Ecclesiastes 1

Main Point: Our only hope for lasting gain in a fleeting and fruitless world is God himself

Meet Your Professor: The Preacher (1:1)

Consider the Thesis: Vapor of Vapors (1:2)

Ponder the Question: Is There Any Lasting Gain under the Sun? (1:3)

Review the Evidence: Always Moving, Never Arriving (1:4-8)

Reflect on the Results: Nothing New, Nothing Remembered (1:9-11)

Weigh Your Response: What Will You Do with the Vapor?

Until we are disenchanted with all that we try to cling to under the sun, we will not treasure the God who operates above the sun, or be able to recognize him when he meets us in the vapor

1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Talk It Over

Use the content in our Discussion Guide below to help you dig deeper into the lessons covered in the sermons

CONTEXT: “How does this passage fit within the history behind it and verses around it?”
Place the passage within its literary surroundings or historical background as well as consider the circumstances in which it was written (see above for more context questions).

OBSERVATION: “What do I see in this passage?”
Examine the passage by making notes, asking questions, and considering the structure, tone, and wording of the passage (see above for more observation questions).

MEANING: “What does this passage mean?”
Consider the main point or idea that the original human author wanted his original audience to understand in a particular text from our study of context and observation thus far (see above for more meaning questions).

APPLICATION: “How should this passage affect me today?”
Define shared principles between the original audience and us today and make a plan to put those principles into practice (see above for more application questions).