Moody Podcast Network

What book of the Bible reminds us that life is short and wisdom means making the most of the time God has given us? Ecclesiastes.

This remarkable book refuses to let us avoid one of life’s most uncomfortable realities: our time here is brief. Life “under the sun” is fleeting, our accomplishments will not last forever, and eventually every one of us will leave behind everything we have accumulated.

But Ecclesiastes does not confront us with mortality simply to make us somber. It reminds us that life is short so we will learn to receive it as a gift. And that perspective changes how we think about everything—including our money.

Consider Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, rising more than 29,000 feet above sea level.

For generations, climbers dreamed of reaching its summit. But even today, with modern equipment and experienced guides, the journey remains extraordinarily dangerous. At roughly 26,000 feet, climbers enter what is commonly called the “death zone,” where the air contains too little oxygen for the human body to survive indefinitely.

A climber who reaches the summit cannot stay there. No matter how breathtaking the view, it's eventually time to descend.

Imagine two climbers standing at the top. One spends the moment focused entirely on everything that has gone wrong. His ankle hurts. The air is painfully thin. He is exhausted. The conditions are uncomfortable.

The other notices those same realities but also looks around. He sees the vastness of the mountains stretching beneath him. He thanks God for the beauty of creation and recognizes how extraordinary it is simply to be standing there.

Both climbers are in the same place. But only one is truly receiving the moment.

Ecclesiastes teaches us that life is something like standing on that summit. You just arrived, and you will not be here long. Many came before you. Many will come after you. But for this brief moment in history, you are here.

Sometimes your stay is filled with sunshine and calm. Sometimes it brings icy winds and cloud cover. Some seasons feel wonderfully full; others bring pain, disappointment, or loss.

Yet through it all, Ecclesiastes keeps reminding us: You are alive. Receive the life God has given you.

Near the conclusion of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher turns our attention directly toward the brevity of life:

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” - Ecclesiastes 12:1

A few verses later, the imagery becomes even more vivid:

“Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” - Ecclesiastes 12:6–7

Ecclesiastes asks us to think honestly about aging and death. That may sound discouraging, but the purpose is surprisingly life-giving.

If you knew you could remain on the summit only a little longer, you would pay closer attention to the view. In the same way, remembering that our earthly lives are limited can help us become more grateful for the life we have today.

Ecclesiastes repeatedly reminds us that we will age, decline, and eventually die. Death appears throughout the book because the reality of our mortality exposes the limits of everything we are tempted to treat as ultimate.

Money cannot stop death. Achievement cannot stop death. Possessions cannot stop death. Even wisdom, though better than folly, cannot make us immortal.

That realization could lead to despair. Instead, Ecclesiastes repeatedly points us toward gratitude. 

Because life is temporary, ordinary gifts become precious. A meal shared with people you love

Repentance pulls up the weeds ... but restoration grows something new.  Today on BOLD STEPS, Mark Jobe concludes his series A Heart for God with more powerful truth from Psalm 51.  We’ll learn why we have to stop hiding and excusing our spiritual failures, and how to press in for full and lasting restoration.  Find the voice of your calling again ... listen to Bold Steps with Pastor Mark Jobe.

Bold Steps Gift: The Church In Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness - Erwin Lutzer and Ed Stetzer

Visit or watch Mark Jobe at New Life Community Church

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The feminine life is beautiful, yet navigating womanhood isn’t easy. Women are bombarded with competing voices and messages from both outside the church and within it. Is there a compelling alternative to the narratives clamoring for women’s allegiance? Kendra Dahl will join us to invite women to embrace their dignity and persevere in the way of Christ with courage and conviction.

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If you’re living somewhere between curated perfection and chaos as a mother, you don’t want to miss Chris Fabry Live. Author, speaker, and homeschool mom Jamie Erickson says if you are an overwhelmed mom, it's time to quiet the chaos and reclaim what matters most. The overwhelm does not have to steal the joy of your motherhood journey. Hear a "Best of Chris Fabry Live" that will encourage your soul.

Featured resource:
Overwhelmed Mom: Quiet the Chaos, Mind What Matters, and Enjoy Your Life Again by Jamie Erickson

October thank you gift:
Consider Jesus: Meditations on the Person and Work of Christ by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.

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What would it look like to form kids with lasting faith in Jesus, no matter the culture or context? On our next edition of Equipped with Chris Brooks, president of Awana, Matt Markins will talk about how we can help train up our young people in their faith. How do we disciple the next generation in a post-Christian culture? Get some hope and tips on the next Equipped.

Featured resource:
Forming Faith by Matt Markins, Mike Handler, and Sam Luce

October thank you gift:
The Rekindled Heart: 6 Essentials for Reviving Your Faith by Mark Yarbrough

Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

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Theologian Dorothy Sayers once wrote, “Work is not primarily a thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to do.”

That challenges the way many of us think about our jobs. We often see work primarily as a way to earn a paycheck, provide for our families, or make it to retirement. But Scripture gives us a much bigger vision.

From the first pages of the Bible to the last, Scripture does not present work as a necessary evil. It is woven into what it means to bear God's image. And whether our work is paid or unpaid, public or unnoticed, Scripture invites us to offer it to God as an act of worship.

Sometimes we speak about work as though it were a consequence of the fall. But work existed before sin ever entered the world. Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Adam was given meaningful responsibility in a world God repeatedly called good. Work was part of humanity’s original purpose.

What changed after the fall was not the existence of work but our experience of it. Genesis 3 describes thorns and thistles, painful toil, and the frustration that would now accompany human labor. Work remained good, but it became difficult.

We still experience those thorns today: projects that fail, difficult coworkers, exhaustion, inefficiency, layoffs, broken systems, and days when our efforts seem to produce very little fruit.

Yet Scripture’s story does not end there. Redemption reaches every part of our lives, including how we understand and practice our work.

And the Bible’s final picture is not one of eternal inactivity. Revelation 22 says that God’s servants will serve Him and “reign forever and ever.” The world to come is marked by meaningful service under the rule of Christ.

Work was good in the beginning, and meaningful service remains part of the future God is preparing for His people.

One of Scripture’s most striking pictures of work appears in Exodus 31. When God commands Israel to build the tabernacle, He chooses a man named Bezalel for the task. God says: 

“I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship.” - Exodus 31:3

That is remarkable. The first person Scripture explicitly describes as being “filled” with the Spirit of God is not being equipped to preach a sermon or lead an army. He is being equipped to create.

Bezalel would work with gold, silver, bronze, stone, wood, and fabric. His craftsmanship mattered because God Himself had entrusted that work to him. That should expand the way we think about serving God.

Faithfulness is not limited to what happens inside a church building. A teacher grading papers, an accountant reviewing numbers, a carpenter building a home, a parent caring for children, or a volunteer serving meals can all honor God through faithful work.

God cares not only that work gets done, but also how it gets done.

Paul makes this explicit in Colossians 3:23–24: 

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Notice the breadth of those words: “Whatever you do.” That means no tasks are insignificant just because they seem ordinary. The spreadsheet matters. The dishes matter. The phone call matters. The diaper change matters. The meeting matters. The quiet act of caring for an aging parent matters.

Not because every task is glamorous, but because we can offer every task to Christ. That changes our motivation.

We no longer have to work primarily for applause, recognition, promotion, or comparison. Excellence can become an act of love rather than a strategy for proving our worth.

Our value does not rise and fall with our job title. Our identity is secure in Christ. That freedom allows us

Remember the joy you had when you first started following Jesus?  Today on BOLD STEPS, Mark Jobe opens Psalm 51 ... King David’s own “lost and found” chapter … to reveal why regaining spiritual joy begins with waking up to our need to be clean again, and what happens when we step out of the darkness and into God’s light.  Start your journey back to joy ... listen to Bold Steps with Pastor Mark Jobe.

Bold Steps Gift: The Church In Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness - Erwin Lutzer and Ed Stetzer

Visit or watch Mark Jobe at New Life Community Church

Become a Bold Partner: https://www.moodyradio.org/donateto/boldsteps

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Civilization is fighting to survive tragic times. Lt. Col Dave Grossman will join us to provide a spiritual warfare guide that will prepare our hearts and minds for battle, teaching us to identify, understand, and fight evil forces. Dave strong believes that with God, we can rise as virtuous Christian warriors who defend and protect the innocent, helpless, and oppressed.

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Artificial intelligence can help us build a budget, explain an investment, or compare financial options in seconds. But how much should we trust AI with our money? AI is quickly becoming part of everyday life; it even impacts the way we manage our finances. Like any tool, it can be used wisely or unwisely. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West discusses how Christians should think about AI and money. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial journey. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

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To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

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His music comes from a heart surrendered to God. And if you are in pain because of a life situation, if you have bloody knuckles from knocking on heaven’s door, you need to hear Jon Lind's song, "Pray It Anyway." Meet this singer/songwriter who believes God can take the broken parts of your story and transform it into something beautiful. Don't miss the music and conversation on Chris Fabry Live.

October thank you gift:
Consider Jesus by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.

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