First Pres Lake Wales Youth Ministry Podcast

What do you think of when you hear the word 'Christmas'? When Luke heard the word Christmas, he thought about pigs flying, sneezing with your eyes open, and being able to lick your own elbow. In other words, Luke thought about the impossible being made possible.  

In our new Advent series, we ask what Matthew thought of when he heard the word Christmas. When we think of Christmas, we might think of Santa and presents. Matthew, on the other hand, thought about a hero going to war to save hostages from danger. 

Unfortunately, Ecclesiastes ends where it begins. Solomon throws up his hands, saying how pointless everything is. But doesn't Solomon's message contradict what the Bible says about the meaning of life? We hear another voice in Ecclesiastes with some answers. 

After experimenting with the party life, Solomon attempts to find meaning in religion. Solomon becomes an expert on religion and shares his wisdom with us in Ecclesiastes chapter 5. 

For Solomon, finding something good in a horrible, frustrating, disappointing life is like finding a needle in a haystack. In Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon finds the needle. 

Solomon, reflecting on the frustrating nature of life, begins to blame God his disappointing existence. In Ecclesiastes 3, we see Solomon as Judge putting God on trial.  

Solomon finally finds something of worth in life: wisdom! He finds that if he applies himself and tries to live according to life's big picture, he will end with a good outcome. But does life really play by those rules? Solomon seeks to find the answer in Ecclesiastes 2:12-26. 

Solomon, in his search for purpose, experiences different kinds of pleasure. Solomon lives bigger and parties harder than any of us could have ever imagined. In Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 we see his conclusion on the matter.

Solomon says the secret to growing in wisdom is paying attention to the world around us. But when we pay attention to life, we realize a host of unsolvable problems. Does Solomon have a solution? We find out as we look at Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.

Doesn't it feel like we are sometimes stuck in the repetitive cycle of life? What's the point of it all? King Solomon addresses this subject in the first section of Ecclesiastes.