WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 3

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the New Living Translation. For everything, there is

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<v Speaker 1>a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A

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<v Speaker 1>time to be born and a time to die. A

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<v Speaker 1>time to plant and a time to harvest. A time

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<v Speaker 1>to kill and a time to heal. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>tear down and a time to build up. A time

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<v Speaker 1>to cry and a time to laugh. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter

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<v Speaker 1>stones and a time to gather stones. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>embrace and a time to turn away. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>search and a time to quit searching. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>keep and a time to throw away. A time to

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<v Speaker 1>tear and a time to mend. A time to be

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<v Speaker 1>quiet and a time to speak. A time to love

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<v Speaker 1>and a time to hate. A time for war and

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<v Speaker 1>a time for peace. What do people really get for

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<v Speaker 1>all their hard work? I've seen the burden God has

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<v Speaker 1>placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>for its own time. He has planted eternity in the

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<v Speaker 1>human heart. But even so, people cannot see the whole

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<v Speaker 1>scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I

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<v Speaker 1>concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and

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<v Speaker 1>enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should

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<v Speaker 1>eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor,

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<v Speaker 1>for these are gifts from God. And I know that

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<v Speaker 1>whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to

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<v Speaker 1>it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people

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<v Speaker 1>should fear him. What is happening now has happened before,

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<v Speaker 1>and what will happen in the future has happened before,

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<v Speaker 1>because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

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<v Speaker 1>I also noticed that under the sun there is evil

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<v Speaker 1>in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt.

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<v Speaker 1>I said to myself, in due season God will judge everyone.

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<v Speaker 1>both good and bad, for all their deeds. I also

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<v Speaker 1>thought about the human condition, how God proves to people

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<v Speaker 1>that they are like animals. For people and animals share

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<v Speaker 1>the same fate. Both breathe and both must die. So

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<v Speaker 1>people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless.

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<v Speaker 1>Both go to the same place. They came from dust

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<v Speaker 1>and they return to dust. For who can prove that

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<v Speaker 1>the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals

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<v Speaker 1>goes down into the earth? So I saw that there

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<v Speaker 1>is nothing better for people than to be happy in

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<v Speaker 1>their work. That is our lot in life, and no

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<v Speaker 1>one can bring us back to see what happens after

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<v Speaker 1>we die. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word,

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<v Speaker 1>and we thank you for the privilege of being able

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<v Speaker 1>to look at it together today. We're grateful for your love,

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful for your goodness, and we're grateful for the

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<v Speaker 1>hope that we have beyond this world through faith in

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<v Speaker 1>your Son, Jesus Christ. Because apart from that hope, we

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<v Speaker 1>would get stuck in a mindset that treated the things

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<v Speaker 1>of this world as if they are permanent in nature,

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<v Speaker 1>when in fact they are temporary. Lord, we know that

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<v Speaker 1>you have great and mighty purposes for your people, that

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<v Speaker 1>you certainly give us things to enjoy this side of heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>But Lord, you've also given us hope beyond the things

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<v Speaker 1>of this world. And we look forward to the full

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<v Speaker 1>revelation of all of these things as we will one

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<v Speaker 1>day see them and live in your presence. Lord, we

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<v Speaker 1>love you. We're grateful for your presence with us today.

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<v Speaker 1>And we commit ourselves to your care and pray this

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<v Speaker 1>all in Jesus' name. Amen.