Live Without Reserve, Die Without Regret  

Honest Wisdom from the Book of Ecclesiastes

This hard-hitting, honest series meets us in life’s frustrations, uncertainties, and questions. Ecclesiastes helps us face life’s emptiness without God—and points us to a wiser, more joyful way to live. We will be studying this book at both Sundays and Life Groups

We all long for a life that truly matters, yet the harder we chase meaning in pleasure, success, or even knowledge, the more elusive it seems. The ancient book of Ecclesiastes understands this frustration, meeting us in our weariness with raw honesty. It's often unsettling, but it doesn't leave us without hope.

Ecclesiastes dares to ask life's toughest questions: "What's the point of it all? Is anything truly worth the effort? Why do bad things happen to good people? What do we do when nothing makes sense?" And into these profound questions, it speaks a profound wisdom rooted in faith: "Fear God. Receive life as a precious gift. Live without holding back, and you will face death without regret."

This series, "Live Without Reserve, Die Without Regret," feels particularly timely. We live in a culture that is often overworked, overstimulated, and constantly grasping for more – more control, more happiness, more answers. Ecclesiastes offers a much-needed correction. It doesn't promise easy solutions, but it points us towards a better way: not to chase meaning, but to humbly receive it from the hand of God. In fact, this topic was suggested during our Members Meeting brainstorming for next year's series, showing that this message resonates deeply with what we collectively feel God wants to speak into our lives right now.

For anyone tired of pretending, this series offers true freedom: freedom from the myth of needing to control everything, freedom to genuinely enjoy the good gifts God provides, and the freedom to trust Him even when we don't fully understand His ways.

Over seven weeks, we will journey through the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Each Sunday sermon will open a key passage, allowing us to hear directly what God is saying through His Word. Then, during our Midweek Life Groups, we'll delve deeper into the surrounding sections, asking honest questions and reflecting together on how to live out these profound truths in our daily lives.

Throughout the series, we'll explore vital themes:

• Hevel: The concept that life is fleeting, fragile, and often hard to grasp, like a wisp of smoke.
• Life "under the sun": What happens when we seek answers and meaning without acknowledging God.
• God's good gifts: Learning to truly enjoy the simple blessings of work, food, friendship, and the different seasons of life.
• The fear of the Lord: Discovering that true wisdom comes from living humbly and reverently before God.
• Joy and judgment: Learning to rejoice in the present while living in readiness for eternity.
• Jesus as our hope: Ultimately, we will see how Jesus is the one who transforms our seemingly meaningless lives into lives of profound purpose and meaning.

Our prayer for this series is that we would all grow in biblical wisdom, learning to live joyfully and reverently before God. Why not pray for fresh freedom during this series – the kind of freedom that comes from fearing the Lord? This is the freedom that allows us to deeply enjoy new life, without reservation, and to confidently face death, without regret. May we truly live our days without holding back, because we trust the One who holds everything in His sovereign hands.

As Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) concludes, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." And as Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) beautifully reminds us, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."