Video overview of Ecclesiastes from the BibleProject.com
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:
- How would you enjoy that good thing differently if you stopped needing it to complete you?
Week 3 — Work, Weariness, and the Gift of God (Ecclesiastes 2:12-26)
Key Thought: Work becomes frustrating when we ask it to give us what only God can give. But when our identity is secure in Christ, work can be received and enjoyed as a gift from God.
Outline:
- Wisdom Cannot Beat Death — v.12–17
- Work Cannot Secure the Future — v.18–23
- Work Can Be Received as a Gift — v.24–26
Reflection Questions:
- Where am I asking my work or accomplishments to give me something that only Christ can give?
- What ordinary gift from God’s hand do I need to slow down and enjoy this week?
Week 4 — A Time for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1–15)
Key Thought: We cannot control every season or understand everything God is doing, but we can trust the God who holds time, receive each day as His gift, and rest in Christ.
Outline:
- Accept the Season You Cannot Control — v. 1–8
- Trust God When You Cannot See the Whole — v.9–11
- Receive the Gifts God Gives Today — v.12–15
Reflection Questions:
- What season of life am I trying hardest to control, rush through, or recover?
- What gift has God placed in front of me today that I may be overlooking?
Week 5 — When Life Feels Unfair (Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:16)
Key Thought: Life isn’t always fair, but we can trust God’s justice, show compassion to those who are hurting, find contentment in what God has given us, and walk alongside one another. Because of Jesus Christ, injustice and death will not have the final word.
Outline:
- Trust God When Justice Seems Absent — 3:16–22
- Show Compassion When Others Are Hurting — 4:1–3
- Reject Comparison When Ambition Takes Over — 4:4–8
- Build Relationships That Help Us Endure — 4:9–16
Reflection Questions:
- Where am I allowing life’s unfairness or comparison with others to steal my trust in God and my contentment?
- Who needs me to offer encouragement, compassion, or practical help this week?
Week 6 — Worship, Money, and the Fear of God (Ecclesiastes 5:1–6:12)
Key Thought: Neither religious activity nor financial success can provide lasting satisfaction apart from God. Ecclesiastes reminds us that genuine worship begins with reverence, wealth must be held with humility, and life’s blessings should be received with gratitude. Ultimately, true security and contentment are found not in what we possess or accomplish, but in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Outline:
- Approach God with Reverence — 5:1–9
- Hold Wealth with Humility — 5:10–17
- Receive God’s Gifts with Gratitude — 5:18–6:12
Reflection Questions:
- Am I approaching God with genuine reverence and a willingness to obey, or has worship become something I simply do out of habit?
- What am I currently looking to for security or satisfaction that I should be trusting Christ to provide?
