In this final episode of our Ecclesiastes series, the team gathers to reflect on one of the most sobering and beautiful chapters in all of Scripture — Ecclesiastes 12. After weeks in Solomon's world of vapor and smoke, this conversation asks the question his book has been building toward: How are we actually supposed to live?

We open with personal reflections on what this series has meant — and why a book this honest about suffering, aging, and death turned out to be unexpectedly life-giving. From there, we explore the Hebrew word sakar, unpacking what it really means to "remember your Creator" — not as an occasional spiritual check-in, but as a posture of living every moment in the presence of God.

The conversation gets practical from there. How do you hold the tension between enjoying today's gifts and planning faithfully for the future without chasing smoke? What do we do with the reality that God will bring every secret deed into judgment — and does the gospel change how that lands? 

We close by tracing Solomon's conclusion — Fear God and keep His commandments — through to Matthew 7 and the narrow gate, asking how a wisdom writer from three thousand years ago ends up pointing directly at Jesus.

In this episode, we explore Ecclesiastes 11 and the tension between wisdom, risk, and trust in God. Life requires planning, but at what point does careful thinking turn into paralysis? We talk about the difference between wise preparation and overanalyzing every possible outcome—and why Scripture calls us to faithful action rather than perfect certainty.

The conversation also wrestles with what healthy expectations of God should look like as we invest our time, resources, and energy in life. Does following Christ require risk? And if so, how do we step forward in faith while still living wisely?

We also reflect on the sobering reminder that God will bring everything into judgment. How should that reality shape the way we make decisions, pursue opportunities, and live day-to-day?

Finally, we discuss a practical question many believers wrestle with: when obstacles appear, how do we discern whether they’re simply challenges to navigate—or clear signals from God that we’re heading the wrong direction?

Through it all, Ecclesiastes points us toward a life that holds joy and responsibility together—receiving life as a gift from God while living with the awareness that our choices matter.

Ecclesiastes 9:11–10:20 | Wisdom, Unpredictability, and the Choices That Define Us

Week ten of our series through Ecclesiastes finds us in some of Solomon's most honest — and most unsettling — territory. Life doesn't always go to the swift, the strong, or the smart. Sometimes the net drops without warning. Sometimes the snare comes out of nowhere. So what do we do with that?

In this episode, Mike sits down with Josh and the pastoral staff to unpack Sunday's message from Ecclesiastes 9:11–10:20. The conversation ranges from the surprisingly warm response Broadmoor has had to this often-overlooked book, to what it actually looks like to pursue wisdom before the battle starts — not in the middle of it.

The team also gets personal: What do you do when life doesn't turn out like you hoped or planned? Does wisdom come from experience, or does it come from truth — and is there a difference? And how does the gospel reshape our pursuit of wisdom, especially for those of us who are already looking back at foolish decisions we can't undo?

They also tackle one of the more provocative lines in the whole passage — Solomon's statement in chapter ten that money answers everything — and what he's actually saying (and not saying) there.

Plus, with mission teams in Phoenix, Atlanta, the Appalachian Trail, and England, the staff reflects on what it means to carry the gospel message into contexts far outside the Sunday morning comfort zone. And yes — the cat and the rotisserie chicken make an appearance.