Bits control horses. Rudders control ships. Tongues control us, and we can easily be led in any direction depending on how we use our words. It can cause great encouragement or harsh devastation. We can use it to praise our Father, yet condemn our neighbor. Do we use our words to speak life into others, or to speak death?

When we face trials, how do we face them and what is our perspective? Do we let them defeat us for the time that we're in the midst of them, or do we look for hope? In James 1, the writer tells us to consider each trial as "pure joy," because the testing of our faith produces perseverance. How can we face each trial that comes our way and consider it pure joy?

Prayer is important, which is why we dedicated this service to pray for gratitude, children, local and international missions, and our fathers on Father's Day

Everything is meaningless. It's all just a chasing after the wind. But what if there's a point to this chasing? What if life isn't as meaningless as the author of Ecclesiastes is making it seem to be? "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." (12:13) How are we to fear God, though? Do we tremble and fear for our every next step, thinking that His power is waiting to strike us down? Do we flippantly walk through this life doing whatever we want because His forgiveness is always there?

Death. It's inevitable for us all. So we focus on today. Not the future. Not the past. Just today

Our lives are a vapor; a mist that is here today and is gone tomorrow. We can do many things in this life but we may never find full enjoyment in the midst of them. Marvin Knoot breaks down Ecclesiastes 6 by looking at three main ideas:
1. Riches without enjoyment are pointless
2. Labor without satisfaction is pointless
3. There will be questions without answers

Money = happiness. Right? If we just had this amount of wealth, we'd be set! Until we get it and it suddenly isn't enough anymore, and we find ourselves in an insatiable climb to have as much as we possibly can and to gain as much as we possibly could. Solomon had everything. He had the greatest empire with the greatest wealth, yet he described it all as meaningless. So, maybe money ≠ happiness

We're having a good time, right? In this portion of Solomon's writing, he details how there's a specific time for everything in life–to be born, to mourn, to dance–and that there is a season for every activity under the heavens. With the season that you're in, in the time that you've been given, are you having a good time?