The First Cast

How do you enjoy life when you know you can’t keep it? In Ecclesiastes 2:12–26, Solomon confronts the certainty of death and the limits of wisdom, work, and success. But he also discovers something surprising: life is not something to grasp, but a gift to receive. When God is at the center, we can enjoy His gifts without asking them to be God.

Message 6 - 8.16.2026

Solomon had the freedom to pursue virtually every desire, including unlimited sexual pleasure. But did getting everything he wanted finally make him happy? In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon exposes the trap of sexual idolatry and reaches his verdict on the pursuit of pleasure: the pleasure was real, but it wasn’t enough. Only God can carry the weight of the human soul.

Message 5 - 8.9.2026

Pleasure promises happiness, but can it actually satisfy the soul? In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon puts pleasure to the test, pursuing laughter, achievement, wealth, and everything his heart desired. His experiment exposes a truth we still need to hear: God’s gifts are good, but they were never designed to take God’s place.

Message 4 - 8.2.2026

In the third message of The Meaningless Summer, we continue our journey through Ecclesiastes as Solomon searches for meaning through wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He discovers that while knowledge is a gift from God, it has limits. Information cannot transform the human heart or fix what sin has broken. Ultimately, Solomon's search points us beyond human wisdom to Jesus Christ, the true Wisdom of God and the only One who can redeem what is broken.

Message 3 - 7.26.2026

In Part 2 of Holding Smoke, we continue our journey through Ecclesiastes 1 by exploring why we keep asking temporary things to do eternal work. Solomon exposes the endless cycle of life "under the sun," reminding us that our hearts will never find lasting satisfaction in things that were never meant to satisfy. The answer isn't to abandon God's gifts, but to stop asking them to do what only God can do. Ecclesiastes invites us to look beyond the sun and discover the lasting meaning found in Him alone.

Message 2 - 7.19.2026

Why does nothing seem to satisfy? In the opening message of The Meaningless Summer, we begin exploring Ecclesiastes and discover that God isn't afraid of our hardest questions. Together, we unpack the meaning of hevel—life as vapor, mist, or smoke—and learn that the problem isn't that life has no meaning, but that we've been trying to find ultimate meaning in temporary things.

Message 1 - 7.12.2026

We often skip over the closing verses of Paul's letters, but Colossians 4 reminds us that God doesn't. Behind every name is a story of faithfulness, grace, perseverance, prayer, and service. From Tychicus to Onesimus, from Mark to Epaphras, these ordinary believers show how Jesus builds His church through people who simply remain faithful. This final message in the Jesus Over Everything series is a reminder that God's Kingdom has never advanced because a few people became famous, but because ordinary people faithfully followed an extraordinary Savior.

7.5.26 - Message 17

How many words did you speak today? The average person speaks around 16,000 words every day, but Jesus reminds us that our words reveal our hearts. In this message from Colossians 4:2-6, discover what it looks like for Christ to be Lord over every word you speak. Learn why prayer comes before proclamation, why the Gospel is too important to be unclear, and how your everyday conversations can either strengthen or weaken your witness. If Jesus is truly over your heart, He will be over your words.

6.28.26 - Message 16

What holds a home together?

In Colossians 3:18–4:1, Paul shows us God's design for the home and reminds us that every relationship is meant to orbit Christ. Wives submit, husbands love, children obey, parents build up rather than tear down, and everyone ultimately serves the Lord Jesus.

Using the picture of gravity and orbit, this message explores how homes drift into chaos when they move away from God's design, but flourish when Christ is at the center.

When we reject God's design, the planets start colliding. But when Christ is at the center, every relationship finds its proper orbit.

6.21.26 - Message 15

Following Jesus is not just about taking off sin. It is about putting on Christ.

In Colossians 3:10-17, Paul calls believers to live out their new identity by clothing themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. We discover God's plan for handling conflict, growing in Christ, and allowing His peace and Word to guide our lives.

The Christian life is not led by feelings. It is led by Christ.

And in everything we do, there is one ultimate purpose: God's glory.

6.14.26 - Message 14