Jesus knew His disciples needed more than the responsibility to witness, they needed the ability to witness. This was going to be provided in the gift of the Holy Spirit. The disciples are going to discover two things are needed to be an effective witness: the enlightened mind and the burning heart. Jesus had enlightened their minds; now the Holy Spirit would provide the passion of the burning heart.

In Ecclesiastes 12, the Teacher comes to the conclusion that your present choices are shaping your tomorrow just like your past choices shaped your today. God's Word helps shape your present choices by acting as a goad on some occasions to get you moving in the right direction and as a nail on other occasions to secure you from drifting away from the truth. In the final analysis the Teacher concludes it is best to "fear God and keep His commandments".

Are you a risk-taker? How often do you try to sanctify your lack of trust by garbing it in the dress of wisdom (i.e. try to convince yourself, you're not afraid it's just you're wise to be cautious)? In Ecclesiastes 11, we explore what's wrong with playing it safe all the time and how taking a risk is a sign of trust.

The Teacher says "Think Before You Act, Think Before You React, Think Before You Speak, and Think Before You Lead." Why? Because wise people anticipate; fools react.

We all have a common destiny but we do not all have a common eternity. One day death is coming, what do we do in the meantime?

How should the believer respond to someone who does not recognize nor accept the authority of God and the Bible? And, what if the person who does not recognize nor accept the authority of God and the Bible is over us...then what? Believers throughout time have come to very different conclusions as to what our response should be when Christ and culture clash. In today's text, the Teacher (probably Solomon) teaches us how to get-along with the king.

If I do the right things am I guaranteed the right results? Is there a "Law of Linearity" which confirms if you do "A" you will automatically get "B"? Or is this a false hope? Are there actually no guarantees in this life? This is what the Teacher explores in the second half of Ecclesiastes 7.

In Chapter 7, the Teacher gives several comparative couplets about how and why some things are better than other things. Ironically some things that seem like bad things can often end up being the better things in the long run. The Teacher also instructs us that we will never move forward by looking backwards.