Nancy Walker Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (The Message) Watch your step when you enter God’s house. Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.  Overwork makes for restless sleep. Overtalk shows you up as a fool. When you tell God you’ll do something, do it—now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it. Far better [...]

David Swift Ecclesiastes 4:9-16 9    Two are better than one,       because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down,       one can help the other up.        But pity anyone who falls            and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.       But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered,            two can defend themselves.        A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Reflection: The Rembrandts [...]

Rachel Fisher Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, chasing after the wind. 5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. 6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Reflection: Last year, I got invited to not one, but two destination weddings for women with whom I had recently become fast friends. I felt so fortunate to be included in their respective celebrations. However, because we only knew each other through one mutual friend, I [...]

Amy Kelley, Dir. of Outreach (Gethsemane) Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 9 What do workers gain from all their hard work? 10 I have observed the task that God has given human beings. 11 God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there’s nothing better for them but to enjoy themselves and do what’s good while they live. 13 Moreover, this is the gift of God: that all people should eat, drink, and enjoy the results of [...]

Charity Autry, Member since 2008, Sunday School Leader, Starting Point Leader, VBS Chair, Outreach Coordinator, Ashamed watcher of reality TV Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2       a time to be born and a time to die,         a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3       a time to kill and a time to heal,         a time to tear down and a time to build, 4       a time to [...]

Tim Helwege - Associate Director of Student Ministries Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 (ESV) “So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the [...]

Lessons in Futility pt. 2 Shelby Olive Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But again, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works; I built houses and [...]

Lessons in Futility, pt. 1 Shelby Olive Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, 13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. 14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,     and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great [...]

Rev. David Horton, Lead Pastor at Gethsemane Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,    vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What do people gain from all the toil    at which they toil under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,    but the earth remains for ever. 5 The sun rises and the sun goes down,    and hurries to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south,    and goes round to the north; round and round goes [...]