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REALLY GOOD QUESTION....
MANY IDOLIZE WORK
WORKING 70/80+ HOUR WEEKS
SACRIFICE FAMILY on ALTAR of WORK/PROSPERITY
WORK a LITTLE MORE:
HAVE ENOUGH
BE ENOUGH
**WORKING LIKE CRAZY TEMPORARILY to SAVE DOWN-PAYMENT/PAY DEBTS, ETC. —GOOD**
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BUT to PEOPLE WHO IDOLIZE WORK—WHY???
YOU WORK…WORK..WORK…WORK.... && FOR WHAT?
WORK to PAY BILLS…TO GO WORK…TO PAY BILLS....
WHY BOTHER?
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PERHAPS FOR SUCCESS…BUILD BIG BUSINESS
YOU DIE,, CAN’T TAKE W/ YOU.
KIDS PROB. DON’T WANT IT
PERHAPS FOR MATERIAL GAIN…BUY STUFF.
WHEN YOU DIE,, AFTER MOURNING,, FIRST THING FAMILY GETS??
FAMILY WILL RENT a DUMPSTER & SOME BURN BARRELS.
WHY BOTHER??
TREASURES on EARTH,, ROT, RUST, & DECAY
+ ASIDE from SOME HEIRLOOMS, THEY DON’T WANT YOUR JUNK.
PERHAPS WORKING,, JUST to GET BY...
YOU KNOW THIS = EMPTY!
WORK to EAT, to WORK, to EAT, ETC...
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PERHAPS YOU WORK in the HOME
MOPPED FLOORS GET DIRTY
DISHES NEED WASHED AGAIN
LAUNDRY MULTIPLIES FASTER THAN RABBITS
COOKING—GET HUNGRY AGAIN
THANK GOD for the FRIDGE
COOK ONCE—EAT MANY
BUT EVENTUALLY—YOU’LL NEED to COOK AGAIN.
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SO WHY BOTHER to TOIL?
NOTHING LASTING is GAINED
IT’S ALL CYCLICAL
ULTIMATELY IT’S EMPTY.
TEACHER ISN’T ADVOCATING FOR WELFARE— BUT WANTS US to THINK.
IT SEEMS POINTLESS to WORK
EVERYTHING is VANITY—MEANINGLESS....
(T) CONTINUING ON w/ IDEA of MEANINGLESSNESS....
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(V4)
(V4)
Ecclesiastes 1:4 (ESV)
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
LIFE = MEANINGLESS
NO BENEFITS FROM WORK
&&& WE’RE TEMPORARY!
APOSTLE JAMES— LIFE = LIKE a VAPOR.
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NEW GENERATIONS COME ALL the TIME—WHAT’S the POINT?
EARTH REMAINS— WE LEAVE.
(T) BUT EVEN the CREATED ORDER = VAIN!
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(V5-7)
(V5-7)
Ecclesiastes 1:5–7 (ESV)
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
CREATED ORDER = MEANINGLESS… NO REWARDS for TOIL!!
METAPHORS:
SUN RISES & SETS— WHY BOTHER? — ENDLESS CYCLE
WINDS BLOW— WHY BOTHER?
RIVERS FLOW— WHY BOTHER??
ALL CYCLICAL & MEANINGLESS!
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Why does the sun bother to rise,
the wind bother to blow,
the river bother to flow,
and the human bother to toil?
IT’S ALL POINTLESS— EMPTY as VAPOR INTO the AIR...
SO MUCH EFFORT EXPOUNDED in COSMOS—FOR WHAT???
(T) And then the TEACHER CONCLUDES, V8— THIS = EXHAUSTING!
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(V8)
(V8)
Ecclesiastes 1:8 (ESV)
8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
ALL THINGS = FULL of WEARINESS!
WEARS YOU OUT to TRY & SEARCH this STUFF OUT!
YOU’LL NEVER SEE/HEAR ENOUGH to BE SATISFIED…TO KNOW ENOUGH...
**THINK of MODERN T.V,,, PHONES...— YOU CAN WATCH & WATCH & ALWAYS WANT MORE
YOU CAN SEARCH for ANSWERS—ALWAYS WANTING MORE.
(T) NO END, NO RESULT, NO PURPOSE IN ALL SEEING & HEARING…
TEACHER’S NOT DONE—
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(V9-10)
(V9-10)
Ecclesiastes 1:9–10 (ESV)
9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.
BEYOND ALL CYCLICAL STUFF—THERE’S NOTHING NEW.
HUMAN CONDITION = LARGELY the SAME
WARS
PROBLEMS
DISASTERS
COSMOS = LARGELY the SAME
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WHAT ABOUT INVENTIONS???
CONCEPTS/CATEGORIES ARE SIMILAR.
A.I. = UPGRADED RESEARCH
CARS/PLANES = UPGRADED TRANSPORTATION
PHONES = UPGRADED COMMUNICATION
HUMANS = ALWAYS INVENTING,, ANOTHER POINTLESS CYCLE THAT DOESN’T HELP.
(T) SO WHAT’S the POINT?? ALL GOES AROUND in CIRCLES...
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(V11)
(V11)
Ecclesiastes 1:11 (ESV)
11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.
TEACHER CONCLUDES PORTION of PONDERINGS— THERE’S NO LASTING REMEMBRANCE of FORMER THINGS
CAPSTONE of VANITY
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BUT WE HAVE HISTORY!
YEAH KINDA.
WE DON’T REMEMBER MOST PEOPLE.
(Q) HOW MANY of YOU CAN TELL ME A LOT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?
HOW ABOUT GRANDPARENTS?
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS?
GREAT-GREAT GRANDPARENTS??? PROBABLY NOT.
THAT’S YOUR FAMILY!
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FAMOUS PEOPLE— MOST AREN’T REMEMBERED
FEW (AT BEST) CAN ARTICULATE ALL U.S. PRESIDENTS
MAYBE INCLUDING TINY BIT of WHAT THEY DID...
THAT’S JUST UNITED STATES…BABY NATION COMPARED to MANY.
YOU MIGHT WORK… AND WORK… AND WORK… TOILING to “BE SOMEONE”
2-3 GENERATIONS from NOW—NO ONE WILL REMEMBER YOU. PROBABLY NOT EVEN in YOUR OWN FAMILY.
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Passage Conclusion:
Passage Conclusion:
CAN YOU SEE WHERE the TEACHER is COMING FROM?
DID I MAKE YOU SAD ENOUGH to AGREE W/ V2??
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QUESTION IS: DOES the TEACHER ACTUALLY FEEL THIS WAY— OR IS HE USING THIS as a TEACHING DEVICE???
IF YOU JUST TAKE CH. 1—YOU’D SAY GET EVERY METHOD of SELF-HARM OUT of TEACHER’S HOUSE
IF YOU READ REST of BOOK—NOT SO BAD.
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TEACHER’S AIM— MAKE US THINK...
RATHER THAN TEACHING “LIFE is VAIN” HE WANTS us TO TAKE GOOD HARD LOOK @ OUR TOIL.
TEACHER’S GOAL = GETTING US a BIT DISILLUSIONED W/ LIFE…LIFE “UNDER the SUN”
(Q) DID ANYONE HAPPEN to NOTICE a FAMOUS BIBLE CHARACTER MISSING from TODAY’S PONDERINGS??? GOD.
TEACHER TODAY = EMPHATIC “LIFE UNDER the SUN” (2X)....
o But is there existence beyond the sun?
o Is there something beyond the natural?
o Is there more to life than just what we see?
Bible scholar Sidney Greidanus says, “Under the sun” refers to living in this world without taking God into account.”[1]
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NATURALISTIC VIEW
MATERIAL VIEW
ATHEISTIC VIEW
ENTIRELY EARTHLY VIEW.
WITHOUT GOD—WE’RE ALL CLUMPS of CELLS…FLOATING on ROCK…BY CHANCE.
REST of STORY: TEACHER isn’t A NATURALIST/ATHEIST.
TEACHER’S AIM = GET US DISILLUSIONED W/ LIFE “UNDER the SUN”…LONGING FOR MORE.
SCHOLAR, “[THE TEACHER] is driving us to the edge of the cliff of human despair in order to shock us awake to the reality of God”
TODAY’S TEXT—SHOWS US the REALITY of LIVING for NATURAL THINGS—APART from GOD.
LIFE WITHOUT GOD—MEANINGLESS. EMPTY. FUTILE.
LIFE WITH GOD—FULL of MEANING— PURPOSE.
(T) THERE’S a WHOLE LOT MORE to LIFE THAN “UNDER the SUN”
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Gospel
Gospel
INTERESTING—TODAY’S PASSAGE—TEACHER RECOUNTS the REOCCURRING,, SEEMINGLY POINTLESS,, CYCLES of NATURE...
SUN,
WIND,
RIVERS
UNIVERSE MIGHT BE CYCLICAL—LARGELY UNCHANGING
SCRIPTURE SHOWS US HISTORY ISN’T CYCLICAL…BUT IT’S LINEAR.
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HISTORY ISN’T JUST on REPEAT—
GOD HAS PURPOSE for CREATION— IT’S MOVING TOWARDS an EXPECTED END...
SUPERNATURAL GOD—ACTS in TIME.
THE CYCLICAL, BORING WORLD = CANVAS UPON WHICH GOD HAS PAINTED HIS ACTS of REDEMPTION.
TEACHER: NOTHING NEW UNDER the SUN (NATURALLY)
BUT in the SUPERNATURAL—NEW THINGS COME.
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PROMISED NEW COVENANT
AT the FULLNESS of TIME—CHRIST CAME
BORN of WOMAN
LIVED 33. YEARS
DIED for SINS
SO WE WOULDN’T BE STUCK UNDER the SUN.
INTO MIDST of BORING-CYCLICAL WORLD— the SON of GOD CAME.... to GIVE US ESCAPE from VANITY...
TO REDEEM US...
TO GRANT US PEACE W/ GOD...
NOW THERE’S a PROMISE— FUTURE NEW HEAVENS & NEW EARTH.
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GOD ACTED SUPERNATURALLY in MIDST of NATURAL WORLD— TO SECURE FOR US a HOPE of ETERNAL LIFE...
IF YOU LIVE WITHOUT GOD— YOUR LIFE WILL SOON BE GONE,, AND THAT’S THAT.
BUT YOU CAN LIVE for ETERNITY W/ PURPOSE....
CALL: IF YOU DON’T HAVE GOD in YOUR LIFE—HAVEN’T BEEN FORGIVEN by JESUS CHRIST…SPEAK to ME AFTER the SERVICE...
LIFE DOESN’T HAVE to BE WITHOUT PURPOSE AND MEANING...
(T) TEACHER is SAYING to US...
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App:
App:
Preaching Idea:
Preaching Idea:
Life without God is empty and vain, but faith in God gives meaning to an otherwise meaningless life.
TEACHER = TRYING to DO TWO THINGS...
TO THOSE WITHOUT GOD—
GET YOU DISILLUSIONED
W/ gods of SUCCESS,
WEALTH,
MATERIAL THINGS…
GET YOU LONGING for SOMETHING MORE...
TO THOSE WITH GOD— WHO HAVE MIXED UP THEIR PRIORITIES,,
REMIND of WHAT MATTERS MOST.
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APART from GOD
APART from the ETERNAL
APART from NATURAL LIFE ONLY
THERE is NO MEANING to LIFE...
LIFE is VANITY— A MIST— EMPTY & POINTLESS…WITHOUT SUBSTANCE…QUICKLY PASSING AWAY.
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IF YOU’RE a CHRISTIAN— & YOUR LIFE REVOLVES AROUND:
YOUR WORK
YOUR SUCCESS
YOUR STUFF
YOUR BUSINESS
NONE of THESE THINGS WILL LAST
VAPOR—RISING INTO AIR.
YOU’RE LIVING FOR THAT WHICH is WITHOUT MEANING & PURPOSE.
§ Work makes a horrible master.
§ Money makes a horrible master.
§ Success makes a horrible master.
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THESE DESIRES ENSLAVE YOU to TOIL FOR WHAT PURPOSE???
WANT SUCCESS? YOU’LL BE FORGOTTEN
WANT STUFF? IT’LL BE THROWN AWAY
WANT INHERITANCE for KIDS? THEY MIGHT SQUANDER IT.
THIS = OUR LOT in LIFE
IF WE LIVE for NATURAL THINGS— LIFE is WITHOUT MEANING
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ARE YOU GOING to LIVE for the NATURAL?
RATHER THAN the ETERNAL??
LAYING UP TREASURES of EARTH?
RATHER THAN LAYING UP TREASURES in HEAVEN?
SEEK to GAIN the WORLD??
RISK FORFEITING YOUR SOUL??
GRAND SCHEME of THINGS— THIS = VANITY.
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GOOD NEWS: IT DOESN’T HAVE to BE THIS WAY.
YOU CAN CHOOSE…HOW YOU WANT to LIVE.
One pastor has said that living life under the S-U-N might be vain
but living life under the S-O-N, isn’t vain.
IF YOU LIVE for the SON—WITH ETERNITY in MIND— THERE’S PURPOSE to YOUR LIFE...
APOSTLE PAUL—CLIMAXING HIS TEACHING on RESURRECTION:
1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
IF YOUR LABOR is UNDER the S-U-N… IT’S a VANITY.
BUT IF YOUR TOIL is IN THE LORD “S-O-N”… IT’S NOT in VAIN...
GENERATIONS COME & GO— & WE’LL BE JOINED TOGETHER in HEAVEN.
BEAR: ONLY THING YOU CAN TAKE to HEAVEN W/ YOU is PEOPLE.
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(V3) WHAT DO WE GET FROM OUR TOIL?
IF WE’RE LIVING FOR SELF-SUCCESS- NATURAL THINGS— WE GET NOTHING.
**BUT IF WE LIVE for the LORD** WE CAN LIVE a LIFE W/ MEANING—MAKING a DIFFERENCE for ETERNITY
MIGHT NOT BE REMEMBERED DOWN HERE
BUT WE’LL BE REMEMBERED UP THERE.
THE CHOICE is OURS...
WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR, TODAY?
!!Close in Prayer!!
