The Quest for Meaning (July 12, 2026)

The Quest for Meaning (July 12, 2026)

Pastor Jeff Gates The Quest for Meaning (July 12, 2026) Scripture Focus Ecclesiastes 7: 15 - 29 (NIV) 15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness,    and the wicked living long in their wickedness. 16 Do not be over righteous,    neither be overwise — why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked,    and do not be a fool — why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one    and not let go of the other.    Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. 20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. 21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. 23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise” — but this was beyond me. 24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound — who can discover it? 25 So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. 26 I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. 27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things— 28  while I was still searching but not finding — I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. 29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

The Quest for Meaning (July 5, 2026)

Pastor Jeff Gates The Quest for Meaning (July 5, 2026) Scripture Focus  Ecclesiastes 7.1 - 14 (NIV) Wisdom 7 A good name is better than fine perfume,     and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning     than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone;     the living should take this to heart. 3 Frustration is better than laughter,     because a sad face is good for the heart. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,     but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person     than to listen to the song of fools. 6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,     so is the laughter of fools.     This too is meaningless. 7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,     and a bribe corrupts the heart. 8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,     and patience is better than pride. 9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,     for anger resides in the lap of fools. 10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”     For it is not wise to ask such questions. 11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing     and benefits those who see the sun. 12 Wisdom is a shelter     as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this:     Wisdom preserves those who have it. 13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten     what he has made crooked? 14 When times are good, be happy;     but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one     as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover     anything about their future.

Salt And Light (June 28, 2026)

Lyndon Dojohn - Global Aid Network (GAiN) Scripture Focus Matthew 5.13 - 16 (NIV)  Salt and Light 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Quest for Meaning (June 21, 2026)

Pastor Jeff Gates The Quest for Meaning (June 21, 2026) Scripture Focus Ecclesiastes 5.8 - 6.12 (NIV) Riches Are Meaningless 8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. 10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. 13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. 15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? 17 All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. 18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. 6 1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. 3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? 7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. 8 What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others? 9 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 10 Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. 11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? 12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

The Quest for Meaning (June 14, 2026)

Pastor Jeff Gates The Quest for Meaning (June 14, 2026) Ecclesiastes 5.1-7 (NIV) 5 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 3 A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.