Reverberate: A Berean Bible Church Podcast | Knoxville, TN

Title: Fleeting Joy and Uncertain Wisdom

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1:29 Life Under the Sun

4:57 Reading Ecclesiastes 9

6:33 The Certainty of Death

16:09 The Brokenness of the World

18:30 The Madness in Man's Heart

20:04 Life is Better Than Death

25:33 If Death is Coming, How Am I Supposed to Live?

21:51 We Often Let the Certainty of Death Rob Us of All Joy Now

25:33 Receive the Day

26:25 Pursue Real Joy Right Now in This Physical World

31:39 God Wants You to Enjoy Comfort

36:10 Enjoy Life With Others

38:42 Pursue Meaning in Your Work

42:21 Pursue Wisdom

44:42 Conclusion

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Ecclesiastes 9

But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. (ESV)

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In “Fleeting Joy and Uncertain Wisdom,” Jed Gillis examines how Ecclesiastes 9 calls us to live in a broken and unpredictable world where death comes to everyone. Since we cannot control our circumstances or outcomes, we should trust God as the giver of every good gift. Solomon urges us to receive each day with gratitude, enjoy life with others, work wholeheartedly, and pursue wisdom even though wisdom cannot guarantee success. Life under the sun is fleeting, but God still gives us real opportunities for joy, meaning, and wise living.

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Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Working Hard With a Restful Heart
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0:00 Introduction
0:26 When Solomon Says "There's Nothing Better for Man to Enjoy His Toil," Is He Being Sarcastic?
3:57 What Does Solomon Mean by Gain?
9:18 Is This Just a Call to Simple Gratitude?
10:33 Is a "Handful of Quietness" Only an Internal Posture, or Should It Actually Change Our Schedules and Commitments?
14:06 During Busy Seasons, How Can We Tell Our Attitude Towards Work Is Biblical?
16:12 Is a "Handful of Quietness" a Call to Laziness?
19:55 Is a "Handful of Quietness" the Same Thing as "Work/Life Balance?"
23:13 Is It Wrong to Want Recognition for Good Work?
32:57 What's Next?
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Ecclesiastes 3:9–13
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 
Ecclesiastes 4:5–8
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. (ESV)
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Solomon calls work a good gift from God, yet warns against expecting it to provide lasting meaning, peace, or control. Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason discuss how Christians can work hard with a restful heart, recognize when fear is driving their efforts, and receive the fruit of their labor with gratitude. They also consider whether it is wrong to desire recognition for good work and how healthy encouragement can serve others without feeding pride.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: A Field Guide to Unfair Days
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0:00 A Field Guide to Unfair Days
5:27 Reading Ecclesiastes 8
6:33 Wise Humility Can Feel Scary, And Wickedness Can Seem Rewarding
7:50 How Do You Pursue Good When You're Not King?
11:16 Keep the King's Command
12:43 Do Not Be Hasty to Leave the King's Presence
16:22 Don't Complain About Petty Issues
26:19 Applying These Principles to Modern Contexts
20:40 Applying These Principles to Politics
26:28 What If My Authority is Wicked?
32:60 Pursue Good, Not Control
35:19 Look for Joy
40:21 Find Joy in What Feels Unfair
41:29 What Would It Look Like to Enjoy God in That Area?
42:05 How Can I Enjoy God's Good Gifts in That Area?
43:14 Finding and Enjoying Good Work in That Area
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Ecclesiastes 8
Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and the hardness of his face is changed.
I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out. (ESV)
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Ecclesiastes 8 offers a field guide for days when life feels unfair, those in authority make poor choices, and wicked people appear to prosper. Solomon calls us to pursue wisdom and righteousness without trying to control every outcome. We should respect authority, do our work well, and seek opportunities to influence others for good. We must also know when to take a firm stand for what is right. Though judgment may seem delayed, wickedness cannot deliver lasting security. It will ultimately be well with those who fear God.
Rather than letting fear, frustration, or the desire for control rule us, we can look for joy in the life God has given us. Even in difficult circumstances, we can enjoy God, recognize his good gifts, and take pleasure in the good work he places before us.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN.

Learn more at berean.church.

Title: God Is Still Just
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0:00 Introduction
0:23 Injustice and Oppression is a Reality of Life Under the Sun
3:03 How Should Christians Respond to Injustice?
10:02 But What About Church Hurt?
23:10 How Would You Counsel a Victim of Spiritual Abuse?
29:01 Turning to God, Even in Seasons of Hurt
33:08 Dealing With the Big and Simple Hurts
35:38  What's Next?
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Ecclesiastes 3:16
Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. (ESV)
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In this episode, Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason discuss injustice and oppression in Ecclesiastes and how Christians should respond when wrongdoing appears in places meant to protect and care for people. They consider the difference between righteous action and personal vengeance, along with the pain of church hurt and spiritual abuse. The conversation also offers help for grieving honestly, rebuilding trust wisely, receiving God’s good gifts, and resting in the God who judges justly.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Empty Promise of Overthinking

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0:00 Marketing: Your Life is Unpredictable, and Our Product Can Solve That

3:38  Reading Ecclesiastes 7

5:03  Consider the Work of God

6:11 Who Can Make Straight What He Has Made Crooked?

15:54 Sometimes Righteous People Perish and Evil People Flourish

21:05 Examples of Good You Can Pursue

27:52 The Impossible Task of Seeking Out the Scheme of Things

37:00 Where Are You Tempted?

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Ecclesiastes 7:13–29

Consider the work of God:

who can make straight what he has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. (ESV)

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In Ecclesiastes 7:13–29, Solomon confronts the empty promise that enough thought, wisdom, or careful planning can make life predictable. God gives both prosperity and adversity, and no human scheme can remove life’s uncertainty. Overthinking may disguise itself as wisdom, but it often feeds pride or fear by tempting us to believe we can control every outcome.

Jed Gillis explains that uncertainty should lead neither to passivity nor foolish risk. Instead, believers are called to fear God, pursue wisdom and righteousness, and trust Him with the results. God did not create us to understand every detail of His plan. He created us to depend on Him and faithfully pursue the good He has placed before us.

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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.

Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Are You Praying or Bargaining?

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0:00 Introduction

0:24 Is Praying for Things the Same as "Bargaining With God?"

4:24 Drawing Near to Listen is Better

5:26 Looking at Abraham Pleading for Lot

6:36 Looking at Moses Pleading for Israel

7:21 Looking at Gideon Asking for a Sign

8:54 Can We Claim God's Promises or Specific Verses?

11:57 Wrestling With God Versus Passive Submission in Prayer

19:47 What's Next

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Ecclesiastes 5:1–3

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. (ESV)

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In this episode of Reverberate, Pastor Jed and Jason explore Solomon’s warning in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 about approaching God with humility instead of treating prayer like a transaction. They explain the difference between faithfully bringing requests before God and trying to earn God’s favor through good works, promises, or religious performance. Looking at examples such as Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and Jacob, they show that biblical prayer appeals to God’s character and promises rather than attempting to place God in our debt.

The conversation also examines what it means to “draw near to listen.” Rather than filling prayer with anxious words or trying to control outcomes, Christians are called to trust God’s goodness, cast their cares on Him, and leave room to hear His Word shape their hearts. The episode encourages a posture of reverence, quiet dependence, and genuine worship, reminding listeners that prayer is ultimately about trusting the God who loves His children, not persuading Him through bargains or performance.

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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.

Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Living Life Backwards

In Living Life Backwards, Jed Gillis explains that Ecclesiastes 6:10–7:12 calls us to stop trying to control an unknown future and instead trust the God who knows what is truly good. Solomon urges us to live with the end in view, valuing a faithful life and a good name over unrealized potential. He also teaches that sorrow can lead to wisdom, honest weakness can draw believers closer together, and wise correction is better than shallow praise.

Rather than escaping into fantasy, bitterness, or nostalgia, we should pursue wisdom in the present. This means facing difficult truths, welcoming correction from wise people, and refusing to live in anger over a past we cannot change. We do not know what lies ahead, but God does. A wise life rests in His knowledge, follows His patterns, and seeks a good end.

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0:00 Are You Ready to Continue in Battle?

3:12  Reading Ecclesiastes

5:15  A Fear of the Unknown

11:46  What Solomon Sees as Good Pursuits

11:59  Live Towards a Good End

22:26  Don't Live in a Fantasy Land Even If It Makes You Feel Happier Now

30:17  Pursue Uncomfortable Good

36:34  Don't Live in an Angry Pity Party, Even If It Feels Safer Now

41:19 Conclusion

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Ecclesiastes 6:10–7:12

Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity.

Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,

and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,

for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance,

an advantage to those who see the sun.

For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,

and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. (ESV)

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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.

Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Did Solomon Know About Heaven?---0:00 Introduction0:38 Ecclesiastes says "what happens to man and beast is the same." I thought we go to heaven when we die?6:28 Is "enjoy your work" really all there is?12:01 If all Scripture is inspired by God, why was Solomon confused about the afterlife?18:48 Solomon's complex journey to a simple conclusion20:43 What's next?---Ecclesiastes 3:18–22I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? (ESV)---In this episode, Pastor Jed and Jason discuss Ecclesiastes 3:19-22 and Solomon’s comparison between the death of people and animals. The conversation wrestles with hard questions about death, the afterlife, human limits, and what we can truly know by observation alone. Solomon is not reducing human life to animal life or denying the hope of resurrection. He is reminding us that we are creatures, not God. Death, evil, injustice, and uncertainty all confront our desire for control. Yet Ecclesiastes does not leave us in despair. It calls us to receive God’s gifts, rejoice in the work before us, do good, and trust the Lord with what we cannot see.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Christ Over All

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0:00 Introduction: Christ Over All

4:05 Christ's Power Over Darkness

16:06 Christ's Power Over Sin

21:09 Christ's Power Over Death

26:55 Christ's Power Over Earthly Kingdoms

34:24 Christ's Power Over Every Power at His Return

38:52 Closing Prayer

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Colossians 1:15–20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)

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In “Christ Over All,” Isaias Viñales preaches from Colossians 1:15–20 on the supreme authority of Jesus Christ over every power. Christ is Lord over the unseen powers of darkness, which tremble and obey at his command. He is Lord over sin, breaking its dominion through the cross and forgiving the debt that stood against us. He is Lord over death, rising bodily from the grave and holding the keys of death and Hades. He is Lord over earthly kingdoms, outlasting every empire and establishing a kingdom that will never be destroyed. The sermon calls believers to take comfort in Christ’s present reign and urges all people to bow before him now as Savior and King, before every knee bows at his return.

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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.

Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Painful Pieces in a Beautiful Story
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0:00 Introduction
00:37 How Is Everything Beautiful if Despair Exist?
7:15 How Is Everything Beautiful if Evil Exist?
8:58 How Should We Think and Talk About Tragic Situations?
15:43 Trusting God Even If We Don't See the Good
18:11 Avoiding Both Emotional Detachment and Overwhelm
24:40 What's Next?
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Ecclesiastes 3:1–13
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. (ESV)
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Pastor Jed and Jason discuss Ecclesiastes 3 and Solomon’s statement that God has made everything beautiful in its time. They wrestle with how that can be true in a world filled with grief, death, moral evil, and painful stories we do not fully understand. The conversation points to Lazarus, Joseph, and the cross to show that evil is never called good by itself, yet God can make even painful things fit within a larger story of redemption. They also discuss how Christians should grieve honestly, trust God without easy answers, and resist emotional detachment while still resting in the hope of resurrection.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.