Even the godliest people need to occasionally pull over, ask some diagnostic questions, and make adjustments. In this section of Ecclesiastes we are going to pull over for a soul pit stop and have Solomon run diagnostics on our soul with nine questions to get us healed up, tuned up, and back to enjoying life with God.

Anyone and anything can be broken, taken, or forever changed in an instant. Knowing this leaves us with only a few options:

Option A – you get bitter when you lose who/what you enjoyed

Option B – enjoy nothing/no one so that you cannot get hurt

Option C – enjoy what you have for as long as you can and when it’s gone be grateful to God for what you had

In Western culture, the adults have invented a new game that I like to call “Climb the Ladder.” In Climb the Ladder you look at those people who are above you on the rungs of success. You spend so much time looking at life on their rung - such as the car they drive, house they live in, clothes they wear, food they eat, and social events they enjoy – that when you look down at your rung beneath them you find yourself unhappy.

Class conflict between the rich and poor is seemingly constant, and only increased during an election season. It is common for each side to villainize the other...This conflict is so deep in the roots of western cultures that even Christians get into the mudslinging and name calling. The truth is, you can cherry pick Bible verses to support both sides quite easily, which is what left leaning poverty theology and right leaning prosperity theology tend to do.

Satan and demons are at war against God, angels, and Christians. Satan is the accuser, adversary, destroyer, deceiver, father of lies, tempter, murderer, evil one, and a real enemy. Jesus comes to liberate those who are taken captive in this cosmic battle. When he meets a man possessed by a multitude of demons, he exercises his authority over them. He casts them out of the man and into a large herd of pigs (unclean animals in the Old Covenant), condemning that region’s pagan way of life. The people are scared of Jesus, but the saved man obeys Jesus and stays behind to boldly preach his story about what Jesus did for him—converting many others after him.

Pastor Mark preaches on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus—fully man and fully God—ministered to crowds of thousands. As a man, he was truly exhausted when he and his disciples set out in a boat to cross the sea. He was so tired that he slept through a dangerous storm that made his disciples—experienced fishermen—desperate for help. As God, he commanded the wind and waves to be still; they obeyed Jesus’ voice, the voice of the Creator. The disciples were amazed because only God has such authority. Jesus is the Creator who made the world and the Savior who came into the world to rescue sinners.

When was the last time you met with God? When is the last time you gathered with God’s people for corporate worship? What was the attitude in your heart and mind? Did you come prepared to meet with God, or just roll in and roll out to be entertained as if the point of a worship service was the same as a concert or movie – to put on a good performance for you?

The world is filled with people, and it is tough to figure out which ones you should befriend, allow access to, take advice from, and do life with.

Self esteem. Self improvement. Self help. Self love. Self actualization. Self pride. It’s all self delusion. Preaching from Philippians 2:1-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll teaches how Jesus is for us the most happy person who has ever lived because, in part, He was the most humble.

If you had more money what would you buy? New car? New house? New body? Could any amount of money buy you joy? Preaching from Philippians 4:10-23 Pastor Mark Driscoll reveals that the rebels guide to joy includes knowing how to have joy even when you are flat busted broke and too poor to pay attention.