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:
This week’s message through Ecclesiastes challenged us to honestly examine life, purpose, mortality, and what truly satisfies the soul. Solomon’s writings remind us that life “under the sun” can often feel fleeting, uncertain, and difficult to understand. Pleasure, success, wealth, knowledge, and achievement were never meant to be the ultimate source of fulfillment. While these things can be enjoyed as gifts from God, they cannot satisfy the deepest longing of the human soul. The sermon emphasized that purpose is not found at the finish line of life, but in faithfully walking with God in the midst of it. Even when life feels unfair, confusing, or temporary, God remains trustworthy and present.
The message also highlighted how difficulty, grief, and the reality of mortality can shape us into wiser and more grounded people. Ecclesiastes teaches that wisdom grows when we honestly confront the brevity of life instead of avoiding it. Rather than becoming bitter over injustice or obsessed with outcomes we cannot control, we are invited to trust God, enjoy the blessings He has given us, and remain faithful in every season. Solomon ultimately concludes that the meaning of life is found in fearing God and keeping His commands. We may not fully understand our future, but we can confidently walk forward knowing God is sovereign, good, and worthy of our trust.
The message also highlighted how difficulty, grief, and the reality of mortality can shape us into wiser and more grounded people. Ecclesiastes teaches that wisdom grows when we honestly confront the brevity of life instead of avoiding it. Rather than becoming bitter over injustice or obsessed with outcomes we cannot control, we are invited to trust God, enjoy the blessings He has given us, and remain faithful in every season. Solomon ultimately concludes that the meaning of life is found in fearing God and keeping His commands. We may not fully understand our future, but we can confidently walk forward knowing God is sovereign, good, and worthy of our trust.
Questions to Consider:
- Ecclesiastes reminds us to “remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” What does it practically look like to prioritize God in your current season of life?
- The sermon referenced that, “Purpose is in the midst, not at the end.” How does that challenge the way you think about success, calling, or the future?
- Are there areas of your life where bitterness, comparison, or frustration over unfairness has distracted you from enjoying the blessings God has already given you?
- What does it mean to “fear God and keep His commands” in your everyday life right now?
- How can you practice being more present and grateful instead of constantly longing for “more”?
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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