A life with no regrets
Ecclesiastes
Intro…VIDEO Tiger Woods … Solomon

Women and wealth were a serious weakness for Solomon also. 2 Kings 11:1-8
He loved many foreign women that got him in trouble not only sexually, but also religiously. These foreign women with their foreign religions pulled him away from his faith in God.
God had warned him that such marriages would lead to apostasy. He had some 700 wives and 300 concubines.
He built place of worship for the false gods to satisfy his heathen wives.

As we get ready to wrap up another year, I’d like us to take some time and reflect on our lives. Watching a role models life unravel is a wakeup call for all of us. We want to be able to live a life of no regrets every day, every year, all our lives.

• It makes sense to pause and reflect on this last year and see how we are doing in God’s eyes.
Text: Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Thesis: “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand over to the one who pleases God.” Ecc. 2:26

Here are some great lessons we can learn from Solomon as we evaluate another year in our lives and get ready to start a new one.

Learn to enjoy the cycles of life. Ecc. 1: 4-10
• These are all gifts from God to help us enjoy daily life: generations, sunrise and sunset, wind, streams, the sea. There are plenty of new things “under the sun” everyday. Look for those God moments.

Seek godly wisdom. Ecc. 1: 12-13a, 16-17
• I have a friend who seemed to accumulate too many degrees. He used to go to my church and we had great talks about God etc. However, the “smarter” he got and the more degrees he got, the further away from God he got.
• Smarter equals godly.

Take on projects with a sense of a greater purpose than just building something or accomplishing something. Ecc. 2:4-11
• However God has gifted you when you undertake projects, figure out a way to bring glory to God through that project.
• Remember that you are always working for God. Make him proud of what you do.
• Ecc. 2:24-26

Remember that there is a time for everything so learn to be patient and trust God. Ecc. 3
• Video/song, “Turn, turn, turn” the Byrds
• That song is right out of the Bible.
• Life happens, events happen, good things happen and bad things happen.
• “God makes everything beautiful in its time.” Ecc. 3:11
• God allows the good times and the bad times. Ecc. 7:14


Either thank God for the good friends you have or ask him to bring you one this year. Ecc. 4:9-12
• As we all know, a good friend can help us through bad times.
• If you are married, that good friend can be your spouse.


Be rich in God. Ecc. 6-7
• We’ve seen endless examples throughout history of people who are ruined by their money.
• I friend told me recently that he asked God to never make him rich, and so far God has answered his prayers.
• Ecc. 6:1-2 God given wealth can only be enjoyed with godly perspective.

Learn to trust God through life’s ups and downs.
• Ecc. 7:14, 8:17, 11:5


Solomon’s pursuit of fulfillment through indulgence, achievements, possessions, wealth and great fame all failed to bring enduring satisfaction.
• Solomon was a great ruler, possessing every natural advantage, almost inconceivably wealthy in material splendor.
• His wisdom was greater than that of the wise men of the East and of Egypt.
• He was an expert in botany and zoology, he was a writer credited with 3000 proverbs and 1000 songs.
• He wrote Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and two Psalms.
• He had widespread fame and people came from far to hear him.
• He had 1400 chariots, 12,000 horsemen, 4000 horse stalls, stables for at least 450 horses.
• He had learning and experience, yet he was a disappointment.
• He started off right, but lost focus when material things became bigger than God.

Conclusion:
When you look at life with all its seemingly endless cycles and inexplicable paradoxes, it’s easy to conclude that all is futile since sometimes it seems impossible to discern any true purpose in the ordering of events.
• However, as Christians, our hope is in God and his greater purpose for everything. Consequently, life is to be enjoyed to the fullest, realizing it is a gift from God.
• A wise person will live his life in obedience to God.
• Our everyday choices make a difference for each year as well as eternity.
• Ecc. 12:9-14

Rethinking Christmas

Here are my sermon notes from last Sunday. I did my best to remind us of the importance of Mary as well as challenge us all to rethink our consumeristic habits at this time of the year. Love to hear your feedback.


Matthew 1:18-25 True comfort at Christmas

Intro…what the media and retail stores would like us to think true comfort at Christmas is, buying tons of stuff, the onslaught of advertisements for black Friday…
• This morning, I’d like to remind us of the basic, simple message of Christmas and help us stay focused on Jesus.
• I’m going to do that as we review the story of Mary and then take a look at what we are spending our money and time on this Christmas.

Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Thesis: The only way we will be truly fulfilled and comforted during the Christmas season is to focus on Jesus.

As we take a look at Mary and her part in the Christmas story, here’s some things to remember:
V. 18 Mary was pledged to be married, following God’s plan for a man and woman in a relationship.
• V. 18 She was a teenage girl, who lived on the dusty fringe of the Roman empire, a powerless peasant from an insignificant town…yet she was chosen by God to bring Jesus into the world.
• I believe God chose Mary as part of His whole plan to bring Jesus into this world through lowly, humble means.

Mary was a young virgin.
• This is important because as Jesus entered the world, he needed to be free from the sinful nature passed on to other humans by Adam.
• Since Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being, but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin.
• Jesus is both fully human and fully God…

Luke 2:19 tells us that Mary, “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”.
• Mary listened to God and accepted this mission, as impossible as it was
• The original TV show “Mission Impossible”. The tape always begins with "Good Morning Mr. Phelps, "Your mission, should you decide to accept it", with a brief explanation of the goal of the mission. At the end of the tape…"this tape will self-destruct in five seconds"
• Even though to Joseph and Mary this may have seemed like an impossible mission (considering her pregnancy out of wedlock), they were willing to trust God for the outcome.
• As you may know, Jesus means, “Savior”, the Hebrew Jeshua means, “the Lord is salvation”, Christ or Christos means, “the anointed one” and is the exact equivalent of the Hebrew word for “Messiah”.


V. 22-23 Mary helped fulfill prophecy. Isaiah 7:14, 8:8-10
• What is a prophecy? It is God speaking through a servant/prophet to describe a coming event long before it happens.
• There are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament which point to the coming Messiah and to His life and death.
Yes, Mary is an important part of the Christmas story, but let’s not get too focused on Mary.
• She was one of the many key people God used to bring salvation to man.
• Joseph played in important role, as did the shepherds, and wise men.


Just as we keep the message of Mary simple, yet meaningful, we need to keep the focus of Christmas simple and meaningful.
• Advent Conspiracy video
• (As the video says) We need to deny the religion of consumerism, worship God fully with our whole lives, spend less, give more and love all people. Let’s take a look at those ideas…
• The primary threat to Christianity is consumerism. It promises transcendence. Buy “this” and you will achieve a higher state of satisfaction…until the newest model comes out.
• Consumerism actually demands that we be dissatisfied…my cell phone and the temptation to buy a new iTouch…
• Instead of getting caught up in that endless cycle, let’s refocus on our worship of God, spending less and giving more.
• Remember, the things we desire are the things we worship. (I’ve said this before, and I’m guilty of it,) but think about the placement of of certain items in our house…our TV’s…everything in the room points towards it…or it could be your car, the computer, etc.
• Instead, we need worship God fully because Christmas begins and ends with Jesus.
• As we choose to spend less it’s important to remember that we don’t love our family and friends any less. In fact, those who receive our creative, personal gifts will sense our love even more…
• SV2’s Xmas party…hand-made gifts…
• Please prayfully consider what it means for you to “spend less”. Learn to shop and buy for necessities instead of wants.
• “Do I/we/they really need this?”
• What sort of message are we giving our children or grandchildren at Christmas?
• We’ve learned that even if you were to buy a child everything on their Xmas list, the thrill will be over to soon.
• What do we really need at Christmas? Our love, presence, (as in being there), personal, well thought-out gifts.
• Give more of your presence, your hands, your words, your time, your heart.
• “If we can resist the trap of giving easy gifts, and if we can reject the assumption that giving expensive gifts or many gifts is the best way to express love, something else might happen. We will experience moments of relational giving that our friends and family will care about and remember.”
• Spend less and free your resources for things that truly matter.
• If the Christian church can remember to love and care for all, the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized, the sick, we’ll be able to turn our focus outward to a hurting and needing world.
• Let’s exchange our consumption for compassion.
• What if Christmas was no longer about stuff? What if, this Christmas, we could spend less, give more, worship fully and love all? What if we did that all year long?
• Then, truly our cup would be filled to overflowing with Jesus, the living water. Our lives and houses would be full, not of stuff, but of substance, of diving presence, of life.
• “Mary’s worship begins with the ultimate paradox, a young girl, unwed and without power, influence or wealth. Yet she cradles in her womb the divine savior of the world. Mary soon recognizes that through this great gift God will do a wondrous thing for all people.”


Conclusion: I do want to thank everyone who packed a shoe box for OCC. That’s a great step in the right direction to spending your money wisely at Christmas.

Words of wisdom for us pastors

I've been listening to Chuck Swindoll for over 30 years and have always enjoyed his insight. I get his weekly email and I thought this one was excellent. It reminds me of what I always tell people, "We walk hand in hand in life and ministry". When people know I'm real and can share my victories and struggles, I think we'll all grow deeper in our faith and understanding of God and his wondrous, mysterious ways.

The Secret of Ministering to People
Some churches today have adopted a professional mind-set entirely. Like the consumer culture they live in, far too many pay the pastors to do the work of the ministry for them, while they sit back, passively watch, and offer comments now and then. Where is that in the Bible?

A pastor who allows this approach to occur has fallen for what I call “The Superman Syndrome.” I’m not talking about pulling on a pair of blue tights and a red cape and putting a fancy “S” on his chest—though I heard of a pastor who did exactly that on Easter Sunday (I wish I were kidding). I’m talking about an attitude that says: “I am self-sufficient,” “I need no one else,” or “I will not show weakness or admit any inadequacy.” These words betray the presence of the Superman Syndrome—that particular peril for pastors who go it alone and become “the star of the show.” Any pastor sets himself up for letting people down when he poses as Superman.

One of the joyful privileges of my early ministry was to know a man named Jim Petersen. Through his capable leadership and sterling character, the ministry of the Navigators expanded greatly in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he and his wife, Marge, served for more than twenty years. What a servant-hearted couple! Cynthia and I first met Jim and Marge at Glen Eyrie, the Navigators’ headquarters in Colorado Springs. I was new to ministry at the time—and far too naïve—so I was looking for a formula for success in God’s service. “How do you do it, Jim?” I asked him. “Tell me the secret of ministering to people.” I expected him to say “Always set the pace” or “Be strong no matter what” or “Model the truth and stand against the gale as it attacks you.” I got none of that.

Jim just smiled in his inimitable way and answered, “Chuck, let people see the cracks in your life, and you’ll be able to minister to them.” That’s it. That’s the distilled essence of all he told me.

As we left their cabin that day, I felt somewhat like the deflated rich young ruler who had just asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life (see Mark 10:17–22). Like Jesus’s surprising answer to the ruler, Jim’s reply was not what I expected. It convicted me. It ripped the “S” off my chest and cut the tie strings to my cape. I was looking to minister from my strengths. Jim challenged me to serve in weakness. He made that statement to me over fifty years ago, and it remains one of the greatest lessons I have learned in ministry. I have never forgotten it. I never will.

As the apostle Paul asked in 2 Corinthians 2:16, “Who is adequate for these things?” Obvious answer: Nobody! By asking this question, Paul showed us the cracks in his life. He takes himself off any would-be pedestal and slips into the ranks of humanity. I thank God for the transparent apostle that he really was. His writings are permeated by vulnerability.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

2 Corinthians 4:7


Obviously, the appropriate attitude is to embrace this fact: pastors are not self-sufficient. We have cracks we must not hide. We need other people.


—Chuck