The preacher brings up ideas surrounding greed and reminds us that it is a wicked thing. Greed harms the poor and the greedy. How can we protect against it?

Chapter 5 begins with the preacher focusing on the practice of sacrifice and warns that obedience is better than sacrifice. Similarly, our outward practices of worship can easily be done with other motives, we need to check our hearts as well as our priorities.

In the rest of chapter 4, the preacher looks at the futility of three areas of relationships; people as competitors, people as companions, and people in crowds. And does the gospel speak to all of this apparent meaninglessness?

Chapter 3 continues by examining injustice and oppression. How does the world view these things, and how does scripture understand them? Finally, what are we to do about them?

It is hard to see what some things are because we are too close to them. God sees the big picture now, and we cannot see the big picture yet- we can make the most of what we can see.

In the second chapter, the Teacher explores pleasure and happiness. What does it mean to pursue the good life? He asks, "Do we find meaning, satisfaction, and happiness in the pursuit of pleasure?"

What lens do yo view the world through? The Preacher's lens is "human wisdom" . Human wisdom teaches us that the world is broken, that we are broken, and that we need more than human wisdom.

Ecclesiastes chapter 1 continues with the preacher asking what is good for and concluding that work is unprofitable - that the created world has futility built into it. We are called to have Christ be the foundation of our work. Only this will last.

As an introduction to the book of Ecclesiastes, we look at 3 questions: Who wrote it? What does "hevel" mean? Why are we studying this book?

Jesus "appears" in Matthew 2 as we celebrate Epiphany Sunday. He confronts a wicked ruler and threatens his power, he draws curious pagans through their own false religion, and he challenges those who give their allegiance to him to trust in God's plan even when it is hard.