Wheeler Road Church of Christ

Sunday’s class on Ecclesiastes brings to an end a profitable study on an insightful book. We end the study by looking at only the last two verses.  Solomon saves the best, the most poignant for last.  The Preacher sees his own life as a test, and he shares with us his conclusions.  The wisest man who ever lived, leaves us with only two action items.  Our response to these will answer the question, “is life worth living?” 

Advent.  We hear that word every year around the Christmas season, but what does it mean? Most of Christendom refers to the time between the fourth Sunday in November to Christmas Eve as the Advent season.   The word “Advent” means “arrival.”  We celebrate Christ’s arrival in anticipation of His Second Advent. A spirit of expectation, preparation, and longing marks Advent.  There is a universal yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first experienced by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression.  It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance in the past!  For the next three Sundays we will talk about the colors, the symbols, the themes of Advent in a series entitled, “Why Did Jesus Come?”

On Sunday evenings we have looking at principles involving our finances – investing, saving, planning for retirement, etc.  This coming Sunday morning, we will look at a different kind of investment – the investment of character development.  We will review seven investments that Daniel made that affected his spiritual future.  The dividends are eternal! 

We begin our final section of Ecclesiastes this Sunday morning.  The Problem Decided (chapters 11 & 12).  Up to this point, Solomon has made four arguments about why life is not worth living “under the sun.”  In his final two chapters he gives his personal application on why life is worth living, and gives four illustrations to confirm his conclusions. We will look at the first two of these during this installment. 

Ecclesiastes is about two themes:  the importance of wisdom and the danger of folly.  In chapter 10, Solomon asks and answers the obvious question, “What makes one wise and one foolish?”  He provides four examples to validate his conclusion.  Key words for this study:  “fool” and “sinister.”  As you prepare for this chapter, ask yourself this question:  “What can people learn about me simply by listening to my talk?” 

Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 10:1 are interesting passages for the believer.  Both passages speak that what the Jews had with the Law were merely shadows of what we have in Christ today.  Okay, we know this, but what does it practically mean?  We are going to talk about how the Jews celebrated their salvation and how their practice should be a “model” for how we celebrate today.  It’s a good way to get focused for Thanksgiving, and a good way for us to be reminded that what we have “in Christ” is far better than what our spiritual ancestors had.  So, where’s the celebration?

Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 9 speaks about the common responses to the theme of death: Escape, endurance, and enjoyment. Only the believer faces death with joy. The Teacher shows us how in four areas. Chapter 9 is about two inescapable conclusions about life that should yield our hearts into the hands of Almighty God.

This Sunday (November 11th) is Homeless Sunday, a time for Christians to consider the plight of those without permanent shelter.  A broken world has broken people. Homelessness is not an issue; it’s about people!  The problem is complex.  Sunday we will talk about the raw stats and the major causes of homelessness, and what our response must be as God’s agents of grace.  God has revealed His heart in the way He structured Old Testament laws regarding the poor.  The New Testament continues to reveal God’s heart by removing the word “mandatory” and replacing it with the word “mercy.” 

Making Sense Of It All, Ecclesiastes 8.  How do we live and act in a broken world?  Solomon offers some wise counsel in this chapter by looking into three key areas of our lives.  The Teacher will discuss the problem with being naïve, how bad the judicial system was (an is), and what to do with the mysteries of life that nag our spirits.  Chapter 8 brings some order of all the disorder in the world.  He promises that God will eventually set everything straight.  We can’t be overwhelmed with all the inequities. 

What’s A Man To Do? Part III  Installment number three is this coming Sunday. Week 1 was about being a male in an unfriendly culture.  Week 2 was about being a husband in the context of Ephesians 5.  A Christian husband, like Christ, takes the initiative as he leads.  This final installment will focus on the challenge of a being a godly father. Ephesians 6:1-4 and Psalm 78:1-7 will be our primary texts.  As we blend these two great texts together a picture emerges of a father who knows how to train and discipline in a way where the ultimate goals is turning their hearts to God.  There will be some instruction to single moms and single guys who are looking for a mate.