Albuquerque's First Baptist Church

All alone, without anyone, life is tough. We're better together because we can help one another. In partnership we can comfort one another and defend one another from enemies. 
 
Question: What's your favorite 'one another' that reminds you that you're not alone?

All alone, without anyone, life is tough. We're better together because we can help one another. In partnership we can comfort one another and defend one another from enemies. 

Question: What's your favorite 'one another' that reminds you that you're not alone?

Together we stand strong against enemies. Ecclesiastes 4:11-12

Working all alone is lonely and unhappy. With a partner we're stronger, we're better, and we help one another. 
 
Questions: 
Who is it that comes along beside you to pick you up, how do they help you? 
How can you help someone else when they fall?

Working all alone is lonely and unhappy. With a partner we're stronger, we're better, and we help one another. 

Questions: 
Who is it that comes along beside you to pick you up, how do they help you? 
How can you help someone else when they fall?

Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Ecclesiastes talks about a person working hard for no end. He's worked him/herself out of all relationships. At some point he looks around and sees he's all alone. Having a friend/partner makes life better. 
 
Question: Who in your life comes alongside you and makes work worth working?

Ecclesiastes talks about a person working hard for no end. He's worked him/herself out of all relationships. At some point he looks around and sees he's all alone. Having a friend/partner makes life better.

Question: Who in your life comes alongside you and makes work worth working?

The road to unhappiness. Ecclesiastes 4:7-8

We choose our response to injustice, evil, and envy. The fool folds his hands and ignores it, the workaholic works himself to death. God says we should put our faith in Christ and let him take care of it. Evil and oppression are real, but none of it can take God's love away from you. 
 
Question: How can we help lift the burden of evil and injustice off of others?

We choose our response to injustice, evil, and envy. The fool folds his hands and ignores it, the workaholic works himself to death. God says we should put our faith in Christ and let him take care of it. Evil and oppression are real, but none of it can take God's love away from you.

Question: How can we help lift the burden of evil and injustice off of others?

Trust Jesus to get you through injustice. Ecclesiastes 4:5-6

In all of the evil, oppression, and envy ... Jesus is the answer. However, the pains of life are still real. Today Ecclesiastes tells us God judges the evil. This should give us hope in the midst of the difficulties of life. 
 
Question: how can we promote justice while continuing to trust God to judge righteously?

In all of the evil, oppression, and envy ... Jesus is the answer. However, the pains of life are still real. Today Ecclesiastes tells us God judges the evil. This should give us hope in the midst of the difficulties of life.

Question: how can we promote justice while continuing to trust God to judge righteously?

God judges evil. Ecclesiastes 3:16-17

God is sovereign. He has created an amazing world. God has put eternity into man's heart, but man cannot get there by himself. We cannot control time, but we can trust the one who can. 
 
Also notice that God seeks what has been lost. God cares about the things and people that are lost. 
 
Take time today to thank God for his grace and mercy throughout the seasons of your life.

God is sovereign. He has created an amazing world. God has put eternity into man's heart, but man cannot get there by himself. We cannot control time, but we can trust the one who can. 

Also notice that God seeks what has been lost. God cares about the things and people that are lost.

Take time today to thank God for his grace and mercy throughout the seasons of your life.

God controls all things. Ecclesiastes 3:12-15

God's time is perfect in our lives. The things we think only cause pain, add to the beauty of what God is doing. Seek to find beauty in the season of life you're in. Part of what makes us beautiful is the happy AND sad times of life. 
 
Question: What does it look like to live like you're dying?

God's time is perfect in our lives. The things we think only cause pain, add to the beauty of what God is doing. Seek to find beauty in the season of life you're in. Part of what makes us beautiful is the happy AND sad times of life.

Question: What does it look like to live like you're dying?

Everything is beautiful in its own time. Ecclesiastes 3:9-11

God is sovereign over all time. Ecclesiastes teaches us there are many seasons of life. Every experience has a season. Today you might be experiencing a difficult season, remember God is sovereign over that time and he's using it for your good and his glory. 
 
Question: Can you share an example of God's perfect timing in your life?

God is sovereign over all time. Ecclesiastes teaches us there are many seasons of life. Every experience has a season. Today you might be experiencing a difficult season, remember God is sovereign over that time and he's using it for your good and his glory.

Question: Can you share an example of God's perfect timing in your life?

Seasons of life. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8

Nothing will satisfy if we don't put God first. Wisdom, wealth, work, pleasure ... it's all vanity without God. None of these are eternal. Apart from God we cannot really find satisfaction. Seek him first.

Only God satisfices, seek him first. Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Ecclesiastes searches and searches but never finds satisfaction in things that satisfy his flesh. He tries wine, intimacy, possessions. After reflecting on all his efforts, he concludes there's no lasting gain in chasing after the next best thing. Instead, enjoy the life God has given you today. 
 
Question: What is one thing God has given you that gives your life meaning/enjoyment?

Ecclesiastes searches and searches but never finds satisfaction in things that satisfy his flesh. He tries wine, intimacy, possessions. After reflecting on all his efforts, he concludes there's no lasting gain in chasing after the next best thing. Instead, enjoy the life God has given you today.

Question: What is one thing God has given you that gives your life meaning/enjoyment?

Money can't buy happiness. Ecclesiastes 2:1-12

Spending your life looking for fun can keep us from ever finding it. Ecclesiastes calls this herding the wind. In other words, it's impossible. 
 
Question: What can you do today to just enjoy the life God has given you instead of searching for something you'll never be able to hold onto? 
 
Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

Spending your life looking for fun can keep us from ever finding it. Ecclesiastes calls this herding the wind. In other words, it's impossible.

Question: What can you do today to just enjoy the life God has given you instead of searching for something you'll never be able to hold onto?

Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

Stop trying to herd the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

Advent is upon us -- Hope, Peace, Joy ... We have joy because we know Jesus rules righteously. Remember that all the kings, judges, rulers have failed in perfect righteousness. But Jesus rules with absolute righteousness and faithfulness. 
 
Question: What is it about Christ and his character that gives you the most joy this Christmas? 
 
 
Isaiah 11:2-5

Advent is upon us -- Hope, Peace, Joy ... We have joy because we know Jesus rules righteously. Remember that all the kings, judges, rulers have failed in perfect righteousness. But Jesus rules with absolute righteousness and faithfulness.

Question: What is it about Christ and his character that gives you the most joy this Christmas?


Isaiah 11:2-5

Rejoice because Jesus is the righteous ruler. Isaiah 11:2-5

The light has shinned in the darkness. 
 
Three ways the Lord vanquishes darkness in Isaiah 9:4-6. 1) He breaks the oppressors rod, 2) He uses evil for good, 3) Jesus comes and shields us from wrath. I hope you have peace this Christmas because you know God loved you enough to send Jesus to die on the cross and shield you from his wrath. 
 
Isaiah 9:4-6

The light has shinned in the darkness.

Three ways the Lord vanquishes darkness in Isaiah 9:4-6. 1) He breaks the oppressors rod, 2) He uses evil for good, 3) Jesus comes and shields us from wrath. I hope you have peace this Christmas because you know God loved you enough to send Jesus to die on the cross and shield you from his wrath.

Isaiah 9:4-6

A child is born. Isaiah 9:4-6

In the midst of darkness God promises hope. Remember, God tells us to stand firm in our faith or we won't be firm at all. Now he brings a promise about Jesus - the one born of a virgin. 
 
In all the darkness and all the troubles, you can have hope because God is with you. You can have hope in Jesus Christ this week! 
 
Isaiah 7:10-14

In the midst of darkness God promises hope. Remember, God tells us to stand firm in our faith or we won't be firm at all. Now he brings a promise about Jesus - the one born of a virgin. 

In all the darkness and all the troubles, you can have hope because God is with you. You can have hope in Jesus Christ this week!

Isaiah 7:10-14

God promises hope. Isaiah 7:10-14

Notice the way the king is burdened by war and darkness in his land. He shakes like the trees shake in the wind. Ahaz doesn't want to trust God, he wants to trust himself. In life sometimes things make us shake. Like Ahaz (and everyone else), if we are not firm in our faith we will not be firm at all. 
 
Question: How do we continue to hold on to our faith when darkness surrounds us? 
 
Isaiah 7:1-2

Notice the way the king is burdened by war and darkness in his land. He shakes like the trees shake in the wind. Ahaz doesn't want to trust God, he wants to trust himself. In life sometimes things make us shake. Like Ahaz (and everyone else), if we are not firm in our faith we will not be firm at all. 

Question: How do we continue to hold on to our faith when darkness surrounds us?

Isaiah 7:1-2

Maintain hope in the midst of darkness. Isaiah 7:1-2

In this Psalm we've seen an interesting progression. The psalmist starts by asking, why, God? Then he continues to notice that it looks like the bad people are winning. Yesterday we found out that God isn't really letting them win, he is taking note and will judge evil. Today, then we're told to live righteously in the face of evil. 
 
Question: What does it look like for Christians to live by faith when we see evil prosper? 
 
Psalms 10:16-18

In this Psalm we've seen an interesting progression. The psalmist starts by asking, why, God? Then he continues to notice that it looks like the bad people are winning. Yesterday we found out that God isn't really letting them win, he is taking note and will judge evil. Today, then we're told to live righteously in the face of evil. 

Question: What does it look like for Christians to live by faith when we see evil prosper?

Psalms 10:16-18

Live righteously. Psalms 10:16-18

We've see the psalmist ask why and then look and see that the wicked seems to prosper. Today the tone changes so that the psalmist trusts God to clam his anxieties. When we trust God it calms our anxieties, even when we don't know what's going on. 
 
Question: What can you think of that God promises you that helps you get through the tough times when it looks like evil is prospering? 
 
Psalms 10:12-15

We've see the psalmist ask why and then look and see that the wicked seems to prosper. Today the tone changes so that the psalmist trusts God to clam his anxieties. When we trust God it calms our anxieties, even when we don't know what's going on.

Question: What can you think of that God promises you that helps you get through the tough times when it looks like evil is prospering?

Psalms 10:12-15

Trust God to calm your anxieties. Psalms 10:12-15

Sometimes wicked people are going to hurt because of the sins they have in their own lives. Sometimes a person's own stupidity/evil/wickedness will catch up with them. God judges the wicked with their own wickedness. 
 
Question: In what ways do you see wicked people fall because of their own wickedness? 
 
Psalm 9:15-18

Sometimes wicked people are going to hurt because of the sins they have in their own lives. Sometimes a person's own stupidity/evil/wickedness will catch up with them. God judges the wicked with their own wickedness. 

Question: In what ways do you see wicked people fall because of their own wickedness?

Psalm 9:15-18

God judges the wicked with their own wickedness. Psalm 9:15-18

This is the last part of the first cycle (Praise -- Judgement -- Hope). We have hope because the Lord judges the wicked and he is a strong hold for the oppressed. God does not forsake those who seek him. When you look at your troubles, remember God cares for you. 
 
Question: Can you look back to a time in your life when God was your stronghold? 
 
Psalm 9:7-10

This is the last part of the first cycle (Praise -- Judgement -- Hope). We have hope because the Lord judges the wicked and he is a strong hold for the oppressed. God does not forsake those who seek him. When you look at your troubles, remember God cares for you.

Question: Can you look back to a time in your life when God was your stronghold?

Psalm 9:7-10

God gives hope to the godly. Psalm 9:7-10

We praise the Lord knowing God will judge the wicked. We praise God no matter what the world is doing because we know God will judge the wicked. The wicked person will be judged and God will protect the righteous. 
 
Question: How can we be confident God will judge the wicked without being wicked back? 
 
Psalm 9:3-6

We praise the Lord knowing God will judge the wicked. We praise God no matter what the world is doing because we know God will judge the wicked. The wicked person will be judged and God will protect the righteous.

Question: How can we be confident God will judge the wicked without being wicked back? 

Psalm 9:3-6

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