November 28, 2025 • 71 mins
LIFE’S HIDDEN TRUTHS: Why the "Good Life" Isn't What You Think (Ecclesiastes 7)
We spend decades chasing the shiny things—the fat bank account, the perfect reputation, the stress-free life. We think if we can just straighten out all the crooked parts of our journey, we’ll finally be happy.
But what if the truth is hiding in the dark?
In this message, Rev. Heidi Woldhuis uncovers "Life's Hidden Truths" found in Ecclesiastes 7 (Recorded 11/23/2025). Solomon had the wealth, the power, and the parties, but he realized he was looking for value in all the wrong places.
Heidi breaks down why the "crooked" parts of your story might actually be the most beautiful , and why "you learn more at a funeral than at a feast" .
Hidden Truths from this Episode:
-
💎 Real Wealth: "A good reputation is better than a fat bank account."
-
🧼 The Soul Cleanse: We run from grief, but Solomon says, "Crying is better than laughing... it scours the soul."
-
↪️ The Detour: "Thank you, God, for this crooked life you've given me... I am grateful to my dying breath that God did not allow what I desired to happen."
-
🔦 The Shine: The things the world values often look like darkness under God's light, while the messy, real stuff explodes with color .
Stop chasing the fake shine. It’s time to embrace the wisdom hidden in the struggle.
Stay Connected & Keep it Real: 📺 Subscribe for more real talk: www.youtube.com/@sobernotboring 📱 Get daily hope: Download the free Sober Not Boring App. www.sobernotboring.com
#LifesHiddenTruths #SoberNotBoring #Ecclesiastes7 #HeidiWoldhuis #RecoveryChurch #CrookedPaths #RecoveryWisdom #RealTalk #FaithAndRecovery
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
I
took
on
a challenge
after
our Bible study group on Monday
night,
and
we
were talking
about this portion
of the
Bible
and,
and what
it
means and how to use it
and all of those
things, and somebody made a
comment.
I don't really
recall too
many messages.
(00:22):
Taken from Ecclesiastes.
I'm like,
well, challenge
accepted.
And
all I
can
say is
I am
deeply grateful
for said challenge
when
I say I have
had this on my audio
and
I listen to it
all the
time, I would not be
lying.
I have
listened to
Ecclesiastes over
(00:43):
and
over and over this week.
It is on in my car every time I drive.
Start at
chapter one and I read it
Audiobook.
I
listened to
it
all the way through frequently,
and
I
was deeply struck
by the words
(01:04):
in the
wisdom that I read in
there.
and then I
sat
thinking about
it because
Ecclesiastes
was written by Solomon and whatI know about Solomon, is it
said he
was
the wisest
man
and
my
brain suddenly.
went
Well, if God felt it
was
important enough
to make
sure we
understood that he was the wisest
man, why don't we take
(01:25):
heat and
listen to the words that the wisest man
would have to say.
He went on a search
for wisdom.
What
is the meaning of life
and why?
the big why
Questions?
And he
tackled a lot
of
it.
So, what turned out to be
just
a,
oh, yeah,
I'll meet that
challenge.
we'll talk about
Ecclesiastes
is
gonna turn into, we're
(01:45):
gonna sit in Ecclesiastes for a
while.
There's
a
lot
of great information
in here
and
it has gotten
my
mind
really, really
thinking in different
ways about
life in, in, the way
we
approach it
and what really
matters
and what really
does
not.
So I hope you enjoy
it as much as I do.
(02:06):
But
before we do
that,
we'll do our
what
if
I'm
gonna take prayer
requests and then.
Oh,
and then,
uh,
we will pray.
Ann Smith has a good one today.
Um,
it simply says this,
what if
(02:27):
my
nonverbal
communication
speaks more
loudly
then my
verbal
communication?
You
know, the actions
speak
louder
than
words thing.
Oh,
she
convicts.
Sometimes, man,
it's easier to just say allthe right things And do the
right things.
So,
(02:48):
okay.
Prayer
requests.
I remember Job admire this week.
Yes,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
I'm just pray I can bless
people as I
Absolutely.
And you.
I
already know that gonna
be fact because I see the way
(03:10):
people gravitate
to you.
When you
just simply walk in thatspace, You've already
started that work.
You
are a
blessing
to
everyone
there.
Thank you.
Glorious ray of sunshine
me as I move
forward.
You got it.
Christine, I'm excited for
you
(03:38):
Always.
So, I
get to have
Four.
Yes.
Oh.
So um, just pray that we
amend
Oh my goodness.
(03:58):
Praise good.
pretty
amazing.
Isn't recovery
a beautiful thing?
Yeah.
God is good girl.
God is good
leaking.
(04:19):
Anybody
else?
for, um,
Judy.
reached out to
me
and
gave me
prayer requests, so I'vealready got her on the list.
So
yeah,
this morning.
I think
was.
(04:44):
Okay.
Well, since everybody else
is, I'll take care of this real
quick so you don't have to sit andlisten to me sniffing the whole time.
Oh,
sorry.
It's okay.
Blame it on Stacey.
Remember Those Sorry.
Those
are worthwhile ones.
(05:04):
So
any other,
yes,
I want to pray that all of the
are
are
Um,
25th, I got my, get my results.
Um.
We
(05:24):
talked about for my endoscopy, uh,
colonoscopy.
find
something.
Yep.
find something.
I hope that you'll get someanswers and a plan forward.
So,
and for too.
You got it?
(05:46):
Mike, I'm really gladthat you brought that up.
There's a number of us
in this space, um,
in recovery, but before recovery, a lot of
us were those people Homeless.
And we need,
we needed all the
peace and
comfort
We could get
and God is uniquely qualified to bring
the kind that we need, and I
(06:07):
really appreciate you
bringing that as a prayer
matter.
Oh, anybody else?
I'm hopefully getting my
truck of the road.
So.
oh.
I drive
80 foot
Careful.
Woo
back, Dan.
Yes.
Dan is
back.
(06:28):
So he
successfully completed andis uh, licensed over the road
driver here.
So he's been gone for a
bit.
We're
really happy to have him
back.
So happy.
Yeah.
Anyone else?
Yes.
Um, continue to pray for my son Jacob.
mother-in-law.
(06:48):
moved in
again,
okay.
It's not living
situation isn't
ideal.
Um, it's just that he forgets tohe gets so focused on her that he
forgets to take care of himself andhe's not doing that really well anyway.
So, yeah,
good.
He needs to
some
better self care and some He
does.
(07:09):
And boundaries.
maybe
needs to
care of
himself and not be so busy focusing
Understood.
Anybody else?
my sister Tara,
you
she put her dog down.
She,
yesterday was gun's birthdayand she's really struggling.
She sent me some
Snapchats last
night
Oh, she's broken and I
(07:30):
I don't know how to help
her.
So just
prayer for
peace and comfort for
her, um, as you moveforward into the holidays.
I know
Gunner was her sole
dog yeah, it's just,
she lost a piece
of herself,
so she's
forward
those
Dogs.
I
lost our sweet little old
man Gus a few days ago, and, uh,
(07:55):
it's still, you know,
let
the dogs
inside
because, you know, they do their business
out there and
I'm like, oh,
one
no, there's,
there's not
another one to,
yeah.
Get
in
the house.
And that little bed that he
always
slept
on is
empty.
And
my dog Bonnie,
continues
to sniff
at it and under it and
around it
and tears
(08:15):
through the house
trying to find him.
And it's like, oh, that
just
hurts my
heart.
So, yeah.
But I
am grateful that
we had
a year and a
half to love
this
old broken man
instead of the
few weeks
we thought we were gonna have.
It's remarkable what love
can do to a creature.
both our
fur babies and
human beings, love
is a beautiful.
(08:36):
thing.
So
let's take this
to God today.
Father God, I am so
thankful
to be here today.
I'm grateful for everyone that walked in
these doors.
I look forward to hearing what itis that you have to say to us today.
As
always,
we carry
to
you people that
(08:57):
we deeply care about, and we wanna
pray specifically
over Robin As she starts her.
New
job, which is actually an old job.
But starting there again.
And I
just
pray that she continues to be the
blessing there that she obviously
was.
She
is
just
sunshine
Father, and I pray that peopleare blessed by her presence.
(09:20):
We think
of Judy,
She has brought to us
prayer requests.
She is
traveling
to
be with a family member, and
there's some
difficulties and emotions there.
And I pray, father, that allis done according to your will
and that she just feels specific
pre peace.
Father,
she also
shared
with
me a
(09:40):
very specific
prayer over
here,
Over all of us, that
relationships are
healed and brokenness fixed and all
of the things, and it's a beautifulprayer Father, and we bring to you all of
those.
We remember Christina,
she's moving
forward in life,
father, and there's so manynew things that she is.
(10:02):
Facing and
and implementing in her life.
And
we
just pray that you bless her.
In this
we bring
again, Steven
Father who is just
deeply struggling with
depression and addiction, and Ijust pray freedom from that bondage.
And
as always, our
dear sweet
(10:22):
marvel land, we
just pray that
she feels
your
presence surrounding her
and holding
her every day.
Father.
And
Stacey,
what
an answered
prayer this is.
And I just
sing your
praises over
this and pray
your
blessings as
she
gets to
celebrate Thanksgiving with her son.
(10:43):
I pray that
it is
a day
filled with restoration and
healing and joy.
Father, what a beautiful thing this
is.
I ask you to remember my daughter
who is
continuing having some
difficulties with her pregnancy.
At this point, all is
okay yet and baby is still doing well.
(11:04):
But in the coming weeks
we just pray that that will
continue.
Um, but whatever happens,father, I know all will be well.
We had a
specific
request to
bring
to you those
that are homeless,
father.
What
an
exceedingly
difficult
position
to be in, in every way, shape and form.
(11:26):
And
we
specifically
pray
that
everyone
that is homeless, father
just
feels
peace and comfort that only can
come from you.
Help us to be
people that don't overlook the
homeless, but seek to find ways to be
peace and to be
(11:47):
comfort to them because weare your hands and feet.
Father,
we think of Bill as
he awaits results
from.
from all
of these
tests that
he
is
had,
I pray
that answers will be foundand that a way forward can be
discussed.
And
Father, we bring to you our dear
Mackenzie.
(12:09):
It's difficult,
father,
when people, we love are struggling.
I pray, that
she is restored
and I
pray,
especially father, that
she is just brought
back to this community and thatshe can find her way to recovery
because we do dearly love
that precious
girl.
(12:29):
We think of
Dan
as he is back with us
and we
are so excited to have
him back,
but
he has a new
job that
he is gonna be started,
and I pray blessings over
him and I pray overall safetyas he navigates these roadways,
especially in these winter
months.
I wanna bring
to you
(12:49):
Jacob,
who needs
to focus a little
more inwardly on his self care
and
establishing some
boundaries
so he can just have healthybalance in his life.
And we think of Tara, who
is
just
left raw
and broken and the loss of her dog.
And
so many
people
may feel, oh, it's just a dog.
(13:10):
but Father God.
I for one,
am deeply grateful that
you
did create dogs because I know
what
they
can mean to
us and in our lives.
They are
just
a
source of comfort so often, and just
that you know, they love us no
matter what and are good days and are
bad,
and when we lose
(13:31):
them, it can
be a difficult burden.
I pray blessings over all of
us here.
I pray that all of
our unspoken
needs
are met in you.
Father, I pray especially,as always, please remove
me from what I have tosay and may the words only
be things that you
wish to
be spoken
I thank you for that, father.
(13:51):
Use me
to say what you want, spoken and
nothing more.
I
pray over
Katie downstairs with allthese kids down there.
I
hope they have an amazingly wonderful
time.
I can't wait to seewhat they create today.
Be with
us
Through the remainder of this day.
And I
(14:12):
thank you, especiallyfather, for your son Jesus.
It is only through him that we
have hope for our eternity, And
it's in His name
we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Okay,
are
gonna jump into
Ecclesiastes
chapter seven.
And what I
have
is
taken.
(14:33):
throughout
this entire
chapter, so we'll be
reading
portions of it as
we
go.
but as I
said,
Ecclesiastes
was written by Solomon.
We often talk about
Proverbs and the amazing wisdom
that we find
in Proverbs.
And the beautiful
thing about
that
(14:53):
is those
were Proverbs given
by Bathsheba
to her
son
who was Solomon.
And
I've
come to
find out
and realize that
Solomon
had a very
wise
mother.
who imparted to him
wisdom and basic
information that I believe set him out
(15:14):
in life for
a quest to
seek knowledge and wisdom,and that's what Ecclesiastes
is.
So
I am
hoping that
you
find as much
in this
as I have.
So here
we go.
So
I'm gonna
(15:35):
start by reading
verses one through
seven.
a
good
reputation
is better
than a
fat bank account,
and your
death date tells far more than
your birth date You learn
more at a funeral
than at a
feast.
After all,
(15:55):
where we will end up.
We might discover something
from it.
Crying
is better than
laughing.
It blotches the face,
but
it scours the
soul.
Sages invest
themselves
in
hurt
and
grieving and fools waste their lives
in fun and
games.
(16:16):
You'll
get
more
from the
rebuke of a sage
than from
the song
and
dance of fools.
The giggle of
fools are like
the crackling of twigsunder the cooking pot,
and it's like smoke
brutality,
stupifies even the
wise and destroys
strongest heart.
(16:39):
At
this point, in EcclesiastesSolomon has been on
a quest searching for the
meaning of life, What
matters and
does
it
matter.
What we
often forget is
when you have all the wisdom in
the world given to
you as
your
gift
from God,
you also have
all the
money you could ever
want,
(16:59):
and then some.
It
can actually make life
difficult.
We often
endlessly strive for
money, money, money,
money,
money.
And
as Solomon found out,
it's
meaningless.
What
is
it?
I'm not taking it with me when I'm
gone
Somebody else
gets it and they
get to
(17:19):
choose
whatever they want with it, And I'veworked myself into the ground to have
it.
And then he found out that
we often miss out on what's really
important in life because of our
desire
to have, to have, to have, to have.
So
he had gone
through all
of
that.
He had
literally
said, prior
(17:39):
to chapter seven, I didn't
say no
to myself, to anything.
If
I wanted to experience it,
I did.
If
I wanted to buy
it, I
did.
I
had everything.
I had
money, I had
women.
I
feasted.
I partied.
I
did it
all.
And
he found
he hated
life
(18:02):
He hated
life.
He
literally said that I
hate
life
because he
found out
it didn't
mean anything.
So we went on a
quest to find the meaningof life, and that's
what Ecclesiastes is all about.
So integrity matters
more
than
(18:22):
money.
Money
is
important.
I'm not gonna say that
It's
not.
It's how we get our
food.
It's
how we
find our
shelter.
It's
how
we
survive and
get
through life.
However, we often have forgotten
that
those things that
(18:42):
we often
see as
needs
really
aren't, we've just made them
something that
we need.
We
find ourself endlessly,
chasing money
endlessly, endlessly.
endlessly,
I need to
have the money so I
can do this,
so
I can do this, so I can do this.
And we find ourselves often from
morning to night
(19:04):
working and working
and
working
and chasing
and chasing.
and chasing.
And what
happens though is
because
that drive to have more,gets more and more rooted
in
You
become far more willing
to let your integrity slide.
(19:28):
You might
start
out
with a good
heart
and the
right attitude
towards
it.
You
might
have all the best
intentions of the world of what you're
gonna do with it, but then you
start to get,
then you want more.
And
then
you want
a little
more,
and then your house is getting
bigger
and your trips are
(19:48):
getting
more extravagant,
but you're working harder
to get
it,
and then you're
working
harder
and harder.
and harder.
Well,
once my
bank account
reaches that,
I'll take
some time.
Once I've
achieved this status,
I'll take
some
time.
Hmm.
(20:09):
If
I compromised on this
or fudged a
little bit
here,
it's gonna
pay off
for me.
My bank
account's gonna get bigger.
Nobody's gonna know.
Everybody
does it.
We all kind of fudge a little
bit,
and that's a
slippery slope because as soon as
you're willing
(20:30):
to compromise
your ethics and your integrity,it becomes a slippery
slope
that
gets easier and easier.
to slide down.
Your
bank
account
is getting bigger and
bigger and bank bigger.
and your
willingness to get
that
at
the expense of
human
beings
becomes easier
and
easier and easier.
(20:51):
and
I
include in that the expense of your
family.
Because
what
happens when you
become somebody that's all
work and
all
chasing The almighty dollar,
your family and time with
them seems to become less
and less
and less, and
that's not how God intended it
(21:13):
for it
to be.
The people he has aroundus and in our lives
are
supposed
to be.
our priority,
not the ones we try tocram in our schedule.
When we find
time for them
and we live in a
country
with that American dream, that's
kind of
upside down because it becomes about
(21:35):
the
getting.
Instead of reallytreasuring Those we have,
I think many
relationships have been sacrificed
because
of the lack of time,
and I
understand
that quite often
to get by, require
of
time and hard
(21:56):
work.
But what are you doing when you're
not
working?
Looking for more to do, to stay
busy?
busy,
busy?
Busy.
Busy, busy,
I heard somebody
say,
what's
don't wanna find, you know, Idon't wanna be sitting down when
Jesus comes, gotta keep working
and my heart broke because
that's
not what God wants at all.
If we
were meant
(22:17):
sun up to
sundown,
to work,
work, work, work, work, and
nothing else, why did he
create this
beautiful
beautiful world?
why did
he bring
amazing
people into our lives to
get to
know that
makes it
richer
if
we weren't supposed to enjoy
it.
When's the
last
time you've
been outside in this
world just
(22:37):
to take
it in and literally
relish in the beauty that he created
for us.
That's our
Sabbath times.
That's
how we
refresh and
restore.
When's, when do
we take
the time
to literally
sit
down with somebody Because you want to
know them,
to listen to
(22:58):
spend
time with?
Or
is
it, well, there's that project,
or,
I could do this,
or,
or, or,
and
what
happens?
your
bank account might get bigger,
but your
relationships might
(23:18):
fall apart.
You may not know the peopleyou live with anymore.
You
missed
amazing,
beautiful
things just outside your window.
I am glad I can still look out
my
back window in the
morning.
It's
my favorite thing because man, thesun over the trees coming up, I
(23:40):
can hear the birds
and it's
just
beautiful in its
simplicity.
I don't know
why I can
look
at that pine forest.
on
one side of my house
and the sound of the
wind coming through there
sounds
like
water.
and
I'm
like,
(24:00):
I wasted decades not
noticing
that.
It's beautiful.
I can look
at the hardwood forest.
The leaves are all gone now and
on the ground
and there's a
peacefulness out there
that's beautiful
and
it
makes me think it's kind of
like
life.
We have periods where
(24:21):
it's kind of dormant,
but
the life
is always there
and I
know
it's
coming back.
You
know?
It's these endless
cycles.
That happened, and I'm
learning to
find
just beauty
in all
of
it.
But
if I grow more concerned withbeing successful and having money
and having more, and I miss those things,
(24:41):
I'm missing out those
beautiful precious moments that God gave
us
because you
see
him in all of
those
It's how
we
know
him.
If we don't take the time to notice
that, we miss out on
really getting to know God
because God
is in and through all of those
things.
(25:01):
It's
how
I
have grown
closer to God.
Because I realize and I
recognize
He's
everywhere and
all around me and everything.
So I'm
trying
to see the
world that
way.
I'm trying to trust God
more
with
making my life more balanced.
(25:23):
God
Help me
with balance.
Help
me to have
time with
you, time
with
the people you've put inmy life and provide for our
needs.
and
that meant I had to get
my wants
and needs.
balanced
out.
Some
things that I really thought were
needs have come right on
(25:43):
off.
And I've realized they were
never a
need
because
we've been reduced to a pretty
simple life.
And guess
what?
I
absolutely love
it.
I
found I'm not
too concerned or
worried
about
my fashion or
my
style
choices
'cause I can find it at
Goodwill.
And I get pretty excited finding just
things
that I
like.
(26:04):
I wasn't that
way before.
I
liked new things with tags
on it that nobody ever wore, and it
somehow made
me feel better.
And that was
pretty foolish becausethat's meaningless stuff.
and
then we can
talk about hard times.
Help
your heart
really.
Yeah, they do
(26:26):
Because
if life
is all good
all the
time,
how do you
have
gratitude?
How are you thankful for what
you have?
If it's all good all
the
time.
What does hard times teach
you?
It teaches you?
what
you have and who you
have.
It teaches you and
helps
you
to trust God.
(26:48):
Sometimes the people that have it
all
where
life
is
easy, they don't have any worry and
stress.
You know the thing
that we all
want.
I often find
those people
the
farthest
from God because they don't
think they
need him.
That was one of thegreatest lessons that I've
(27:10):
learned in life.
The people that
I literally
thought
had it.
all
don't have anything becausethey don't have what matters.
I pray that
those
who are
blessed with
wealth among us
recognize that
that wealth is
God's and he trusted
you with it.
(27:31):
So what
do
we do with
it?
Keep it
and hoard it,
or do we
share it with
others?
Also,
those hard times are a reminder
to us.
that we need to rely
on
God and not on
ourselves
(27:53):
because it
gets really easy
to rely on self when
things are going well, when success
comes easy
and the money comes rolling
in, and
you have no
worries,
huh?
Look at
what I've
done.
Really?
That's
what you've done?
Or did
God allow
that
in
your life?
(28:16):
Because it says in the Bible.
To whom God trusts
much,
much
will be
required.
That's a pretty heavything because he'll ask,
I gave
you all of
this.
what Did you do with
it?
This is
real great.
You died
and you had millions in your bank
(28:37):
account.
How many
homeless did
You walk past?
How many
people that were
hurting
and
suffering where you
could have,
made a difference?
Did you just walk on by and
not
notice?
'cause we'll have to answer for
that.
And you don't have to
have millions
in your bank account
to have that
be something you
(28:58):
need
to consider.
Every single thing
that we
have,
every experience we
go
through,
Every
loss that
comes into
our life was allowed
by God for a very
specific
reason.
They help our heart
because it's
what develops our
character and helps usunderstand the calling that we
(29:20):
have from God
it's
where he
teaches us
how to
be there
for other people.
I got
to see that on
Saturday from noon to one.
God
allows
unbelievably difficult
experiences
so you can
help others
who are going to be goingthrough the same thing
(29:43):
because as Solomon found out, there
is
nothing new under
the
sun.
Nothing.
And I
thought about that
and
I'm
like,
this topic that
we discuss on Saturdaysnow at noon has been going
(30:03):
on since the beginning of
time.
There's nothing new under the
sun.
And that's
the reason
why when
the
experiences
come to us.
Understand
somehow,
even in the grief and in
the
hurt,
God allowed this because he built
me for this
because he knew what he
(30:23):
was going
to do
with
this
suffering.
And
he just said, trust me with that.
That's what the
hard times are
for.
So
they
can either make you bitter.
or they can
make you
beautiful and
loving
and
you
will
be
a blessing.
And there is
profound healing
(30:45):
when you
recognize that
because it's
very
easy for bitterness
to grow and grow
and grow in your life when those
hard
times are there.
But when you recognize thatthe hard times are there
because
God said, you are
equipped for this.
I'm walking
with you
And something Amazing'sgonna come from it.
(31:05):
And trust me, I hang
onto that
a lot.
A
lot
because
it could be really
easy
if
I let myself go off
by myself
without God to
just sit
and think about the hard times in my
life
because I have them.
I have hard
situations.
I do,
(31:27):
but
I'm excited now because God has just begun
to
show
me.
how he
makes
beauty
out of ugly.
He has
done amazing things in my life
with my
ugly parts,
amazingly beautiful.
I can promise
you,
there
was never a
moment when
(31:48):
I was
experiencing those
things
that I
was
like, this
is gonna
be beautiful
someday
Mm-hmm.
I
wasn't.
They're
suffering in
the
journey.
That's part of the price of
living in
this
world.
I.
That isn't God
because God is
(32:08):
not
suffering in hurt and pain.
But
God
allowed
us what we
asked for ourselves.
You know, our free will,
but he
didn't leave us there.
The wind
comes
because
he takes that and makes it
beautiful.
(32:33):
Verses eight through 10
endings are better than
beginnings and stickingto it is better than
standing out.
Don't be quick to
fly off
the
handle.
the end of this first anger boomerangs.
You can spot
a fool by
the lumps on his head.
(32:54):
I
just
picture that boomerang coming back, So
I
love
that.
So Don't
be
quick to fly off the handle
because anger
boomerangs,
you
can
spot a fool
by the
lumps
on his head.
don't
always be
asking
where are
the good old
days
Hmm.
(33:15):
Wise folks
don't
ask questions like
that.
How often
do we hear that though?
Longing for
the good
old
days.
This one stopped mewhen I read it because I
often
do that.
Usually it's in relation to
technology
because give
(33:35):
me a phone on the wall
and
no more smartphones and
I'm fine
with pen
and paper.
Can we just go back
to the good old days
and
and
we
see it as the good old
days?
but my journey
was rooted
(33:55):
in
those
good old days.
And I spent 40
years drinking.
Were
they
really the good old
days
Hmm.
I've been sitting
there
thinking
about that, a lot this
week.
The good old
days
I
really
start
to take
it apart.
(34:17):
It
isn't
what I thought.
I have to see.
There was a lot of brokenness in those
days.
Finishing is
better than
just
starting, and that
is so
important
because what
Solomon found out is you can
talk a good
game and say all the thingsand I'm gonna do this
and I
wanna
do that, and
(34:37):
I'm gonna.
Oh, that's
good and wonderful, but is it just a
bunch
of hot air?
Because I
wanna
sound good to people
and you might
have
all the best of
intention,
but you have to have the
intention of
actually following
through.
(34:59):
But That's
true in all
things.
Let's prayer
as an
example.
I'll
pray for you
And then you go on
by,
do
you
actually pray
or do you just say it?
Because if somebody asks
you to pray for
them,
what are they
asking you to do
(35:21):
Can you please talk toour father, creator,
God on my
behalf,
about this situation.
That's
not a small thing,
and we can be pretty flippant with it.
Yep.
I'll pray for you I'll
pray
over that situation.
I've
done that a million
times.
And
then I
didn't.
(35:49):
If you say
you're gonna
pray,
do
it
If
you can't
do it right
then
and there
with people, because now I start
questioning myself.
If somebody's
asking me for that why aren'tI stopping And doing that
with them right now?
I can't do that at the store.
Everybody'd see me, I
don't
care
anymore.
I don't
care
(36:11):
if somebody
here
for
prayer, why don't
we stop and
do that
then and
there,
or
at the very
least,
make it a
matter of
priority and mean
it.
I've
started now when people have asked me
to
I make a
note of
it so I don't forget because I
(36:33):
told them that I would,
and I
need to
be somebody
that's gonna follow through and do
that.
Because they're literally asking
me to
talk to
the God of the universe on
their
behalf.
It's not something to be
casual and
flippant
about
to just
to make that a lie.
Follow
through.
(36:53):
But
if
you say to somebody,
you're going
to do
something to the bestof your ability, make
those
words
truth.
if you know
you
can't, say you're going
to or
you will, knowing
I'm too busy
and
I really
can't.
That's why it's
saying finishing
is better than
just starting.
cause we can start
(37:14):
a
million
things.
and I've
been so guilty of
this in
my life because I'm a people
pleaser.
I
wanna say yes to all
of
it.
It's
impossible.
It
is far better
to say
yes and start something
that
you have
every
intention
of finishing than
just saying
words
that mean
nothing,
(37:36):
and
that
Anger
always
hits you
back and in
life in
this world,
we have so
many
things that
we can be angry.
about.
There's unfairness
and
unkindness
and
(37:57):
life
circumstances and all those
things that
can make us angry.
How about
just human beings in
general?
How
many people have I
felt angry
in the past week towards
somebody?
I have.
I
have,
(38:18):
But what does
that anger
get If
you're responding to somebody that's
coming at you in anger and unfairnessand you're like, given, oh,
you're gonna dish it out, Get ready.
Here I
come,
I can give
you back that.
And then
some.
What do
you have?
Show
me where Jesus is
(38:39):
present
in
any of
that.
Show me.
where Jesus
ever responded that way to people
that
came at
him in anger,
because he
had it all the
time.
All the
time.
The
only
person that's
gonna pay a price is not the
person
you're angry at, but
yourself.
(39:01):
And
those have been
hard lessons
for me
to learn
because I've spent a lot
of my
angry.
angry.
And I felt so
justified in
it,
But look what
they did to
me.
You
wanna know what they did to me?
I'll tell
you
Let me tell you what they did
to me.
Now I've
got other people angry.
(39:24):
Let's stir it up.
Let's
get everybody angry.
And that's
exactly the
'problem.
That's the
problem.
Because that one angry person in your
presence
now became
how many angry
people.
(39:44):
Anger isn't
of God.
Anger isn't a Jesus
response.
It's gonna boomerang in you.
I'm gonna forever
think
of
the fool with a lumped
up head 'cause that boomerang
kept hitting him.
But
that's
anger.
(40:05):
Jesus
reserved
anger for very specific times, like
for those who
interfere with people's ability to
know him.
Hmm.
Jesus would've flipped sometables in my house many
times because I really was off the
(40:25):
rails
at times and the way Ithought about people.
certainly
was not a gateway for
people
to know
Jesus,
but I certainly was probably a barrier
because I always wore the
label
Christian,
but I
wore
it
like a noun.
Here, look at me.
You know I'm a Christian because I'm
(40:46):
telling you I am.
But you
certainly wouldn't know
it
by the way I'm
living.
I'm trying very
hard to
no longer
be a noun,
but
I'm hoping people will know I'm a
Christian because of how I live,and that's what we're called to, and
that
means that anger doesn't have
room in my life.
Unless
it's justified in the way
(41:06):
Jesus showed us.
it's
incredibly
difficult,
and I
know
people in
this
space have
seen
me.
angry,
and
this is something that I have made
a
matter
of focus
in
my life
because I want this removed from my life.
Because I know it does
exactly this.
(41:27):
All
it does
is it
just comes back on meand It's worse for me.
It's not
doing what I want
the anger
to do and making
the
other person
suffer.
The
only
buddy getting
paybacks is
me, and if you'reanything like me, you know
what I'm
talking
(41:47):
about.
Being
angry
and
pissed off at the world and the people
in
it Because they're not
fair.
it serves no purpose other than justadding more anger to a world that
certainly doesn't
need more of
that, but it does need more love.
That's unexpected.
(42:08):
We
touched on that a bit in that last
series.
We did
the Jesus Way,
and I'm like,
boy, I'm sure taking on things
that are convicting me
every step I take, and I'mgrateful for that because I'm
recognizing
I needed that conviction in my life.
I
love this so
much
because
(42:29):
it's bringing us back to the
basics
and I think
sometimes
we get a bit fancy in the
way we worship God and
talk about
God and and in this study,
I'm
hoping
that
Solomon
brings us back
to the basics and the foundation.
So chapter
seven, 13 through
(42:49):
20,
take a
good look at God's
work
who could simplify and reduce
creations, curves, andangles to a plain, straight
line
On a
good day, Enjoy
yourself
on
a bad day.
Examine your
conscience.
(43:11):
God arranges
for
both kinds
of days so
that we don't
take anything for granted.
I've seen it all
in my brief
and pointless
life.
Hear a good
person
cut down in
the
middle of doing
good, they're a bad
person.
living a long
life
of sheer evil.
(43:32):
So
don't knock
yourself out
being good
and don't go
overboard
being wise.
Believe me,
you
won't get
anything out of it.
But don't
press your luck by being
bad either and don't be
reckless.
Why died needlessly?
It's best to
stay in
(43:52):
touch with
both
sides of an
issue.
A
person who
fears God.
deals
responsibly with
all of
reality,
not just a
piece of it.
Wisdom
puts more strength
than
one wise
person, than 10 strong men
(44:14):
give to
a city.
There's
not one totally
good person on earth,
not one who is truly
pure
sinless.
You're
gonna find out how much I really love
Ecclesiastes.
Hmm.
(44:35):
Accepting what?
God
makes
crooked.
Think
it
this way.
Think of
your life.
a lot of crooked in our
lives, the paths
that our lives,
have taken.
The
difficulties.
You're like,
Why did I have
to take
this
journey here?
Why
did it have to
look like that?
God could
(44:55):
have had it all straightened out, but
he didn't.
But this
happened.
Then I'm over there and then I'm
over there and
I'm now, thank you, God forthis crooked life you've
given me.
Thank you for the
twists and the
turns and the
unexpected
detours my life
has taken.
Because in
my mind, I had
a completely
different focus
and direction
I
wanted to go,
(45:16):
and The
life that
God allowed me
to
live
didn't match what in my head I
wanted.
And I
am grateful to my
dying breath that God didnot allow what I desired to
happen
because
I
can see now as
I've gotten outta some,you know, the hairpin
(45:36):
turns going down a mountain
or
who,
what is it?
The dragon's tail that, uh,
whew.
If you've ever not been down that on
a motorcycle,
oh.
Some scary
things, those
switchbacks and those tight turns, andthat was one of the most terrifying
things I've ever done on a motorcycle.
(45:58):
But it's exhilarating.
and
I sat
and I
thought about that
And I
kind of
looked back on my life that same
way.
Some of those curves, I'mnot sure I'm gonna navigate
safely.
Some of those
turns, I'm like, oh, how
am I going
to do that?
Didn't expect
that.
(46:21):
But I get to the end
and I
look
back at my life
and,
and I'm like,
wow, God.
You knew what you were doing.
You knew what
you were doing every
step
of the way because I see now
the
people God is putting in my life
and
I'm grateful
for
the
wisdom he allowed me to
(46:42):
gain
and that really crooked
path that my
life took.
I would
be worthless
to people
if I
didn't have heavy experiences.
What good
would I
be?
I'd have nothing
to draw on.
Where would
my
wisdom come from?
Myself.
Trust me, I,
(47:03):
I
searched
for that
for a long
time
and
head full of
lumps
and
no wisdom to show
for it.
But
until
I
trusted God and I
looked
at what he made of it,
I didn't
recognize the beauty
and the crookedness that our life
(47:24):
is.
And it's the one
thing
I
most often hear people
complain about, have sorrow about.
feel
guilt and
shame about.
It's the things you
want removed
from your life or the very things
that God says, but
no.
you
need
(47:45):
this
because I
am going to do amazing things.
Just
trust
me.
trust
me.
And sometimes it takes a whileto see what he's gonna do with
it.
For me,
it was 40 years.
years, that's
a long
time.
(48:05):
And
I nearly gave up many
times.
but
now I can say, I used to say,please God, don't ever ask
me to go through that again.
And
left
it at that.
And now I'm
like, I hope you don't
ask me to walk through
things
at difficult again.
But if you call me to it, I will
(48:26):
say yes,
Because
man, I wanna see what you make of
it, because
I'm
reaping
God's blessing
in my life
now,
and
it's
worth.
Every
moment of
it.
Every
moment of it.
(48:48):
But
Solomon also goes
on to say
there is danger in a
quest for perfectionism.
There
is a
danger
to yourself
in that
because you
grow in your
ego and you
start
to think
yourself better than other
people, and that's
a mighty
(49:08):
long distance
to fall because you will
fall.
There
is
not a single,
perfect person
on this
earth,
not
a single
one.
Don't spend
all of your
time in a
quest for
being
perfect,
even
if you're
trying to be the
perfect Christian.
(49:29):
Because I
see
so often
what happens, and it comes
from
such a,
it comes from a place of good.
you have a
desire to be
good,
But
I've
seen
people get
caught up
in
this endless pursuit of getting it right,
getting it right, and
they sit at home and theyread their Bible all day
long.
(49:50):
all day long.
But
they've never done anything with
what they're reading.
They're still trying to findperfection, still trying to
be perfect, still working on
self and when
have
they served, because the whole
point is
in
serving,
not sitting
there by
yourself with a
book,
(50:10):
keeping it all
to
yourself,
trying
to
be perfect.
No, take your
imperfect self outside those doors
and
trust God
to work
through you to be
his hands
and feet.
But God,
what if I
make a mistake
or get
it wrong?
You're always gonna make a
mistake and get
it
wrong?
You're
human.
(50:31):
Jesus
covered
it.
So
stop in
that incessant.
Attempt
to try and be
perfect
and rest
and relax.
In God,
we worry too much about all
the wrong
things,
all
the
wrong things,
(50:53):
but
man, perfectionism, um,
is an incredibly difficult
trait
to live with.
If you're in relationship with
somebody who's
bent this
way,
you're never
enough.
can't
meet
the
standards.
(51:15):
You
always have to do more
try
again.
It's impossible to live
up to their
expectations.
Always impossible.
It's
difficult.
And
then
resentment
comes in.
on
both
sides
because the perfectionistis angry that people aren't
just listening
because I know the right way.
So
just
do it.
it.
(51:36):
And people that are living with him.
it's like, I love you, butman, it's impossible to
please you.
Nobody's
It
doesn't mean we don't
try to do
the right thing, we're called to do
that.
But
perfectionism,
you're never gonna
(51:56):
find it
in
this
life.
It is
impossible
because
to be perfect
means you have
to be fully without
sin,
and that's just not gonna happen in this
human
part of our
life that's coming,
That it's
coming.
but we don't have
(52:17):
that now.
So if you are a
perfectionist,
bring that to
God
and help
him mold that
into what it's
supposed to be.
and enjoy
the
People that
you
live
with
And
interact with
as they are, not as
(52:38):
you
think they
should be or how they could
be better
because you're gonna
find yourself
very lonely in life
If you can continue down
that road.
people will never be good
enough.
And people that feel that way
don't wanna stay
around people that makethem feel that way.
(53:01):
Solomon
had
some wisdom
23 through
25.
I tested everything in
my
search for wisdom.
I set out to
be wise, but it
was beyond me, far
beyond me, and deep oh,
(53:23):
so deep.
Does anyone
ever
find it?
I
concentrated with all
my
might
studying and exploring
and seeking wisdom,
seeking for the meaning of life.
I
also wanted
to identify
what is
evil
and stupidity.
Foolishness
and craziness.
(53:52):
Solomon
sincerely
desired
to
understand meaning in
life.
He tried to
find it
in so many
things
like
what's going to
make
it
seem like it matters?
Money.
I've got gobs
of
it,
so I'm just going to getanything and everything I want.
(54:15):
No holds
barred.
That's
not doing
it.
Um,
I
can
have anything I want,
so I'll just take
it.
Women
possessions, experiences.
He didn't say
no to
anything.
Meaningless,
absolutely meaningless
(54:36):
slaves,
male
and female.
and They had children.
I
had slaves galore anything and
everything I
wanted
beyond what I
ever needed and
meaningless.
and I
hate life.
I hate
life.
(55:01):
So where do
you
go?
What do you
what do you do?
You find the
balance in life.
Yes,
God said that
you have to
work and by
the sweat of your brow,
you will
supply for your family and you
will
feed yourself.
But he also calls us tohow we're supposed to live
(55:22):
in relationship.
And that's
that balance
part
that often is wrong.
Let's say you are
in a relationship.
Yes, you work and you
toil and you work
to provide, but what
does God call in that relationship?
Husband,
you're a
representation of me and how I
(55:44):
love,
love her that
way.
What does that look like?
Ignoring and not
having any time for her.
How in the world are your, re, is your
relationship
gonna be blessed if you're not
taking time
for the one that's
most precious in your life?
(56:04):
Because God sees
us as most precious
god's.
like?
I
gave my
everything for you.
I love you that much.
I don't care what you've
done.
I don't
care what
you look like,
what
you've done,
where
you've
been, none
of it
all.
I
just love you.
and wives
(56:28):
we're
called to
respect because in
respecting, we build
up and
support.
and
it's through
that
experience of
respecting and supporting and being loved
like that,
that I promise you,
men, you will find
yourself
loved in a way
that you
never expected.
(56:48):
I hope
my
husband feels that
way
Because women.
if they respect you,
they
love you.
And
it's easy to respect a
man
who is
loving
her
like
God
(57:09):
loves the church.
And that's high callings on
both
sides.
But that's
the
ultimate in our
balanced life
because that's what it comes down to
is relationship
And you
don't have to just be
in
an
intimate relationship at home.
It's
friendships.
It's our
relationship
with everyone
around us.
(57:29):
Do
we love
people
the way
God loves us?
Do
we serve
people the way
he was willing
to serve
us?
Or are we too busy
getting?
And once
we've gotten,
then
we'll have time to
do those things.
God,
how many
people have
(57:49):
waited too
long and then
you're sitting
at their
funeral?
Oh, Billy Bob, he was a real good man.
He
sure worked
hard.
He was so
successful.
Look at how
successful he was, allthese businesses and
houses, and his
family
was so
blessed,
were
they?
How often did
kids
see dad?
How was that
relationship
(58:10):
at home with his
wife
Or
was
the
fact that he was gone all the
time?
A negative.
Maybe those kids would sit thereand say, I would've given anything
to have known my
dad.
Mm-hmm.
Maybe that
wife is saying, I
could have taken that vacation.
(58:31):
We were always talking about
taking, I
wish we could have spent
some time together.
He was always so busy.
Or the
wife that
goes
overboard,
like,
gotta take care of
my kids in the house
and do the thing and all of this
and,
and then
she's gone.
And she
never stopped
(58:51):
to really
take time.
Does
she really know her
kids
or
was she too busy
making sure
everything was just
right?
Did her
husband feel loved
and supported and
understood?
Or
did
he just have a busy
wife?
Because it
really does
come down
to that
we
(59:11):
all end up in the
same place.
We're
all gonna die.
These human
bodies, that
is.
And then there's
that
funeral.
And what are people gonna
say?
I've been to so
many
funerals
of successful
people.
It
was
successful on paper,
her,
but
in the
ways
that
counted, it
was
(59:31):
one of the
poorest
individuals I've ever
met.
I
think we've
gotten wrong,
what
it means to truly be wealthy
and we've
substituted
money.
For what
should
really
in its
place.
(59:54):
And again,
I'm not saying money doesn'tmatter because I understand
that it
does.
But God is grieved when we've
gotten it backwards and we'vemade that in the getting of
it more important than those in our
life.
cause all of it in the world
(01:00:16):
isn't going to
make you,
happy when you're sitting with a fat
bank account.
Nobody around
you that knows you, loves you, and
cares
about you.
I've been wealthy before.
I had a lifestyle
where a budget
wasn't something that was talked about.
(01:00:37):
If we wanted to do it, we did
it
by wanted to buy something, I bought it.
I've had that
before.
I didn't have
a relationship.
That was anything.
I didn't have anything that
counted.
I thought I did.
(01:00:58):
and then it
was
gone.
All of It the
relationship and the money,
poof.
Gone.
It was
meaningless.
And I
find myself today
in a situation that
10 years
ago would've left merattled and how in the world
(01:01:20):
and scared and
all of these
things.
And
instead, I'm so unbelievably
happy,
God says that we
can
test him.
so I took him up
on that and I said, God, I'm gonna just
trust you to provide because I believeyou're calling me and I'm gonna try
and be faithful And
'say yes
to And that was scary.
(01:01:44):
Because it flies
in
the face of
'what we often
hear in
this world, Like make
sure you
have
this
much in
the bank,
so
if this
goes bad,
you've got this to
live off
from and make sure you've gotenough resources on this and
this and this.
I've
got God,
And it's been a remarkable thing.
(01:02:08):
We have not gone without our needs
met
ever.
Sometimes it can be scary
if
you just sit with
human eyes and brains and
look at
it.
Huh?
How
God's like, did you forget?
You
said
you were gonna trust
Trust
faith
(01:02:29):
are two
things in our
home
that have really been byus this year, like God
has called
us.
Do you mean it?
Do
You mean
it?
Trust
in
faith,
We
openly
say
we're gonna live our
life on
(01:02:49):
that.
We're trusting God and
we have faith in God and
God's like, do you mean
that
Because it
means
you have to get
your fingers off it.
Let
go
and let me steer
because boy, I can grip the steer.
Maybe that's why driving
is
always
angsty for
me.
I'm always
wanting to steer my way through life.
(01:03:12):
I'm fiercely stubbornthat way because that's my
old
dry brain saying Bad
things won't
happen if
you control
everything.
I
have 40 years that say
otherwise he Let
me steer Fine.
(01:03:32):
Go
ahead.
Whew.
I can honestly say things go a lot
better
when God's got that steering wheel in his
hands.
and I'm just gonna trustthat that route he's
taking that's
different than the one I thought I
wanted
to is going to be better for me,
(01:03:54):
better for
my
husband, and better for
our relationship.
And
God has not let me down.
He has
exceeded
my
wildest
imaginations
of what
he was
going
to do
and make happen.
So I
am
determined
(01:04:18):
to continue trusting him,
to
allowing
him to steer, because if
he's called me to it,
didn't
call me
to it,
have
it
fail.
And we often think that
because our
human
minds don't see the outcome,
(01:04:40):
we need to live thisbalanced life because people
watch us and it's how they
see Jesus.
what if
Jesus
would've
just focused on being a carpenter 24
7 and
didn't speak
to the
if he would've made it
(01:05:00):
all
work
because
that's what his father
did.
I'm sure Jesus knew his way around
woodworking,
but what
if that job became moreimportant than speaking
and spending time with people?
and knowing
people?
(01:05:24):
I am finding
that
this book
called the Bible that
seems so
complicated really when you.
Start getting down
to
the nuts
and
bolts of it
is
built on some pretty
simple,
basic
ideas,
and I've
(01:05:44):
decided that it's
gonna be
a
good thing to sit
in Ecclesiastes
for
a bit and just unpacksome wisdom from a man
who God said was the wisest
man that ever lived,
because
did
hit me
upside the head.
Like that boomerang,
if that's the wisest man that
(01:06:05):
ever lived,
why am I not reading his words and
taking
it to
heart?
Because he
took the time
to seek out that wisdom and
knowledge,
and
part of
finding it was
seeking out God
in the finding
of it so I can trust what I'm reading.
(01:06:37):
We're always trying to figure out
what is the meaning to
life?
What's
it all about?
What's my
purpose?
Like, what's the point?
God's
like child,
chin up and look at, me so I can
show
you.
Because
right now you're just
looking at the view that
you're
choosing to look at
and it's usually from the wrong
(01:06:59):
Step out over here and
look at it, and you're gonna
see it in a completely
light.
the things
that
we think
are the
most beautiful,
amazing
things,
or the
best goals are
often
the
most
(01:07:19):
empty.
Um,
an analogy
of that, and I
found this interesting 'cause
I'm
just kind of a nerd
brain
sometime.
There
was a
man that
studied
gemstones
and he said in the Bible, in
Revelations, it
talks
about
the different
types
of gemstones and
(01:07:40):
and that so he goes, I
decided
to study So he had all of
those stones
owns along with
the ones that
we often
put
like,
you know,
big value
on like
diamonds,
you know,
that big,
glorious,
gorgeous, beautiful glittery
diamond, and he
(01:08:02):
found
something
very sting
in a specific
light.
Those
things that we often hold out
as the most valuable
of
all,
literally under those
light
are just
darkness.
But every single
(01:08:23):
stone that God
mentioned by name
when He
put it
under those lights exploded
in a glorious,
radiant
prism
of all
the colors you could imagine.
It
was the most beautiful thing I have ever
seen.
He goes,
when
these words
were written, they had no
(01:08:45):
idea about
those
scientific details.
They didn't know.
But those
particular
gemstones under a specific light
explode
into a riot of colors
and yet diamonds that
we
perceive as the
ultimate
rock
looks like
nothing.
(01:09:06):
And
I'm
like,
what an
analogy for
the way we look
at life sometime,
the things that
we see as shiny andbeautiful and everything
Under the
light of God.
is it
darkness
or is
it a riot of color?
(01:09:30):
Because what are
we,
there is
no meaning
to this life outside of God, and
that's what Solomon found.
It's
why I am
excited
to sit in
Ecclesiastes, because I wanna dig
deeper into
this.
It's
because I've
(01:09:50):
listened to
this thing.
I, I don't have
enough fingers
on this hand, including toes on
my feet
to count the
number of times.
I've already
listened to
this all the way through, and
I'm not done
listening.
It's like something has woken
up inside me, and it's
time to
get
things paired down to the
basic foundations
so we
can better balance our life
(01:10:13):
and
understand
what's truly right.
And
what is
wrong?
Because I
think in this
world it
gets increasingly more
difficult
to
know that because
we have a lot
of
shiny
things to distract
us.
So
this was the beginning of our little
(01:10:34):
venture down the road
into Ecclesiastes,
and
I'm excited to do more.
and I'm hoping that there
was something
that
spoke
to you
like it did me,
because
right now Ecclesiastes is my most favorite
reading
in this
entire
the Bible.
So
(01:10:54):
gonna wrap up with that
and we'll be back
with some more
Ecclesiastes.
Next
week
we will
close up with a song
and a prayer,
and we'll head on downstairs
to
get those kiddos freed from Miss
Katie and eat some food.
I
took
on
a challenge
after
our Bible study group on Monday
night,
and
we
were talking
about this portion
of the
Bible
and,
and what
it
means and how to use it
and all of those
things, and somebody made a
comment.
I don't really
recall too
many messages.
(00:22):
Taken from Ecclesiastes.
I'm like,
well, challenge
accepted.
And
all I
can
say is
I am
deeply grateful
for said challenge
when
I say I have
had this on my audio
and
I listen to it
all the
time, I would not be
lying.
I have
listened to
Ecclesiastes over
(00:43):
and
over and over this week.
It is on in my car every time I drive.
Start at
chapter one and I read it
Audiobook.
I
listened to
it
all the way through frequently,
and
I
was deeply struck
by the words
(01:04):
in the
wisdom that I read in
there.
and then I
sat
thinking about
it because
Ecclesiastes
was written by Solomon and whatI know about Solomon, is it
said he
was
the wisest
man
and
my
brain suddenly.
went
Well, if God felt it
was
important enough
to make
sure we
understood that he was the wisest
man, why don't we take
(01:25):
heat and
listen to the words that the wisest man
would have to say.
He went on a search
for wisdom.
What
is the meaning of life
and why?
the big why
Questions?
And he
tackled a lot
of
it.
So, what turned out to be
just
a,
oh, yeah,
I'll meet that
challenge.
we'll talk about
Ecclesiastes
is
gonna turn into, we're
(01:45):
gonna sit in Ecclesiastes for a
while.
There's
a
lot
of great information
in here
and
it has gotten
my
mind
really, really
thinking in different
ways about
life in, in, the way
we
approach it
and what really
matters
and what really
does
not.
So I hope you enjoy
it as much as I do.
(02:06):
But
before we do
that,
we'll do our
what
if
I'm
gonna take prayer
requests and then.
Oh,
and then,
uh,
we will pray.
Ann Smith has a good one today.
Um,
it simply says this,
what if
(02:27):
my
nonverbal
communication
speaks more
loudly
then my
verbal
communication?
You
know, the actions
speak
louder
than
words thing.
Oh,
she
convicts.
Sometimes, man,
it's easier to just say allthe right things And do the
right things.
So,
(02:48):
okay.
Prayer
requests.
I remember Job admire this week.
Yes,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
I'm just pray I can bless
people as I
Absolutely.
And you.
I
already know that gonna
be fact because I see the way
(03:10):
people gravitate
to you.
When you
just simply walk in thatspace, You've already
started that work.
You
are a
blessing
to
everyone
there.
Thank you.
Glorious ray of sunshine
me as I move
forward.
You got it.
Christine, I'm excited for
you
(03:38):
Always.
So, I
get to have
Four.
Yes.
Oh.
So um, just pray that we
amend
Oh my goodness.
(03:58):
Praise good.
pretty
amazing.
Isn't recovery
a beautiful thing?
Yeah.
God is good girl.
God is good
leaking.
(04:19):
Anybody
else?
for, um,
Judy.
reached out to
me
and
gave me
prayer requests, so I'vealready got her on the list.
So
yeah,
this morning.
I think
was.
(04:44):
Okay.
Well, since everybody else
is, I'll take care of this real
quick so you don't have to sit andlisten to me sniffing the whole time.
Oh,
sorry.
It's okay.
Blame it on Stacey.
Remember Those Sorry.
Those
are worthwhile ones.
(05:04):
So
any other,
yes,
I want to pray that all of the
are
are
Um,
25th, I got my, get my results.
Um.
We
(05:24):
talked about for my endoscopy, uh,
colonoscopy.
find
something.
Yep.
find something.
I hope that you'll get someanswers and a plan forward.
So,
and for too.
You got it?
(05:46):
Mike, I'm really gladthat you brought that up.
There's a number of us
in this space, um,
in recovery, but before recovery, a lot of
us were those people Homeless.
And we need,
we needed all the
peace and
comfort
We could get
and God is uniquely qualified to bring
the kind that we need, and I
(06:07):
really appreciate you
bringing that as a prayer
matter.
Oh, anybody else?
I'm hopefully getting my
truck of the road.
So.
oh.
I drive
80 foot
Careful.
Woo
back, Dan.
Yes.
Dan is
back.
(06:28):
So he
successfully completed andis uh, licensed over the road
driver here.
So he's been gone for a
bit.
We're
really happy to have him
back.
So happy.
Yeah.
Anyone else?
Yes.
Um, continue to pray for my son Jacob.
mother-in-law.
(06:48):
moved in
again,
okay.
It's not living
situation isn't
ideal.
Um, it's just that he forgets tohe gets so focused on her that he
forgets to take care of himself andhe's not doing that really well anyway.
So, yeah,
good.
He needs to
some
better self care and some He
does.
(07:09):
And boundaries.
maybe
needs to
care of
himself and not be so busy focusing
Understood.
Anybody else?
my sister Tara,
you
she put her dog down.
She,
yesterday was gun's birthdayand she's really struggling.
She sent me some
Snapchats last
night
Oh, she's broken and I
(07:30):
I don't know how to help
her.
So just
prayer for
peace and comfort for
her, um, as you moveforward into the holidays.
I know
Gunner was her sole
dog yeah, it's just,
she lost a piece
of herself,
so she's
forward
those
Dogs.
I
lost our sweet little old
man Gus a few days ago, and, uh,
(07:55):
it's still, you know,
let
the dogs
inside
because, you know, they do their business
out there and
I'm like, oh,
one
no, there's,
there's not
another one to,
yeah.
Get
in
the house.
And that little bed that he
always
slept
on is
empty.
And
my dog Bonnie,
continues
to sniff
at it and under it and
around it
and tears
(08:15):
through the house
trying to find him.
And it's like, oh, that
just
hurts my
heart.
So, yeah.
But I
am grateful that
we had
a year and a
half to love
this
old broken man
instead of the
few weeks
we thought we were gonna have.
It's remarkable what love
can do to a creature.
both our
fur babies and
human beings, love
is a beautiful.
(08:36):
thing.
So
let's take this
to God today.
Father God, I am so
thankful
to be here today.
I'm grateful for everyone that walked in
these doors.
I look forward to hearing what itis that you have to say to us today.
As
always,
we carry
to
you people that
(08:57):
we deeply care about, and we wanna
pray specifically
over Robin As she starts her.
New
job, which is actually an old job.
But starting there again.
And I
just
pray that she continues to be the
blessing there that she obviously
was.
She
is
just
sunshine
Father, and I pray that peopleare blessed by her presence.
(09:20):
We think
of Judy,
She has brought to us
prayer requests.
She is
traveling
to
be with a family member, and
there's some
difficulties and emotions there.
And I pray, father, that allis done according to your will
and that she just feels specific
pre peace.
Father,
she also
shared
with
me a
(09:40):
very specific
prayer over
here,
Over all of us, that
relationships are
healed and brokenness fixed and all
of the things, and it's a beautifulprayer Father, and we bring to you all of
those.
We remember Christina,
she's moving
forward in life,
father, and there's so manynew things that she is.
(10:02):
Facing and
and implementing in her life.
And
we
just pray that you bless her.
In this
we bring
again, Steven
Father who is just
deeply struggling with
depression and addiction, and Ijust pray freedom from that bondage.
And
as always, our
dear sweet
(10:22):
marvel land, we
just pray that
she feels
your
presence surrounding her
and holding
her every day.
Father.
And
Stacey,
what
an answered
prayer this is.
And I just
sing your
praises over
this and pray
your
blessings as
she
gets to
celebrate Thanksgiving with her son.
(10:43):
I pray that
it is
a day
filled with restoration and
healing and joy.
Father, what a beautiful thing this
is.
I ask you to remember my daughter
who is
continuing having some
difficulties with her pregnancy.
At this point, all is
okay yet and baby is still doing well.
(11:04):
But in the coming weeks
we just pray that that will
continue.
Um, but whatever happens,father, I know all will be well.
We had a
specific
request to
bring
to you those
that are homeless,
father.
What
an
exceedingly
difficult
position
to be in, in every way, shape and form.
(11:26):
And
we
specifically
pray
that
everyone
that is homeless, father
just
feels
peace and comfort that only can
come from you.
Help us to be
people that don't overlook the
homeless, but seek to find ways to be
peace and to be
(11:47):
comfort to them because weare your hands and feet.
Father,
we think of Bill as
he awaits results
from.
from all
of these
tests that
he
is
had,
I pray
that answers will be foundand that a way forward can be
discussed.
And
Father, we bring to you our dear
Mackenzie.
(12:09):
It's difficult,
father,
when people, we love are struggling.
I pray, that
she is restored
and I
pray,
especially father, that
she is just brought
back to this community and thatshe can find her way to recovery
because we do dearly love
that precious
girl.
(12:29):
We think of
Dan
as he is back with us
and we
are so excited to have
him back,
but
he has a new
job that
he is gonna be started,
and I pray blessings over
him and I pray overall safetyas he navigates these roadways,
especially in these winter
months.
I wanna bring
to you
(12:49):
Jacob,
who needs
to focus a little
more inwardly on his self care
and
establishing some
boundaries
so he can just have healthybalance in his life.
And we think of Tara, who
is
just
left raw
and broken and the loss of her dog.
And
so many
people
may feel, oh, it's just a dog.
(13:10):
but Father God.
I for one,
am deeply grateful that
you
did create dogs because I know
what
they
can mean to
us and in our lives.
They are
just
a
source of comfort so often, and just
that you know, they love us no
matter what and are good days and are
bad,
and when we lose
(13:31):
them, it can
be a difficult burden.
I pray blessings over all of
us here.
I pray that all of
our unspoken
needs
are met in you.
Father, I pray especially,as always, please remove
me from what I have tosay and may the words only
be things that you
wish to
be spoken
I thank you for that, father.
(13:51):
Use me
to say what you want, spoken and
nothing more.
I
pray over
Katie downstairs with allthese kids down there.
I
hope they have an amazingly wonderful
time.
I can't wait to seewhat they create today.
Be with
us
Through the remainder of this day.
And I
(14:12):
thank you, especiallyfather, for your son Jesus.
It is only through him that we
have hope for our eternity, And
it's in His name
we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Okay,
are
gonna jump into
Ecclesiastes
chapter seven.
And what I
have
is
taken.
(14:33):
throughout
this entire
chapter, so we'll be
reading
portions of it as
we
go.
but as I
said,
Ecclesiastes
was written by Solomon.
We often talk about
Proverbs and the amazing wisdom
that we find
in Proverbs.
And the beautiful
thing about
that
(14:53):
is those
were Proverbs given
by Bathsheba
to her
son
who was Solomon.
And
I've
come to
find out
and realize that
Solomon
had a very
wise
mother.
who imparted to him
wisdom and basic
information that I believe set him out
(15:14):
in life for
a quest to
seek knowledge and wisdom,and that's what Ecclesiastes
is.
So
I am
hoping that
you
find as much
in this
as I have.
So here
we go.
So
I'm gonna
(15:35):
start by reading
verses one through
seven.
a
good
reputation
is better
than a
fat bank account,
and your
death date tells far more than
your birth date You learn
more at a funeral
than at a
feast.
After all,
(15:55):
where we will end up.
We might discover something
from it.
Crying
is better than
laughing.
It blotches the face,
but
it scours the
soul.
Sages invest
themselves
in
hurt
and
grieving and fools waste their lives
in fun and
games.
(16:16):
You'll
get
more
from the
rebuke of a sage
than from
the song
and
dance of fools.
The giggle of
fools are like
the crackling of twigsunder the cooking pot,
and it's like smoke
brutality,
stupifies even the
wise and destroys
strongest heart.
(16:39):
At
this point, in EcclesiastesSolomon has been on
a quest searching for the
meaning of life, What
matters and
does
it
matter.
What we
often forget is
when you have all the wisdom in
the world given to
you as
your
gift
from God,
you also have
all the
money you could ever
want,
(16:59):
and then some.
It
can actually make life
difficult.
We often
endlessly strive for
money, money, money,
money,
money.
And
as Solomon found out,
it's
meaningless.
What
is
it?
I'm not taking it with me when I'm
gone
Somebody else
gets it and they
get to
(17:19):
choose
whatever they want with it, And I'veworked myself into the ground to have
it.
And then he found out that
we often miss out on what's really
important in life because of our
desire
to have, to have, to have, to have.
So
he had gone
through all
of
that.
He had
literally
said, prior
(17:39):
to chapter seven, I didn't
say no
to myself, to anything.
If
I wanted to experience it,
I did.
If
I wanted to buy
it, I
did.
I
had everything.
I had
money, I had
women.
I
feasted.
I partied.
I
did it
all.
And
he found
he hated
life
(18:02):
He hated
life.
He
literally said that I
hate
life
because he
found out
it didn't
mean anything.
So we went on a
quest to find the meaningof life, and that's
what Ecclesiastes is all about.
So integrity matters
more
than
(18:22):
money.
Money
is
important.
I'm not gonna say that
It's
not.
It's how we get our
food.
It's
how we
find our
shelter.
It's
how
we
survive and
get
through life.
However, we often have forgotten
that
those things that
(18:42):
we often
see as
needs
really
aren't, we've just made them
something that
we need.
We
find ourself endlessly,
chasing money
endlessly, endlessly.
endlessly,
I need to
have the money so I
can do this,
so
I can do this, so I can do this.
And we find ourselves often from
morning to night
(19:04):
working and working
and
working
and chasing
and chasing.
and chasing.
And what
happens though is
because
that drive to have more,gets more and more rooted
in
You
become far more willing
to let your integrity slide.
(19:28):
You might
start
out
with a good
heart
and the
right attitude
towards
it.
You
might
have all the best
intentions of the world of what you're
gonna do with it, but then you
start to get,
then you want more.
And
then
you want
a little
more,
and then your house is getting
bigger
and your trips are
(19:48):
getting
more extravagant,
but you're working harder
to get
it,
and then you're
working
harder
and harder.
and harder.
Well,
once my
bank account
reaches that,
I'll take
some time.
Once I've
achieved this status,
I'll take
some
time.
Hmm.
(20:09):
If
I compromised on this
or fudged a
little bit
here,
it's gonna
pay off
for me.
My bank
account's gonna get bigger.
Nobody's gonna know.
Everybody
does it.
We all kind of fudge a little
bit,
and that's a
slippery slope because as soon as
you're willing
(20:30):
to compromise
your ethics and your integrity,it becomes a slippery
slope
that
gets easier and easier.
to slide down.
Your
bank
account
is getting bigger and
bigger and bank bigger.
and your
willingness to get
that
at
the expense of
human
beings
becomes easier
and
easier and easier.
(20:51):
and
I
include in that the expense of your
family.
Because
what
happens when you
become somebody that's all
work and
all
chasing The almighty dollar,
your family and time with
them seems to become less
and less
and less, and
that's not how God intended it
(21:13):
for it
to be.
The people he has aroundus and in our lives
are
supposed
to be.
our priority,
not the ones we try tocram in our schedule.
When we find
time for them
and we live in a
country
with that American dream, that's
kind of
upside down because it becomes about
(21:35):
the
getting.
Instead of reallytreasuring Those we have,
I think many
relationships have been sacrificed
because
of the lack of time,
and I
understand
that quite often
to get by, require
of
time and hard
(21:56):
work.
But what are you doing when you're
not
working?
Looking for more to do, to stay
busy?
busy,
busy?
Busy.
Busy, busy,
I heard somebody
say,
what's
don't wanna find, you know, Idon't wanna be sitting down when
Jesus comes, gotta keep working
and my heart broke because
that's
not what God wants at all.
If we
were meant
(22:17):
sun up to
sundown,
to work,
work, work, work, work, and
nothing else, why did he
create this
beautiful
beautiful world?
why did
he bring
amazing
people into our lives to
get to
know that
makes it
richer
if
we weren't supposed to enjoy
it.
When's the
last
time you've
been outside in this
world just
(22:37):
to take
it in and literally
relish in the beauty that he created
for us.
That's our
Sabbath times.
That's
how we
refresh and
restore.
When's, when do
we take
the time
to literally
sit
down with somebody Because you want to
know them,
to listen to
(22:58):
spend
time with?
Or
is
it, well, there's that project,
or,
I could do this,
or,
or, or,
and
what
happens?
your
bank account might get bigger,
but your
relationships might
(23:18):
fall apart.
You may not know the peopleyou live with anymore.
You
missed
amazing,
beautiful
things just outside your window.
I am glad I can still look out
my
back window in the
morning.
It's
my favorite thing because man, thesun over the trees coming up, I
(23:40):
can hear the birds
and it's
just
beautiful in its
simplicity.
I don't know
why I can
look
at that pine forest.
on
one side of my house
and the sound of the
wind coming through there
sounds
like
water.
and
I'm
like,
(24:00):
I wasted decades not
noticing
that.
It's beautiful.
I can look
at the hardwood forest.
The leaves are all gone now and
on the ground
and there's a
peacefulness out there
that's beautiful
and
it
makes me think it's kind of
like
life.
We have periods where
(24:21):
it's kind of dormant,
but
the life
is always there
and I
know
it's
coming back.
You
know?
It's these endless
cycles.
That happened, and I'm
learning to
find
just beauty
in all
of
it.
But
if I grow more concerned withbeing successful and having money
and having more, and I miss those things,
(24:41):
I'm missing out those
beautiful precious moments that God gave
us
because you
see
him in all of
those
It's how
we
know
him.
If we don't take the time to notice
that, we miss out on
really getting to know God
because God
is in and through all of those
things.
(25:01):
It's
how
I
have grown
closer to God.
Because I realize and I
recognize
He's
everywhere and
all around me and everything.
So I'm
trying
to see the
world that
way.
I'm trying to trust God
more
with
making my life more balanced.
(25:23):
God
Help me
with balance.
Help
me to have
time with
you, time
with
the people you've put inmy life and provide for our
needs.
and
that meant I had to get
my wants
and needs.
balanced
out.
Some
things that I really thought were
needs have come right on
(25:43):
off.
And I've realized they were
never a
need
because
we've been reduced to a pretty
simple life.
And guess
what?
I
absolutely love
it.
I
found I'm not
too concerned or
worried
about
my fashion or
my
style
choices
'cause I can find it at
Goodwill.
And I get pretty excited finding just
things
that I
like.
(26:04):
I wasn't that
way before.
I
liked new things with tags
on it that nobody ever wore, and it
somehow made
me feel better.
And that was
pretty foolish becausethat's meaningless stuff.
and
then we can
talk about hard times.
Help
your heart
really.
Yeah, they do
(26:26):
Because
if life
is all good
all the
time,
how do you
have
gratitude?
How are you thankful for what
you have?
If it's all good all
the
time.
What does hard times teach
you?
It teaches you?
what
you have and who you
have.
It teaches you and
helps
you
to trust God.
(26:48):
Sometimes the people that have it
all
where
life
is
easy, they don't have any worry and
stress.
You know the thing
that we all
want.
I often find
those people
the
farthest
from God because they don't
think they
need him.
That was one of thegreatest lessons that I've
(27:10):
learned in life.
The people that
I literally
thought
had it.
all
don't have anything becausethey don't have what matters.
I pray that
those
who are
blessed with
wealth among us
recognize that
that wealth is
God's and he trusted
you with it.
(27:31):
So what
do
we do with
it?
Keep it
and hoard it,
or do we
share it with
others?
Also,
those hard times are a reminder
to us.
that we need to rely
on
God and not on
ourselves
(27:53):
because it
gets really easy
to rely on self when
things are going well, when success
comes easy
and the money comes rolling
in, and
you have no
worries,
huh?
Look at
what I've
done.
Really?
That's
what you've done?
Or did
God allow
that
in
your life?
(28:16):
Because it says in the Bible.
To whom God trusts
much,
much
will be
required.
That's a pretty heavything because he'll ask,
I gave
you all of
this.
what Did you do with
it?
This is
real great.
You died
and you had millions in your bank
(28:37):
account.
How many
homeless did
You walk past?
How many
people that were
hurting
and
suffering where you
could have,
made a difference?
Did you just walk on by and
not
notice?
'cause we'll have to answer for
that.
And you don't have to
have millions
in your bank account
to have that
be something you
(28:58):
need
to consider.
Every single thing
that we
have,
every experience we
go
through,
Every
loss that
comes into
our life was allowed
by God for a very
specific
reason.
They help our heart
because it's
what develops our
character and helps usunderstand the calling that we
(29:20):
have from God
it's
where he
teaches us
how to
be there
for other people.
I got
to see that on
Saturday from noon to one.
God
allows
unbelievably difficult
experiences
so you can
help others
who are going to be goingthrough the same thing
(29:43):
because as Solomon found out, there
is
nothing new under
the
sun.
Nothing.
And I
thought about that
and
I'm
like,
this topic that
we discuss on Saturdaysnow at noon has been going
(30:03):
on since the beginning of
time.
There's nothing new under the
sun.
And that's
the reason
why when
the
experiences
come to us.
Understand
somehow,
even in the grief and in
the
hurt,
God allowed this because he built
me for this
because he knew what he
(30:23):
was going
to do
with
this
suffering.
And
he just said, trust me with that.
That's what the
hard times are
for.
So
they
can either make you bitter.
or they can
make you
beautiful and
loving
and
you
will
be
a blessing.
And there is
profound healing
(30:45):
when you
recognize that
because it's
very
easy for bitterness
to grow and grow
and grow in your life when those
hard
times are there.
But when you recognize thatthe hard times are there
because
God said, you are
equipped for this.
I'm walking
with you
And something Amazing'sgonna come from it.
(31:05):
And trust me, I hang
onto that
a lot.
A
lot
because
it could be really
easy
if
I let myself go off
by myself
without God to
just sit
and think about the hard times in my
life
because I have them.
I have hard
situations.
I do,
(31:27):
but
I'm excited now because God has just begun
to
show
me.
how he
makes
beauty
out of ugly.
He has
done amazing things in my life
with my
ugly parts,
amazingly beautiful.
I can promise
you,
there
was never a
moment when
(31:48):
I was
experiencing those
things
that I
was
like, this
is gonna
be beautiful
someday
Mm-hmm.
I
wasn't.
They're
suffering in
the
journey.
That's part of the price of
living in
this
world.
I.
That isn't God
because God is
(32:08):
not
suffering in hurt and pain.
But
God
allowed
us what we
asked for ourselves.
You know, our free will,
but he
didn't leave us there.
The wind
comes
because
he takes that and makes it
beautiful.
(32:33):
Verses eight through 10
endings are better than
beginnings and stickingto it is better than
standing out.
Don't be quick to
fly off
the
handle.
the end of this first anger boomerangs.
You can spot
a fool by
the lumps on his head.
(32:54):
I
just
picture that boomerang coming back, So
I
love
that.
So Don't
be
quick to fly off the handle
because anger
boomerangs,
you
can
spot a fool
by the
lumps
on his head.
don't
always be
asking
where are
the good old
days
Hmm.
(33:15):
Wise folks
don't
ask questions like
that.
How often
do we hear that though?
Longing for
the good
old
days.
This one stopped mewhen I read it because I
often
do that.
Usually it's in relation to
technology
because give
(33:35):
me a phone on the wall
and
no more smartphones and
I'm fine
with pen
and paper.
Can we just go back
to the good old days
and
and
we
see it as the good old
days?
but my journey
was rooted
(33:55):
in
those
good old days.
And I spent 40
years drinking.
Were
they
really the good old
days
Hmm.
I've been sitting
there
thinking
about that, a lot this
week.
The good old
days
I
really
start
to take
it apart.
(34:17):
It
isn't
what I thought.
I have to see.
There was a lot of brokenness in those
days.
Finishing is
better than
just
starting, and that
is so
important
because what
Solomon found out is you can
talk a good
game and say all the thingsand I'm gonna do this
and I
wanna
do that, and
(34:37):
I'm gonna.
Oh, that's
good and wonderful, but is it just a
bunch
of hot air?
Because I
wanna
sound good to people
and you might
have
all the best of
intention,
but you have to have the
intention of
actually following
through.
(34:59):
But That's
true in all
things.
Let's prayer
as an
example.
I'll
pray for you
And then you go on
by,
do
you
actually pray
or do you just say it?
Because if somebody asks
you to pray for
them,
what are they
asking you to do
(35:21):
Can you please talk toour father, creator,
God on my
behalf,
about this situation.
That's
not a small thing,
and we can be pretty flippant with it.
Yep.
I'll pray for you I'll
pray
over that situation.
I've
done that a million
times.
And
then I
didn't.
(35:49):
If you say
you're gonna
pray,
do
it
If
you can't
do it right
then
and there
with people, because now I start
questioning myself.
If somebody's
asking me for that why aren'tI stopping And doing that
with them right now?
I can't do that at the store.
Everybody'd see me, I
don't
care
anymore.
I don't
care
(36:11):
if somebody
here
for
prayer, why don't
we stop and
do that
then and
there,
or
at the very
least,
make it a
matter of
priority and mean
it.
I've
started now when people have asked me
to
I make a
note of
it so I don't forget because I
(36:33):
told them that I would,
and I
need to
be somebody
that's gonna follow through and do
that.
Because they're literally asking
me to
talk to
the God of the universe on
their
behalf.
It's not something to be
casual and
flippant
about
to just
to make that a lie.
Follow
through.
(36:53):
But
if
you say to somebody,
you're going
to do
something to the bestof your ability, make
those
words
truth.
if you know
you
can't, say you're going
to or
you will, knowing
I'm too busy
and
I really
can't.
That's why it's
saying finishing
is better than
just starting.
cause we can start
(37:14):
a
million
things.
and I've
been so guilty of
this in
my life because I'm a people
pleaser.
I
wanna say yes to all
of
it.
It's
impossible.
It
is far better
to say
yes and start something
that
you have
every
intention
of finishing than
just saying
words
that mean
nothing,
(37:36):
and
that
Anger
always
hits you
back and in
life in
this world,
we have so
many
things that
we can be angry.
about.
There's unfairness
and
unkindness
and
(37:57):
life
circumstances and all those
things that
can make us angry.
How about
just human beings in
general?
How
many people have I
felt angry
in the past week towards
somebody?
I have.
I
have,
(38:18):
But what does
that anger
get If
you're responding to somebody that's
coming at you in anger and unfairnessand you're like, given, oh,
you're gonna dish it out, Get ready.
Here I
come,
I can give
you back that.
And then
some.
What do
you have?
Show
me where Jesus is
(38:39):
present
in
any of
that.
Show me.
where Jesus
ever responded that way to people
that
came at
him in anger,
because he
had it all the
time.
All the
time.
The
only
person that's
gonna pay a price is not the
person
you're angry at, but
yourself.
(39:01):
And
those have been
hard lessons
for me
to learn
because I've spent a lot
of my
angry.
angry.
And I felt so
justified in
it,
But look what
they did to
me.
You
wanna know what they did to me?
I'll tell
you
Let me tell you what they did
to me.
Now I've
got other people angry.
(39:24):
Let's stir it up.
Let's
get everybody angry.
And that's
exactly the
'problem.
That's the
problem.
Because that one angry person in your
presence
now became
how many angry
people.
(39:44):
Anger isn't
of God.
Anger isn't a Jesus
response.
It's gonna boomerang in you.
I'm gonna forever
think
of
the fool with a lumped
up head 'cause that boomerang
kept hitting him.
But
that's
anger.
(40:05):
Jesus
reserved
anger for very specific times, like
for those who
interfere with people's ability to
know him.
Hmm.
Jesus would've flipped sometables in my house many
times because I really was off the
(40:25):
rails
at times and the way Ithought about people.
certainly
was not a gateway for
people
to know
Jesus,
but I certainly was probably a barrier
because I always wore the
label
Christian,
but I
wore
it
like a noun.
Here, look at me.
You know I'm a Christian because I'm
(40:46):
telling you I am.
But you
certainly wouldn't know
it
by the way I'm
living.
I'm trying very
hard to
no longer
be a noun,
but
I'm hoping people will know I'm a
Christian because of how I live,and that's what we're called to, and
that
means that anger doesn't have
room in my life.
Unless
it's justified in the way
(41:06):
Jesus showed us.
it's
incredibly
difficult,
and I
know
people in
this
space have
seen
me.
angry,
and
this is something that I have made
a
matter
of focus
in
my life
because I want this removed from my life.
Because I know it does
exactly this.
(41:27):
All
it does
is it
just comes back on meand It's worse for me.
It's not
doing what I want
the anger
to do and making
the
other person
suffer.
The
only
buddy getting
paybacks is
me, and if you'reanything like me, you know
what I'm
talking
(41:47):
about.
Being
angry
and
pissed off at the world and the people
in
it Because they're not
fair.
it serves no purpose other than justadding more anger to a world that
certainly doesn't
need more of
that, but it does need more love.
That's unexpected.
(42:08):
We
touched on that a bit in that last
series.
We did
the Jesus Way,
and I'm like,
boy, I'm sure taking on things
that are convicting me
every step I take, and I'mgrateful for that because I'm
recognizing
I needed that conviction in my life.
I
love this so
much
because
(42:29):
it's bringing us back to the
basics
and I think
sometimes
we get a bit fancy in the
way we worship God and
talk about
God and and in this study,
I'm
hoping
that
Solomon
brings us back
to the basics and the foundation.
So chapter
seven, 13 through
(42:49):
20,
take a
good look at God's
work
who could simplify and reduce
creations, curves, andangles to a plain, straight
line
On a
good day, Enjoy
yourself
on
a bad day.
Examine your
conscience.
(43:11):
God arranges
for
both kinds
of days so
that we don't
take anything for granted.
I've seen it all
in my brief
and pointless
life.
Hear a good
person
cut down in
the
middle of doing
good, they're a bad
person.
living a long
life
of sheer evil.
(43:32):
So
don't knock
yourself out
being good
and don't go
overboard
being wise.
Believe me,
you
won't get
anything out of it.
But don't
press your luck by being
bad either and don't be
reckless.
Why died needlessly?
It's best to
stay in
(43:52):
touch with
both
sides of an
issue.
A
person who
fears God.
deals
responsibly with
all of
reality,
not just a
piece of it.
Wisdom
puts more strength
than
one wise
person, than 10 strong men
(44:14):
give to
a city.
There's
not one totally
good person on earth,
not one who is truly
pure
sinless.
You're
gonna find out how much I really love
Ecclesiastes.
Hmm.
(44:35):
Accepting what?
God
makes
crooked.
Think
it
this way.
Think of
your life.
a lot of crooked in our
lives, the paths
that our lives,
have taken.
The
difficulties.
You're like,
Why did I have
to take
this
journey here?
Why
did it have to
look like that?
God could
(44:55):
have had it all straightened out, but
he didn't.
But this
happened.
Then I'm over there and then I'm
over there and
I'm now, thank you, God forthis crooked life you've
given me.
Thank you for the
twists and the
turns and the
unexpected
detours my life
has taken.
Because in
my mind, I had
a completely
different focus
and direction
I
wanted to go,
(45:16):
and The
life that
God allowed me
to
live
didn't match what in my head I
wanted.
And I
am grateful to my
dying breath that God didnot allow what I desired to
happen
because
I
can see now as
I've gotten outta some,you know, the hairpin
(45:36):
turns going down a mountain
or
who,
what is it?
The dragon's tail that, uh,
whew.
If you've ever not been down that on
a motorcycle,
oh.
Some scary
things, those
switchbacks and those tight turns, andthat was one of the most terrifying
things I've ever done on a motorcycle.
(45:58):
But it's exhilarating.
and
I sat
and I
thought about that
And I
kind of
looked back on my life that same
way.
Some of those curves, I'mnot sure I'm gonna navigate
safely.
Some of those
turns, I'm like, oh, how
am I going
to do that?
Didn't expect
that.
(46:21):
But I get to the end
and I
look
back at my life
and,
and I'm like,
wow, God.
You knew what you were doing.
You knew what
you were doing every
step
of the way because I see now
the
people God is putting in my life
and
I'm grateful
for
the
wisdom he allowed me to
(46:42):
gain
and that really crooked
path that my
life took.
I would
be worthless
to people
if I
didn't have heavy experiences.
What good
would I
be?
I'd have nothing
to draw on.
Where would
my
wisdom come from?
Myself.
Trust me, I,
(47:03):
I
searched
for that
for a long
time
and
head full of
lumps
and
no wisdom to show
for it.
But
until
I
trusted God and I
looked
at what he made of it,
I didn't
recognize the beauty
and the crookedness that our life
(47:24):
is.
And it's the one
thing
I
most often hear people
complain about, have sorrow about.
feel
guilt and
shame about.
It's the things you
want removed
from your life or the very things
that God says, but
no.
you
need
(47:45):
this
because I
am going to do amazing things.
Just
trust
me.
trust
me.
And sometimes it takes a whileto see what he's gonna do with
it.
For me,
it was 40 years.
years, that's
a long
time.
(48:05):
And
I nearly gave up many
times.
but
now I can say, I used to say,please God, don't ever ask
me to go through that again.
And
left
it at that.
And now I'm
like, I hope you don't
ask me to walk through
things
at difficult again.
But if you call me to it, I will
(48:26):
say yes,
Because
man, I wanna see what you make of
it, because
I'm
reaping
God's blessing
in my life
now,
and
it's
worth.
Every
moment of
it.
Every
moment of it.
(48:48):
But
Solomon also goes
on to say
there is danger in a
quest for perfectionism.
There
is a
danger
to yourself
in that
because you
grow in your
ego and you
start
to think
yourself better than other
people, and that's
a mighty
(49:08):
long distance
to fall because you will
fall.
There
is
not a single,
perfect person
on this
earth,
not
a single
one.
Don't spend
all of your
time in a
quest for
being
perfect,
even
if you're
trying to be the
perfect Christian.
(49:29):
Because I
see
so often
what happens, and it comes
from
such a,
it comes from a place of good.
you have a
desire to be
good,
But
I've
seen
people get
caught up
in
this endless pursuit of getting it right,
getting it right, and
they sit at home and theyread their Bible all day
long.
(49:50):
all day long.
But
they've never done anything with
what they're reading.
They're still trying to findperfection, still trying to
be perfect, still working on
self and when
have
they served, because the whole
point is
in
serving,
not sitting
there by
yourself with a
book,
(50:10):
keeping it all
to
yourself,
trying
to
be perfect.
No, take your
imperfect self outside those doors
and
trust God
to work
through you to be
his hands
and feet.
But God,
what if I
make a mistake
or get
it wrong?
You're always gonna make a
mistake and get
it
wrong?
You're
human.
(50:31):
Jesus
covered
it.
So
stop in
that incessant.
Attempt
to try and be
perfect
and rest
and relax.
In God,
we worry too much about all
the wrong
things,
all
the
wrong things,
(50:53):
but
man, perfectionism, um,
is an incredibly difficult
trait
to live with.
If you're in relationship with
somebody who's
bent this
way,
you're never
enough.
can't
meet
the
standards.
(51:15):
You
always have to do more
try
again.
It's impossible to live
up to their
expectations.
Always impossible.
It's
difficult.
And
then
resentment
comes in.
on
both
sides
because the perfectionistis angry that people aren't
just listening
because I know the right way.
So
just
do it.
it.
(51:36):
And people that are living with him.
it's like, I love you, butman, it's impossible to
please you.
Nobody's
It
doesn't mean we don't
try to do
the right thing, we're called to do
that.
But
perfectionism,
you're never gonna
(51:56):
find it
in
this
life.
It is
impossible
because
to be perfect
means you have
to be fully without
sin,
and that's just not gonna happen in this
human
part of our
life that's coming,
That it's
coming.
but we don't have
(52:17):
that now.
So if you are a
perfectionist,
bring that to
God
and help
him mold that
into what it's
supposed to be.
and enjoy
the
People that
you
live
with
And
interact with
as they are, not as
(52:38):
you
think they
should be or how they could
be better
because you're gonna
find yourself
very lonely in life
If you can continue down
that road.
people will never be good
enough.
And people that feel that way
don't wanna stay
around people that makethem feel that way.
(53:01):
Solomon
had
some wisdom
23 through
25.
I tested everything in
my
search for wisdom.
I set out to
be wise, but it
was beyond me, far
beyond me, and deep oh,
(53:23):
so deep.
Does anyone
ever
find it?
I
concentrated with all
my
might
studying and exploring
and seeking wisdom,
seeking for the meaning of life.
I
also wanted
to identify
what is
evil
and stupidity.
Foolishness
and craziness.
(53:52):
Solomon
sincerely
desired
to
understand meaning in
life.
He tried to
find it
in so many
things
like
what's going to
make
it
seem like it matters?
Money.
I've got gobs
of
it,
so I'm just going to getanything and everything I want.
(54:15):
No holds
barred.
That's
not doing
it.
Um,
I
can
have anything I want,
so I'll just take
it.
Women
possessions, experiences.
He didn't say
no to
anything.
Meaningless,
absolutely meaningless
(54:36):
slaves,
male
and female.
and They had children.
I
had slaves galore anything and
everything I
wanted
beyond what I
ever needed and
meaningless.
and I
hate life.
I hate
life.
(55:01):
So where do
you
go?
What do you
what do you do?
You find the
balance in life.
Yes,
God said that
you have to
work and by
the sweat of your brow,
you will
supply for your family and you
will
feed yourself.
But he also calls us tohow we're supposed to live
(55:22):
in relationship.
And that's
that balance
part
that often is wrong.
Let's say you are
in a relationship.
Yes, you work and you
toil and you work
to provide, but what
does God call in that relationship?
Husband,
you're a
representation of me and how I
(55:44):
love,
love her that
way.
What does that look like?
Ignoring and not
having any time for her.
How in the world are your, re, is your
relationship
gonna be blessed if you're not
taking time
for the one that's
most precious in your life?
(56:04):
Because God sees
us as most precious
god's.
like?
I
gave my
everything for you.
I love you that much.
I don't care what you've
done.
I don't
care what
you look like,
what
you've done,
where
you've
been, none
of it
all.
I
just love you.
and wives
(56:28):
we're
called to
respect because in
respecting, we build
up and
support.
and
it's through
that
experience of
respecting and supporting and being loved
like that,
that I promise you,
men, you will find
yourself
loved in a way
that you
never expected.
(56:48):
I hope
my
husband feels that
way
Because women.
if they respect you,
they
love you.
And
it's easy to respect a
man
who is
loving
her
like
God
(57:09):
loves the church.
And that's high callings on
both
sides.
But that's
the
ultimate in our
balanced life
because that's what it comes down to
is relationship
And you
don't have to just be
in
an
intimate relationship at home.
It's
friendships.
It's our
relationship
with everyone
around us.
(57:29):
Do
we love
people
the way
God loves us?
Do
we serve
people the way
he was willing
to serve
us?
Or are we too busy
getting?
And once
we've gotten,
then
we'll have time to
do those things.
God,
how many
people have
(57:49):
waited too
long and then
you're sitting
at their
funeral?
Oh, Billy Bob, he was a real good man.
He
sure worked
hard.
He was so
successful.
Look at how
successful he was, allthese businesses and
houses, and his
family
was so
blessed,
were
they?
How often did
kids
see dad?
How was that
relationship
(58:10):
at home with his
wife
Or
was
the
fact that he was gone all the
time?
A negative.
Maybe those kids would sit thereand say, I would've given anything
to have known my
dad.
Mm-hmm.
Maybe that
wife is saying, I
could have taken that vacation.
(58:31):
We were always talking about
taking, I
wish we could have spent
some time together.
He was always so busy.
Or the
wife that
goes
overboard,
like,
gotta take care of
my kids in the house
and do the thing and all of this
and,
and then
she's gone.
And she
never stopped
(58:51):
to really
take time.
Does
she really know her
kids
or
was she too busy
making sure
everything was just
right?
Did her
husband feel loved
and supported and
understood?
Or
did
he just have a busy
wife?
Because it
really does
come down
to that
we
(59:11):
all end up in the
same place.
We're
all gonna die.
These human
bodies, that
is.
And then there's
that
funeral.
And what are people gonna
say?
I've been to so
many
funerals
of successful
people.
It
was
successful on paper,
her,
but
in the
ways
that
counted, it
was
(59:31):
one of the
poorest
individuals I've ever
met.
I
think we've
gotten wrong,
what
it means to truly be wealthy
and we've
substituted
money.
For what
should
really
in its
place.
(59:54):
And again,
I'm not saying money doesn'tmatter because I understand
that it
does.
But God is grieved when we've
gotten it backwards and we'vemade that in the getting of
it more important than those in our
life.
cause all of it in the world
(01:00:16):
isn't going to
make you,
happy when you're sitting with a fat
bank account.
Nobody around
you that knows you, loves you, and
cares
about you.
I've been wealthy before.
I had a lifestyle
where a budget
wasn't something that was talked about.
(01:00:37):
If we wanted to do it, we did
it
by wanted to buy something, I bought it.
I've had that
before.
I didn't have
a relationship.
That was anything.
I didn't have anything that
counted.
I thought I did.
(01:00:58):
and then it
was
gone.
All of It the
relationship and the money,
poof.
Gone.
It was
meaningless.
And I
find myself today
in a situation that
10 years
ago would've left merattled and how in the world
(01:01:20):
and scared and
all of these
things.
And
instead, I'm so unbelievably
happy,
God says that we
can
test him.
so I took him up
on that and I said, God, I'm gonna just
trust you to provide because I believeyou're calling me and I'm gonna try
and be faithful And
'say yes
to And that was scary.
(01:01:44):
Because it flies
in
the face of
'what we often
hear in
this world, Like make
sure you
have
this
much in
the bank,
so
if this
goes bad,
you've got this to
live off
from and make sure you've gotenough resources on this and
this and this.
I've
got God,
And it's been a remarkable thing.
(01:02:08):
We have not gone without our needs
met
ever.
Sometimes it can be scary
if
you just sit with
human eyes and brains and
look at
it.
Huh?
How
God's like, did you forget?
You
said
you were gonna trust
Trust
faith
(01:02:29):
are two
things in our
home
that have really been byus this year, like God
has called
us.
Do you mean it?
Do
You mean
it?
Trust
in
faith,
We
openly
say
we're gonna live our
life on
(01:02:49):
that.
We're trusting God and
we have faith in God and
God's like, do you mean
that
Because it
means
you have to get
your fingers off it.
Let
go
and let me steer
because boy, I can grip the steer.
Maybe that's why driving
is
always
angsty for
me.
I'm always
wanting to steer my way through life.
(01:03:12):
I'm fiercely stubbornthat way because that's my
old
dry brain saying Bad
things won't
happen if
you control
everything.
I
have 40 years that say
otherwise he Let
me steer Fine.
(01:03:32):
Go
ahead.
Whew.
I can honestly say things go a lot
better
when God's got that steering wheel in his
hands.
and I'm just gonna trustthat that route he's
taking that's
different than the one I thought I
wanted
to is going to be better for me,
(01:03:54):
better for
my
husband, and better for
our relationship.
And
God has not let me down.
He has
exceeded
my
wildest
imaginations
of what
he was
going
to do
and make happen.
So I
am
determined
(01:04:18):
to continue trusting him,
to
allowing
him to steer, because if
he's called me to it,
didn't
call me
to it,
have
it
fail.
And we often think that
because our
human
minds don't see the outcome,
(01:04:40):
we need to live thisbalanced life because people
watch us and it's how they
see Jesus.
what if
Jesus
would've
just focused on being a carpenter 24
7 and
didn't speak
to the
if he would've made it
(01:05:00):
all
work
because
that's what his father
did.
I'm sure Jesus knew his way around
woodworking,
but what
if that job became moreimportant than speaking
and spending time with people?
and knowing
people?
(01:05:24):
I am finding
that
this book
called the Bible that
seems so
complicated really when you.
Start getting down
to
the nuts
and
bolts of it
is
built on some pretty
simple,
basic
ideas,
and I've
(01:05:44):
decided that it's
gonna be
a
good thing to sit
in Ecclesiastes
for
a bit and just unpacksome wisdom from a man
who God said was the wisest
man that ever lived,
because
did
hit me
upside the head.
Like that boomerang,
if that's the wisest man that
(01:06:05):
ever lived,
why am I not reading his words and
taking
it to
heart?
Because he
took the time
to seek out that wisdom and
knowledge,
and
part of
finding it was
seeking out God
in the finding
of it so I can trust what I'm reading.
(01:06:37):
We're always trying to figure out
what is the meaning to
life?
What's
it all about?
What's my
purpose?
Like, what's the point?
God's
like child,
chin up and look at, me so I can
show
you.
Because
right now you're just
looking at the view that
you're
choosing to look at
and it's usually from the wrong
(01:06:59):
Step out over here and
look at it, and you're gonna
see it in a completely
light.
the things
that
we think
are the
most beautiful,
amazing
things,
or the
best goals are
often
the
most
(01:07:19):
empty.
Um,
an analogy
of that, and I
found this interesting 'cause
I'm
just kind of a nerd
brain
sometime.
There
was a
man that
studied
gemstones
and he said in the Bible, in
Revelations, it
talks
about
the different
types
of gemstones and
(01:07:40):
and that so he goes, I
decided
to study So he had all of
those stones
owns along with
the ones that
we often
put
like,
you know,
big value
on like
diamonds,
you know,
that big,
glorious,
gorgeous, beautiful glittery
diamond, and he
(01:08:02):
found
something
very sting
in a specific
light.
Those
things that we often hold out
as the most valuable
of
all,
literally under those
light
are just
darkness.
But every single
(01:08:23):
stone that God
mentioned by name
when He
put it
under those lights exploded
in a glorious,
radiant
prism
of all
the colors you could imagine.
It
was the most beautiful thing I have ever
seen.
He goes,
when
these words
were written, they had no
(01:08:45):
idea about
those
scientific details.
They didn't know.
But those
particular
gemstones under a specific light
explode
into a riot of colors
and yet diamonds that
we
perceive as the
ultimate
rock
looks like
nothing.
(01:09:06):
And
I'm
like,
what an
analogy for
the way we look
at life sometime,
the things that
we see as shiny andbeautiful and everything
Under the
light of God.
is it
darkness
or is
it a riot of color?
(01:09:30):
Because what are
we,
there is
no meaning
to this life outside of God, and
that's what Solomon found.
It's
why I am
excited
to sit in
Ecclesiastes, because I wanna dig
deeper into
this.
It's
because I've
(01:09:50):
listened to
this thing.
I, I don't have
enough fingers
on this hand, including toes on
my feet
to count the
number of times.
I've already
listened to
this all the way through, and
I'm not done
listening.
It's like something has woken
up inside me, and it's
time to
get
things paired down to the
basic foundations
so we
can better balance our life
(01:10:13):
and
understand
what's truly right.
And
what is
wrong?
Because I
think in this
world it
gets increasingly more
difficult
to
know that because
we have a lot
of
shiny
things to distract
us.
So
this was the beginning of our little
(01:10:34):
venture down the road
into Ecclesiastes,
and
I'm excited to do more.
and I'm hoping that there
was something
that
spoke
to you
like it did me,
because
right now Ecclesiastes is my most favorite
reading
in this
entire
the Bible.
So
(01:10:54):
gonna wrap up with that
and we'll be back
with some more
Ecclesiastes.
Next
week
we will
close up with a song
and a prayer,
and we'll head on downstairs
to
get those kiddos freed from Miss
Katie and eat some food.
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