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b'The Great Gamble
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(Ecclesiastes 2:3)\\xa0 I tried cheering myself with wine, and\\nembracing folly\\u2014my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see\\nwhat was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of\\ntheir lives.

\\n(Ecclesiastes 2:4-6)\\xa0 I undertook great projects: I built houses for\\nmyself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all\\nkinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of\\nflourishing trees.
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(Ecclesiastes 2:7-8)\\xa0 I bought male and female slaves and had other\\nslaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks\\nthan anyone in Jerusalem before me.\\xa0 I amassed silver and gold for\\nmyself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and\\nwomen singers, and a harem as well\\u2014the delights of the heart of man.
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(Ecclesiastes 2:9)\\xa0 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

(Ecclesiastes 2:10)\\xa0 \\u201cI denied myself nothing my eyes desired\\u201d

(Ecclesiastes\\n2:11)\\xa0 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had\\ntoiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the\\nwind; nothing was gained under the sun.\\u201d
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Pleasure
(Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)\\xa0 \\u201cI denied myself\\nnothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took\\ndelight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

Pursuits
\\n(Ecclesiastes 2:17)\\xa0 \\u201cSo I hated life, because the work that is done\\nunder the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing\\nafter the wind.\\u201d

People
(Ecclesiastes 4:8)\\xa0 \\u201cThere was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother\\u2026This too is meaningless.\\u201d
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Possessions
(Ecclesiastes 5:10)\\xa0 \\u201cWhoever loves money\\nnever has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with\\nhis income. This too is meaningless.\\u201d

(John 13:1)\\xa0 \\u201cIt was\\njust before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for\\nhim to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who\\nwere in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.\\u201d
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(John 13:4-5)\\xa0 \\u201c\\u2026so he got up from the meal, took off his outer\\nclothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.\\xa0 After that, he poured\\nwater into a basin and began to wash his disciples\\u2019 feet, drying them\\nwith the towel that was wrapped around him.\\u201d
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(John 13:12-17) \\u201cWhen he had finished washing their feet, he put on\\nhis clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have\\ndone for you?" he asked them. "You call me \'Teacher\' and \'Lord,\' and\\nrightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher,\\nhave washed your feet, you also should wash one another\'s feet. I have\\nset you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell\\nyou the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a\\nmessenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these\\nthings, you will be blessed if you do them.\\u201d
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(John 13:17) \\u201c..Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.\\u201d

Serving others:

1.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Serving others actually puts me first.

(Matthew 20:16)\\xa0 \\u201cSo the last will be first, and the first will be last.\\u201d
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2. Serving others doesn\\u2019t make sense.

(John 13:7)\\xa0 Jesus replied, \\u201cYou do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.\\u201d

(Matthew\\n20:25-28)\\xa0 Jesus called them together and said, \\u201cYou know that the\\nrulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials\\nexercise authority over them.\\xa0 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants\\nto become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be\\nfirst must be your slave\\u2014just as the Son of Man did not come to be\\nserved, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.\\u201d
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3. Serving others is your ultimate calling.

(John 13:14)\\xa0 \\u201cNow that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\'s feet.\\u201d

(Mark\\n8:35 NLT)\\xa0 \\u201cIf you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose\\nit.\\xa0 But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the\\nGood News, you will find true life.\\u201d
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4. Serving others brings absolute fulfillment.

(John 13:17)\\xa0 \\u201cNow that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.\\u201d

(Hebrews\\n6:10 NLT)\\xa0 \\u201cHe will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how\\nyou have shown your love to Him by caring for other Christians.\\u201d
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(Matthew 25:21)\\xa0 \\u201cWell done, good and faithful servant! You have\\nbeen faithful with a few things so; I will put you in charge of many\\nthings.\\xa0 Come and share your master\'s happiness!\\u201d

Do you really believe that?
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For more information on the vision of Freedom Church, please visit our website at www.freedom-church.org.




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