A life of wisdom vs. folly. The importance of character Lessons learned in the house of mourning. A wise person's response / rebuke. A wise person's view of money. Living with the end in mind. The good old days?

1. Ecclesiastes 7: 1 - 14 March 7 - May 23 Week eight “ Words of wisdom”

2. Gain everything, lose nothing Gain nothing, lose everything Lose nothing, gain nothing Lose nothing, gain nothing Believe Don’t believe God exists God doesn’t exist

3. “ Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of the possessor” (Eccl. 7:11,12).

4. “ A good name is better than a fine perfume , and the day of death better than the day of birth” (Eccl. 7:1).

5. “ the day of death is better than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart” ( Eccl. 7:2)

6. “ Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl 7:3,4)

7. “ Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy: but when times are bad, consider: God has made one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future” (Eccl. 7:13,14)

8. “ It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless” (Eccl. 7:6)

9. “ Extortion turns a wise man man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart” (Eccl. 7:7)

10. “ The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Eccl. 7:8,9) .

11. 1 The Freedom Session Journey 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-12

12. “ Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions” (Eccl. 7:10)