The Mountain Church

As we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, this week we come to Ecclesiastes 9:1-6. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes looks once again at death and that it is inescapable. He highlights six pairs of people and shows that death comes to them all. The only hope is for those who are still living. They have hope because they still have a chance to change their ways, while the dead have n...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 8:10-17. The Preacher explores two vanities that he sees in life under the sun. First, those who do evil in life are honored in their death or were not remembered for what they were really like. Secondly, those who do evil in life are often rewarded as those who do good, while those who do good are...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 8:1-9. The Preacher presents wisdom in dealing with kings, rulers, and authorities. In light of the power that kings possessed in the Ancient Near East, those who dealt with a king needed to have careful wisdom and insight. A wise person knows the proper time, place, and way to share advice and opin...

This morning we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes looking at Ecclesiastes 7:1-29. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes goes through a series of "better than" statements comparing and contrasting wisdom and folly. A wise person will think about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time. A fool doesn't reflect on life, the time given, or how you will be remembered at deat...

This morning we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes looking at Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12. The Preacher describes the futility of riches and the realities of wealth. Greed is the way of failure, frustration, and folly. Contentment is the way of flourishing, godliness, and a sign of humble faith. Greed leads to injury of others and self. It can bring injustice and isolation. True and...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. The Preacher calls for a posture of humility and obedience as we approach God. Our goal is not to impress God or others with our many words and grand vows. We are to be people of true and honest speech. When we say we're going to do something, we follow through. We're not to offer the sacrifi...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider the Preacher's observations about evil under the sun in Ecclesiastes 4:1-16. The Preacher describes the oppressions and injustice that are committed in the world and that those who are oppressed have no one to comfort them. Toil and work that is motivated or springs from one person's envy of another is also vani...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 3:16-22. The Preacher considers the mystery of injustice and death and states, "All are from dust, and to dust all return." The Preacher concludes, "So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes we consider Ecclesiastes 3:9-15. The Preacher talks about the task that God has given humanity and the limitations that He has ordained and designed. In light of those limitations, the Preacher perceives that, "There is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should e...

This week we consider one of the more popular or famous sections in the book of Ecclesiastes, a poem about the different seasons of life. The Preacher notes, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The poem describes the sovereignty of God over all seasons and how there is a divinely appointed time for everything. While we can choose to live...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 2:18-26. We see the vanity of work, the victory of Jesus' work, and how the victory of Jesus' work affects our vocation. The Preacher begins to give himself over to despair concerning all his work that he had labored at under the sun. He sees vanity in work as he considers the reward of a lifetime o...

This week as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher turns to consider wisdom and folly. He concludes wisdom is better than folly, yet wisdom and foolishness have the same end. Both those who live wisely and those who live foolishly die and are no longer remembered. Therefore, "I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity an...

This morning we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes as we consider Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. In the text we see the Preacher/Teacher explore the vanity of pleasures. The Preacher considers comedy, wine, possessions, riches, and sexual fulfillment. "And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and...

This morning we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes as we consider Ecclesiastes 1:12-18. The Preacher describes how he applied his heart to seek and search out wisdom, to explore and examine through wisdom all that is done under heaven. His conclusion is that God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. In the words of the Preacher, "I have seen everything tha...

This morning we begin a new study through the book of Ecclesiastes. The author introduces us to, "the words of the Preacher", a wise teacher who offers reflections on wisdom, work, pleasure, wealth, time, and death. The preacher opens with a statement of the theme of the book. The Preacher says, "Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). These opening statements d...

Happy Easter! This morning we conclude our study through the book of James as we consider James 5:19-20. James calls for followers of Jesus to seek after those who wander and stray from the truth. He encourages us that we will save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. As a community of faith we pray that we don't respond in condemnation or callousness to others. We pray that we don...

As we near the end of our study through the book of James, this week we consider James 5:13-18. James calls for followers of Jesus to have a Godward life - a life that is toward God, or with reference to God. It looks like a life of prayer and praise in bad times and good. It looks like confession and intercession. Wholeness looks like being people of Jesus who look up and move outward. We believe...

As we continue in our study through the book of James, we consider James 5:12 which describes the importance of telling the truth. Followers of Jesus are to, "Let your 'yes' mean 'yes,' and your 'no' mean 'no,' so that you won't fall under judgement." Where the Spirit of God has transformed a heart, there should be honest speech. True followers of Jesus can be tested by their speech. Christians ar...

We continue in our study through the book of James looking at James 5:7-11. James calls us to be patient as we endure suffering. We are to establish our hearts, for the coming of Jesus is at and. James calls us to consider the farmer, the former followers of God, and the Faithful Father who is compassionate and merciful. We show our impatience as we grumble against one another. Instead of complain...

This morning we continue in our study through the book of James, looking at James 5:1-6. James giving a warning to the rich. Wealth can be dangerous. The love of money can deceive us and destroy us. Wealth discloses where our true treasure lies. In the pursuit of wealth we can be tempted to take shortcuts, defraud, or destroy others. It can deaden un in self-indulgence and bring damnation. James m...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of James, we consider James 4:13-17. James corrects a decision making, planning, and preparation that does not take into account the will and plan of God. We see the problems with plans, the providence of God, and the proper posture of plans. Followers of Jesus are to consider planning in its rightful place in regards to the providence and...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of James, we consider James 4:11-12. James calls us not so speak evil, or slander one another. He tells us that speaking evil against a brother or sister means speaking evil against the law and judging the law. If we judge the law, we turn our focus off of obeying the law and make a judgement that the laws against slander or loving our neig...

This morning as we continue in our study through James, we consider James 4:1-10. James teaches us about the causes of fights and quarrels among us, gives a critique and castigation of having a divided heart, and calls for repentance and humility. The cause of our fights and quarrels comes from our passions and ruling desires in our hearts. James reminds us that, "God opposes he proud, but gives g...

This week as we continue in our study through the book of James we consider James 3:13-18. James shows how wisdom is exemplified and demonstrated. He teaches us that wisdom and understanding is shown good conduct in the meekness of wisdom (v. 13). He then compares the essence and effect of false wisdom with the essence and effect of true wisdom. False wisdom has bitter jealously and selfish ambiti...

This week as we continue in our study through the book of James, we consider James 3:1-12. James is building upon the prior teaching on dead faith versus a living faith showing how faith in Jesus is to affect our speech. James describes that the tongue is small, but powerful. Secondly, the tongue is humanly untamable. Finally the tongue reveals more about us than we care to admit. To have sure and...