ECCLESIASTES DISCOVERING LIFE WITH GOD

Transcription

1 ECCLESIASTES DISCOVERING LIFE WITH GOD SMALL GROUP STUDY "#$%%&$'("$**+(',"-+#.-

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4 /""0/12314/1 week one Meaningless Are you more of a pessimist or an optimist, a realist or idealist, a glass is half empty or a glass is half full kind of a person? If you tend to see the glass as half full, you ll likely have an easier time relating to this book. The author of Ecclesiastes is a pessimistic realist. He s a glass is half empty kind of a guy. But he actually adopts this attitude and perspective for a specific and very important reason to show that life is meaningless apart from a God-centered universe. HG Leader, pick the biggest achiever in your group to open in prayer. What clothes were in style when you were in middle school? What has been your biggest achievement or best accomplishment in life? Have you ever invested a ton of energy into something only to have it fall flat? HG Leader, pick an optimist and a pessimist in your group to read Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. What s your reaction to the author s thematic statement (v.2? The word meaningless can mean vapor. What point is being made? Are you more of a pessimist or optimist glass is half empty or half full? How does this affect your relationship with God and other people? Share. What does the phrase under the sun reveal about the author s perspective (v.3? Do you think that true meaning and significance can be found apart from God? What examples are used from nature to highlight that life is meaningless (vs. 5-7? What is the author saying about history (vs. 9-10? What about mortality (v.4, 11? As a follower of Jesus, how would you refute the author s thesis from v.2? Look at 2 Cor. 5:17. What reality is highlighted for followers of Jesus here? How does a relationship with Jesus infuse life under the sun with meaning? How could you use Ecclesiastes to share Jesus with a friend or co-worker? This week set aside some time to prayerfully reflect on your life. In what areas of your life are you living independently from God? In what areas of your life do you sense God s presence and purpose? How is God inviting you to live life from above? Write down any important discoveries and thank God for this time.

5 /""0/12314/1 week two Fulfillment We live in unprecedented times. We ve got more stuff than any previous generation more possessions, more entertainment, more information, more travel options. We can communicate instantly and globally. We ve got better healthcare, better education, better technology, and better food. And yet, none of this seems to satisfy us. Many people, in fact, feel empty and depressed. And why? Because the very things we hope will fill us collapse under the weight of our expectations. HG Leader, pick the person with the most education to open in prayer. What subject in school was the easiest for you growing up? If money was no object, what purchases would you make this week? What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your life over the past few years? HG Leader, pick any two people in your group to read Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:16 and Matthew 6:19-24, 33. Look at Eccl. 1:12-18? Where does the author try to find fulfillment? Why is wisdom such a heavy burden? How does it increase sorrow and grief? How does knowing more make you more aware of how much you don t know? Do you think that knowledge and wisdom can bring ultimate fulfillment? Share. Look at Eccl. 2:1-16? Where does the author now turn to find fulfillment? Notice the author s conclusion (vs Do you agree? Why or why not? What kinds of pleasures or projects have you tried to find fulfillment from in life? What is the lure of possessions? Why do so many try to find fulfillment here? How does the author support his thesis that life is meaningless in vs ? Look at Matt. 6:19-24, 33. Where does Jesus say we are to find fulfillment? If someone was to observe your life, what would they say your treasure is? In what ways is God inviting you to find ultimate fulfillment in Him? This week set aside some time to prayerfully reflect on your life. Think back over the past month. Where have you been investing your time, talents, energy, and money? Ask God if these are the right investments? Is anything out of priority? Close by surrendering all the major investments of your life to God your relationships, your work, and so on. Make him first in your life.

6 /""0/12314/1 week three Work What kind of a team player were you when it came to group projects in school? Were you The Slacker the person that didn t do anything to contribute? Were you The Slider the person who slid through the cracks and did just enough to get by? How about The Perfectionist the person who wouldn t trust anyone else in the group and ended up doing all the work him or herself? Let s face it, nothing is worse than doing all the work and allowing everyone else to take credit for it. HG Leader, pick the biggest perfectionist in your group to open in prayer. What was your very first paying job? Did you like it? What is the most stressful or exhausting job you ve ever had? What is the most fulfilling and meaningful part of your current job or vocation? HG Leader, pick a slacker and a slider in your group to read Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 and Colossians 3: Look at Eccl. 2: What is this under the sun mentality? Describe it. Where do you see this under the sun mentality around you or in our culture? Notice 2: Who is said to really benefit from a person s hard work? What would this author say about the workaholic tendencies in our culture? Are you working too much? Do you have balance between work and rest? Look at Eccl. 2: What shift do you notice in the author s train of thought? What does it mean to please God? How does God bring satisfaction to work? How is God inviting you to find satisfaction in your work? Give an example. Look at Col. 3: What is Paul s perspective on how one should work? What would working for the Lord look like in your current vocational context? How can Christians stand out by the way they work? How can you stand out? This week set aside some time to prayerfully review your work life. Is it balanced? How are you finding appropriate satisfaction and fulfillment in your work? In what ways are you expecting too much from your work? What would it look like for you to work for the Lord? What ways is God inviting you to stand out? Thank God for any insights you received during this time and close in prayer.

7 /""0/12314/1 week four Sovereign The world can often seem like a dark and horrible place. Simply turn on the nightly news and you will hear stories of incredible tragedy. Some are of our own doing. Acts of violence and war, racism and sexism, the strong oppressing the weak all symptoms of a fallen humanity. But others seem beyond our control earthquakes and famine, hurricanes and tsunamis. How are we to make sense of it all? Where in the world is God in all of this? And do we have any hope? HG Leader, pick the person who had the greatest week to open in prayer. What is your favorite season out of the year? Why? When have you personally experienced injustice in your life? How have you seen God bring something good out of something bad? HG Leader, pick the oldest and the youngest person in your group to read Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:3 and Revelation 21:1-4. Look at Eccl. 3:1-8. Is the author describing what is or what one should do? Look at 3:11. What does it mean that God has set eternity in the human heart? The point of Eccl. 3:1-15 is that God is sovereign. What does sovereignty mean? Do you think God controls everything? What does it mean that God is above all? How does trusting that God is sovereign impact the way you live and view life? Look at Eccl. 3: What troubles the author in light of God s sovereignty? What brings the author comfort? How do you view this tension in the world? Look at Eccl. 3: What is troubling the author? How is his view limited? Look at Eccl. 4:1-3. What is troubling the author? Does this trouble you? What would you say to someone who struggles with God because of suffering? Look at Rev. 21:1-4. Where will eternity be lived out? What does God promise? How does the idea of no more death or mourning or crying or pain impact you? This week set aside some time to prayerfully consider some of the pain you have encountered in life. How has the experience of pain and grief impacted your view of God? In what ways has God brought about healing and restoration? Spend a few moments reflecting on the promise of an eternity without pain (Rev. 21:4. Close by thanking God for his promise to make all things right through Jesus.

8 /""0/12314/1 week five Community We live in a world of connection. The average Facebook user has roughly 245 friends. That s 245 connections. It is easier to make connections today than any other time in human history. But why is it that so many feel disconnected and isolated? The truth is that we can spread ourselves thin maintaining numerous superficial connections to the neglect of deep and meaningful relationships. HG Leader, pick the biggest extrovert in your group to open in prayer. When have you felt alone in life? Share a story. Are you more of an independent or dependent person? Explain. When has a friend s presence or assistance been exactly what you needed? HG Leader, pick the biggest introvert in your group to read Ecclesiastes 4:4-5:7. What two extremes are presented in Eccl. 4:4-5. What is the solution in v.6? How balanced are you between work and rest? What changes need to be made? Look at Eccl. 4:7-8. This describes a workaholic. What is missing in his life? Are there any important relationships being neglected in your life? If so, why? What relational benefits are being described in v.9? Have you experienced this? What relational benefits are being described in v.10, 11, and 12? Discuss each. How easy or difficult is it for you to accept assistance from another person? Why? How available are you to help a friend in need? How often does this happen? How have you experienced two is better than one in your life recently? Share. Look at Eccl. 4: What do these verses imply about relational popularity? Look at Eccl. 5:1-7. The focus is now relationship with God. What stands out? How are we to approach God? What is the problem with the fool s approach? Do you think our culture takes God too lightly? Are you guilty of this in your life? This week set aside some time to prayerfully consider the quality of community in your life. Who is in a position to offer you help when you need it? Who are you available to help in a time of need? For whom has God called you to labor for in life? Consider your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Close by thanking God for the gift of relationships.

9 /""0/12314/1 week six Contentment Most of us have an insatiable appetite for more. We want more stuff and we want better stuff. But the quantity and quality of our stuff never seems to satisfy, does it? Most of us are left just wanting more. All of this, of course, is fueled by a general lack of contentment with our circumstances. And the truth is that when we lack contentment we also lack enjoyment. Contentment and enjoyment go together. HG Leader, pick a group member who likes to go shopping to open in prayer. What is one pleasure in life you wish you had more time to enjoy? Have you ever made a purchase that has caused you more trouble? Share. What is one item that you ve wanted to buy lately? How will this item benefit you? HG Leader, pick any two people in your group to read Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12 and 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Look at Eccl. 5:8-9. What is being argued? Why is this not surprising? Where do you see injustice taking place today? What are the negative effects? Look at Eccl. 5:10. How does more money create more wants in life? Discuss. Look at Eccl. 5: How are increasing goods and increasing worry related? On a scale of 1 to 10 rate your level of attachment to your various possessions. Look at Eccl. 5: What s the problem with placing your security in wealth? How do possessions or lack thereof shape your sense of security? Be honest. Compare 5:18-20 with 6:1-2. What is the difference between these scenarios? What top three things do you enjoy in life? How does this reflect who God is? Kids and a long life were blessings in the OT (6:3,6. What s the good life today? Look at 1 Tim. 6:6 and 6:17. How do contentment and enjoyment go together? This week set aside some time to prayerfully consider the relationship between contentment and enjoyment in your life? How does a lack of contentment negatively affect your level of enjoyment? Identify a few examples and write them down. Where are you most content in life right now? Are these areas defined by enjoyment? Close by thanking God for the gifts of contentment and enjoyment.

10 /""0/12314/1 week seven Wisdom Much of the wisdom literature in the OT makes a sharp contrast between those who are wise and those who are foolish. The wise are depicted as those who follow God s ways, and as a byproduct, experience God s blessing in their lives. The foolish disobey God s teachings, and therefore, experience the exact opposite. But is this always the case? Today the author of Ecclesiastes calls into question traditional wisdom literature by wrestling with the value and source of true wisdom. HG Leader, pick the oldest person in your group to open in prayer. (In ancient times old folks were given special honor and were considered wise Who is the wisest person that you know? Share. What is one of the most foolish choices you ve ever made? Share. Have you ever sensed God giving you wisdom for a particular situation? Share. HG Leader, pick the youngest person in your group to read Ecclesiastes 7:1-8:1. Look at Eccl. 7:1-6. Are these comparisons surprising? What s the point? How can difficult times in life provide instruction and growth for future living? When has a painful time in life produced positive change or growth for you? Look at Eccl. 7:7-14. What are the warnings? What role does God play? Compared to living in the past or future, how much do you live in the present? Have you ever been frustrated that God didn t intervene to help in a situation? Look at Eccl. 7: How are these verses countering traditional wisdom? Have you ever tried to secure God s blessing in your life by living a certain way? Look at Eccl. 7: How does fearing God (v.18b play into this discussion? Look at Eccl. 7:23-8:1. What s said about the value and source of wisdom? What do you think the difference is between knowledge and wisdom? Discuss. How does the idea that God possesses wisdom shape your pursuit of wisdom? When you have a problem in life, who do you go to for advice or direction? This week spend some time prayerfully considering your pursuit of God. In what ways are you trusting him and relying on him given the complexities of life? In what ways are you relying on yourself or what other people have to say? What would it look like for you to truly depend on God? Read Prov. 3:5-6 and Jas. 1:5.

11 /""0/12314/1 week eight Authority Are you more of a rule follower or a rule breaker? Some people tend to buck the system. Rules are meant to be broken is their motto. They undermine those in authority. They push the limits. They typically drive in the left lane. Others do the exact opposite. They follow all the rules and they encourage others to do the same. You will find these folks in the right lane driving five miles below the speed limit. Today we will wrestle with how to relate to both human and divine authority. HG Leader, pick the fastest driver in your group to open in prayer. How do you relate to those in authority positively or negatively? Why? When was the first time you got pulled over by the police? How did you react? How often did you get in trouble as a kid? Share about a time you got in trouble. HG Leader, pick the slowest driver in your group to read Ecclesiastes 8:2-17. Look at Eccl. 8:2-4. What reasons does the author give for obeying authority? Where in life are you under authority? What struggles do you face in obeying? Where are you in charge? What struggles do you face in exercising authority? Look at Eccl. 8:5-9. How does the author show that human authority is limited? How do you process those aspects of life that are outside of your control (v.8? Do you find it frustrating that much of life is outside of your control? Discuss. Look at Eccl. 8: What problem does the author see happening in v.11? How have you seen this in your life? Does a delay in justice increase wrongdoing? How do you relate to divine authority (v.12-13? Would you say you fear God? Look at Eccl. 8: How does enjoyment of life offset the injustices of life? Look at Eccl. 8: How should limited understanding affect our trust in God? Are you surrendered to God right now or operating out of personal autonomy? What is one situation in life that you need to surrender to God rather than control? This week set aside some time to surrender your life afresh to God. fully consider all the important areas of your life your family, your friends, your job, and so on. Surrender each area one at a time to God s direction and purpose. Notice any areas of resistance that pop up. Notice any ways God is inviting you to take action. Write down any findings and close in prayer.

12 /""0/12314/1 week nine Terminal We live in a culture that prefers to avoid the topic of death. Most people try to keep it at an arm s length. They d rather not think about it or talk about it. They try to ignore it. But the reality is that we are all going to die no exceptions. We re all terminal. And when we fail to acknowledge this reality, we do a great disservice not only to ourselves, but also to others. Ignoring death can prevent us from engaging life fully. Facing death can help us live life more abundantly in the here and now. HG Leader, pick the most spontaneous person in your group to open in prayer. Have you ever had a near death experience? Share a story. If you were given six months to live, how would you spend your time? Who do you know that lives life to the fullest? What do you admire about them? HG Leader, pick the most organized person in your group to read Ecclesiastes 9:1-12. Look at Eccl. 9:2-3. What does the author conclude? Why is this upsetting? Do you find it frustrating that walking with God doesn t guarantee a long life? Why do you think so many people today prefer to avoid the topic of death? How do you feel about death? Have you given it much thought? Explain. Look at Eccl. 9:4-6. What kind of hope is being described? What s the point? How can facing the reality of death influence your priorities in the here and now? Look at Eccl. 9:7-10. What are we encouraged to do given the reality of death? Notice the areas of enjoyment listed. Which are most important to you right now? Given the reality of death, in what ways can you enjoy life more fully right now? Look at Eccl. 9: How do these verses capture the arbitrary nature of life? How do you feel about the fact that life is arbitrary that there are no guarantees? What is one area in your life that you are not living to the fullest? Why is that? This week set aside some time to consider how you are living your life. Imagine that you only have a year left to live. What would you do differently? What would you keep the same? What priorities would need to change? Where would you invest your time and energy? What would be on your bucket list? Close your time by thanking God for the gift of life and ask for help to live life more fully.

13 /""0/12314/1 week ten Sensible In an arbitrary world full of enigmas and no guarantees it might be tempting to throw up our arms and conclude that it doesn t matter much how we live our lives. Why try to please God if it doesn t guarantee blessing? Why work hard without guarantee of success? Today we will consider the practical value of living a sensible life a life full of wisdom despite living in an enigmatic world. HG Leader, pick a morning person in your group to open in prayer. What s one axiom or statement of truth that you live by? How much common sense do you have on scale of 1 to 10? When have you lacked common sense and sound judgment? Share a story. HG Leader, pick a night owl in your group to read Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:20. Look at Eccl. 9: What are two lessons from this story? How do vs relate to the story in vs.13-16? What s the main point here? Do you tend to give respect to those who are wise or those who have status? Look at Eccl. 10:1-4. What is the tension between wisdom and foolishness? When have you seen wisdom canceled out by a little folly (10:1? Share a story. When have you rejected good advice or failed to make use of sound wisdom? Look at Eccl. 10:5-7. What is ironic about these situations? Discuss. Look at Eccl. 5:8-9. What about the nature of life is being described here? How do you feel about life s arbitrary nature that you can t guarantee outcomes? Look at Eccl. 10: How is the author redeeming the value of wisdom here? What is one area in your life where you need to exercise or apply greater wisdom? Look at Eccl. 10: What are the consequences of wise vs. foolish living? How have you experienced the consequences of wise vs. foolish living in your life? This week set aside some time to prayerfully reflect on your life. Start by reading through James 1: What stands out to you as you look into the mirror of your life? Are there any areas where you sense God affirming you? Are there any areas where you sense you need to exercise more wisdom a deeper obedience to his teachings and commands? Close by giving these areas to him.

14 /""0/12314/1 week eleven Engage The uncertainty of life can sometimes be overwhelming. Since we don t know how things will turn out, we often just take the safe route. But avoiding risk and waiting for things to be certain is no way to live. In fact, avoiding risk can actually be risky. God doesn t want us to be paralyzed by fear. He wants us to learn to trust him and engage life fully albeit it in an arbitrary, uncertain, and enigmatic world. HG Leader, pick the most adventurous person in your group to open in prayer. Would you ever go on the TV show Fear Factor? Why or why not? How much of a risk-taker are you? Rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10. What do you want to be like when you are old in age? Share your ideas. HG Leader, pick someone that likes to play it safe to read Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:8. Look at Eccl. 11:1-6. How do these verses teach us to engage uncertainty in life? What does risk taking do to our development? Why is this preferable to apathy? What risks have you taken in your life lately? Share a story. How did it turn out? Is there a risk that you regret not taking in your life small or big? Share a story. Look at Eccl. 11:7-8. What tension is the author balancing in these verses? How do you balance the enjoyment of life with the temporary nature of life? Look at Eccl. 11:9-10. How would you put these verses in your own words? Are these verses about enjoying youth or learning the value of enjoyment in youth? How do the patterns we develop in our youth shape our lives when we get older? Look at Eccl. 12:1-8. What connotation does the word remember carry here? How does the deterioration of old age encourage us live before God right now? How do you feel about your life before God? Is this who you want to become? Are you living life to the fullest for God? Where are you holding back? Explain. This week set aside some time to answer this question: What would you attempt for God if you knew you would not fail? Your job this week is to think through this question and write down the answer. Then consider what this exercise revealed about your relationship with God? Do you trust him fully? What s holding you back? How is God inviting you deeper?

15 /""0/12314/1 week twelve Purpose Purpose has to do with the reason something exists the intended result or goal. What would you say is the purpose of life? The author of Ecclesiastes has spent a great deal of time considering the purpose of life under the sun or without God. His conclusion, that life is meaningless. But what if God is brought into the picture? Today we will consider the purpose of life in relation to an interpersonal God. HG Leader, pick someone who recently went on a vacation to open in prayer. What is the best movie you ve ever watched? How about the worst? When have you felt like your life lacked purpose or meaning? Share a story. What has been one of the most meaningful moments for you in the past year? HG Leader, pick a deep thinker in your group to read Ecclesiastes12:9-14. Look at Eccl. 12:9-10. What do you make of the change in speakers here? How is the Teacher s purpose and method for acquiring knowledge described? What is one way that the Teacher s perspective on life has been helpful to you? How could the Teacher s perspective be used with people who don t know God? Look at Eccl. 12: Who is the one shepherd (v.11? Why is this significant? Is the end of v.11 a rejection of intellectual activity? What s he really saying here? Look at Eccl. 12: Why do you think the author ends the book this way? What do you think it means to fear God and keep his commandments? How does v.14 address the arbitrary nature of life? How does it offer hope? If you had to identify the purpose of life, how would you summarize it? Discuss. What has impacted you the most while studying the book of Ecclesiastes? How have you been challenged to walk with God over the last several weeks? Look at Matt. 28: How does sharing in God s purpose provide purpose? What do you need to do to align your life with God s plan of redemption? Your challenge for this week is not an individual challenge, but rather, a group one. Right now discuss with your group how you will stay connected to each other between this study and your next one. Will you do some social gatherings? If so, how many? And who will host? Don t leave until you have a solid plan in place.