Finding Strength

Finding Strength | October 10, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:19–22 | Living for More series

1. How does gossip destroy unity in a home, in a church, in a community? 

2. How does gossip destroy someone’s name?

3. Why do you think the words of a talebearer taste like choice morsels?

4. How can God’s wisdom strengthen a mighty person more than 10 mighty men?

5. How do mighty men and women become blinded by their might?

6. When asked, “What’s wrong with the world?” why would G.K. Chesterton say, “I am”?

7. How can you give strength to others by being wise with your words?

8. How do loose lips sink friendships, relationships, and fellowships?

9. What kind of person does David describe betraying him in Psalm 55:12–14?

10. Why should you learn to care more about what God says about you than what people say?

11. How did Jesus use His words (Isa. 53:7)?

Wisdom Chooses Grace

Wisdom Chooses Grace | September 26, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:15–18 | Living for More series

1. Are there times when you want to question God? When things in life don’t seem fair? How do you continue trusting Him during those moments?

2. Are proverbs in biblical wisdom literature hard and fast rules or general rules, like doctrine? Why is it important to know the difference?

3. Have you known a godly person who died young? Or a wicked person who lived a long life?

4. Explain the difference between karma and grace? 

5. How do Christians sometimes assume functional karma when another believer is suffering? Why can this be so hurtful?

6. How do Christians sometimes assume functional karma when another believer is prospering? Why can this be destructive?

7. Why is grace so important to someone who thinks they are self-righteous?

8. Why is grace important to someone who thinks they’re too terrible a sinner to be forgiven?

9. How do other religions and cults think they’ll earn favor with God by their good works? How do Christians in our circles sometimes think they can earn favor with God by their good works?

10. Compare Ecclesiastes 7:16b (“neither make yourself over wise”) with 1 Corinthians 8:1 (“knowledge puffs up”)?

11. Share your story of how you were a sinner saved by grace.

When Life seems Crooked

When Life Feels Crooked | September 19, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:13–14 | Living for More series

1. Do you trust God with your path, even when it feels crooked and unsafe (v. 13)?

2. Why do we want to straighten crooked twists in our lives?

3. How do we try to straighten crooked twists in our lives?

4. How has God provided for us to be made righteous (upright) again, despite our bent sin nature? See Romans 3:26.

5. Who has to deal with customized designer lusts in their life?

6. What do we mean when we say God allows good days and bad days (v. 14) so we will learn to trust Him every day?

7. When times are good, do you struggle to enjoy what God's given you?

8. When times are bad, do you struggle to be patient?

9. How has your life journey been like climbing a mountain?

10. If you could go back and straighten crooked bends in your life journey, would you?

11. Watch this Coffey team music video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IbQJkIhgKk]. How do the lyrics express the heart of Job (1:21; 2:10) and Isaiah (26:3; 45:7)?

New Community

New Community | September 12, 2021 pm | Luke 22:24–34 | testimony Dr. Jamie Oakman

At the Last Supper, Jesus explains how His death forms a new community:

1. New Kingdom

2. New Family

3. New Leadership Standard

The Good Old Days

The Good Old Days | September 12, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:10–12 | Living for More series

1. What are areas where you tend to romanticize the past (i.e. when you were younger; when your kids were young; when your loved ones were still alive)?

2. What are some funny examples (embarrassing moments in school) or serious reminders (downtown Greenville in the 90s; 9/11) of how the past wasn’t as wonderful as we tend to sugarcoat it in our imaginations?

3. Why were Adam and Eve’s pre-Fall days in the Garden the only truly and fully good days in human history so far?

4. How does pining for the past distract you from facing the challenges of the present?

5. How does pining for the past tempt you to sin against God by being ungrateful for what He's given you in the present?

6. How does pining for a romanticized ideal of people and experiences in the past point toward the true home and true family we were created for?

7. Even though money doesn’t provide permanent profit, how does it provide protection in this life?

8. How does God’s wisdom help you live?

Patient In Spirit

Patient In Spirit | September 5, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:7–9 | Living for More series

1. How does seeing all the oppression and corruption affect your heart (7)?

2. James 1 says God uses trials to test us. Have the trials of the last year and a half, revealed that you are patient in spirit or proud in spirit (8b)?

3. Do you have a short fuse (9) or are you longsuffering?

4. Does your sinful anger manifest itself not in blowing up, but by clamming up? Do you allow anger to grow in your heart (9)?

5. Why do you think it's hard to be patient in an "instant everything" world?

6. Where are places that you struggle to be patient (i.e. in the car, in line at the DMV, etc.)? What do you think are triggers for your impatience?

7. Why can the end of a thing (your marriage, your job, your college career, your life) be better than the beginning (8a)?

8. How can you cultivate the 4th fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5)?

9. How does trusting God's sovereign control over the end help you to be patient now (8)?

Wise Rebuke

Wise Rebuke | August 29, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:5–6 | Living for More series

1. Why do fools sing songs of flattery to others, instead of telling them the truth?

2. What are some reasons why it’s hard to receive criticism? 

3. How well do you receive wise rebukes? 

4. How was Solomon’s dad, David, different than his son, Solomon, in receiving wise counsel (compare 2 Samuel 12 to 1 Kings 12)?

5. Do you have friends who are willing to rebuke you, willing to tell you the truth? 

6. Who in your life can speak frankly with you about your attitude, marriage, work ethic, etc? 

7. How did you receive this criticism?

8. When was the last time you rebuked a friend? Did you speak the truth in love? How did they respond? 

9. When in your life have the “wounds of a friend” proven to be faithful and beneficial? Read Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 20:30, and Psalm 141:5. 

10. Which is harder for you: to rebuke a friend or to be rebuked by a friend? How can you grow in your confrontation skills? 

Better Than

Better Than | August 22, 2021 am | Eccles. 7:1–4 | Living for More series

Outline:

Solomon says…

1. Character is better than attractiveness (1a).

2. Your funeral is better than your birthday (1b–2).

3. Sorrow is better than laughter (3–4).

Application questions:

1. In what areas of your life is it easy to be superficial?

2. Do you find yourself valuing people more for their physical attractiveness, than their character?

3. Why is your last day better than your first day?

4. Why is sorrow better than laughter?

5. How often do you give superficial greetings (“How are you doing?” “I’m fine.”)? Why would being more transparent about your sorrow, be better?

6. When tragedy strikes, how is it better to go to a house of mourning than a house of mirth?

7. What are ways we try to distract ourselves from thinking about death and eternity?

8. Why does the psalmist ask God to teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom? 

What's Good for You

What’s Good for you | August 15, 2021 am | Eccles. 6:10–12 | Living for More series

1. Why is it vanity to contend with God (v. 10) over your gender, your body, your looks, your talent, your life?

2. Why is it important to quit contending with God, and be content in God?

3. In what areas of your life, do you essentially say, “God you’re in the way.”? 

4. How can you say, “God, you’re not in the way, you are the way” in your marriage, your finances, your forgiveness?

5. How does not trusting God’s goodness, lead people to be discontent in areas of their life?

6. What does Solomon mean in v. 12, where he seems to imply man cannot define goodness without God?

7. How does Romans 1:23 explain why our culture can insist on virtue signaling and being woke, while denying the existence of God? 

8. How do these passages (Deut. 29:29; Isaiah 55:8-9; 1 Cor. 13:12) assure us we don’t have to have everything figured out to trust God’s authority and goodness?

Satisfied

Satisfied | August 8, 2021 am | Eccles. 6:7–9 | Living for More series

1. Verse 7 says “yet the appetite is not filled [satisfied]." How have you seen this truth?

2. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with what God has given you in life (6:7-9)? Why are you restless? 

3. What motivates you to do what you do every day? 

4. Why will pursuing a career (7) without God not satisfy? How important is your job to your self-image? Have you looked to your work to satisfy the needs of your soul? When you have success who receives the credit?

5. Why will pursuing knowledge (8a) without God not satisfy?

6. Why will pursuing influence (8b) without God not satisfy?

7. How does your appetite wander (9)?

8. In what areas of your life are you content?

9. In what areas of your life are you discontent?

Four Ways to Worship

Four Ways to Worship | August 1, 2021 am | Romans 12 | Pastor Emeritus Tony Miller

Stairs to Nowhere

Stairs to Nowhere | July 25, 2021 am | Eccles. 6:1–6 | Living for More series

1. How does our culture think wealth will bring us satisfaction?

2. What does verse 2 mean when it says God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, but does not give him the power to eat thereof? How does this work?

3. What aspects of uncertain riches are you tempted to put your trust in (i.e., 401k, investments, comfortable income)? Why should trust instead in the living God who gives you all things richly to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17)?

4. How is it easy to view your family as a forever gift instead of a gift on loan—as an end in itself, rather than a means of glorifying God?

5. How would it change your view of marriage and family, if you viewed them as momentary? 

6. What are you doing to see your family become enthusiastic members of God’s family?

7. Will you commit, at whatever stage of life you’re in, to submitting your family and your finances, your life to the Lord?

Rich or Righteous

Rich or Righteous | July 18, 2021 am | Eccles. 5:13–20 | Living for More series

1. How can loving money by hoarding actually hurt you (v. 13–14)? 

2. What tends to be the overall attitude and outlook in life of someone who is not unsatisfied with what they have? 

3. Why is it a problem to put your hope in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17)?

4. Can you think of an example of someone who is: rich + unrighteous, rich + righteous, poor + unrighteous, poor + unrighteous?

5. Do you view your work as a gift from God? Are you satisfied with your portion?

6. Do you view your wealth as a gift from God (v. 18)?

7. How does God give you the power to enjoy your job and your portion (v. 19)?

8. How does receiving joy in your heart from God help you forget the emptiness & drudgery of the vanity of life? 

9. How can you lay up treasure for yourself in heaven (Matt. 6:19–20)? 

All In

All In | July 11, 2021 am | Luke 5:1–11 | Alan Findley – Chaplain, United States Air Force

Dangers of Loving Money

Dangers of Loving Money | July 4, 2021 am | Eccles. 5:8–12 | Living for More series

1. What priorities would you incorporate in your life based on these verses regarding the poor? 

2. What are ways you can do something about injustice, rather than just “marveling at the matter” (v. 8)?

3. Have you found that you are obsessed with keeping your things and your bank account safe? What does that tell you about what you are living for? How does that reflect a grateful spirit or lack thereof?

4. Why is the love of money so destructive?

5. How do you pursue contentment with where God has placed you? In what ways and situations do you give Him thanks for what He has given to you?

6. To measure your true asset base ask yourself: How much treasure are you laying up for yourself in heaven (Matt. 6: 19–20)? How is that done?

7. What priorities would you incorporate into your life based on these verses regarding the poor? 

8. What are ways you can do something about injustice, rather than just “marveling at the matter” (v. 8)?

9. How do you sleep at night? What is contributing to that?

Careful Prayer

Careful Prayer | June 27, 2021 am | Eccles. 5:2–5 | Living for More series

1.  Do you listen well? Does speech come easily?

2.  In what contexts might you be at risk of being quick with your mouth and hasty in heart before God?

3. How have you tried to manipulate God into doing what you want?

4. How does demanding your will disrupt genuine worship?

5. How would making a vow to the Lord and breaking it be detrimental in your worship of God?

6. When did you last break a promise to someone else? According to Ecclesiastes, what would the impact have been of fulfilling that promise?

7. Why is it so easy to lose the perspective and attitude of knowing God’s place (V.1: “God is in heaven;” V. 7: “Fear God”)?

8. How could simplicity safeguard sincerity in your speech?

Careful Worship

Careful Worship | June 20, 2021 am | Eccles. 5:10 | Living for More series

1. Are you preparing your/self/family to worship? Are you praying with them and opening the Word with them throughout the week? Do you set a spiritual atmosphere in your home? Are you watching your step?

2. Why is it necessary to approach God with a right heart attitude?

3. What things could help you improve your mindset and heart condition when you come to meet with God?

4. What steps do you take on Saturday evening and early Sunday morning to ready yourself for worship? How can you improve your preparation for worshiping God? 

5. How can you help your family prepare to worship God? 

6. What steps can you take to help you concentrate on glorifying God instead of concentrating on the worries and problems that often distract you during worship?

7. When you come to worship, how do you make the focus about God and not yourself?

8. What religious practices do you find to be empty or meaningless in your life (5:1)? Which are most meaningful? What steps can you take to make the “empty” aspects of your relationship with God more meaningful?

Benefits of Relationships

Benefits of Relationships | | June 13, 2021 am | Eccles. 4:9–16 | Living for More series

1. What are ways your friends make you more effective?

2. What are some ways your friends help you?

3. What are ways you could provide spiritual warmth in your home?

4. What are some ways you could provide spiritual strength for your friends?

5. When it comes to many of our assignments in the life, how can another set of hands from a friend be far better than working alone?

6. When we struggle, stumble, or fall physically or spiritually, why do we need someone who will not walk away but help us back on our feet?

7. How are you cultivating your relationship with the Friend who sticks closer than a brother?

8. How does your relationship with Christ draw you closer to your friends?

Barriers to Relationships

Barriers to Relationships | June 6, 2021 am | Eccles. 4:1–5 | Living for More series

Application questions:
1. What are times or ways you can start to feel lonely?
2. Though God created us for relationships, in what ways do you think sin hurts your relationships to your spouse, to your family, to your friends, to your coworkers?
3. How can you help and comfort victims of abuse?
4. In what areas of your life are you tempted toward laziness?
5. How are you tempted to overwork?
6. What triggers can cause you to envy?
7. How well do you balance your work with your relationships?
8. What happens when you fill both hands with hard work?
9. How can you balance having work in one hand and rest in your other hand?

Of the Dust

Of the Dust | May 30, 2021 am | Eccles. 3:18–22 | Living for More series

1. How do depraved sinners act like animals?

2. How are humans like animals at the end of life?

3. How often do you think about yourself being made from dust and returning to dust?

4. How does being made from dust keep you grounded/humble?

5. How does being made by God and having his breath give you dignity?

6. What do you think of Hannah’s song in 1 Samual 2:7? What’s so amazing about God’s desire to raise us across the chasm of being impoverished in the dust to sitting as His royal children?

7. In the great resurrection chapter (1 Cor. 15:49), Paul says just as we have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), now we bear the image of the man of heaven (Christ). How does that change your view of life?