WEBVTT 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.580 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:43.539 Alrighty. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:46.340 Oh, good morning church. 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:53.429 Got a, uh, pumping massive crowd in today. 00:00:54.289 --> 00:00:56.869 Um, no guys, I'm super excited to be here, right? 00:00:56.909 --> 00:00:58.049 This is the last one of the year. 00:00:58.909 --> 00:01:01.549 Um, I am thankful for everyone that is here. 00:01:01.549 --> 00:01:04.590 Um, I know like either, you know, a few of us have been sick. 00:01:04.730 --> 00:01:06.349 A few of us are under the weather at the moment. 00:01:06.489 --> 00:01:11.370 A few of us are out of town enjoying hot, nice weather, AKA the scenes. 00:01:11.870 --> 00:01:20.969 Uh, if you have any, um, unwanted angst for the cold weather, uh, pass it on to them as they're enjoying that nice, that nice weather at the moment. 00:01:21.769 --> 00:01:27.590 Um, no, I hope this last week, um, your guys' time was filled with great friendship, great family. 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:33.950 Um, and at worst for this last week, I hope that your sports team won, right? 00:01:34.250 --> 00:01:35.310 That's where I'm at. 00:01:35.670 --> 00:01:36.730 Um, right. 00:01:36.849 --> 00:01:39.969 Like my, my Denver Nuggets got to play on a Christmas day. 00:01:40.090 --> 00:01:44.870 We won that game, but then, uh, proceeded to lose by a lot the next day, which is fine. 00:01:45.849 --> 00:01:50.930 Um, but for today, like Alex said, it's a little bit of a different setup. 00:01:50.969 --> 00:01:55.909 Obviously with not a lot of people, I think this is a great time for us to focus a lot on prayer. 00:01:55.909 --> 00:02:04.329 But I do have a lesson about Ecclesiastes that I do want to take a look at today, um, and focus on like our time and how we value it. 00:02:05.150 --> 00:02:08.689 And the title of the lesson today, as you can see, is Remember Our Creator. 00:02:09.250 --> 00:02:12.129 It's a title they can write out of Ecclesiastes 12. 00:02:12.870 --> 00:02:25.729 And the goal today is for us to take a step back and analyze our time, how we spend it, what value we give it, and how it should always be pointing right back to our loving creator, our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:30.590 This is a lesson in our life that is always going to be needed, right? 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:40.629 Like this is something that, you know, we could do it, you know, today, six months from now, eight months, nine months, like, you know, still be applicable every time we hear it. 00:02:41.770 --> 00:02:52.370 Um, however, as we are now at the end of the calendar year, right, as we, we, you know, mark these times that we get to, to take a time and introspectively look at our lives, right? 00:02:52.370 --> 00:03:03.009 It's a time that a lot of us reflect on what's been good this year, what's been bad, you know, what are the things that we've neglected, what are some things that we've relished in this past year. 00:03:04.050 --> 00:03:15.330 This type of reflection brings us to this unique, somewhat often misunderstood and darkened take on our time on earth, which is Ecclesiastes, right? 00:03:15.409 --> 00:03:20.150 If you've read Ecclesiastes in depth, you're like, okay, this is an interesting lesson to do. 00:03:20.150 --> 00:03:32.169 Um, but that's why I want to, like, before we get into this little lesson, I kind of want to slap a hearty, I want to say warning, but just advisory when we, when we look at Ecclesiastes. 00:03:32.789 --> 00:03:34.849 It is not a simple reading. 00:03:35.270 --> 00:03:41.469 You know, the Bible talks about spiritual knowledge being like a progression of children's food, right? 00:03:41.789 --> 00:03:47.530 Some basic teachings are like milk, like what a baby infant should take, right? 00:03:47.530 --> 00:03:50.330 You know, the teachings are straight to the point. 00:03:50.449 --> 00:03:51.930 We understand what we see. 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:57.990 Some teachings are more advanced and would like, and would be like eating a hearty meal. 00:03:59.169 --> 00:04:02.430 Ecclesiastes is a three course meal sometimes, right? 00:04:02.530 --> 00:04:11.530 It is a full on, it's a heavy appetizer, a big old, you know, steak and asparagus and a delightful dessert at the end. 00:04:12.090 --> 00:04:13.550 Um, right? 00:04:14.069 --> 00:04:20.170 Now, when I say this, this doesn't mean that that's the level of spiritual understanding we need for this lesson, right? 00:04:20.189 --> 00:04:21.250 Not by any means. 00:04:21.730 --> 00:04:34.790 Um, or just even look at Ecclesiastes, but I am warning or just giving a, you know, advice that if this is a book that you haven't read, or if you are going to read, um, do it with commentaries. 00:04:35.209 --> 00:04:45.509 Do it with an understanding of how you intake deep, kind of like intrusive thoughts, because that is Ecclesiastes in a, you know, in a nutshell. 00:04:46.790 --> 00:04:47.670 And right? 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:50.050 We may be asking why that is, right? 00:04:50.129 --> 00:04:58.649 Like, okay, like that's a, most lessons don't start with an advisory of, if you're going to read this, you know, do it with commentaries and wisdom in it. 00:04:59.290 --> 00:05:03.509 Um, but for the idea of that, like, let's take a look at the few divided topics, right? 00:05:03.529 --> 00:05:08.990 There's the subtopics that you get within each, um, within each chapter within each book. 00:05:08.990 --> 00:05:12.290 And here are a few that are in Ecclesiastes, right? 00:05:12.490 --> 00:05:15.290 It first starts with everything is futile, right? 00:05:15.610 --> 00:05:20.750 With wisdom comes sorrow, futility of pleasure, from dust to dust. 00:05:21.649 --> 00:05:27.089 God's work remains forever, and to everything there is a season, and et cetera, and et cetera. 00:05:29.470 --> 00:05:39.050 Ecclesiastes, in my opinion, is like the intrusive thoughts in someone's head won the battle and it took the pen, and that is like Ecclesiastes, right? 00:05:39.050 --> 00:05:46.310 It is the, it's the thoughts that some of us are like, I'm not going to share that out loud because I don't want people to think a certain way about me. 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:48.550 Like I sometimes think like that is Ecclesiastes. 00:05:48.670 --> 00:05:51.470 Ecclesiastes is very much like, are you, are you okay? 00:05:51.610 --> 00:05:53.410 Like, what's going on in that head? 00:05:53.910 --> 00:05:58.410 But to a point of why I really appreciate Ecclesiastes is we all have them, right? 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:01.870 We all have these thoughts of existential crisis. 00:06:02.509 --> 00:06:03.529 Why does it matter? 00:06:04.069 --> 00:06:05.250 Why do bad things happen? 00:06:05.310 --> 00:06:07.129 What purpose does my life have? 00:06:07.129 --> 00:06:10.990 I have no control over any big issue that is in this world, right? 00:06:11.149 --> 00:06:18.810 War, famine, greed, power, and encapsulate it all into one, the sin that spreads on this earth like a disease. 00:06:21.529 --> 00:06:27.870 Now looking at Ecclesiastes, it can often circle around this sadness, like I wanted to point it out at first, right? 00:06:28.290 --> 00:06:31.750 I think when people read it, it's like, oh, it's a doom and gloom book. 00:06:31.750 --> 00:06:36.970 It talks about the meaninglessness of life, right? 00:06:39.250 --> 00:06:45.089 But once you dig into Ecclesiastes a lot more, it isn't all about the doom and gloom of this world, right? 00:06:45.529 --> 00:06:56.129 But rather, it pins all these things that the world has to offer with the security and joy that comes from the Lord and be like, here's what this life has to offer. 00:06:56.230 --> 00:06:57.449 This is what the Lord has to offer. 00:06:58.129 --> 00:07:00.889 See for yourself why one is more important than the other. 00:07:00.889 --> 00:07:02.470 And that's what we're going to focus on today. 00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:05.769 We're going to focus a little bit on that and how we focus that into our time. 00:07:06.189 --> 00:07:09.490 So with this first point, my first point is remember God's light. 00:07:10.949 --> 00:07:12.110 Remember God's light. 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:13.970 God's light. 00:07:15.649 --> 00:07:21.170 Ecclesiastes 12, 13 through 14, is the verse we're going to look for this first point. 00:07:21.269 --> 00:07:31.290 And it says, when all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this, fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. 00:07:31.709 --> 00:07:38.949 For God will bring every deed into judgment along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil, right? 00:07:39.930 --> 00:07:42.889 So this is the final verse of Ecclesiastes, right? 00:07:43.029 --> 00:07:50.250 So when these verses were written, there had been 12 plus chapters about the trials and tribulations that this earth has to offer. 00:07:50.250 --> 00:07:56.310 How the things of happiness that we strive for are also fleeting in the end. 00:07:57.389 --> 00:08:06.829 What's so important about this verse in the last couple of chapters is it compares the earth and its perceived light with the unshakable light that is God. 00:08:08.670 --> 00:08:14.389 And just like Ecclesiastes, right, we all desire meaning in life, right? 00:08:14.410 --> 00:08:17.930 If you met someone who didn't, I'd be a little worried, right? 00:08:18.529 --> 00:08:29.850 Often that search takes us down long, winding up and down paths filled with bursts of satisfication that shine bright for a time, then eventually fades. 00:08:30.930 --> 00:08:34.928 For some of us, right, it's money and a secure job, right? 00:08:34.970 --> 00:08:38.308 For some of us, it's security and relationships, right? 00:08:38.428 --> 00:08:42.808 You know, whether it be your friendships or a more intimate relationship, right? 00:08:42.808 --> 00:08:48.889 For some of us, especially me, it's the happiness we find in our hobbies and our likes, right? 00:08:49.549 --> 00:08:54.789 So no matter what it is, right, we often seek a light, right? 00:08:54.789 --> 00:08:59.389 We're always seeking a light, but most of the lights that we seek dim and fade. 00:09:01.629 --> 00:09:10.549 What Ecclesiastes, but even more, the bigger picture of the Bible is communicating that these perceived lights in our life do not compare to the Lord's light, amen? 00:09:12.269 --> 00:09:19.509 Ecclesiastes presents us with this naturalistic vision of life, one that understands why we seek after vain items, right? 00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:25.250 It's like, I understand, we enjoy pleasure, we enjoy, you know, a laugh, we enjoy seeking out these things. 00:09:25.649 --> 00:09:26.450 I get it, right? 00:09:27.110 --> 00:09:32.110 It's written for that, it's like, I get why these are alluring, right? 00:09:32.350 --> 00:09:37.710 It's understanding, but ultimately recognizes the rule and reign of God in the world. 00:09:39.700 --> 00:09:47.779 So when we take this and when we look at our own time, our focus, and our energy, right, we often misplace it in so many ways. 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:57.899 You know, for myself, I think about all the ways that I put my time into so many things that benefit me and secure what makes me happy, right? 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:03.940 It's the idea of like, when I read like the fleeting light, I'm like, oh, I do that so often, right? 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:10.740 It's like, what am I looking forward to in the next, you know, seven days that it will like make me happy, right? 00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:15.700 That gives me joy, that gives me my own life, right? 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:22.039 But something Ecclesiastes is incredibly wonderful in is his ability to show how these come and go, right? 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:27.720 You know, right, it is most like 99.9% written by Solomon, right? 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:34.460 And Solomon, with the most expertise, like the most wise, richest human being in the world. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:39.259 That's why, you know, we take this with a grain of salt, like man had like everything, right? 00:10:39.299 --> 00:10:44.779 And so he's writing this of like, it could be the richest person in the world, or it could be the poorest person in the world. 00:10:45.299 --> 00:10:47.080 We all die someday. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:51.220 We all lose these things that we look for light in, right? 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:52.539 No one is immortal. 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:56.779 And that is why we have to remember God's light, right? 00:10:56.779 --> 00:10:59.799 It's why we're here, it's why we're here today, right? 00:11:00.259 --> 00:11:08.100 We understand the bigger picture in our life, we understand that there's a light that's deeper than the ones that we seek in ourselves, right? 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:19.139 Because by our human nature, and maybe I'm just speaking for myself, and if so, that is what it is, we probably would not be here on a Sunday morning, on Christmas Eve, right? 00:11:19.259 --> 00:11:24.240 Waking up, you know, moderately early to come to church, right? 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:33.779 Like by our own sinful nature, we're like, it's my off day, I want to sleep in, you know, the Lions played last night, that's a tough subject for some of you. 00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:38.259 Or your favorite team plays like later today, you're like, I'm just gonna chill, right? 00:11:38.539 --> 00:11:39.639 But we know, right? 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:40.299 That's our light. 00:11:40.419 --> 00:11:42.500 That's like, that's our fleeting light, right? 00:11:42.539 --> 00:11:48.820 It's a perceived light of, oh, I get to sleep in, I get to enjoy my time, but God's light is deeper than that. 00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:54.000 That's why sometimes we sacrifice our time, because we understand there's something deeper in our lives than that. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:54.820 Right? 00:11:54.820 --> 00:12:04.799 So that is why we need to remember how important it is to recognize God among all of the things that when we take up our time and we think about how we've spent it, right? 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:08.320 We need to remember God's light in our life on a day-to-day basis. 00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:26.620 Now as I come to the second and last point for today, it highlights the first point, but I also don't want us to come away just being like, because I think the reason why Ecclesiastes is for a mature reading, because I think some people come away and it's like, I'm not going to do anything with my life. 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:28.000 Everything is meaningless. 00:12:28.580 --> 00:12:34.539 And it's like, well, like, that's not what that was meant to be for, but I get where you got that. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:35.879 I get where that comes from. 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:45.240 But what I think is super important is this idea, if we have focus, we have the foundation of God is the number one thing in our lives, right? 00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:52.539 Focusing on that and no other pursuit that can match our relationship with God, then this idea of then how do we spend our time after that? 00:12:53.059 --> 00:12:54.500 And that's what the second point is about. 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:55.940 Remember time is a gift. 00:12:56.940 --> 00:12:58.240 Remember time is a gift. 00:12:58.580 --> 00:12:59.700 I have one more verse for you. 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:01.759 Ecclesiastes 11, 7 through 9. 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:08.019 And it says, light is sweet and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.799 So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.340 Let him remember the days of darkness for they will be many. 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:17.340 Everything to come is futile. 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:20.259 Rejoice, oh, young man, while you are young. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:22.879 Let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:30.039 Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes, but now that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. 00:13:32.509 --> 00:13:40.570 In ties with remembering God's light, I think it's also very important to remember God's gift of time to us on a day-to-day basis, right? 00:13:41.529 --> 00:13:46.190 I think about Ecclesiastes 11, 7, right, especially when I was digging into this book. 00:13:46.870 --> 00:13:52.289 It's a simple thought, but how often do we just appreciate the sun, right, in the beginning, right? 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:59.210 You know, now, I'm from Colorado, and we see the sun actually quite often. 00:13:59.429 --> 00:14:11.850 We get a lot of sunny days even in the winter, but I think coming to Michigan, I was like, I think I appreciate the sun when it comes out in March just a little more than maybe I did in Colorado. 00:14:12.149 --> 00:14:14.389 I was like, oh, I'll see it, you know, in February. 00:14:14.389 --> 00:14:18.330 It's like, if we see it in February, it's like, is Jesus coming back? 00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:21.789 Like, it's a great day, don't spend it inside the office. 00:14:21.850 --> 00:14:25.549 You're calling in, you know, sick that day to spend some outside time, right? 00:14:25.990 --> 00:14:27.389 But it's the little things, right? 00:14:27.590 --> 00:14:30.929 And that's why I think it's not just about the sun, right? 00:14:31.850 --> 00:14:38.429 It's about the bigger picture of how we appreciate our day-to-day lives and then how we go forth and use it, right? 00:14:39.610 --> 00:14:41.669 Today's lesson is tied with some intentional prayer. 00:14:42.210 --> 00:14:50.750 And I can't count the number of times that I've heard a lesson that ties prayer and a good prayer life with gratitude. 00:14:51.389 --> 00:15:08.090 Like, I kid you not, I have at least 50-plus lessons on prayer, and I don't think any of them have ever left without one of the main core things being, if you don't pray with gratitude, you're probably not going to be a grateful person in your life. 00:15:08.169 --> 00:15:10.070 And it's like, that makes a lot of sense, right? 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:12.309 Like, that adds up, right? 00:15:12.870 --> 00:15:15.409 But it's thankful for all the little things, right? 00:15:15.450 --> 00:15:22.429 It's the air that we breathe, it's the water we drink, the friends we have, the roof over our heads, the food on our plates. 00:15:23.389 --> 00:15:32.049 You know, I think we need to have these prayers because they remind us of how much has been given and how much of it is a gift, right? 00:15:32.049 --> 00:15:37.590 Because there are people that don't have that, but also they would pray a gratitude of the things they have that somebody else doesn't have, right? 00:15:38.149 --> 00:15:44.269 Like, the list goes on and on of the things that we have in this world that we get to wake up and breathe air. 00:15:44.450 --> 00:15:46.230 Like, that in itself is a gift. 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:50.169 It's the time that we give and that we don't deserve, right? 00:15:51.590 --> 00:16:05.139 But the issue for all of us, if you're anything like me, is we often get so just in the mess of the day-to-day life, right? 00:16:05.139 --> 00:16:08.419 We forget why it's so important, right? 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:13.340 We forget why the time on earth is to be cherished, right? 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:19.600 Because we're so focused on so many little things that we have to do on a day-to-day basis that we forget the bigger picture. 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:32.980 We forget why we're here, why we share our lives with people, why we enjoy when your kids are driving you up the wall and you just want to go hide in a dark room for two hours. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:38.240 But we forget those things because the day-to-day life sucks us in, right? 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:43.539 And I want everyone to think about how they approach those moments, right? 00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:51.100 I'm going to give you a couple of chores, activities, things that we do on a day-to-day basis and I want you to think about how you think about those things. 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:52.700 Do you find them a joy? 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:58.320 Do you do them with gladness if you put your life into it or something you hate doing? 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:01.720 Because I'm going to be honest, some of these, I put some headphones in, don't talk to me. 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.299 And so this is very convicting for me, right? 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:06.240 Grocery shopping, right? 00:17:06.578 --> 00:17:11.900 Getting coffee, going to the gym, filling up for gas, right? 00:17:12.098 --> 00:17:14.000 Clocking in and out of work every day. 00:17:14.140 --> 00:17:16.460 That takes up at least eight hours, right? 00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:17.338 That's a long time. 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.940 There's a lot within that subsection itself, right? 00:17:21.019 --> 00:17:22.160 Walking the dog. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.440 And for those who don't have dogs, just taking a walk, right? 00:17:25.818 --> 00:17:27.160 Having dinner with your family. 00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:32.660 I'm a massive proponent for enjoying the little things. 00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:38.539 And the things like this that we have in our lives, I just don't think we rejoice in them enough, right? 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:43.160 I don't think that we give them to God as much as we think we should, right? 00:17:43.740 --> 00:17:50.140 I think about how these moments are a way for God's light to be shined in our lives. 00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:50.599 Yeah. 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:51.960 We rarely do it. 00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:53.880 And I say that from a personal experience. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:00.359 Like I said, grocery shopping, this was the first one I was like, I put in headphones and I swear, if someone looks at me, I'm like, don't you dare. 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:03.279 I'm here on a mission to get my food and get out. 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:03.819 Right? 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:04.960 I'm like, what am I like? 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:06.039 I sometimes like, what am I doing? 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:08.220 Like, I'm supposed to be sharing my life. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.039 I'm like, no, I don't want to. 00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:14.559 But right, like that's like the, that is what we challenge with on a day-to-day basis, right? 00:18:14.579 --> 00:18:23.380 We're challenged with these moments where we can, you know, be just individualized and suck ourselves into our own lives where we can use God's light, right? 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:28.599 We could see all these things that the world sees as meaningless, right? 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:36.559 But if we have God's light, if we remember our creator and we put them into practice, there's so much more to live in these day-to-day moments. 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:39.880 For my analogy, right? 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:43.240 So I've been trying, I'm so happy for this analogy. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:46.200 I wasn't going to say this as a preface, but I have to, right? 00:18:46.420 --> 00:18:52.180 So I've been working to get a country lyric into an analogy and I've done it. 00:18:52.259 --> 00:18:53.220 I'm so happy about this. 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:54.400 I'm not even going to lie, right? 00:18:54.740 --> 00:19:00.519 I'm so to the point, if you guys don't, as you get to know me more, I love country music with like way too much passion. 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:03.680 It's kind of, it's overwhelming for a lot of people. 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:09.400 But there is this country song by a man named Toby Keith called My List. 00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:15.220 It is one of my favorite songs of all time, but my favorite song from Toby Keith. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.440 And it paints a beautiful picture of like what matters in life, right? 00:19:21.220 --> 00:19:22.980 And it is on the next slide. 00:19:23.059 --> 00:19:24.240 I don't know if it's going to play. 00:19:24.700 --> 00:19:26.640 So if it doesn't, I do have the lyrics down. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:29.700 But obviously, Toby Keith is going to be better at singing it. 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:37.119 But obviously, I can just speak it out if it doesn't work, because I don't think it will. 00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:44.980 Well, I'm not going to sing it for us. 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:46.980 Let's, we're not going to go too far. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:51.400 The spoken word will be a stronger play for us. 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:52.839 So yeah, that's all right. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:54.779 It's not that big of a deal. 00:19:54.779 --> 00:20:01.240 But I want to read the first verse, the first section of verse and chorus for you. 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:06.119 Just kind of paint your picture of like our day-to-day lives, right? 00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:07.900 And so the song starts like this. 00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:11.460 It says, under an old brass paperweight is my list of things to do today. 00:20:12.180 --> 00:20:13.759 Go to the bank in the hardware store. 00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:15.500 Put a new lock on the cellar door. 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:17.960 I cross them off as I get them done. 00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:22.920 But when the sun is set, there's still more than a few things left that I haven't got to yet. 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.799 Then it goes into the chorus. 00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:25.880 It says, go for a walk. 00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:27.059 Say a little prayer. 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:28.599 Take a deep breath of mountain air. 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:31.240 Put on my glove and play some catch. 00:20:31.700 --> 00:20:33.319 It's time that I make time for that. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:35.819 Wave the shore and cast a line. 00:20:36.099 --> 00:20:37.359 Look up an old lost friend of mine. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:39.799 Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:40.900 Start living. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:42.799 That's the next thing on my list. 00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:47.640 Like I said, Mr. Toby Keith will sing that a little better. 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:54.579 But when I think of that song, I think of Ecclesiastes. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:21:00.859 I think, like, this is the stuff it means to rejoice in our life that we live, right? 00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:05.140 To make an impact in the people that we have on a day-to-day relationship with. 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:17.160 And you tie this song, if you tie this song with our structure of godliness, how many lives can we impact with this mindset of living out the important things on our list? 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:18.519 Right? 00:21:21.490 --> 00:21:29.150 And so as I wrap up for this part of the service and we go into our prayer, I want to have you guys think about a couple questions. 00:21:29.349 --> 00:21:30.250 And this isn't the prayer part. 00:21:30.329 --> 00:21:34.049 This is, like, a little thought process for you guys. 00:21:34.529 --> 00:21:43.450 Like, how much of that time that we talk about, the things that really matter, how much are you giving to the people in your lives, right? 00:21:43.769 --> 00:21:45.710 So I think that's, like, what Ecclesiastes is about. 00:21:45.789 --> 00:21:49.009 And obviously, we didn't have, like, a lot of time to dig deep into the book. 00:21:49.009 --> 00:21:50.730 But, right? 00:21:50.869 --> 00:21:53.430 Like, we pursue so many things in our life. 00:21:53.569 --> 00:21:54.869 We pursue a paycheck, right? 00:21:54.910 --> 00:22:01.710 We pursue all types of things that get us places, cars, houses, right? 00:22:02.690 --> 00:22:05.369 And they're good in some essence. 00:22:05.750 --> 00:22:12.349 But, right, at the end of the day, I just don't think, right, we'll remember, you know, all the days that we clocked in to work, right? 00:22:12.390 --> 00:22:18.109 Like, I think we'll remember some days when, you know, half the people show up and we have a great prayer time, right? 00:22:18.109 --> 00:22:20.630 Like, we will remember those so much more, right? 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:22.130 We're going to remember, right? 00:22:22.170 --> 00:22:26.329 For me, I'm not going to remember the times that I listened to great music in the grocery store. 00:22:26.710 --> 00:22:30.769 I'll probably remember if I had a great conversation with someone, though, right? 00:22:31.369 --> 00:22:36.190 You know, I would, you know, I'll remember the talks with my mom and dad, right? 00:22:36.269 --> 00:22:40.029 Rather than doing whatever the heck I else would be doing, right? 00:22:40.029 --> 00:22:43.230 Like, I can call my mom and dad at any point, right? 00:22:43.349 --> 00:22:45.809 You know, the talks with my brother, right? 00:22:45.809 --> 00:22:49.869 When I go to campus and share, right, I have those stories. 00:22:50.710 --> 00:22:58.589 To the point of ecclesiastics, the point of looking at our time is, right, it's a gift. 00:22:58.690 --> 00:23:01.569 We don't have a whole ton of it, really. 00:23:01.890 --> 00:23:02.970 Like, we just don't know, right? 00:23:03.990 --> 00:23:05.690 For some people, it's doom and gloom. 00:23:05.730 --> 00:23:06.369 It's a sad thing. 00:23:06.410 --> 00:23:07.470 I'm like, that's a cherished thing. 00:23:07.650 --> 00:23:09.289 Like, don't lose it, right? 00:23:09.609 --> 00:23:14.250 So, as we kind of start to focus in on prayer, we focus in. 00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:17.210 A lot of people, like we said, take this time to reflect. 00:23:17.289 --> 00:23:26.730 Reflect on how much of your time has been given to be a light into people's worlds, right, to be God's light into people's worlds. 00:23:27.250 --> 00:23:32.809 And if we do that, not only our lives, but the lives of everyone around us, God's love will be enhanced. 00:23:33.069 --> 00:23:44.609 And our church, our personal lives will be so much better off for it if we focus on these things with a profound gratitude for the lives we have and if we do it on a day-to-day basis. 00:23:45.869 --> 00:23:47.289 And so, with that, that's the lesson part. 00:23:47.829 --> 00:23:51.670 We want to get to the topics for prayer. 00:23:51.849 --> 00:23:59.509 So, at this time, you want to split into groups of three to four and spend, it's going to be about six to eight minutes. 00:24:00.569 --> 00:24:03.170 I want you guys to have a focus on one of these two. 00:24:03.269 --> 00:24:04.890 If you want to hit both, do so. 00:24:04.930 --> 00:24:06.670 But remember, split it between your time. 00:24:07.009 --> 00:24:08.789 Do not take up the whole six minutes. 00:24:08.789 --> 00:24:12.049 By you just praying, right? 00:24:12.190 --> 00:24:14.029 So, two things that you can do, right? 00:24:14.170 --> 00:24:15.950 Prayer of gratitude, as we talked about, right? 00:24:16.329 --> 00:24:18.130 What you are thankful for, right? 00:24:18.130 --> 00:24:20.970 What are some things that are gifts that you haven't recognized are gifts? 00:24:21.089 --> 00:24:25.170 What are some things that you haven't cherished that you should probably be cherishing right now? 00:24:25.710 --> 00:24:28.789 Or the second prayer that you can do is a prayer petition, right? 00:24:28.869 --> 00:24:33.630 Prayer for this next year to be focused on God's light and then bringing others into that light. 00:24:33.750 --> 00:24:40.509 Focusing more on like how you can, you know, better yourself and the ways of growing in God's light and also helping others in that. 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:43.769 So, at this time, I want you guys to break up into three or four. 00:24:43.869 --> 00:24:45.650 You'll have about six to eight minutes. 00:24:45.710 --> 00:24:46.430 We'll come back. 00:24:46.910 --> 00:24:49.029 I will say, I'll give you nine. 00:24:49.170 --> 00:24:53.829 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:24:54.210 --> 00:24:57.490 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:24:57.769 --> 00:25:05.109 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:25:05.109 --> 00:25:07.750 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.