Verses Used:

• Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
• Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
• Ecclesiastes 3:13
• Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
• Ephesians 5:18
• 1 Corinthians 10:31
• John 6
• Matthew 22:24-30
• 1 Corinthians 15:58

Takeaways:

Enjoy Simple Gifts

• Enjoy the simple gifts in life that God has given to us with a joyful heart.
• Solomon encourages his readers to enjoy food, drink, clothing, and oil.
• However difficult it can be, this life is also a gift.
• Gifts of God can become sinful things when the heart longs for them.
• Gluttony - Self indulgence, lack of self-control, and misplaced satisfaction.
• Jesus’ point is that our souls are really longing for him. He is true food and drink.
• Jesus says He is the source of that joy.
• Key thought - God gives us permission to enjoy life, even in a broken world.

Cherish Those You Love

• Life is short. It’s a mist, a vapor. So don’t waste your relationships.
• Enjoy your marriage. Call your friends. Hug your kids. Forgive often. Say, “I love you” more, because we’re not guaranteed tomorrow.
• Life isn’t just about what we can get out of it, but it’s about sharing life deeply with others.
• Love people well - it’s one of the greatest ways we honor God in our time on Earth.

Work with Heart

• God reveals himself by the works of his hands.
• Solomon was living before Jesus, we live after Jesus. Even so, we can still learn from Solomon’s reminder that life is short. Life ends.
• So no matter what you do in life, do it with passion. The work you are doing now serves other people, and the purposes God has for you. Your work is bigger than just your paycheck.

Discussion Questions:

• God gives his people simple gifts to enjoy. How does this show us what God is like?
• What are some practical ways to make life count with your loved ones?
• Why do you think so many people struggle to enjoy their work?
• How does reflecting on the brevity of life help us live wisely?

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Verses Used:

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
• Ecclesiastes 12:13
• Proverbs 9:10
• 1 John 4:18

Takeaways:

Seasons of Life

• Solomon says “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
• All the things happening on earth (under heaven) there is a season, a time, a reason, even though we don’t always understand it.
• We, like Solomon, may ask: why are things in life not better than they are? If I am a follower of God, why do I have to go through winter? Why doesn’t God treat me better, why all this pain in life?
• Life is filled with contrasts. Different seasons. A time to prune and a time to flourish.
• God is the God of seasons. Whatever season you find yourself in, he sees you, and he loves you.
• Spring is a season of new beginnings. Summer is a season of lighthearted enjoyment. Fall is a season of change again, but you sense it might get worse. Winter is a season waiting and a test of your faith.

Eternity is Hardwired

• Josh points out how some say, ‘How could a loving God send people to hell?’ Josh in return asks, 'how could any person turn down God’s invitation to eternal life?'
• Relationships, pain, this life are not the way it is supposed to be. That is why people struggle so much with death.
• We long to live forever, we were not built to live with pain and death.

Fear God

• The fear of God is a deep respect and awe for who God is; holy, sovereign, just, and powerful.
• Recognize He is God and we are not.
• Proper fear brings humility: “I don’t run the universe - He does.”
• Proper fear produces worship, surrender, and obedience.
• In the end you will either face the wrath of God or the grace of God.

Discussion Questions:

• Why is it both encouraging and discouraging that we live life in seasons? What kind of season are you currently in?
• How does understanding we are hardwired for eternity give you perspective about your life now?
• How does understanding God’s character impact how you live on a daily basis?
• How have you seen parents, pastors, or teachers misrepresent God’s nature?

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Verses Used:

• Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
• 1 Kings 3:16-28
• 1 Kings 11:1-3
• John 6:35
• Matthew 22:37-39
• Psalm 16:11

Takeaways:

Limits of Pleasure

• Pleasure is a gift from God, but pleasure itself makes a lousy God.
• Solomon was distracted by pleasures that offered momentary distraction, but not lasting fulfillment
• People all around us and maybe even ourselves, run after pleasure to escape emptiness - but it never fully satisfies.

Limit of Accomplishments

• Solomon’s accomplishments didn’t answer the deeper questions of purpose.
• Accomplishments in life are like pleasure; they distract but do not truly satisfy.

True Satisfaction

• Looking for meaning and purpose in this life is hopeless - apart from Jesus.
• The invitation from Jesus is to do life with him. To walk in his ways, enjoying life but with true meaning.

Discussion Questions:

• What are some of the things God has given to us to enjoy in this life?
• Why does pleasure fall short of satisfying the deep longing of our hearts?
• What kinds of accomplishments do you see people chase? Why do they disappoint?
• Why do you think it’s hard to believe that Jesus offers true satisfaction?

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Verses Used:

• Ecclesiastes 1:1-18
• 1 Kings 3:5-14
• Ecclesiastes 12:13
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• James 1:5-6

Takeaways:

The Wisest Man to Ever Live

• Solomon asked God for wisdom and God gave it to him.
• Solomon’s Accomplishments include: Building the temple, being famous for his wisdom, prosperity and peace, as well as his writings of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
• Downfall - Despite his wisdom, Solomon’s heart strayed. He married many foreign women and built altars to their gods, leading Israel into idolatry.

A Little Bit Jaded

• Solomon was trying to understand life purely based on his own understanding.
• Wisdom is valuable, but without God it leads to frustration - not fulfillment.

A Pattern of Life and Wisdom

• Chasing wisdom without God is pointless. Chase after God and you will be wise.
• Human wisdom exposes the brokenness of the world, but it cannot heal it.
• We are not meant to understand everything. But we are meant to trust in one who does.
• Jesus brings meaning into each day. Each trip around the sun. We want to find meaning in life, purpose, we look to Jesus

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think Solomon initially asked God for wisdom?
• Why do you think wisdom apart from God can make us jaded about life?
• Did God give Solomon wisdom for himself or others? What was the purpose of the gift of wisdom?
• Why is it hard to trust God when we don’t understand everything going on around us?

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With guest speaker: Matt Johnson

Verses Used:

• Romans 8:31-39
• Romans 8:28-29
• Luke 6:40
• Romans 8:1
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Romans 4:5
• 2 Peter 3:9
• 1 Timothy 2:4-5

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Verses Used:

• Matthew 28:16-30
• Hebrews 10:4
• Ephesians 5:2
• Luke 9:23
• John 13:35
• Luke 10:5-11
• Acts 1:8

Takeaways:

• Missio’s mission statement is Love Jesus, Live Sent which is a combination of The Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

The Motivation

• Jesus’ coming to Earth had a motivation behind it; that motivation is love.
• The great commission is rooted in love for others.

The People

• Every follower of Jesus is a missionary.
• We make disciples of people of peace. People that are in our lives and are leaning into relationship.
• There are people of peace in all our lives. We just have to pay attention and be aware of what God is doing around us.

The Plan

• The kingdom expands at the speed of relationships. The gospel moves along the lines of trust.

Discussion Questions:

• Why is it hard to love certain people? How do you think Jesus was able to love the unlovable?
• Where are some of the places we might meet people of peace?

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Verses Used:

• John 3:1-10
• John 19:38-42
• John 3:16
• Matthew 28:1-10

Takeaways:

Questions for Jesus

• Jesus knew what Nicodemus wanted [which was] access to the kingdom.
• Jesus’ invitation to Nicodemus to be born again is the invitation to every person who wants access to the kingdom, who wants a relationship with God.
• It doesn’t matter how good a person tries to be, without Jesus we are spiritually dead.
• A lot of religion is aimed at getting us to God

The Turning Point

• Nicodemus’ faith shows up in the story, and he is not hiding it.
• Jesus isn’t looking for secret admirers. He is calling us to be his followers, his friends.

The Resurrection

• This is the single most important event in all of history.
• Jesus is in the business of redeeming and restoring people.
• Jesus sees you, Jesus knows you, and Jesus loves you.
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Discussion Questions:

• Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. What are some of the questions you would ask Jesus if you had the chance?
• Nicodemus struggled to understand being born again. How does our need to fully understand things sometimes get in the way of belief?
• How does the resurrection of Jesus make a difference in your daily life?
• Why do you think so many people know the story of Jesus, but do not believe?

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Verses Used:

• James 1:17
• Zechariah 9:9
• 1 Corinthians 6:19
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• Matthew 6:25-33
• 1 Timothy 6:10
• Proverbs 11:24-25
• Luke 21:1-4

Takeaways:

God’s Heart

• Throughout scripture, it is God’s generosity that we see over and over again. God made us, he loves us, and takes care of us.
• Jesus is the greatest gift God has ever given. It cost God everything and the value of that gift changed everything for eternity.

The Human Heart

• If we know God is generous, and we tend to like people that are generous to us, why do we gravitate back to being stingy?
• We are likely not going to be generous if we don’t think there will be enough to meet our own needs.
• The human heart needs to be redeemed by Jesus.

A Generous Heart

• People can be stingy with time just like money. We can use time to serve others, or to serve ourselves.
• Being generous with our talents is similar to our time. Again, we can use them to serve us, or we can be generous with our talents and serve others.
• Generous with treasure: we want to be generous with the money that God gives to us.
• Being generous isn’t just about how much we give, but the heart posture we give with. God sees our hearts and what he is concerned with most.

Discussion Questions:

• Do you think it is more common for God to be thought of as generous or stingy? Why?
• Describe some of the ways you have seen or experienced others being generous to you.
• Which is the easiest for you to be generous with: time, talent, or treasure? Why?
• Why do you think loving money is not good for us?

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