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Key verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
God's grace was the theme of the Women's Retreat and it was an amazing time before the Lord. I've enjoyed hearing the different ways in which God showed Himself there. I'll continue that theme and talk about the value of grace in the context of our own depravity and how His grace is sufficient for us now in all things and at all times. Fear loses and hope prevails - that is the hope the Gospel brings!
Ecclesiates series message 15
Ecc. 12
In bringing everything together, the Preacher gives his concluding remarks. He's searched every facet of 'life under the sun' in an attempt to find purpose and lasting value in what we experience in our brief and vain life. His conclusion is clear and simple: fear God and keep His commands. This is a great piece of wisdom in itself, but we'll also connect the Gospel to his conclusions.
Ecclesiates Series message 14
Text: Ecc. 10 & 11
After examining all facets of life, the preacher addresses one more human activity: investments. We all invest our time, energies and reputation in various investments. And we expect a return. So often we think, "if we do this right, the result will be favorable". Like parenting. We are careful to follow a set pattern and convictions and expect all will be well with our children. We want to pursue all things with excellence, but the Gospel frees us to trust God with the results as we invest first in His Kingdom. We'll gain good encouragement and perspective from the Gospel in all areas of life.
We're going to step aside from Ecclesiastes this week but ask the same question: "How does the Gospel inform this situation?" From time to time we get "stuck" in our walk with Christ: joy seems distant, we're not gaining victory over temptation, or we can't move beyond past trauma/hurt in our lives. Our lack of spiritual vitality impacts our outlook, relationships and service for Christ. Specifically, we'll look at how to move forward when someone hurts or offends you. We'll be drawing from Ephesians primarily, specifically Ephesians 4:31-32.
Ecclesiastes Series message 13
Text: Ecclesiastes 9
We developed Ecclesiastes 8:8 last week, which reminds us that we don't really have power over the day of our death. In chapter 9 he takes that thought and expands it quite a bit. We'll play off a JW error which is rooted in this text and see that we will all face judgement. Most importantly, we'll see how the Gospel changes everything and gives us a true reason to live. We are living for eternity, not the temporal: anything short of that is...vanity.
Ecclesiastes Series message 12
Text: Ecclesiastes 8:8
Ecclesiastes points us to the sovereignty of God and the futility of life apart from Him. There is so much in life that is beyond our control, including even the number of days we have on earth. Drawing from chapter eight, I'll pose the question, "what impact does my life have on others?" Are others better off for knowing me? Does my Christian faith permeate my work ethic, attitudes, relationships and actions? When my time is up, what will my legacy be? How do I focus on eternal values while living this temporal life? All of this will be in the context of hearing from a family which has taken a difficult road as they bringing glory to God.
Ecclesiastes Series message 11
Text: Ecclesiastes 5:8 - 6:12
This passage speaks loudly to our culture. I was just watching a travel video from Togo - we're a wealthy nation! Riches bring some level of comfort but do not satisfy the soul. Money is the root of so much heartache - just watch people jockey for position on inheritance payouts (often while the person is still alive). The preacher concludes that the best thing we can do in relation to our personal wealth is to enjoy what we have and live with abiding joy. The Gospel further teaches us the fleeting nature of riches and instructs us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness; we'll draw specific application from Matthew 6:19-34. Possessing wealth can be a blessing; obsessing over it is our downfall.
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Our theme this Sunday is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We'll highlight the victory of the cross and the eternal hope of the resurrection - and how that helps us now. We'll even throw in a little Greek lesson.
Ecclesiastes Series message 10
Text: Ecc. 5:1-7
Qoheleth breaks from his horizontal emphasis to address the vertical. What I mean is this: to this point he's surveyed our pursuits and relationships in light of eternity and and concluded, "See?! There must be something more!" He departs from this emphasis and speaks to the most important relationship we have, giving instruction on our worship of Amighty God. Oh, how we need this word today! Expect to be challenged as he points our attention to our Creator and to our walk with Him. The power of his words are found in the context in which he gives them. The 'gotcha' point on Sunday is this: the one to whom all praise and adoration is due humbled himself through his incarnation. This one entered Jerusalem on a donkey in preparation for his suffering on our behalf. Such generosity breathes life and grants grace for yet another day.
Ecclestiates Series message 9
Text: Ecc. 4
Now...we live in a competitive area - people are highly motivated to climb the corporate ladder and enroll their kids in every available sports or arts program. Nothing wrong with healthy competition of course or personal drive. But too many people spend their lives under the sun chasing broken dreams, trying to take the other guy out of the race. Our INSECURITIEs drive us to COMPARE and COMPETE. The Gospel addresses what drives this consuming competitiveness and replaces it with a passion to serve and follow Christ, knowing we are unconditionally loved and accepted by Him. On Sunday we'll address the hamster treadmill of comparison and competition, replacing it with a healthy and godly vision to run the race before us.
Ecclesiastes Series message 8
Text: Ephesians 5:22-33
A solid vision for marriage includes an understanding of how husbands are to relate to their wives, and how wives are to relate to their husbands. We'll create an implimentable plan for couples and go beyond most ministries' treatment of love and respect. If you aren't in a good place in your marriage, you'll find help and be encouraged. If you're not currently married, you'll develop a strong vision for a Christian marriage.
Ecclesiastes Series message 7
Text: I Thessalonians 5:16-18
On March 22nd, Christine and I will renew our marriage vows after the sermon. Leading up to that day, I'll take two weeks to speak on marriage as I said I'd speak on some general "wisdom" topics in this series. We'll revisit the "Compare/Compete" message later in March. This Sunday we'll look at dimensions of prayer and specifically how praying together not only strengthens your union but is crucial in it. These two marriage messages will be encouraging if you're struggling, affirming if you're going strong, and informative if you're not currently married. As we talk about revival and prayer and plan for Sunday night's prayer service, I hope this fuels that fire.
Ecclesiastes Series message 6
Text: Ecc. 4:1-3
One aspect I highly value in God's Word is that it does not shove issues under the rug or turn a blind eye to suffering or evil. The 'Wisdom Books' address these realities directly. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us of what we all know very well - the world is full of injustice. Ecclesiastes does not solve these issues, as that is not the Preacher's goal. On Sunday, we'll incorporate truth found elsewhere in God's Word and apply the Gospel to the question of injustice. The Gospel is not just the entrance to the Chrisitan life; it has profound implications throughout our earthly pilgrimage. It brings hope, comfort and encouragement that bring healing to the soul.
Ecclesiastes Series message 5
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
For many, this passage brings great comfort as we see a rythmn in the seasons and events of life. But the truth is, while it does contain comforting thoughts, it is designed to jolt us to reality. There are some things in life we control and much that we don't. Wisdom guides us in how to navigate through challenging situations, but if we seek happiness and satisfaction only under the sun, we are fools. We'll weave in thoughts regarding eternity and revival, seeing how the Gospel changes absolutely everything and brings unspeakable joy in the midst of both chaos and the mundane. It is always time to seek the Lord! I have so enjoyed hearing from many of you, of your hunger and thirst to go deeper with Him. Christine and I are praying that the Lord will revive us individually and corporately - thanks for praying alongside us and the elders to that end! Our worship service starts promptly at 10 AM - let's show up early, ready to worship God and hear from Him.
Ecclesiates Series message 4
Ecclesiastes 7:19
Our perspective influences our priorities, which in turn fuel our pursuits. What informs a godly world-view and eternal perspective? Wisdom. And since Christ is, to us, the wisdom of God, to pursue wisdom is to pursue Christ. We'll address what it means to live wisely in a temporal world with passing pleasures; tying together priorities, pursuit, perspective, and wisdom.
Ecclesiastes Series message 3
Text: Ecc. 3:18-21
The past two weeks we have considered our priorities and pursuits, key themes in Ecclesiastes. The Preacher reminds us that we all die and will most likely not be remembered by most. The first few chapters of Ecclesiastes are hard hitting! However, this book is only one of sixty six books in the Bible, and it is crucial to merge truths from this book with the others. Ecclesiastes deals with the temporal, but others address eternity. The message of Ecclesiastes is heightened by eternity, but it is also made so much sweeter for the Christian. On Sunday we will consider the great theme of eternity throughout all of God's Word to give a proper platform to understand the Preacher's wisdom. My prayer is that we all leave inspired, encouraged and convicted as we consider our life priorities and pursuits on Sunday.
Ecclesiastes Series message 2
Text: Ecc. 2:1-11
Last week we looked at priorities. What we prioritize is what we pursue in life. This Sunday we'll look at three pursuits: Solomon's pursuit of folly, God's pursuit of us, and our pursuit of Christ. They're all tied together! We'll examine not only what we should be pursuing, but how we should pursue.
Ecclesiastes Series message 1
Text: Ecc. 1:2
Beginning this Sunday, we will sit under the tutelage of one known as Qoheleth. This title means one who gathers people together for the purpose of teaching wisdom; your Bible probably renders this title as preacher. He had a lot of good things to say, all highly applicable to us today. We often chase the wrong things to satisfy the pain or emptiness inside. Some of the things we run after aren't bad, they just don't last. They make life more enjoyable, but they are not an end in themselves. We will live forever, but many of life's pursuits are temporary. We'll weave Qoheleth's wisdom in with the eternal hope and comfort which the Gospel brings.
What is the Bible all about? This Sunday, I have chosen 12 verses (some small passages) which convey the story-line and message of the Bible. Ten verses was just not enough. My prayer is that it will provide a concise reference for you when talking with others. May I also encourage you to try to map this out as well, prior to Sunday? It's a good exercise. I would also love to see what some of you come up with - it always amazes me how different people think differently and in their own unique ways, bringing out interesting perspectives and approaches to something like this. I'm sure there will also be some favorite verses tucked in there, as well.