Wisdom

Ecclesiastes | And the Power to Enjoy

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon pulls no punches. Though he has access to more wealth, prestige, experiences–though he has more accomplishments than most humans ever will–he finds the end result of them all severely lacking. “Vanity,” he says. Meaningless. A striving after the wind.

In chapter 5, he notes there is a difference between having wealth and possessions and “power to enjoy them” (Eccl 5:19). The whole book seeks to answer the question, how do we, as finite humans who all face the certainty of death, get the power to enjoy the imperfect lives we have? 

The only answer, which we’ll trace through the major movements of the book, is to live with a perspective that is beyond the sun, rather than under the sun. To have our eyes set on the eternal, not the earthly.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Is This It?

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 2: That Won't Fix You

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 3:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 4:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 5:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 6:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

Week 7:

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Outline)

W I S D O M

SERMONS | RESOURCES | TEXT-IN QUESTIONS

How do we become people who build our lives on God’s wisdom rather than ruining them? How do we navigate life and all its complexities? How do we make sense of death and suffering? How about friendships, wealth, and decision-making? What about sex and marriage? 

These questions are where the Old Testament’s wisdom books come in. Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs depict how to navigate life’s complexity. Through poetry and narrative, the Bible shows us following Jesus is more than just acquiring knowledge. It’s about seeing reality the way God sees it and learning how to live within it—in short, it’s about becoming a person of wisdom.

To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.

Week 1: Wisdom and the Fear of the LORD

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 2: Wisdom and Decision-Making

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 3: Wisdom and Pride

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 4: Wisdom and Wealth

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 5: Wisdom and Sex

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 6: Wisdom and Friendships

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 7: Wisdom and Conflict

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 8: Wisdom and Work

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Week 9: Wisdom and Words

(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Sermon Notes)

Check out our Year of Biblical Literacy site for more articles, podcasts, and book recommendations.

BOOKS

VIDEOS

Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.

To submit your topic or question, text "DOWNTOWN" followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.