This past weekend at Eastbrook, I continued our preaching series “The Skeptic’s Guide to Life with God: Ecclesiastes” by preaching a message entitled “Are We Stuck in Endless Cycles or Is There Something More?” from Ecclesiastes 3. With a little reference to Groundhog Day and some exploration of differing ways we think of our experience of life and time, I ended up talking about life in terms of the tree in Psalm 1 and reflections on seasons in light of the Gospel.
You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
The Seasons of Life (Ecclesiastes 3:1-14)
The range of personal and corporate experiences described
The limitations of human experience
The greatness of God
The Cycles and Struggles of Life (Ecclesiastes 3:15-22)
What we see in society:
- Cycles of struggle
- Justice and judgment not upheld rightly where they should be
What we wonder in our own lives:
- Are we just like animals?
- Or are we different?
What about God in all this?
- In the struggles and cycles of injustice, God will judge
- In the struggles and cycles of our own lives, God has still given meaning
An Aside About Life’s Pattern: Cycles, Progress, or Something Else?
Life as cyclical (Eastern)
Life as linear progress (Western)
A different perspective in the Bible with 2 images:
- Like a tree
- Like seasons
Making It Real
How do you see your life?
What is the season of your life right now?
How might you be present and move forward with God?
Dig Deeper
This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:
- Memorize Ecclesiastes 3:11 or 3:22
- Take some time to interact creatively with this chapter. Draw, ink, or paint Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. As you do so, pray through these verses and allow God to speak to you in a personal way about your own life.
- Using the following descriptions, consider what season best describes your life with God? Journal or pray about that. Consider talking with someone you trust about this question together.
- Spring – the season of new birth or spiritual awakening
- Summer – the season of spiritual strengthening or vitality
- Fall – the season of spiritual surviving or decline
- Winter – the season of emptiness or spiritual deepening
- Consider reading one of the following books:
- Greg Boyd and Edward Body, Letters from a Skeptic
- Timothy Keller, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical
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Matthew Erickson 
My baby sister, Jenny, was born on Groundhog Day.