Why Does Life Feel so Hard?

The key to not making life any harder than it already has to be lies in asking a powerful question: What season of life am I in right now?

Podcast: Download (Duration: 41:39 — 19.2MB)

Somewhere around adolescence, most of us start to understand that life on earth will not always go the way we want.  Try as we might, some things just aren’t going to go our way.  For Christians, this is often explained as a natural consequence of living in a broken world.

True: we’re not in heaven yet, so pain–at times–is to be expected.

But, does life always have to feel that way?  No.

There is also plenty of joy to be found now–on this side of eternity.  The key to not making life any harder than it already has to be lies in asking a powerful question:

What season of life am I in right now?

Frustration comes when we dress for rain on a sunny day, or when we leave the umbrella at home–even though the forecast called for a storm.

Wise people are (1) always aware of the changing seasons, and (2) preparing accordingly.  In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon guides us through an exercise to remain aware of which season of life we’re passing through.  Only after we’re aware of the season can we accurately set our expectations and chart our course.

(This message is based on Ecclesiastes 3)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 41:39 — 19.2MB)

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Asking for a FrienidWhat we all think but think we shouldn't

The longer I'm in ministry, the more I'm convinced: we all have the same questions and insecurities. And, we assume no one else would understand the thoughts and fears inside our head. It leaves us unnecessarily isolated. Alone in our own heads.

Solomon, another human, had the same questions. He feared the same things. He wrote a book about them: Ecclesiastes.

It's honest. Uncomfortable. Liberating.

Ecclesiastes addresses issues like boredom, death, lack of purpose and meaning, depression, social injustice, work-life balance, and loneliness. Too often, the "guidance" we receive on these matters is: Just have faith. Be thankful. Don't think about it. Or, What's wrong with you?

Needless to say, this falls short. Thanks to Solomon, we can do better than that. This is a sermon series on his book, Ecclesiastes.

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