The Navigators - Ecclesiastes

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ISBN-13: 978-1-61521-735-9

Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Other versions used include: the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved; the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., used by permission, all rights reserved; and the King James Version (KJV).

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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Although the LIFECHANGE guides vary with the individual books they explore, they share some common goals:

1. To provide you with a firm foundation of understanding, plus a thirst to return to the book throughout your life

2. To give you study patterns and skills that help you explore every part of the Bible

3. To offer you historical background, word definitions, and explanation notes to aid your study

4. To help you grasp the message of the book as a whole

5. To teach you how to let Gods Word transform you into Christs image

As You Begin

This guide includes eight lessons that will take you chapter by chapter through all of Ecclesiastes. (Ecclesiastes has twelve chapters, so an alternative structure and approach for this study is to devote a weekly lesson to each of those chapters, making a full twelve-week study. For the lessons in this book that currently cover two chapters in Ecclesiastes, youll find clear breaks where the focus shifts from one chapter to the next.) To benefit most from this time, heres a good way to begin your work on each lesson:

1. Pray for Gods help to keep you mentally alert and spiritually sensitive.

2. Read attentively through the entire passage mentioned in the lessons title.

(You may want to read the passage from two or more Bible versions perhaps at least once from a more literal translation such as the New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, or New King James Version, and perhaps once more in a paraphrase such as The Message or the New Living Translation.) Do your reading in an environment thats as free as possible from distractions. Allow your mind and heart to meditate on the words you encounter words that are Gods personal gift to you and all His people.

After reading the passage, youre ready to dive into the numbered questions for the chapter, which make up the main portion of each lesson. Each of the questions is followed by blank space for writing your answers. This act of writing your answers helps clarify your thinking and stimulates your mental engagement with the passage as well as your later recall. Use extra paper or a notebook if the space for recording your answers seems too cramped. Continue through the questions in numbered order. If any question seems too difficult or unclear, just skip it and go on to the next.

Most of the questions will direct you back to Ecclesiastes to look again at a certain portion of the assigned passage for that lesson. At that point, be sure to use a more literal Bible translation rather than a paraphrase.

As you look closer at the passage, its helpful to approach it in this progression:

Observe. What does the passage actually say? Ask God to help you see it clearly. Notice everything thats there.

Interpret. What does the passage mean? Ask God to help you understand. And remember that any passages meaning is fundamentally determined by its context. Stay alert to all you see about the setting and background of Ecclesiastes, and keep thinking of the book as a whole while you proceed through it chapter by chapter. Youll be progressively building up your insights and familiarity with what its all about.

Apply. Keep asking yourself, How does this truth affect my life? Pray for Gods help as you examine yourself in light of that truth and in light of His purpose for each passage.

Try to consciously follow all three of these approaches as you shape your written answer to each question in the lesson.

The Extras

In addition to the regular numbered questions you see in this guide, each lesson also offers several questions or suggestions that appear in the margins. All of these will appear under one of three headings:

Optional Application. Try as many of these questions as you can without overcommitting yourself, considering them with prayerful sensitivity to the Lords guidance.

For Thought and Discussion. Many of these questions address various ethical issues and other biblical principles that lead to a wide range of implications. They tend to be particularly suited for group discussions.

For Further Study. These often include cross-references to other parts of the Bible that shed light on a topic in the lesson, plus questions that delve deeper into the passage.

(For additional help in effectively studying the Bible, refer to the Study Aids section beginning on page 123.)

Changing Your Life

Dont let your study become an exercise in knowledge alone. Treat the passage as Gods Word, and stay in dialogue with Him as you study. Pray, Lord, what do You want me to notice here? Father, why is this true? Lord, how does my life measure up to this? Let biblical truth sink into your inner convictions so youll increasingly be able to act on this truth as a natural way of living.

At times you may want to consider memorizing a certain verse or passage you come across in your study, one that particularly challenges or encourages you. To help with that, write down the words on a card to keep with you, and set aside a few minutes each day to think about the passage. Recite it to yourself repeatedly, always thinking about its meaning. Return to it as often as you can for a brief review. Youll soon find the words coming to mind spontaneously, and theyll begin to affect your motives and actions.

For Group Study

Exploring Scripture together in a group is especially valuable for the encouragement, support, and accountability it provides as you seek to apply Gods Word to your life. Together you can listen jointly for Gods guidance, pray for each other, help one another resist temptation, and share the spiritual principles youre learning to put into practice. Together you affirm that growing in faith, hope, and love is important and that you need each other in the process.