WHAT COMES AFTER SUNDAY?
Use the next steps, Bible plan, message recap, questions & resources below to go deeper.
this week's next steps
This Week's Message Recap:
In this week’s message in our "Chasing Purpose" series, we were reminded through Ecclesiastes 3 and 4 that life was never meant to be fully controlled by us. Solomon reflects on the reality that every season of life is appointed by God, from joy to grief, from waiting to breakthrough. While we often desire certainty, timelines, and control over outcomes, true faith requires surrender. God sees the full picture while we only see a small part of the story. Even in seasons we would not choose, God remains present, faithful, and at work behind the scenes.
The sermon also challenged us to examine the exhausting pursuit of striving, comparison, and self-made control. Solomon describes this as “chasing after the wind,” reminding us that peace will never come from trying to carry burdens only God was designed to hold. Purpose is not found in mastering life, but in trusting the One who already holds it together. Surrender is not weakness, it is worship. As believers, we are invited to release fear, trust God with what we cannot control, and faithfully seek His Kingdom one day at a time.
The sermon also challenged us to examine the exhausting pursuit of striving, comparison, and self-made control. Solomon describes this as “chasing after the wind,” reminding us that peace will never come from trying to carry burdens only God was designed to hold. Purpose is not found in mastering life, but in trusting the One who already holds it together. Surrender is not weakness, it is worship. As believers, we are invited to release fear, trust God with what we cannot control, and faithfully seek His Kingdom one day at a time.
Questions to Consider:
- What area of your life are you struggling most to surrender to God right now?
- How have you seen God remain faithful during a season you did not understand?
- In what ways can striving, comparison, or control rob us of peace and purpose?
- What does it practically look like to “trust God today” instead of carrying tomorrow’s worries?
- How can surrender become an act of worship in your daily life this week?
Resources for Study:
Recommended Reading:
King Solomon: Life Lessons by the Wisest Man who ever Lived by Bill Crowder
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches us to Live in Light of the End by David Gibson
King Solomon's Empire: The Rise, Fall and Modern Day Influence of an Iron Age Ruler by Archie Roy & Margaret Roy
Ecclesiastes: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary by Michael Eaton
The Message of Ecclesiastes by Derek Kinder
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches us to Live in Light of the End by David Gibson
King Solomon's Empire: The Rise, Fall and Modern Day Influence of an Iron Age Ruler by Archie Roy & Margaret Roy
Ecclesiastes: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary by Michael Eaton
The Message of Ecclesiastes by Derek Kinder
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