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Sermon Title: "A Time for Everything"

Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Preacher: Alex Hogendoorn
Date: October 6, 2024

Summary Tagline:
"God’s perfect timing transforms the seasons of our lives into something beautiful."

Message Summary:
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, Solomon speaks of the many seasons of life, from birth to death, laughter to mourning, and peace to war. Alex opens with a beautiful illustration of an artist (PebblePicasso!) creating masterpieces out of simple pebbles, reflecting on how God, the ultimate artist, takes the chaotic and seemingly insignificant moments of our lives and weaves them into something beautiful. This passage reminds us that, though we often cannot see the bigger picture, everything is part of God’s sovereign plan.

The sermon emphasizes that God has placed eternity in our hearts, yet we are limited in our ability to understand His full purpose. This creates within us a longing for something more—an eternal hunger for God. This passage runs strongly in parallel with Romans 8:28, reminding us that all things work together for good for those who love God. The message concludes by pointing to Jesus as the ultimate proof that God can take the painful seasons of life and turn them into something glorious. Jesus experienced all the times and seasons mentioned in Ecclesiastes, and through His death and resurrection, God made something beautiful for our salvation.

Group Discussion Guide

Icebreaker Question:
What’s a creative activity you enjoy where something beautiful emerges from what first seems like chaos? (e.g., building, drawing, music, etc.)

“These next discussion questions are intended to give us each a chance to engage in the message personally and hear what Jesus is doing in each of our lives too. In this, we all become preachers to one another as we learn to follow Jesus together.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Ecclesiastes speaks about a time for everything. What season of life are you currently in, and how do you see God’s hand in it?
  2. The example of the artist arranging pebbles into something beautiful––how does this metaphor resonate with how God is shaping your life right now?
  3. The passage says that God has placed eternity in our hearts. Do you ever feel a deep longing for something more in life, something that nothing in this world seems to satisfy? In what ways do you see evidence of eternity in your heart—moments where you sense that life has a bigger, eternal purpose?
  4. In the sermon, Romans 8:28 was mentioned: "All things work together for good for those who love him, who are called according to his purposes." How does this promise give you hope in the difficult seasons of life?
  5. Jesus experienced every season mentioned in Ecclesiastes. How does his example of living through these times give you strength to endure your own seasons? How does his promise to do the same in our lives give you assurance?

For Further Study:

  1. Romans 8:28 – "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good."
  2. Psalm 31:15 – "My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies."
  3. Isaiah 46:10 – "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done."
  4. Galatians 4:4-5 – "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son."
  5. John 16:33 – "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
  6. Matthew 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
  7. Hebrews 12:2 – "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith."
  8. 2 Corinthians 4:17 – "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory."
  9. Psalm 90:12 – "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Gospel Connections

Let’s discuss how we can apply this message to our lives as we seek to make the following connections as we follow Jesus:

  1. How can we better trust God’s timing in our personal lives, knowing that He makes everything beautiful in His time?
  2. How can our church reflect the reality that God’s timing is perfect in the way we love, serve, and support one another through different seasons of life?
  3. How can we encourage one another in our Gospel Community to see God's hand in both the joyful and challenging seasons of life?
  4. What are some ways we can bring hope to those in our larger community who are struggling to see beauty or purpose in their current season?
Adults
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