(LifeNotes are provided at the end of each chapter and a personal or group study guide is provided at the conclusion of the book.)
1. Living in Search Mode, Ecclesiastes 1
Every day, people fill the "search bar" of their lives with random yet routine searches in hopes of finding something new under the sun.
2. No Matches Found, Ecclesiastes 2
More than two thousand years ago, Solomon developed his own "satisfaction with life scale" and recorded his observations and experiences in his life journal. (Includes the "Five Myths of Satisfaction")
3. Life Happens!, Ecclesiastes 3
Every day, you receive an exact deposit of time—86,400 seconds. As you search for satisfaction, you have to deal with the daily trade-offs you make with your time.
4. My Clock is Ticking, Ecclesiastes 3
We all have to manage our time and adjust to the competing forces we face every day. From Solomon's "lighthouse" for life navigation found in Ecclesiastes 3, we discover some important insights for living.
5. "Do-It-Yourself" Attitudes, Ecclesiastes 4
For some reason, we are driven to demonstrate our strength through independence. We seem to be born with a resistance to assistance.
6. Pride and Precipice, Ecclesiastes 4
Pride is the fatal flaw in our relationships with others. It brings competition, tension, obstruction, and conflict. The Bible warns us concerning the deceitful and destructive power of pride. (Includes acrostic on P-R-I-D-E)
7. The Friendship Factor, Ecclesiastes 4
Relationships are a vital part of everyone's search process.
8. Random Reflections, Ecclesiastes 5-8
We all tend to recycle our thoughts. We hope that the process of repetition, review, and reflection yields insight and understanding overlooked before. Ecclesiastes 5-8 recycles and reassesses insights Solomon has learned along the way.
9. The "D" Word, Ecclesiastes 9
We are fascinated by death yet stalked by it every day. We hope to keep our distance, yet we find death's footprints along the path of life.
10. Simple Pleasures, Ecclesiastes 9
Life is fragile. Death is sure. Learn to enjoy the little things. The reality of death should not discourage living; the awareness of death should increase our value and appreciation of each day we have.
11. When Life Seems Unfair, Ecclesiastes 9
Our frustrations are most often the result of our own failure to come to terms with our attitudes. The key is how we will navigate the inequities, the misjudgments, and the disappointments.
12. Wisdom's Sampler, Ecclesiastes 10
In many ways, the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes 10 of Solomon's journal creates for us a "Wisdom Sampler." Solomon urges us to "taste" the value of wisdom in daily life.
13. A View From the Bottom, Ecclesiastes 11
Learn the five lessons Solomon discloses from experiencing a royal bankruptcy.
14. The Secret to a Satisfied Life, Ecclesiastes 12
At the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives guidance for a new beginning. Far from the cynicism and fatalism that shaped his first journal entry, he now has something to say about the source of satisfaction. (Includes acrostic on S-P-A-M, an example of Solomon's disappointing and unsatisfying pursuits in the search for satisfaction.)
15. Satisfaction Guaranteed, Ecclesiastes 12
We search for satisfaction, but the satisfaction we so deeply crave is not found in the things we accomplish, the possessions we accumulate, or the experiences we accentuate.
|
