Only two things in your life have the potential to endure forever. Your words and your posterity. The famous structures made of marble and stone where Paul taught anciently in Rome can now be seen crumbling and in decay, but the words he taught there have remained with us through generations and we still profit from them today.
Here is my attempt at a simple parable. (If it gets preserved maybe it will have power to endure for generations (smile).
Once upon a time there were two men. The first was a man with great wisdom and power who retained his knowledge and did not share with his children. We have no knowledge or record of him because there was none left after he passed away to give account of his greatness and to this day he remains nameless and unknown. The second was a man with a only a portion of wisdom and power, which he shared freely with his children. They built upon what he shared and taught their own children. This wisdom has been shared and passed down through generations and now nations honor this man’s name.