I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” (Ecclesiastes 2:1–2) The slogan of the strictly secular lifestyle can be reduced to six single-syllable words: “If […]

I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 1:13–14) As we learned previously, many […]

These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:1–2) There once lived a man who had the time, money, and energy to take a prolonged, searching journey. Not just a mind trip. Not across the imaginary back roads of his […]

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25)   All the way through Hebrews the spotlight is on […]

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. (Ephesians 4:3)   A typical American family was driving home from church on Sunday. Dad was fussing about the sermon being too long and sort of boring. Mom said she thought the organist played too loudly during the second hymn […]

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so […]

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. (Isaiah 64:8) Several years ago my wife and I visited a local university campus during their art festival. We had the privilege of slipping behind the curtain and watching a potter […]

This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: That they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love […]

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. (1 Corinthians 8:2) Here are three principles to help us stay balanced and be wise in our pursuit of knowledge. No one person has all the truth. Healthy Christians, young and old alike, maintain a variety in their diet. They draw truth […]