Puritan preacher and theologian John Owen said that the fear of God in the life of a believer is when the smile of God is that which you most desire in life, and the frown of God is that which you most want to avoid. The one who does not fear God may seem like he is prolonging his days, but he is re

Ecclesiastes 8Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Every person, whether rich or poor, wise or simple, powerful or humble, faces the same grim certainty of death. It's a subject we would rather avoid, but the book of Ecclesiastes wr

Ecclesiastes 8Skeptics tend to view any type of religious belief as blind faith – a leap into the dark, in the face of all reason, logic, and scientific evidence. Others define faith as mere wishful thinking, or an uncertain hope that everything will somehow work out in the end. But Ecclesiastes sho

Ecclesiastes 8The epistle of James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” – and that wisdom from God will impact the way you relate to those in authority over you. What does the example of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach

Ecclesiastes 81 Peter 2 tells us to fear God, and honor the king.” This is a good summary of the theme we will explore today in Ecclesiastes chapter 8, which urges us to honor the king, fear God, and seek wisdom. What does Ecclesiastes 8 teach us about our biblical responsibilities as Christians bef

Colossians 1:15-20There is one place that Jesus should never have in your life – second place. Join Dr. Harry Reeder on InPerspective as he examines a hymn of praise from Colossians extolling the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes 7Life without God can lead to two paths – unrighteousness and self-righteousness – and both promise what they simply cannot deliver. Immorality may thrill and invigorate for a time but always takes a toll in the end. Self-righteous moralism focuses on mere external behavior, but fails t

Ecclesiastes 7Life without God can lead to the path of immorality – but it can also lead to the path of moralism that can be just as fruitless and destructive. The way of self-righteousness is paved with merely external, ethical rule-keeping divorced from the necessity of a regenerate heart, and mer

Ecclesiastes 7The chaos and unpredictability of life produces fear – fear of life's unexpected curveballs, fear of not measuring up, fear of our potential failure. We try to fence in our lives in a way that gives a false sense of control. But the only way to deal with life's chaos and unpredictabili

Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes chapter 7 addresses the inevitable chaos and tragedy of life, and the vanity of our feeble attempts to smooth out the bumpy unpredictability of life in a broken world. Some people – even in the church – try to cope with uncertainty and tragedy by denying it altogether. How

Ecclesiastes 6You can have a life filled with everything that men desire and strive for – and yet tragically, still have an empty soul. Life apart from God inevitably leads to dissatisfaction, disappointment, and emptiness. The only answer to this vanity and futility is found in the words of Jesus:

Colossians 1:8-14Have you ever tried to pray for other believers but struggled to know just how to pray for them? Join Dr. Harry Reeder on InPerspective as he shows us how the apostle Paul's prayer for the Colossians is an excellent model for how we can pray for our fellow Christians

Ecclesiastes 6Have you ever tried to grab the wind? It is futile; you have no control over it for it blows where it wishes. Solomon's verdict on life under the sun apart from God is that it is vanity and emptiness, like striving after the wind. Life under the sun is emptiness, futility, dissatisfact

Ecclesiastes 5A hot-air balloon gives you a bird's-eye view to see things from a new, eye-opening perspective that is very different from our limited, ground-level point of view. In much of the modern church, worship is man-focused with a decidedly human perspective. A God's-eye view helps us unders

Ecclesiastes 5How do you worship God? We may create an atmosphere in church that appears worshipful, while harboring an inadequate concept of God that manifests itself in shallow, hollow worship that fails to reflect His greatness, majesty, and grace. The more we understand the nature and character

Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiates 4 verse 12 reminds us, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." A rope woven from only one strand will break easily, but three strands woven into one cord will make a strong rope. Loneliness impoverishes the spirit and weakens those who live in isolation, but fellows

Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiastes 4 can be broken up into four vivid snapshots of life under the sun. We see the angst we face because of sin in this world. Then we see the insanity of covetousness in the motivations of work in the world. Next we look at our isolation and the emptiness of our self-absorpti

Colossians 1:3-14Is your prayer life mostly about you – your personal circumstances, desires, and concerns? Join Dr. Harry Reeder on InPerspective as he examines how the prayer life of the apostle Paul was focused on others rather than himself.

Ecclesiastes 3Two important spiritual principles come into focus in the latter part of Ecclesiastes 3. First, justice is ultimately in the hands of God; and secondly, because of the curse of sin under the sun everybody dies. God made us from the dust and to the dust we return. Death is inevitable bu

Ecclesiastes sets forth three statements from the perspective of spiritual truth. Number 1, the seasons are in the hands of God and God works beauty, purpose, and order in and through them. Number 2, we can see the sovereign hand of God at work in the rhythmic passage of time and with it, the awaren

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 thru 8 formed the framework for a popular song from the 1960's – "Turn, Turn, Turn" by the Byrds. Now many people believe this is just a reflection on the futility we experience as we predictably cycle through the seasons of life. But time itself is subject

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2C.S. Lewis wrote, "I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy. The only explanation is that I was made for another world." We all fear the sense of meaninglessness and insignificance, as we spend our lives seeking to fill that void within us. But Eccles

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2Carl Sandburg said, "Life is like an onion – you peel it back one layer at a time and weep as you do." This sentiment is echoed in the book of Ecclesiastes as it examines the implications of life without God. Ecclesiastes honestly examines life in a fallen world, forces us to exami

Colossians 1:1-2Our spiritual lives will be radically transformed when we truly comprehend the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. Join Dr. Harry Reeder on InPerspective as he begins our new series, "Christ Is All and In All: Colossians in Biblical Perspective."