Week 1 — Chasing the Wind (Ecclesiastes 1:1–11)
Key Thought: Life under the sun cannot give us what only God can provide. When we try to build our lives on work, achievement, knowledge, pleasure, or anything else in this world, we eventually discover that we are chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes exposes the emptiness of life apart from God and points us beyond the sun to Christ. This reflects the opening movement of Ecclesiastes: the Teacher’s search exposes the futility of trying to find lasting gain within life “under the sun.”
Outline:
- Life is fleeting
- Life is repetitive
- Life is frustrating
- Life finds meaning in God
Reflection Questions:
- What am I expecting from this life that only God can give me?
- If the things I am building my life around disappeared tomorrow, would Christ still be enough?
Week 2 — The Limits of Wisdom and Pleasure (Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:11)
Key Thought: We spend much of our lives searching for the thing that will finally satisfy us. The Teacher had the resources to pursue wisdom, pleasure, possessions, accomplishment, and success to their limits—and discovered that none could carry the weight of ultimate meaning. The passage ends by redirecting us from chasing satisfaction to receiving life as a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:26 intentionally traces this search through wisdom, pleasure, work, and achievement before arriving at that conclusion.
Outline:
- Wisdom cannot satisfy
- Pleasure cannot satisfy
- Success cannot satisfy
- God alone gives satisfaction
Reflection Questions:
- What am I pursuing right now with the expectation, “If I can just have this, then I’ll be satisfied”?
- How would my life change if I received God’s gifts with gratitude instead of expecting them to give me what only God can?
