Ecclesiastes 12:10

   You may have heard the story of the three teens that shot a random person because they were “bored”. Apparently, three boys ages 15, 16 and 17 told officers they were bored and that they followed a random person out for a jog and killed him for " the fun of it ”.  As shocking as this story was, it came doubly so for me because the location was my hometown Duncan, Oklahoma.  It has always been a typical safe small town.  You would never think anything like this could happen there.  To see the streets you grew up driving down, now featured on the national news as a crime scene is startling.   As I have read the stories, I still can’t get over the motive for the crime; they were bored .  I grew up in Duncan and while it isn’t the center of entertainment, I always had something to do.  I can’t imagine anyone ever being so bored that murder would be the solution.  I have noticed lately however, how many people are constantly declar...

            Well, the time has come for me to write my last bulletin article as a minister at Northwest.  Anytime you come to the end of something, it causes you to think back and question what you have done. Have I done a good thing? Did I make any difference? Did my labor mean anything? Was it all worthwhile? These questions are often times impossible to answer.  Some results are not easily quantified.  Influence, worth and meaning are often not seen in the short term.   Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “ God has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”   God has made us mortal but we long for eternal significance. Only thru Him can we achieve this desire. Only in the life to come can we see all the result of our works. That is why we must think about the ete...

“Words of the Preacher: A study of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes”   Experience is a trait that is very valuable for any organization. A person with experience in an area can usually do a job faster, easier and better than those without.   But the Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:13 of a time when experience is wasted. He says, “ A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.” Experience and position are not assets to those that think they no longer need to listen to anyone else.   No matter how long you have been doing something and how good you may be at it, there is always something else you can learn. Those that “check out” and feel they “know it all” are no longer an asset to any organization or to themselves.

“Words of the Preacher: A study of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes”   Sometimes when we see bad behavior in those under our authority, it is easy to dismiss the problem and hope it “fixes itself”. A teacher doesn’t want the disturbance of calling down the student, the employer doesn’t want the drama that comes in correcting the employee, and the parent doesn’t want the hassle of disciplining the child.   But the Preacher gives us some important council in Ecclesiastes 8:11. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.     When punishment or admonishment is not done in a timely manner, it promotes more wrongdoing. Human beings often equate a lack of response as acceptance. As my daughter has often said after I have not answered her request, “I’ll just take that as a yes”.   If nothing immediately happens to us, then we think the action must be valid. It make things ...

“Words of the Preacher: A study of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes” It seems out society has becoming obsessed with safety. Think back to how many safety features that are now considered “essential” that we just didn’t have twenty years ago. We all want to be safe, so we accept them, even to the point of absurdity. I don’t know about you but sometimes it seems to get carried away. Everything has to be padded, protected, sanitized, and secured to the nth degree. We foolishly think we can make everything perfectly safe.                But Preacher tells us differently in Ecclesiastes 10:8-9, “ He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.” Any activity comes with some inherent danger. That doesn’t mean we should stop doing them. We can’t control everything that may happen and thinking ...

“Words of the Preacher: A study of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes” One of the biggest mistakes most young people make in their earlier lives is not saving money.   Their expenses seem to grow with their income and when the unexpected happens they have nothing to fall back on. A good savings account can help avoid some pain and misery.   But we have to be wise about how we view our savings. The Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:13-14 “ There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.   When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him .” No matter how much we have in the bank, we can’t think we are fully protected. This lesson is like the parable Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15-21. We shouldn’t be so foolish to think that the only thing we should be investing in is monetary gain. A large bank account won’t get us into heaven, or train our children to ...

“Words of the Preacher: A study of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes”   The hardest lesson that I had to learn when I first started in ministry was simply no matter what you do, or how carefully you act, you will be verbally criticized. Sometimes the words can be legitimate and helpful but often it’s nothing more than just hot air. I found it difficult to accept since I would try to analyze why people would say the things they did, what I had done wrong, or how I should have handled things. I spend many sleepless nights worrying about it until I discover the wisdom of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 7:21-22. He tells us, “ Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.   For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.” We all say things we don’t mean, or didn’t mean to be mean. So will others.   If we talk everything said about us personally, we will be miserable.   Sometimes the best w...