Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

“You see–a fallen tree represents circumstances out of our control. Things that are fixed. The tree’s fallen–and there it is. Falls to the south, it stays to the south. Falls to the north, it stays to the north. It is a fixed reality.

These are circumstances out of the tree’s control. It is where it is, now. In human vernacular, we might say ‘Good counsel, but my current situation prevents me from doing this. I’m just a girl; I’m old; I’m wheelchair-bound; I have allergies; I’m shy; I have little ones at home; I have no talents; I’m in the middle of nowhere–out on the farm–in South Dakota.’

‘Oh,’ God says ‘hadn’t thought about your situation. You’re fixed in a place where . . . what good can you do? OK. You’re off the hook.’ Is that what God says?

No. If I can use today’s language, what Ecclesiastes 11:3b says is–three words– ‘DEAL WITH IT!’”

Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

“I’d like to take this verse, break it into two parts: first ‘give a portion to seven and also to eight.’ The theme there clearly is abundance. Abundance. What is seven, as a number, in the scriptures? It represents completion. Seven is the number of fullness–completion. Seven days in a week, for example. So this is a number that represents give all. Give all the time; fill up all the time.

In fact, the way the Hebrew is written there, it could be read this way: ‘Seven days a week and then roll over to the eighth day.’”

These and more questions are answered in the sermon whose audio follows:

Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

“It doesn’t hurt to use the scriptures. We do not want to take scriptures out of context, or twist them, or force them into something. But we do know this–that scriptures are inexhaustible, and if we are lay up in our heart the scriptures and think on these things and be led in understanding their true meaning, we find the Holy Spirit can cause us to have them apply to our lives in ways beyond our anticipation.

We can learn very particular things. We can certainly learn how to live and what steps to take on the pursuit of entering into the joy of the Lord, which is the context in Luke 15 and 16.”

Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

“This is about whether God can supply all that is necessary for us to accomplish all that He has laid out for us to do, whatever stage of life we’re in. If anybody here is doing anything less than that, it is called sin.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

“That person was entrusted with the goods of another, but was unjust. This type of person is called a ‘waster.’ We look in the scriptures, there in verse 1 of chapter 16 of Luke that he had wasted his lord’s goods.”

Here is a brief excerpt from the sermon, followed thereafter by the audio of the entire sermon:

“To suppose it. It means to take for granted without thought or concern for possible error. It’s sloppy thinking–and little concern for whether or not God has a statement on this one, or whether or not God is concerned about this kind of thinking.

So we suppose things. . . presume things. . . take for granted without thought or concern for possible error. ‘Suppose ye this or that?’

So I think right now we ought to pause and ask ourselves ‘Does this describe me? Am I a supposer in a way that God does not, does not want me to be? Do I ever believe or assume something to be true in the absence of positive knowledge?’”

At the tearing asunder of these sacred bands, well may we allow, without blame, some parting pangs; but the difficulty is, to put as speedy a period to them as reason and religion command us. What can give us sufficient ease after that rupture, which has left such an aching void in our breasts? What, indeed, but the reflection already mentioned, which can never be inculcated too often, — that we are hastening to him ourselves; that, pass but a few years, perhaps hours, which will soon be over, and not only this, but all other desires will be satisfied; when we shall exchange the gaudy shadow of pleasure we have enjoyed, for sincere, substantial, untransitory happiness?

With this consideration well imprinted in our minds, it is far better, as Solomon observes, to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting The one embraces the soul, disarms our resolution, and lays us open to an attack: The other cautions us to recollect our reason, and stand upon our guard and infuses that noble steadiness, and seriousness of temper, which it is not in the power of an ordinary stroke to discompose. Such objects naturally induce us to lay it to heart, that the next summons may be our own; and that since death is the end of all men without exception, it is high time for the living to lay it to heart.

If we are, at any time, in danger of being overcome by dwelling too long on the gloomy side of this prospect, to the giving us pain, the making us unfit for the duties and offices of life, impairing our faculties of body or mind, — which proceedings, as has been already shown, are both absurd, unprofitable, and sinful; let us immediately recur to the bright side, and reflect, with gratitude as well as humility, that our time passeth away like a shadow; and that, when we awake from this momentary dream, we shall then have a clearer view of that latter day in which our Redeemer shall stand upon the earth; when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall be clothed with immortality; and when we shall sing, with the united choirs of men and angels, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

The entire sermon may be found here.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the sermon, with a link to the full audio immediately thereafter:

The question is there in verse 3 of Luke 16 “What shall I do?” Anybody here ever ask themselves that question? What shall I do?

Really, honestly, what is important to you, to get done? And why? What is your goal?

I asked my family that the other night as we were riding in a car.

“There be some who generally believe according to the last speaker; and there be others who do not know what they do believe, but they believe almost anything that is told them. The spirit of Christian charity, so much cultivated in these days, and which we all love so much, has, I fear, assisted in bringing into the world a species of latitudinarianism; or in other words, men have come to believe that it does not matter what they do believe; that although one minister says it is so, and the other says it is not so; yet we are both right; that though we contradict each other flatly, yet we are both correct.”

[emphasis added]