Welcome to Further In, a podcast where Pastor Ben and members of our team take a deeper look at the scripture we studied this week at Passion City Church, D.C., and consider how to apply the truths of God's word to our lives.

Well, we've got John Lizzie, Thomas, Pastor Ben here. We've got a lot to cover. Thomas, you cover two chapters of Ecclesiastes. Pastor Ben, you cover two chapters and some change of Ecclesiastes. We did it. It has been a minute since we've all sat around here. It's been a second. It was in the saddle. Yeah. That's true.

It's crazy.

And my two headers of the messages are sad realities of a selfish world and things that won't save you from the frustrations for the fall.

Is that what it's called?

Those are just my notes.

So we've got some things to talk about, maybe some sad things, but hopeful things.

I will say this, just, and I don't know what you're about to ask, but something for me,

you know, I woke up this morning and started studying kind of the rest.

I felt that studying six and seven, you go, it's not just the midway point in the book.

It's also, it really is where he's kind of pivoting the weight of the book.

Where you do feel it on the front end, he's telling you like, here's how the world works.

Here's where you do see systems, but here's where those systems are broken and you can't fix it.

And he's just acclimating you to some very hard realities.

But then when he crests the hill, he starts saying, okay, given that, here's some ways to act.

And he starts to, you know, if you think about the definition of wisdom,

it's knowing how the world works and then knowing how to work within it. You know,

it's competency within the complexities of life. So I've got to understand it. You know,

so if you're wise with music, I really understand how music works, but then I know how to play it, you know, or if you're with any skill, that's the case.

Both exist in every chapter, perspective and practice, but I feel like the weight is shifting. So in what you taught, there was a lot of perspective. You're going to see a, I saw oppression. I saw injustice. I saw this. And then he says things like, hey, so get some buddies. Like life's better with some friends. You know, or like, hey, maybe shut your mouth when you walk in front of God because he knows a lot more than you. You know, like there's some of that advice. But I like that as we're moving into this back half, it's weighted a little more with practical advice. because it will I think feel happier. I felt happier

already studying.

Yeah. It's weighted a little more with practical advice because it will, I think, feel happier.

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