Ecclesiastes

Life is frustrating, and you can’t control it. In this 4-week series we explore a brutally honest take on faith from the most mysterious book in the Bible.

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Ecclesiastes: A Brutally Honest Take on Faith

We’re kicking off a new series in one of the most surprising books in the Bible: Ecclesiastes. When we first mentioned it during our Christmas Eve services, some of you probably wondered, “Ecclesiastes? To start the new year?” But that question actually proves the point. Ecclesiastes meets us right where many of us already are—tired, questioning, and wondering if the things we chased were ever meant to satisfy us in the first place.

We’ve titled this series A Brutally Honest Take on Faith because Ecclesiastes doesn’t sugarcoat reality. It names the frustrations, disappointments, and injustices of life head-on. If you’re not paying attention, you might miss the point and assume the book is bleak or hopeless. But if you lean in, you’ll find something far more helpful: clarity, perspective, and hope grounded in God rather than circumstances.

Humanity has always asked the same questions we’re asking today: What’s the point? Why does so much effort feel so empty? Ecclesiastes reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” We’re not the first generation to wrestle with disillusionment, and we won’t be the last.

Think about it—have you ever worked hard to achieve something, only to find it didn’t really satisfy? A promotion that felt anticlimactic. A dream vacation that still left you restless. Even incredible accomplishments can fall flat. After winning his third Super Bowl in five years, Patrick Mahomes famously said in a postgame interview, “We’re not done.” Even at the pinnacle, he was already looking ahead. Success under the sun never seems to be enough.

Before digging into the text, it helps to understand what kind of book Ecclesiastes is. The Bible tells one unified story, but it does so through many literary genres—history, law, prophecy, poetry, and wisdom. Ecclesiastes belongs to the wisdom literature, alongside Proverbs and Job. Within the ancient Near East, there was even a subgenre called pessimism literature. Ecclesiastes is the Bible’s only example of it. But unlike other ancient pessimistic writings, Ecclesiastes is not hopeless. It acknowledges life’s frustrations while still pointing us toward joy and meaning rooted in God and eternity.

Ecclesiastes opens like this:

Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 (NLT) – “These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.”

The “Teacher” is widely understood to be Solomon. His achievements, wisdom, and wealth align perfectly with what we know from 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The Hebrew title for the Teacher is Qoheleth, meaning one who addresses or gathers an assembly. It carries the sense of a seasoned king standing before his people saying, “Listen—I’ve tried it all.”

Solomon likely wrote Proverbs earlier in life—practical wisdom that describes how life generally works. But Ecclesiastes reads like wisdom forged in disappointment. It’s a no-nonsense response to the simplicity of Proverbs. Proverbs says, “Do this, and you’ll get that.” Ecclesiastes replies, “Life isn’t that simple.” The wisest man on earth had lived long enough to see that even true principles don’t always play out the way we expect.

That’s why Ecclesiastes resonates so deeply with our culture. Many of us feel wounded by unfairness, disillusioned by unmet expectations, or hurt by institutions—even the church. Ecclesiastes doesn’t dismiss those experiences. It validates them while redirecting our hope.

That leads us to the central idea of chapter one: a life focused only on what is temporary will always feel empty.

“Everything is meaningless,” the Teacher says. The Hebrew word is hevel—used nearly forty times in the book. It literally means “breath” or “vapor.” Life under the sun is thin, fleeting, and impossible to grasp. Interestingly, hevel is also the name Abel—the first person to die in human history. His life was unjustly cut short, reinforcing the truth that even doing everything right doesn’t guarantee fair outcomes.

The Teacher contrasts life “under the sun” with God in heaven. What we chase here is unstable and unsatisfying. King David understood this too:

Psalm 39:5 (NLT) – “At best, each of us is but a breath.”

Yet David doesn’t end there. He asks the right question:

Psalm 39:7 (NLT) – “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.”

That’s the heartbeat of Ecclesiastes. Life under the sun will disappoint—but we were made for more than life under the sun.

Believers live with an eternal perspective while remaining fully present. Jesus promises not just future life, but abundant life now:

John 10:10 (NLT) – “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

That life begins today—through gratitude, faithfulness, and trust in God’s purposes, even in hardship.

The book closes its opening section by reminding us that history repeats itself and human achievements fade from memory. But the gospel gives us a greater hope:

Hebrews 12:24 (NLT) – “You have come to Jesus… whose blood speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

Life under the sun is fleeting. Life in Christ is forever. That’s the honest—and hopeful—message of Ecclesiastes.

Talking Points:
  • Ecclesiastes offers a brutally honest look at life’s frustrations while still pointing us toward hope rooted in God and eternity. Ecclesiastes 1:1–3
  • The book is wisdom literature, written from the perspective of experience, acknowledging that life doesn’t always work according to simple formulas. Ecclesiastes 1:12–18
  • The word “meaningless” (hevel) describes life as fleeting and ungraspable when it’s focused only on what is temporary. Ecclesiastes 1:2, Psalm 39:5
  • A life lived “under the sun” is unstable and unsatisfying, but hope is found in God who reigns from heaven. Ecclesiastes 5:2
  • We were created for more than this life; true meaning comes from an eternal perspective rooted in Christ. John 10:10, Hebrews 12:24
Discussion:
  1. Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson (see audio above)?
  2. When have you achieved something you thought would satisfy you—but didn’t? What did you learn from that experience?
  3. How does understanding the meaning of hevel change the way you read Ecclesiastes?
  4. Why do you think Ecclesiastes resonates so strongly with modern culture?
  5. What does it look like to live with an eternal perspective while still being fully present today?
  6. How does Jesus redefine what a “rich and satisfying life” actually means?
  7. Where might God be inviting you to shift your hope away from what is “under the sun” and toward Him?
Click for Student Edition

Icebreaker – “Chasing Smoke” (5–10 minutes)
Have everyone think of something they really wanted at one point (a phone, winning a game, making a team, getting popular, etc.).
Go around the circle and have students share:

  • What was it?

  • How long did the excitement last?

Then ask:

  • Did it satisfy you the way you thought it would?

Explain: “Today we’re going to talk about why so many good things don’t last the way we expect—and what does last.”

1. Meet the Teacher
Solomon calls himself “the Teacher” in Ecclesiastes. All the clues point to him being the author—the son of King David and one of the most famous kings in Israel’s history.

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1–2

Discuss:

  • Why do you think Solomon’s perspective changed as he got older?

  • Do you think life always works like a formula? Why or why not?

Takeaway:
Wisdom grows when we’re honest about real life—not just how we wish it worked.

2. The Key Word: Hevel
The word “meaningless” shows up again and again in Ecclesiastes. But the original Hebrew word is hevel. It literally means smoke or vapor. Think about smoke—you can see it, but when you try to grab it, it slips right through your fingers. It’s real, but it doesn’t last.

Read: Psalm 39:5

Discuss:

  • How does thinking of life as “smoke” change the way you think about success?

  • What are some things people treat as permanent that really aren’t?

Takeaway:
When we chase temporary things as if they’ll last forever, we end up disappointed.

3. Life “Under the Sun”
Solomon uses a phrase over and over: life under the sun. That’s his way of describing life focused only on what’s here and now—achievements, popularity, money, or stuff. Even huge successes fade fast.

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:8–9

Discuss:

  • Why do you think excitement fades so quickly?

  • What’s something you’ve chased that didn’t satisfy for long?

Takeaway:
Life focused only on what’s “under the sun” will always leave us wanting more.

4. Where Real Hope Comes From
Solomon’s dad, King David, wrestled with the same feelings—but he asked the most important question: “Lord, where do I put my hope?” And he answered it clearly: “My only hope is in you.”

Jesus calls this a “rich and satisfying life”—a life that starts now, not just after we die.

Read: John 10:10

Discuss:

  • How does trusting God change the way we handle success or failure?

  • What would it look like to enjoy good things without depending on them?

Takeaway:
Real meaning comes from trusting God, not from chasing things that don’t last.

Outro – Bringing It Home
Ecclesiastes invites us to be brutally honest. What’s the smoke in your life? What do you keep chasing, hoping it will finally make you happy? Life can feel confusing and frustrating, but that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. When we place our hope in God, even ordinary days and hard moments can be filled with purpose.

Challenge
This week, pay attention to what you’re chasing. When you feel disappointed or restless, pause and pray:
“God, help me put my hope in You, not in things that fade.”

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A Brutally Honest Take on Pleasure

Ecclesiastes has a way of cutting through our assumptions and exposing reality. Where Proverbs often presents life in clean cause-and-effect terms—do this and you’ll get that—Ecclesiastes responds with a sobering reminder: life isn’t that simple. This book gives us a clear-eyed look at life “under the sun,” meaning life as it exists in a fallen, broken world.

Last week, we were introduced to two key ideas that shape the entire book. The first is Qoheleth, the “Teacher,” whose reflections form Ecclesiastes. The second is hevel, a word translated “meaningless,” but more accurately understood as vapor or smoke—something fleeting, elusive, and impossible to grasp. The Teacher’s message is not that life has no value, but that life under the sun cannot bear the weight of our ultimate expectations. We were made for more than this world alone.

This week, the Teacher turns his attention to pleasure.

The Promise of Pleasure

In the ancient world, pleasure was often elevated as the highest good. Today, we use words like hedonic to describe short-term, sensory enjoyment, and hedonism to describe the belief that pleasure should be the primary goal of life. The logic is simple: if it feels good, do it; if it hurts, avoid it.

That mindset feels especially familiar in modern culture. We chase experiences, comfort, entertainment, success, and romance with the hope that the next thing will finally satisfy us. Yet experience tells us something isn’t working. The more we pursue pleasure directly, the more restless we become.

Thousands of years before neuroscientists studied dopamine or psychologists described the “hedonic treadmill,” King Solomon ran a real-world experiment to see if pleasure could satisfy the human soul.

Solomon’s Great Experiment

In Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 (NLT), Solomon describes his pursuit of pleasure in sweeping, exhaustive terms. He explored laughter and entertainment, concluding that constant amusement ultimately rang hollow. He turned to alcohol, attempting to numb the weight of life while still clinging to wisdom. He invested in massive building projects, vineyards, gardens, and infrastructure—accomplishments that would rival any modern empire.

He accumulated wealth, assets, and power beyond any king before him. He surrounded himself with music, beauty, and sexual pleasure, withholding nothing his heart desired. By every standard—ancient or modern—Solomon lived the dream. “Anything I wanted, I would take,” he writes. Ecclesiastes 2:10.

And yet, after surveying it all, his conclusion is devastating: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” Ecclesiastes 2:11.

Once again, the word hevel appears. Vapor. Smoke. Nothing solid enough to build a life on.

Why Pleasure Can’t Deliver

Solomon’s conclusion mirrors what many experience today. Pleasure produces a genuine emotional spike, but it doesn’t last. Over time, what once felt exciting becomes ordinary. To feel the same rush again, we need more—more success, more stimulation, more affirmation. This cycle leaves us constantly chasing, but never arriving.

The problem isn’t pleasure itself. The problem is asking pleasure to do what it was never designed to do. Pleasure can enhance life, but it cannot anchor it. When we treat pleasure as ultimate, disappointment is inevitable.

The Other Extreme

When pleasure fails, some people swing in the opposite direction. Instead of indulgence, they choose denial. This mindset—often called asceticism—assumes that avoiding pleasure makes us more spiritual or more righteous. But Scripture rejects that extreme as well.

From the very beginning, God placed humanity in a garden filled with beauty and abundance. Genesis 2 describes trees that were not only good for food, but also pleasing to the eye. Pleasure was part of God’s original design. He is not anti-enjoyment; He is anti-idolatry.

A Better Way Forward

Solomon eventually arrives at a wiser conclusion. “So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can,” he writes, “and people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” Ecclesiastes 3:12–13.

This is the balance Ecclesiastes calls us to embrace. Hedonism says, pleasure is my god. Asceticism says, pleasure is my enemy. The gospel says, pleasure is a gift. Gifts are meant to be received with gratitude, not clutched with desperation.

Solomon had everything and still felt empty. Jesus, on the other hand, lived with almost nothing—and was perfectly full. Jesus offers what pleasure never can: “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10.

True satisfaction isn’t found in chasing pleasure, but in trusting the One who gives it.

Talking Points:
  • Life under the sun is marked by hevel—vapor, fleeting, and unable to deliver ultimate meaning. Ecclesiastes 1:2
  • Hedonism promises happiness through pleasure, but the more directly we chase it, the more it eludes us. Ecclesiastes 2:1–11
  • Solomon tested entertainment, alcohol, possessions, wealth, sex, and success and found none of them satisfying. Ecclesiastes 2:1–10
  • The hedonic treadmill explains why pleasure always demands “more” but never delivers fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 2:11
  • Asceticism is the opposite error—denying God’s good gifts instead of receiving them with gratitude. Genesis 2:8–9
  • Pleasure is a gift from God, not a god to replace Him. Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
  • True satisfaction is found in Jesus, who offers a rich and satisfying life beyond temporary pleasures. John 10:9–10

Discussion:
  1. Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson (see audio above)?
  2. Which forms of pleasure does our culture most aggressively promise will make us happy? Why are those promises so convincing?
  3. Where have you personally experienced the “hedonic treadmill”—needing more just to feel the same?
  4. Why is it tempting to swing from hedonism to asceticism when pleasure disappoints?
  5. How does seeing pleasure as a gift instead of a god change the way we enjoy it?
  6. Read Ecclesiastes 3:12–13. What does it look like to enjoy God’s gifts without depending on them?
  7. How does Jesus’ promise of a “rich and satisfying life” redefine what satisfaction really means?

Click for Student Edition

A Brutally Honest Take on Pleasure

Icebreaker: “Would You Rather…?” (5–10 minutes)
Have students stand up. Read fun “Would You Rather” questions (pizza forever or burgers forever, fame or money, unlimited video games or unlimited snacks). Students move to different sides of the room to show their choice.
Connect it: “Today we’re talking about pleasure—things we enjoy—and whether those things can really make us happy.”

  1. Why Pleasure Matters
    Pleasure isn’t a bad thing. God made us to enjoy good things. But sometimes we expect pleasure to do more than it can—like make us happy forever. That’s what Ecclesiastes is about.

Read: Ecclesiastes 2:1

Discuss:
• Why do people chase pleasure so much?
• What are some pleasures students your age are tempted to chase?

2. Solomon Tried Everything
Solomon had money, fun, success, and relationships. He tried everything people today still chase. But none of it lasted.

Read: Ecclesiastes 2:10–11

Discuss:
• Why do you think Solomon still felt empty?
• Have you ever looked forward to something that didn’t satisfy like you hoped?

Takeaway:
Pleasure feels good for a moment, but it can’t fill your heart forever.

3. The Two Ditches
Some people chase pleasure too much. Others avoid it completely. God doesn’t want either extreme.

Read: Genesis 2:8–9

Discuss:
• Why do you think God made beautiful things?
• What happens when people feel guilty for enjoying good things?

Takeaway:
God gives good gifts, and He wants us to enjoy them the right way.

4. Jesus Is Better
Jesus didn’t promise endless fun—He promised real life. A life that’s full even when things aren’t perfect.

Read: John 10:10

Discuss:
• How is Jesus different from temporary pleasures?
• How can trusting Jesus change how we enjoy other things?

Takeaway:
Only Jesus can give lasting satisfaction.

Outro
Pleasure isn’t the enemy—but it’s a terrible god. When we enjoy God’s gifts without replacing God, life starts to make sense.

You don’t have to choose between joy and faith. Real joy starts with Jesus.

Challenge
This week, thank God for one good thing you enjoy—and remind yourself it’s a gift, not the source of your happiness.

This lesson is coming soon!

This lesson is coming soon!

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