In this message from Ecclesiastes 3, Pastor David Rice walks through the wisdom of Solomon, who despite unmatched wealth and accomplishment concluded that life's meaning is found in accepting God's sovereign design over every season. Drawing on the poem's rhythmic contrasts of birth and death, mourning and dancing, war and peace, the sermon offers biblical counsel for navigating seasons of difficulty, dryness, and unanswered questions. Calvary Church's congregation is invited to trust that God, who has placed eternity in human hearts, works all things toward purposes that outlast any single season of life.
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“One of the most striking strengths of this sermon is how thoroughly you grounded your entire message in the lived emotional experience of your congregation before ever offering a single piece of biblical counsel.”
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Unlock with your sermon →“Have you ever looked at your life and thought, This is not what I signed up for? If so, you're in good company — and you're asking a question as old as wisdom itself.”
Read all 5 days of the devotional →“This guide is designed for you — whether this is your first time leading a group or your fiftieth. You don't need to have all the answers.”
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Unlock with your sermon →“According to the sermon, what is the ultimate answer to Solomon's closing question — 'Who can enable a man to see what will happen after he dies?”
Take the sermon quiz →“Who wrote this, and why does it matter? Ecclesiastes is attributed to "the Preacher" (Hebrew: Qohelet ), traditionally understood as Solomon, king of Israel around 950 BC.”
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Unlock with your sermon →“Verse 11 is the theological heart of the chapter and arguably of the entire book: "He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”
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Unlock with your sermon →“Have you ever found yourself in a season of life and thought, This is not what I signed up for? You're not alone — and this past Sunday, I had the privilege of opening Ecclesiastes”
Read the pastor's blog post →“There's a question most of us carry quietly — one that rarely gets spoken out loud but surfaces in the stillness of a sleepless night or the honesty of a private prayer.”
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Unlock with your sermon →“All of us as we go through life, we age out of asking the annoying question because we realize, okay, I'm a grown-up. I can't just go around going, 'Why? Why? Why?”
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Unlock with your sermon →This sermon teaches that life's meaning isn't found in wealth, achievement, or pleasure—Solomon had all of those and still found them empty. Purpose comes from recognizing you are part of God's larger story, not your own, and that God has placed eternity in your heart to point you beyond the temporary.
The sermon's first biblical counsel is to accept the season you are in rather than reject it. Solomon observed that God has appointed times for everything—hardship included. Fighting or denying your current season delays the growth and trust God intends to produce through it.
According to Ecclesiastes 3, God uses difficult seasons to test the children of Adam and cultivate awe of him. The sermon notes that while we rarely get a direct answer to 'why,' Scripture assures us God's purposes are eternal and just, even when circumstances feel futile or painful.
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