Rev. James Harper preaches on Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 in our sermon series, "The Search: Questions of Meaning and Purpose."

The book of Ecclesiastes reveals that money and possessions cannot provide lasting satisfaction due to our insatiable human appetite, the temporary nature of material things, and wealth's tendency to distract us from real problems. True contentment comes from grounding our satisfaction in God rather than wealth. When properly oriented, money becomes a useful tool that can contribute to happiness through funding experiences with loved ones, buying time for relationships, saving for goals, and giving generously to meaningful causes. The key is displacing money from the center of our lives and replacing it with God, trusting Him to provide for our needs while using wealth as a tool for His glory.

Rev. James Harper preaches on Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 in our series, "The Search: Questions of Meaning and Purpose."

Many people find their work unfulfilling despite professional success because they approach it from a worldly perspective. Ecclesiastes warns against two major pitfalls: creating identity through comparison with others and believing our achievements will provide lasting significance. God originally designed work to be meaningful and purposeful, but sin corrupted this plan. However, we can rediscover meaning by shifting our perspective from earthly to eternal purposes. This happens when we leverage our income for kingdom impact through generous giving, invest spiritually in the people around us, and volunteer our unique gifts in ministry. When we align our work with God's eternal kingdom, our daily jobs become platforms for lasting significance rather than empty pursuits.

Rev. James Harper preaches on Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3 as part of our sermon series entitled, "The Search: Questions of Meaning and Purpose."

Life's greatest question - why does God allow suffering - has puzzled humanity throughout history. Despite all our advances, suffering persists, and human philosophies like stoicism, dualism, hedonism, and karma ultimately fall short of providing real answers. The Bible reveals that suffering entered through human sin, disrupting God's originally good creation. However, God hasn't remained distant from our pain. Through Jesus Christ, God entered into suffering Himself, taking on our sin and its consequences out of love. While we see only a small piece of God's plan, like viewing three inches of a tapestry being woven, we can trust that the God who creates beauty is crafting something beautiful from our circumstances.