If you had a year left to live, what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you visit? We tend to live our lives day-by-day, paycheck-to-paycheck, following one major life event one after another.  However, in the midst of this business and commotion, we tend to live our lives as if this life is all that matters.  Small disturbances become major conflicts and insignificant trifles become the mainstay of our downtime.  Yet, in Christ, we have been given a hope of life everlasting, new resurrection bodies, and a New Creation whose head is Christ Jesus whom the nations will come to worship.   Our present circumstances pale in comparison to the future glory that we will receive.  However, this also means that if there are those who do not share in this hope, then their destination will be eternal death and punishment. 

Cultivating an eternal perspective fortifies our spirits in times of trial, motivates us to reach those who are lost, and prepares our hearts to love the unlovable and pursue peace as Christ’s agents of reconciliation

• Read Ecclesiastes 1-12

• Write a short response essay of 1 (Introduction, 3 Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion).  The essay will be graded on critical engagement with the prompt, the quality of application to your own spiritual journey, appropriate use and engagement with scripture, and mechanics (grammar, spelling, APA format, etc.). 

• From your reading in the book of Ecclesiastes , reflect on the following questions:
  • What are themes in the book of Ecclesiastes that speak to you? 
  • How does the Preacher’s paradigm affect his attitude about life, wisdom, and righteousness? 
  • If death is the final solution, then of what use is life? 
  • Does the Preacher’s conclusion comfort you? 
  • If this is the reality for those who live a life without the hope of resurrection in Christ, how does this change your perspective on mission?

Support your work with scholarly academic resources, textbooks, or other sources provided.  Use of APA format is required.