November 14, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Godly Wisdom

12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

The conclusion of chapter 1 deals with the meaninglessness of purely, human wisdom. While human wisdom is greater than foolishness, it too is limited. Solomon was given great wisdom. Yet, the wisdom he had did not help to ease his frustrations when viewing the paradoxical nature of life. Instead, His wisdom only made the futility and madness of life on this planet more plainly seen and easily discerned.

What is the point of all this? The world’s knowledge, the world’s pleasure, and the world’s prominence will never bring true satisfaction and will only lead one to a meaningless existence. Solomon tried it all and every time was left with one thought—“all is vanity.”

The only hope we have is Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, trust Jesus as your Savior today. Call upon Him and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Believe that He died and rose again for you and trust Him to reconcile you.

The world’s goods and delights can never fulfill your deepest longings. Only Jesus can do that! Trust Him today.

Believers, we ought to spend our time pursuing Jesus. While we must live in this world, let’s not be too at home here. We are called to a higher plane of living and being. Seek godliness and Christlikeness instead of this worlds allures.

Tony French

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November 11, 2024 · 9:00 am

Abandoned

Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Genesis 40:23

Do you ever feel as if you have been forgotten? Perhaps you feel you even been unremembered by the Lord?

Joseph understood this emotion. He was forgotten for over two years and languished in prison. Yet, God was faithful all along and the story of Joseph ends with him as a ruler and not as a convict. God’s plan unfolded marvelously in Joseph’s life and it change the entire course of history.

If you feel abandoned today, I cannot promise you that God will make you a ruler in the end. I cannot guarantee that your life will be perfect or trouble-free. I can, however, remind you that Jesus has not forgotten you. He promised to be with you forever as you follow Him. 

Think deeply about these Scriptures today and be blessed!

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:18

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

Tony French

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November 7, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Monotony

4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. 5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.  6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. 8 All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.

Ecclesiastes 1:4-11

Solomon describes the endless monotony of life perfectly in these verses. To prove the writers point, he offers these explanations to explain the meaningless, unending boorishness of life. 1) Nature proceeds in ever mind numbing cycles, 2) human labor and achievement are limited and meaningless, 3) there is nothing that is truly new, and 4) people die, they are forgotten, and their achievements are no longer remembered.

These verses serve as a warning to the Christian. We should not seek after and pursue earthly accomplishments for our peace and contentment. Money, fame, and power do not offer lasting peace, contentment and meaning. Instead, let us lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. May we pursue ministry, service, godliness, and holy living each day. These are the only things that break the monotony of life and give us peace and contentment.

Tony French

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November 4, 2024 · 9:00 am

One

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

Paul speaks here of the “ones” of the Christian faith. They are…

**One Body

**One Spirit

**One Hope

**One Lord

**One Faith

**One Baptism

**One Father

There are not many ways to heaven. Only one way leads to paradise. Jesus is the way. Christ is the one way. Christ is the only way.

Tony French

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October 31, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Vanity (2)

2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

After identifying Himself as the author, Solomon relates the main theme of this writing. That theme is this; life apart from God is meaningless. Life lived on our own has no ultimate meaning or purpose.

Life under the sun can provide temporary pleasures. Life on earth does give us some temporal happiness. But, the happiness and contentment are only short-lived. Eventually, our souls long for something deeper. We come to a point where we desire something more than this life can give.

As we walk through this life, let us remember that many folks we encounter are searching for something more. They’ve tried everything the world has to offer and they are as empty as they have ever been. Our goal is to point them to the one who can provide peace and purpose. People need the Lord. For only Jesus can forgive us, cleanse us, and reconcile us to our Creator.

Tony French

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October 28, 2024 · 9:00 am

Sword Of The Spirit

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 

Ephesians 6:17

Let us take up the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, is our help and strength as we study it and apply it to our lives. Without it, we are left to wander and follow our own devices.

4 Facts About the Bible

**The Bible is God’s Truthful Word

**The Bible is God’s Total Word

**The Bible is God’s Timely Word

**The Bible is God’s Transforming Word

As Christians and as churches, let us not seek mere tradition, the past, or “that’s what we used to do” as our guiding light. Let us look to the light of God’s Word as He leads us into the future. Wield the Sword of the Spirit, Child of God. Take it up and fight against the schemes of the evil one.

Tony French

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October 24, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Vanity

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-3

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon. It is written from an earthly perspective. The focus of the book is life “under the sun” or life as it is here on earth. Therefore, it is important to place this book in a proper perspective and to read it in light of the entirety of the Bible.

Taken by itself, this book is depressing. However, the point of this writing is to point us to God. Solomon simply tells us that life has no point and no meaning apart from God.

Without God, life under the sun is cruel, monotonous and meaningless. But, through Jesus Christ, life has meaning, purpose and is abundant. This thought must be kept in mind as one studies Ecclesiastes. Without Christ, life is means nothing. (John 15:5)

Tony French

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October 21, 2024 · 9:00 am

Helmet Of Salvation

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

The helmet of salvation is necessary because……………………….

**Every human being is a sinner in need of rescue. (Romans 3:23)

**Every human being who refuses to repent and truth in Christ will be separated from God’s goodness and mercy forever. (Romans 6:23 & Revelation 20:15)

**Every human being who repents and trust’s Christ is saved eternally from their sin, their shame, and from their old self. (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9)

**Every Believer is given the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God.

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & Ephesians 4:30)

Tony French

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October 17, 2024 · 9:00 pm

Helping

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

The Book of James ends with a simple and timely reminder for the church. Christians should be willing to help other Christians who are falling into sin. This task is not easy and simple, but, it is an important part of fellowship within the Body of Christ.

Every Believer has a tendency to stray from the truth. When that takes place, other Believers ought to stand in the gap and help turn that brother or sister from the error and back to the Word of God. Doing this will save the Christian from a multitude of bad choices, sleepless nights, and awful consequences.

Let us realize that when we confront others a great deal of humility is needed. We are all just and at the same time we are all sinners. Every Child of God is vulnerable to the attacks of the evil one. Every attempt to help a wayward Believer ought to be done out of love and kindness. This task is can be complex and arduous. But, it is worth the cost.

Tony French

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October 14, 2024 · 9:00 am

Hear

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This portion of Scripture was called the Shema by the Jewish rabbis. It was often quoted by Jewish worshipers in the synagogue meetings. The lessons it teaches are universal and important for Christian believers in our day. What are those lessons?

**There is only one God.

The great truth of this passage tells us that there is only one true, authentic God. In a society that trumpeted a multitude of gods and goddesses, Moses declares that the only true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We would do well to remember this truth in our time. Many idols still vie for our attention. Yet, for the Christian, there is only one God revealed in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

**We must pass the Christian faith on to the young.

The Hebrew people were commanded to continually teach the precepts and principles of the Law. They were to pass on their faith to the next generation. Failure to transfer these principles from God’s Word resulted in much pain and heartache for the nation of Israel. The people of God were to continue to faithfully teach the Word of God so that future generations would not forget the miracles, blessings, and provisions that God had provided for His people.

This principle still has great import for today’s Christian. If we don’t teach the truths of Scripture through word and deed to our children and young people, who will? The world system is contrary to the truths of the Scriptures. Therefore, we must teach the truth, preach it, and live it so that our children may grow in the faith.

**We must teach the truths of the Bible by utilizing every opportunity.

The Jewish people were commanded to teach the truths of the Law in the morning, throughout the day, and in the evening. The point was this; use every teachable moment to pass along the ways of God, the truth of God, and the greatness of God to the young.

As Christians today, our command and call is exactly the same. We should be taking advantage of every occasion we are given to teach the plain truths of Scripture. Let us point out God’s blessing and goodness. May we remind our children that God is with us at all times. Let us teach them of Christ’s died and rose again for the salvation of souls.  Let us not hold onto our faith, let’s pass it on.

Tony French

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