Reverberate: A Berean Bible Church Podcast | Knoxville, TN

Title: Wandering Appetites

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0:00 Introduction

3:26 Reading Ecclesiastes 3:3-9

4:40 If Your Soul's Not Satisfied, What's the Point?

10:02 What Is Satisfaction?

10:45 Our Appetites Are Never Satisfied

18:00 What Advantage Does the Wise Have Over the Fool?

20:22 Don't Pursue Control. Pursue Good.

24:05 Wandering Appetites

27:54 Looking At the Good that God Has Given Right Now

31:28 The Proper Place for Goals and Ambition

33:28 Where Do You Fail to Enjoy Something Good Because Your Appetite Wanders?

35:42 The Woman at the Well

41:07 Closing Prayer

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Ecclesiastes 6:3–9

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?

All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. (ESV)

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Jed Gillis’ sermon on Ecclesiastes 6:3–9, “Wandering Appetites,” shows how easily the human soul chases satisfaction in things that cannot finally satisfy. Solomon points out that even a long life, many blessings, wisdom, work, money, relationships, safety, or achievement cannot give lasting rest when the soul keeps wandering toward “just a little bit more.” Rather than pursuing control, God calls His people to pursue what is good, to see and enjoy the gifts He has already given, and to bring every restless appetite back to Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy the soul.

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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: How to Be Less Alone at Church

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0:00 Introduction

0:39 What Does True Community Look Like in the Church?

7:16 If Community Has So Many Benefits, Why Do People Choose Isolation?

12:43 How Do We Draw Isolated People In Without Overwhelming Them?

18:11  Do Churches Sometimes Hurt Community Through Busyness

22:18 How Can Someone Cultivate Community in a Stagnant Culture?

29:09 What's Next

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Ecclesiastes 4:6–12

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.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (ESV)

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In this episode of Reverberate, Pastor Jed and Jason discuss Ecclesiastes 4 and its picture of true community. The conversation explains that biblical community is more than being in the same room, attending the same events, or exchanging surface-level conversation. Real community gives purpose, creates opportunities to help one another flourish, restores those who fall, strengthens the weak, and reminds believers that life is not meant to be lived alone. Pastor Jed also addresses why people often choose isolation, especially after hurt, fear, pride, or a desire for control, while emphasizing that the gospel gives believers enough security to risk loving others again. The episode closes by calling the church to pursue isolated people with gentleness and by reminding individuals that programs can create opportunities, but people create community through repeated, intentional love.

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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: Adam, Eli, and David: A Warning to Men

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0:00 It's Father's Day

0:48 Adam, Eli, and David: Examples of Passivity

6:50 Adam, The Passivity of Silence

16:29 Eli, The Passivity of Weak Correction

26:11 David, the Passivity of Indulgence

32:29 Jesus Succeeds Where These Men Failed

34:50 Practical Questions Worthy of Consideration

40:06 God Calls Us to Faithful Responsibility

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Genesis 3:1–7

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (ESV)

1 Samuel 2:22–25

Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death. (ESV)

1 Kings 1:5–6

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. (ESV)

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In “Adam, Eli, and David: A Warning to Men,” George Waller warns that some of the most serious failures in Scripture came through passive men who failed to take responsibility when God had called them to act. Adam shows the danger of silence, standing by while God’s Word was questioned. Eli shows the danger of weak correction, speaking against sin but failing to restrain it. David shows the danger of indulgence, loving his son without confronting him. Together, these examples call men to humble, sacrificial engagement in their homes, friendships, church, and ministries. The hope of the sermon is found in Jesus, who succeeds where these men failed and gives grace for men to repent, lead with courage, speak truth in love, and faithfully care for those entrusted to them.

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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: Grief, Joy, and the Resurrection

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0:00 Introduction

0:29 How Does The Resurrection Illuminate Ecclesiastes?

7:04 How Can Ecclesiastes Help Us Talk With Unbelievers?

10:23 How Can Ecclesiastes Guide the Way We Comfort Others

13:27 Staying Grounded Without Pulling People Down

16:33 Taking Joy In the Fleeting Nature of Life

18:32 Pastoring a Depressed Ecclesiastes Reader

22:30 What's Next?

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* John 11:1-44: The story of Lazarus. Jesus delays, Lazarus dies, Mary and Martha grieve, Jesus weeps, and then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

* John 11:11-14: “Lazarus has fallen asleep.” Jesus explains that Lazarus has died.

* John 11:21, 32: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha and Mary both say this to Jesus.

* John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”

* John 11:43-44: Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb.

* 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: Christ has been raised, and those who belong to Christ will also be raised.

* 1 Thessalonians 4:13: Believers grieve, but “not as others do who have no hope.”

* Matthew 6:19-20: Lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not steal.

* 2 Corinthians 4:16-17: “Our outer self is wasting away,” but God is preparing “an eternal weight of glory.”

* Philippians 3:20: “Our citizenship is in heaven.”

* Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

* Ecclesiastes 1:2: “Vanity of vanities.” Life is described as hevel, or breath.

* Ecclesiastes 1:3: Life “under the sun.” The episode uses this as a repeated phrase for life viewed apart from resurrection hope.

* Ecclesiastes 7:1: “The day of death” is better than “the day of birth.” The episode connects this to a completed life and a good name.

* Ecclesiastes 2:24-25: Eating, drinking, and enjoying work are gifts from God.

* Ecclesiastes 3:12-13: It is good to rejoice, do good, and enjoy God’s gifts.

* Ecclesiastes 5:18-20: Enjoying life, work, food, and drink is described as God’s gift.

* Revelation 21:4: God will wipe away every tear. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.

* John 3:16: God gave his only Son to redeem and restore.

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Pastor Jed and Jason discuss how the resurrection of Jesus shines light on Ecclesiastes without making light of real sorrow. Ecclesiastes helps us name life under the sun honestly. It is fleeting, painful, limited, and full of both grief and good gifts. The Gospel gives believers a deeper hope because death, injustice, and sadness are not the final word. Through the story of Lazarus, the conversation shows how Jesus grieves death while also holding resurrection power over it. That hope frees Christians to mourn with honesty, enjoy God’s gifts without trying to control them, and speak with unbelievers who feel the emptiness of life under the sun.

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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 Wealth of Wisdom

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0:00 Intro

0:34 Reading Ecclesiastes 5–6:2

4:03 Prayer

4:58 Who Do You Seek Advice From?

8:21 Solomon's Wealth, Wisdom, Worship, and Women

11:57 God is God, and You Are Not

16:03 Wealth and Wisdom

16:52 The Love of Money is Endless

21:14 Work Hard, Sleep Well

26:33 Don't Trust in Savings

33:55 Don't Trust in Investments

35:38 Don't Depend on Your Legacy

39:21 Don't Depend on Profits

41:57 Solomon's Heart and Wealth was Turned Away to Strangers

43:48 Enjoy Your Work and God's Good Blessings

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Ecclesiastes 5:10–20

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. (ESV)

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In “A Wealth of Wisdom,” Jon Farra teaches from Ecclesiastes 5:10–20 that money is a good gift from God, but a terrible place to put our hope. Solomon warns that loving money only creates a hunger for more, while savings, investments, legacy, and profits can all be lost or left behind. The sermon calls believers to work hard, trust the Lord, give freely, and hold possessions with open hands. True joy does not come from controlling wealth, but from receiving God’s blessings with gratitude and enjoying the work and life He has given.

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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: Why Work Hard If Life Is Fleeting?

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0:00 Introduction

0:26 Is It Okay to Be Happy?

6:23 How Do We Avoid Putting Identity in Work?

11:55 If Work Is Meaningless, then Why Work at All?

16:12 Do We Have Too Much Access to Wisdom?

20:46 Grasping for Knowledge Like Adam and Eve?

24:45  What's next?

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* Ecclesiastes 1:17-18: And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

* Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

* Matthew 10:42: And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

* Ecclesiastes 12:13: The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

* Isaiah 46:10: Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’

* Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

* Genesis 2:16-17: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.’

* Genesis 3:5: For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

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In this episode, Pastor Jed and Jason talk through Ecclesiastes and the tension between enjoying God’s good gifts and admitting that those gifts are fleeting. Work, pleasure, achievement, and wisdom are not bad. They are gifts from God. The problem comes when we ask them to give us lasting identity, safety, worth, or control. Pastor Jed explains that Solomon is not calling us to reject joy or stop working hard. He is teaching us to receive good things in their proper place. True wisdom begins with trusting God, not trying to become God. The conversation helps listeners see how to pursue joy, work, and knowledge with open hands while resting in the God who gives meaning beyond life under the sun.

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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: Solomon's Question, Jesus' Answer
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0:00 Fight, Flight, or Freeze
 8:46 Reading Matthew 6:25-33
10:14 Jesus' Heart of Compassion
11:24 What We're Often Anxious About
14:53 Life is More than Food
18:03 Are You Not of More Value?
19:29  What Does Your Anxiety Do Anyway?
21:25 God Makes Your Life Beautiful
24:21  Don't Seek After These Things
26:57  Seek First the Kingdom of God
30:32 Trusting God
32:38 Fear Not
33:44 How to Battle Anxiety
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Matthew 6:25–33
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)
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In “Solomon’s Question, Jesus’ Answer,” Jed Gillis shows how Jesus speaks compassionately to anxious people in Matthew 6:25–33. Anxiety often comes from realizing we are not in control while still trying to hold our lives together through effort, withdrawal, or paralysis. Jesus answers that fear by reminding us that life is more than food, our value is greater than the birds, and our future rests in the care of a Father who knows what we need. Instead of seeking safety, worth, and beauty through our own anxious grasping, Jesus calls us to seek first the kingdom of God. The path out of anxiety is to remember what the King says, pursue what the King loves, and trust the King’s heart, because the Father delights to give his people the kingdom.
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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 Peace of Not Being in Control

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0:00 Introduction

0:25 What Do You Mean by ""Control"" and ""Anxiety""?

8:59 Living Wisely Versus Grasping for Control

16:21 How to Encourage Ambition Without Making it an Idol

20:29 Teaching Wisdom Without Promising Outcomes

26:36 What's Next?

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Ecclesiastes 3:11. “God has put eternity in man's heart.”

Ecclesiastes 3:12. Paraphrased as “Enjoy God and do good.”

Proverbs 15:1. “A soft answer turns away wrath.”

Daniel 6. Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den.

Acts 7:54-60. Stephen being stoned.

Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42. Jesus in the garden: “If this is possible, let this pass from me, but not my will, but yours be done.”

Job 1:8 and Job 2:3. Job is mentioned as a righteous man whose wise life did not first produce the outcome he would have chosen.

Exodus 2:11-15. Moses killing the Egyptian and fleeing into the wilderness.

Acts 7:23-30. Moses at 40 years old, then 40 years in the wilderness.

Hebrews 11:10. Abraham looking for “a city” built by God.

Hebrews 11:35-38. Those who trusted God and suffered or died in this life.

Acts 27. Paul being shipwrecked.

2 Corinthians 11:24-27. Paul being beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked.

James 4:13-15. “Don’t say we’re going to go to such and such a town, buy and sell, gain a profit… Instead say, ‘If the Lord wills.’”

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Pastor Jed and Jason discuss how Ecclesiastes exposes the limits of human control and points us away from self-trust. The conversation explores the connection between control, anxiety, and our desire to guarantee meaning, safety, and worth for ourselves. They also talk through the difference between wise planning and grasping for control, especially in parenting, ambition, and teaching children wisdom. Rather than promising that wisdom will always produce the outcome we want, Ecclesiastes reminds us to steward what God has given, enjoy his good gifts, do good, and trust him with what we cannot control.

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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 Palace, the Priest, and the Plow
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0:00 Do You Trust God Enough to Battle Fear When You Know You're Not In Control?
5:09 Reading Ecclesiastes
5:53 Human Leadership is Not Ultimate
7:26 Leadership is Not a Substitute for Genuine Community
10:01 Learning to Take Advice
12:56 There's Always Opportunity for Growth
15:14 Position and Authority Comes and Goes
16:31 Leadership is Frustrating If You Use It to Control Your Life
20:21 Solomon Does Not Just Change Topics
21:35 Guard How You Approach God
23:20 Drawing Near to Listen is Better than the Sacrifice of Fools
25:35 When You Approach God, Are You Listening or Speaking?
30:22 Don't Be Rash With Your Mouth Before God
35:42 Don't Delay Paying a Vow to God
37:30 Our Dreams for Life Are Fleeting
39:59 Human Authority Often Comes With Oppression and Injustice
41:40 Do You Trust the King of Kings to Care About the Lowest Farmer?
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Ecclesiastes 4:13–16
Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. (ESV)
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Jed Gillis explains that Ecclesiastes exposes our restless desire to control life through work, success, leadership, speech, worship, and human systems. Solomon shows that human authority rises and falls, public approval fades, and even wise leaders cannot carry the weight of ultimate hope. In response, God’s people must approach him with humble listening, careful words, faithful obedience, and reverent fear. Rather than grasping for control in a world marked by injustice and frustration, believers are called to trust the King of kings, who sees the palace, the priest, and the plow, and cares even for the lowest farmer. 
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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: Cake Was Never Meant to Last Forever

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0:00 Introduction

0:33 Is The Translation "Vanity" Misleading?

9:12 Can Life Be Hevel and Still Be Good?

13:14 The Opposite of Hevel is Eternal

15:23 Why Is Hevel Sometimes Translated "Idol?"

20:31 What's Next?

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* **Ecclesiastes 1:2**: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

* **Ecclesiastes 1:3**: “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?”

* **Ecclesiastes 1:9**: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

* **Ecclesiastes 1:14**: “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”

* **Ecclesiastes 1:17**: "And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind."

* **Ecclesiastes 2:11**: "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

* **Ecclesiastes 2:15**: “Then I said in my heart, ‘What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?’ And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.”

* **Ecclesiastes 12:13**: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

* **Psalm 39:5-6**: "Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!"

* **Deuteronomy 32:21**: “They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols.”

* **2 Kings 17:15**: “They went after false idols and became false.”

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In this episode of Reverberate, Pastor Jed and Jason talk through the meaning of hevel in Ecclesiastes and why the common translations “vanity” or “meaningless” can sometimes lead readers in the wrong direction. Rather than saying life is worthless, Ecclesiastes shows us that life under the sun is fleeting, hard to grasp, and impossible to control.

The conversation explores how good gifts like wisdom, pleasure, food, family, and work can still be enjoyed when we receive them as gifts from God. But when we ask those gifts to give us eternal weight, lasting identity, or ultimate purpose, they become burdens and even idols. Ecclesiastes calls us to stop treating temporary gifts as eternal things and to find our substance, joy, and worship in the eternal God.

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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.