Ecclesiastes is full of frustration, bluntness, and even a little hopeless. However, its themes are realistic and necessary for us to grasp.

The disappointment in the vanity of life is good for our spiritual preparation, making us disillusioned with all the world's glamorous but false choices.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 emphasizes the brevity and the progressively harder difficulties of life and urges youth to seek God before the decline of old age.

Ecclesiastes teaches that life has meaning and purpose only when lived by faith for God's Kingdom, not just for earthly, 'under the sun' pursuits.

Until Christ returns, the world's problems will not be solved. Using godly wisdom helps us to deal with our circumstances, but it won't change the world.

Because of sin prompted, God has deliberately subjected creation to futility. Solomon has accurately taught us that without God, life is meaningless.

Time must not be wasted walking into blind alleys and labyrinths, but must be spent walking the paths God has set before us, developing character through our choices.

Ecclesiastes 1-6 contains an indictment of materialism. The only lasting fulfillment comes from establishing and maintaining a relationship with God.

The activities that Solomon put to the test and found wanting are exactly those things the world emphasizes: hedonism, silliness, mirth, and foolishness.

The fleeting time of youth is a time of strength, exploration, and boundless opportunities, offering the freedom to try new things as well as make mistakes.

Ecclesiastes deals with quality of life issues for those who have been called, emphasizing responsibility and choice, continually fearing God.

Solomon provides these comparisons to indicate the choices we should make to live better lives in alignment with God, even in an 'nder the sun' world.

Solomon counsels us to exercise diligence, work hard, plan for disruptions, obstacles, and roadblocks, spreading risk to work within this futile world.

Explore Genesis 1:31 and Ecclesiastes 9-10: the fall from innocence, wisdom's limits in a flawed world, and guidance on handling folly in leadership wisely.

God emphasizes Ecclesiastes during the Feast of Tabernacles to show the result of doing whatever our human heart leads us to do. The physical cannot satisfy.

Jesus said that His Father has been working continually, setting an example for us to develop a passion for creating, along with tending and keeping.

Respect for God is declining all over the world. Even in the scattered Church of God, an increasing casualness threatens to detract from respect for God.

Only those called by God are given insight into God's grand design, making living by faith possible. God adds understanding as we are able to use it.

Solomon reveals that God is solidly in control of time. Knowing that God is sovereign over time should fill us with faith in God's workmanship.

While Greek culture rendered wisdom mostly mental and contemplative, it is not truly biblical wisdom unless it follows through with a specific behavior.

Although some try to make their lives easier by compromising, Solomon warns that all evil leads to death, and that doing evil in any circumstance is insane.

When Solomon visits the Temple, he comes away with a sense that too many treat religion far too casually, forgetting that they are coming before God.

For the called, enjoying life's pleasures should not be the top priority, but rather seeking first the kingdom of God, trusting that physical things will be added.

Wisdom can be defined as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to the right measure. Wisdom is not given as a whole, but incrementally.

We must realize that God is sovereign over time all the time, even as it is running out for all of us. God works to make the most of every situation in our lives.

We are required to make judgments in our area of influence, in the home and in our own lives. We cannot be careless with God's standards in our own family.