Session 1: When Life Feels Empty

Ecclesiastes 1:1-14

Session 2: The Problem with Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Session 3: The Problem with Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 2 :12-17; 7:23-29

Session 4: The Problem with Work

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23; 3:9-13

Session 6: Full Contentment

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10; 12:12-14

Contentment comes from Christ, not our wealth.

We’re familiar with the statement: Money can’t buy happiness. We surely agree with that statement, but that doesn’t keep us from trying to find happiness through money! Money can bring a lot of experiences and things into our lives, things that can benefit us and make living easier. Money can bring some ease into our lives, but the ease is as temporary and fleeting as the money. God provides all we need, and our trust should rest in Him.

In the previous session, King Solomon emphasized the futility of working hard when everything one accumulates gets left behind. He would certainly have agreed with the old cliché, “You can’t take it with you when you’re gone.” In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon looked at the problem of money from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the work that produces wealth, he examined the wealth itself. And, like everything else, he found it never provides true meaning.

What’s the best advice about money you’ve heard?

How can we keep responsibility with money from turning into a love of wealth?

What warning messages does Solomon offer in these verses?

How would you describe a biblical approach to wealth?

How can our attitudes and actions show that our trust is in God, not money?

Live It Out

Evaluate your contentment. List your assets and possessions and rate how much they give you a level of contentment or security. Determine to look to Christ for your contentment.

Step up your giving. When we’ve been financially foolish, we tend to hold on to the money we have. Contrary to that mindset, though, generous giving is a key to overcoming materialism and greed. Set a budget and plan to give generously through your church.

Get help! A large source of our financial grief stems from consumer debt and poor financial planning. If that’s you, work with a financial counselor to help you set up a plan to get rid of your debt and start a budget.

God wants us to view our money as a gift from Him. That means it should not be a source of our contentment. Rather, we should focus on the true source of our joy, Jesus Christ.