What’s the plan... for your life that is? Do you know who you want to become and what are you doing to get there? The gospel shows us that there is more to life than simply what’s under the sun. And through that lens Solomon gives us some incredibly practical advice in how to pursue a life of meaning and purpose.

Death and taxes... the only two things that are certain in life. In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon reminds us of the harsh truth that every single human being shares... we all die. Because of sin, death entered the picture but because of Jesus life is possible. And through the gospel we can actually enjoy life in the face of death.

What happens when life’s biggest questions and most difficult issues press in on the foundations of what we believe and core of our worldview? In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon hits head on issues around injustice, suffering, and why bad things happen to "good people". The question for us is: when the weight of those questions and issues are placed on the surface of what we believe – does what we believe have the ability to hold it?

As Notorious B.I.G. put it best, "mo money mo problems." Thousands of years prior the writer of Ecclesiastes said much of the same. Solomon was richer and more honoured than any king in Israel's history (and in many ways the history of the world) and yet despite his opulent wealth something was still missing. Why is it then... after all these warnings we still seem to search for ultimate joy in our riches?

Spring flowers, summer breeze, fall leaves, and snowflakes in winter. Life moves in a rhythm of seasons — it’s how God created the world. However, we often struggle to adapt and shift with the changing seasons. In fact, if we’re honest with ourselves we’d prefer to always be in the season of growth, gathering, peace, and dancing. But that’s not how life works, which is why Ecclesiastes can help us live fully into the rhythms and season of life that God created.

The saying goes all work and no play but sometimes it can feel like all work and no meaning. Every person who has ever worked a day in his/her life has experienced the gnawing feeling that his/her work is to some degree or another pointless or completely detached from any real significant purpose. Solomon addresses this head on and points us to how we can find true satisfaction in our 9-5.

Is there meaning to life? If so, what is it and is there any way for us to find it? Ecclesiastes begins with a bleak outlook on life "under the sun". But it’s amidst this sense of dissatisfaction and frustration that our hearts are pushed to find mean under the sun by looking beyond the sun to Jesus.