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Pursuing Happiness: Finding Joy and Meaning in God

Discover the true source of happiness and how to pursue it by trusting in God. Explore the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and the Gospel's message of hope and joy.

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Pursuing Happiness: Finding Joy and Meaning in God

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  1. “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” —Declaration of Independence

  2. What makes you happy? How do you pursue happiness?

  3. Ecclesiastes 1:3 (ESV) 3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

  4. Ecclesiastes 1:3 (ESV) 3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? Where is my happiness? What work or pursuit will gain that happiness?

  5. Last Week Sermon Summary You will die. Your life is a vapor but not meaningless. Enjoy life and this world just don’t cherish it. Knowing you will die prepares you to live today. The end of all things is to Trust God

  6. Trusting God = Loving God

  7. Ecclesiastes 1:12–13a (ESV) 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven.

  8. 2 Chronicles 1:8–10 (ESV) 8And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”

  9. 1 Kings 3:9 (ESV) 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

  10. Where is your happiness? What work or pursuit will gain that happiness?

  11. Ecclesiastes 1:14–18 (ESV) 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

  12. Ecclesiastes 2:14 (ESV) 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.

  13. Ecclesiastes 1:13 (ESV) 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

  14. Genesis 2:9, 17 (ESV) 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

  15. Genesis 3:22 (ESV) 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

  16. Where is your happiness? What work or pursuit will gain that happiness?

  17. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV) 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

  18. Trusting God = Loving God

  19. Solomon doesn’t point us to a Redeemer-God. He points us to the Sovereign God.

  20. God is the Gospel God is the Good News.

  21. Where is your happiness come from? Where is our help in all this vanity?

  22. Psalm 121:1-3 (ESV) 1I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

  23. John 3:14 (ESV) 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

  24. Psalm 121:4–8 (ESV) 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

  25. Gospel = God is in control.

  26. Psalm 16:11 (ESV) 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

  27. Where is your happiness come from? Where is our help in all this vanity?

  28. God.

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