Latest / truthunedited / Discover Solomon_s SECRET to a Happy Life

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Discover Solomon_s SECRET to a Happy Life · truthunedited

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What if I told you that everything you've ever been
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: taught about happiness is wrong. Most people spend their entire
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: lives chasing happiness. They believe that if they just make
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: more money, get that promotion, find the right relationship, gain recognition,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: or achieve their dreams, then they'll finally feel complete. But
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: here's the truth no one wants to admit. Most people
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: reach the top of the mountain, look around, and still
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: feel empty. But what if there was a proven formula
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: for a truly happy life, not just a temporary high,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: not just a fleeting moment of excitement, but a deep, lasting,
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  Speaker 1: unshakable joy, A formula given by the wisest man who
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  Speaker 1: ever lived, King Solomon. Solomon had it all, wealth beyond imagination,
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  Speaker 1: power over entire nations, wisdom so great that rulers traveled
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  Speaker 1: from distant lands just to hear him speak. If any
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: one could have found happiness in this world, it was him.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: But after experiencing everything life had to offer, do you
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: know what he said? Meaningless, meaningless, Everything is meaningless Ecclesiastes.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: One too, think about that. The wealthiest, wisest, and most
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: powerful king in history looked back at his life and said,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: none of it mattered the success, the pleasure, the achievements.
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  Speaker 1: It was all empty. So if money, power, and pleasure
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: weren't enough of the wisest man in history, then what
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: is In this video, we're going to break down Solomon's
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: prescription for a happy life. We will uncover the real
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: reason Solomon said everything was meaningless, what he discovered about
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: true joy, peace and fulfillment, and how his final conclusion
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: can change your life to day. By the end of
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: this video, you won't just understand Solomon's wisdom, you'll know
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: exactly how to apply it to your own life and
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: finally experience true happiness, not the temporary, artificial happiness the
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: world offers, but the kind of joy that lasts. And
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: at the end, we will pray together for clarity, peace,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: and the ability to find joy in the way God intended.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: So stay with me because what you're about to hear
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: will challenge everything you thought you knew about happiness. And
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: if you know someone who is struggling, someone chasing after
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: happiness but always coming up empty, send them this video.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: This might be exactly what they need to hear before
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: we begin. Don't forget to like this video. It helps
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: share God's message with more people. Comment below, what do
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: you believe true happiness looks like? Have you ever searched
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: for joy in the wrong places? And most importantly, share
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: this with someone who needs it. You never know how
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: this message could impact their life. We have created in
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: depth explanation videos on every book of the Bible to
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  Speaker 1: help you go deeper in your faith and walk with God.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Each Deep Bible Stories video is designed to break down
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: scripture in a way that is simple, clear, and deeply impactful.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: It is our hope and prayer that this video and
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  Speaker 1: every message we share will awaken something in your spirit,
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: a faith so strong that nothing can shake it. We've
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: also turned some of our most powerful teachings into e
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: books so you can study at your own pace and
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: take your understanding even deeper. Check the description to grab yours.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: With that being said, let's get started. Think about the
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: last time you thought, if I could just have this
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: one thing, i'd finally be happy. Maybe it was a promotion,
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: a relationship, a new car, more money, or recognition for
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: your hard work. And then you got it, and for
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: a moment it felt incredible. You celebrated, you felt accomplished,
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: But then the feeling faded. The excitement wore off, and
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: suddenly you found yourself looking for the next thing to chase.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: Why This is exactly what Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: king in history, realized after having everything the world could
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  Speaker 1: possibly offer. He had power, he had wealth beyond imagination,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: he had women, influence, knowledge, everything most people spend their
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: entire lives chasing, and yet after all of it, he
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: wrote meaningless, meaningless. Everything is meaningless Ecclesiastes one too. How
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: is it possible that a man who had everything still
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: felt empty? Shouldn't he have been the happiest person alive?
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: This is where we need to stop and ask ourselves
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  Speaker 1: a hard question. If Solomon, who had more than we
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  Speaker 1: could ever dream of, was still unsatisfied, why do we
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: think will be any different? Look at today's world. How
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: many people do you know who have everything and still
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: aren't happy? Celebrities, billionaires, influences, people with fame, fortune, success,
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  Speaker 1: Yet they battle depression, addiction, and emptiness. Some even take
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: their own lives because they realize nothing they chaste after
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  Speaker 1: truly satisfied them. Why. Because the world teaches us that
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: happiness is something we achieve when we finally arrive. It
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  Speaker 1: tells us you'll be happy when you have more money,
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: but then the richest people in the world tell us
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  Speaker 1: money didn't solve their problems. It tells us you'll be
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: happy when you find the right relationship, but then people
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: get married and still feel alone. It tells us you'll
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: be happy when you're successful, but then we see famous athletes, musicians,
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: and actors at the top of their careers struggling with
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: crippling loneliness. What is going on? Solomon had already figured
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  Speaker 1: this out thousands of years ago. He saw that everything
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  Speaker 1: we chase in this life eventually fades. No matter how
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  Speaker 1: much wealth, power, or pleasure he pursued, it never lasted,
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: and to day we see this same pattern repeating over
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: and over again. Imagine this. A man spends his entire
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: life working long hours, sacrificing time with his family, pushing
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  Speaker 1: his health to the limit, all because he believes success
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  Speaker 1: will finally make him happy. Then one day he retires,
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  Speaker 1: looks around and realizes he never truly lived. His kids
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  Speaker 1: barely know him, his body is broken from stress, and
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: now that he finally has time, he feels lost. Was
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  Speaker 1: it all worth it? Or Picture someone who spends years
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  Speaker 1: chasing relationships believing that if they could just find the one,
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  Speaker 1: they'd be happy. But after every heartbreak, every failed relationship,
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  Speaker 1: they realized no person can fill the emptiness inside them,
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: and they start wondering. Maybe the problem was never about
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: finding the right person. Maybe the problem was expecting another
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  Speaker 1: person to give them something only God can give. This
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  Speaker 1: is what Solomon was trying to warn us about. He
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  Speaker 1: tested it all, wealth, power, relationships, success, and none of
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  Speaker 1: it filled the void inside him. He saw that people
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  Speaker 1: spend their whole lives running after things that don't last.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: He wrote, I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: refused my heart no pleasure Ecclesiastes two ten. And yet
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: after all of it, he realized it was meaningless. Now
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  Speaker 1: does this mean success is bad? Does it mean well, wealth,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: relationships or achievements don't matter number. Solomon's point wasn't that
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  Speaker 1: these things are evil. His point was that if you
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  Speaker 1: expect them to bring you lasting happiness, you will always
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  Speaker 1: be disappointed. So where does true happiness come from? We'll
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  Speaker 1: get to that, but first we need to ask ourselves
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: what are we chasing? What have we told ourselves we
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: need in order to feel complete? And if we got it?
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Would it really make us happy forever? Or would we,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: like Solomon, still feel empty in the end. This is
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  Speaker 1: where everything changes, because if the things we're chasing won't
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: truly satisfy us, then what will Solomon found? The answer?
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: And what he discovered next will change the way you
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  Speaker 1: see happiness forever. Solomon didn't just chase wealth and power.
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  Speaker 1: He chased pleasure, and he chased it harder than anyone.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: He indulged in food, wine, music, laughter, romance, entertainment, and
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  Speaker 1: luxury beyond what most of us could even imagine. He
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: surrounded himself with the finest things this world could offer,
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: But in the end it still wasn't enough. I said
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: to myself, come now, I will test you with pleasure
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  Speaker 1: to find out what is good. But that also proved
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  Speaker 1: to be meaningless Ecclesiastes two one. Does that sound familiar?
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: How many people today are doing the exact same thing.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: We live in a culture obsessed with pleasure. Everywhere we look,
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: we are told that happiness comes from indulging. Social media
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  Speaker 1: is filled with influences flaunting luxury lifestyles. People chase the
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  Speaker 1: best restaurants, the best vacations, the best experiences, the world
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  Speaker 1: says do what makes you happy, don't deny yourself anything.
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  Speaker 1: You only live once, and yet people are more miserable
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  Speaker 1: than ever. Why because Solomon already tested this. He had
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  Speaker 1: it all, lavish feasts every day, musicians playing for him,
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  Speaker 1: the best wine, and more romantic relationships than we can
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  Speaker 1: even count. He literally built gardens, palaces, and vineyards just
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  Speaker 1: for his own enjoyment Ecclesiastes two four to ten. But
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  Speaker 1: after all of it, what did he say? Everything was meaningless?
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  Speaker 1: A chasing after the wind Ecclesiastes two eleven. Think about
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  Speaker 1: that he had more pleasure than any of us ever will,
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  Speaker 1: and it still left him empty. Look at today's world.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: How many celebrities have the wealth, the fame, the luxury,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: and yet they are broken inside. We see stars who
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: have everything people dream of, yet they battle depression, addiction,
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: and emptiness. They drown themselves in alcohol, drugs, and meaningless relationships.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: Some even take their own lives despite having what the
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: world calls the perfect life. Why does this happen? Because
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  Speaker 1: pleasure is not the same as joy. Pleasure is temporary.
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  Speaker 1: It's a moment, a good meal, a fun night out,
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  Speaker 1: and exciting experience, but it fades and the more you
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  Speaker 1: chase it, the more empty it leaves you. Why, because
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  Speaker 1: our souls were never meant to be satisfied by temporary things.
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: Imagine this, You finally take that dream vacation you've been
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  Speaker 1: planning for years. The beaches are perfect, the food is amazing,
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  Speaker 1: the experience is incredible. For a moment, you feel like
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  Speaker 1: you're in paradise. But then what happens. You have to
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  Speaker 1: come home, You return to your normal routine, and suddenly
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  Speaker 1: that joy you felt it's gone. So what do you do.
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  Speaker 1: You start planning the next trip, the next event, the
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  Speaker 1: next experience, always chasing, never satisfied. This is exactly what
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  Speaker 1: Solomon was trying to tell us. Pleasure, entertainment, relationships. They
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  Speaker 1: feel good in the moment, but when they become the
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  Speaker 1: goal of life, they leave us empty. Look at the
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  Speaker 1: world right now. We are surrounded by people who are
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  Speaker 1: numbing their pain with distractions. Some do it through entertainment,
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  Speaker 1: endlessly scrolling through social media, binge watching shows, chasing the
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  Speaker 1: next thrill. Others do it through substances, drugs, alcohol, overeating
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  Speaker 1: anything to fill the void. Others do it through relationships,
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  Speaker 1: jumping from person to person thinking love will finally make
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  Speaker 1: them feel whole. But here's the truth. If Solomon couldn't
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  Speaker 1: find happiness in pleasure, neither will we. Now does this
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  Speaker 1: mean pleasure is evil? Number God created laughter, food, relationship,
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  Speaker 1: and enjoyment. But the moment we start believing these things
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  Speaker 1: will make us whole, we've fallen into the trap. Because
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: here's the reality. Pleasure can entertain you, but it can't
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  Speaker 1: fulfill you. So if pleasure isn't the key to happiness,
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: what is. Solomon actually figured it out, but it wasn't
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: what he expected. And when we uncover the answer, it
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  Speaker 1: will change how we see happiness forever. Solomon wasn't just
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  Speaker 1: the richest man of his time, he was also the wisest.
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  Speaker 1: When God offered him anything, he didn't ask for wealth, power,
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  Speaker 1: or pleasure. He asked for wisdom and God granted it,
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  Speaker 1: making him wiser than any person who had ever lived.
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  Speaker 1: First kings three nine to twelve kings and rulers traveled
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  Speaker 1: across the world just to hear his insights. He wrote
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  Speaker 1: thousands of proverbs, advising people on life, relationships, business, and success.
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  Speaker 1: But here's the shocking part. Even with all that wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: he still found himself empty. For with much wisdom comes
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  Speaker 1: much sorrow. The more knowledge, the more grief Ecclesiastes one eighteen.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: Think about that, How could wisdom bring sorrow? Isn't knowledge
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: supposed to make life better? We live in an age
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  Speaker 1: where information is everywhere. We have access to the wisdom
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: of past generations, the latest scientific discoveries, endless self help
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: books and life coaches telling us how to succeed. Every
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: answer we could ever want is at our finger tips.
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: And yet people are more anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed than
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: ever before. Why because knowing more doesn't always mean living better.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: Look at Solomon. His wisdom allowed him to see the
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  Speaker 1: depths of human nature, the corruption, the greed, the suffering.
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: The more he understood about life, the more he realized
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: how broken everything was. He saw that no amount of
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: knowledge could fix the condition of the human heart. He
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: saw how temporary everything was, how people wasted their lives
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: chasing things that wouldn't last. And it led him to say,
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: I applied my mind to study and to explore by
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  Speaker 1: wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: heavy burden God has laid on mankind Ecclesiastes one thirteen.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: Does that sound familiar? To day, people are drowning in information.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: We see it all the news, the tragedies, the corruption,
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: every problem in the world is in our hands, on
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: our screens, constantly demanding our attention, and it's making people miserable.
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: A few decades ago, people only knew what was happening
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: in their immediate communities. But to day we know every disaster,
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: every crime, every political scandal, every war, every injustice happening
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: anywhere in the world at all times. And here's the
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: hard truth, we weren't designed to carry that weight. No
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: wonder Anxiety and depression are at an all time high.
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: People are overwhelmed, exhausted, and feeling hopeless because, like Solomon,
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: they're realizing all the knowledge in the world doesn't fix
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: the deep emptiness inside. Look at the richest, most educated
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: people in the world. Are they the happiest. Not always.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Many of them still struggle with deep sadness and a
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: sense of meaninglessness. Because the truth is, wisdom without God
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: only leads to despair. But here's the key. Solomon didn't
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: say wisdom was worthless. In fact, Proverbs is full of
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  Speaker 1: verses telling us to seek wisdom, embrace understanding, and learn.
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  Speaker 1: The problem isn't wisdom itself. The problem is seeking wisdomdom
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  Speaker 1: apart from God. The Bible says the fear of the
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: Lord is the beginning of wisdom Proverbs nine ten. That
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: means true wisdom doesn't start with knowledge, It starts with
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: knowing God. When we put God at the center of
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  Speaker 1: our understanding, wisdom doesn't lead to despair. It leads to purpose.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: So what does this mean for us today? It means
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: we need to be careful where we seek wisdom. The
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: world is full of information, but not all of it
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  Speaker 1: leads to truth. Many people today seek wisdom in self
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: help books, new age teachings, and philosophies that sound good
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: but leave them spiritually empty. Solomon warns us, do not
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and
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  Speaker 1: shun evil Proverbs three seven. True wisdom isn't just about
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: knowing facts. It's about living in alignment with God's truth.
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: And when we do that, we don't end up like Solomon,
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: drowning in the weight of knowledge. Instead, we find the
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: peace that surpasses all understanding Philippians four seven. So if
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: pleasure and knowledge aren't the key to happiness, what is
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: Solomon found the answer, but it wasn't what he expected.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: Solomon didn't just have wisdom, he had power. He had
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: the ability to build anything he wanted, create anything he desired,
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: and accomplish anything he imagined. And so he did. He
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: built cities, vineyards, gardens, palaces, and massive architectural wonders. He
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: worked harder than anyone before him, overseeing projects that took years,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: even decades to complete. If there was anyone who could
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: have found fulfillment in success, it was Solomon. But what
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: did he say after everything was built? After all the
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: work was done? Yet when I surveyed all that my
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: everything was meaningless. A chasing after the wind Ecclesiastes two
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: eleven rid that again, Solomon, the man who accomplished more
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  Speaker 1: than most people could ever dream of, looked at everything
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: he built and still felt empty. How many people to
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: day feel the same way. We live in a culture
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: that glorifies hustle, work hard, build something great, make a
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: name for yourself. Success will make you happy, That's what
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: we're told, But how many people actually feel happy once
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: they get there? Look at the CEOs, the millionaires, the
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: tech giants, the social media influences. They have money, they
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: have status, they have achievements, but are they fulfilled? Some
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: of them will even admit they're not. Jim Carry, one
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: of the most successful actors of all time, once said,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: I think everybody should get rich and famous and do
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: everything they ever dream so they can see that it's
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: not the answer. Tom Brady, after winning multiple Super Bowls,
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: was asked in an interview what else he wanted in life.
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: His answer, I just feel like there has to be
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: something more. Why does this happen? Because success without God
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: always leaves a void. Solomon had more wealth, more accomplishments,
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: and more power than anyone could imagine, yet he described
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: all his achievements as chasing after the wind. Why because
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: no matter how much you achieve, it never feels like enough.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Think about it. How many people sacrifice everything for their careers.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: They miss family moments, damage relationships, neglect their health, all
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: in pursuit of success, and once they reached the top,
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: they realize they lost everything that truly mattered. How many
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: people tell themselves, if I can just reach this level,
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: I'll find be happy, only to get there and still
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: feel unfulfilled. Because here's the truth. Work is not the problem.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: Success is not the problem. The problem is when we
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: make these things the source of our identity. Solomon didn't
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: say work was useless. He said work without God was meaningless.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: A person can do nothing better than to eat and
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This, too,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: I see, is from the hand of God Ecclesiastes two
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: twenty four. This means work can be fulfilling, but only
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: when we invite God into it, when we work with purpose,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: when we build with meaning, when we remember that our
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: achievements are not just for ourselves, but for something greater.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: Jesus said in Matthew six thirty three, Seek first the
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
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  Speaker 1: will be given to you as well. That means God first,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: not career first, not success first, not ambition first. God first.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: And when we do that, our work isn't wasted. It
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: becomes part of something eternal. So if success isn't the
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: key to happiness, what is Solomon's final discovery will surprise you.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: Solomon spent years chasing wealth, power and success, believing they
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: would bring him happiness, but in the end he came
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: to a shocking realization. True joy wasn't found in riches, achievements,
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: or possessions. It was found in the simple things. After
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: a lifetime of wisdom, experience, and regret, Solomon wrote, there
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: is nothing better for a person than to eat and
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This, too,
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: I see, is from the hand of God Ecclesiastes two
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: twenty four. After everything, after pallaces, gold, empires, and influence,
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: Solomon realized that happens was found in ordinary moments. A
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: meal with family, a good day's work, the love of
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: a friend, a simple joy that the world often overlooks.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: But here's the question, why does our culture still tell
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: us the opposite. Everywhere you look, people are racing toward more,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: more money, more possessions, more success, more recognition. But what
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: happens once they get it? They feel just as empty.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: Look at the modern obsession with minimalism. Why do you
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: think so many wealthy, successful people, people who once had
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: mansions filled with things, are now choosing to live with less.
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: Why are some of the most successful individuals now giving
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: away their wealth, downsizing their homes, and simplifying their lives
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: Because after chasing more for years, they finally realized it
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: was never the answer. Jim Carry, the same actor who
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: once had everything Hollywood could offer, now says I am
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: not the things I own. It's about the simplicity of life.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: How many stories have you heard of people leaving six
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: figured jobs to pursue a simple, peaceful life, People walking
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: away from fame and fortune to find joy in their families,
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: their faith, and the simple things they once ignored. Why?
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: Because Solomon was right, More does not equal happiness. True
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: joy comes not from how much you have, but from
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: how deeply you appreciate what you already have. Better a
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: with turmoil Proverbs fifteen sixteen. That means a small, peaceful
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: home with love is better than a mansion filled with stress.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: A simple meal with true friends is better than a
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: banquet surrounded by people who only care about your status.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Solomon's wisdom teaches us to stop chasing what we think
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: will make us happy and start appreciating what already does.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: But let's make this personal. Think about your own life.
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: How many moments of joy have you missed because you
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: were too busy chasing something bigger. How many family dinners
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: did you rush through because your mind was on work.
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: How many small blessings have you overlooked because you were
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: focused on what you didn't have. Maybe happiness isn't waiting
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: for you in the next big thing. Maybe it's already
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: right in front of you. The laugh of a child,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: a conversation with an old friend, a quiet morning with God.
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: These are the things Solomon discovered bring real joy. And
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: yet so many people spend their entire lives searching for happiness,
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: only to realize they left it behind in the simple things.
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: Solomon's final message is clear. True joy is not found
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: in wealth, success or power. It is in god, gratitude
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: and contentment, because when you learn to appreciate the small things,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: you'll realize they were actually the big things. All along.
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: Solomon spent his entire life searching for happiness. He chased pleasure, power, wisdom,
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: and success, only to find that none of it could
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: satisfy his soul. But at the end of his life,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: after experiencing everything the world had to offer, he came
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: to one final, undeniable truth. Now all has been heard,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: Ecclesiastes twelve thirteen. That was his answer, not wealth, not power,
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: not achievements, but fearing God and obeying his word. And
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: yet how many people still refuse to believe this? Even today,
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: people are convinced that if they just reach the next level,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: the next promotion, the next relationship, the next accomplishment, then
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: they'll finally be happy. But Solomon is proof that even
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: if you have it all without God, it will never
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: be enough. So what does it mean to fear the Lord?
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: The word fear here doesn't mean terror. It means reverence, awe,
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: and deep respect. It means recognizing that God is sovereign,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: that he is the ultimate authority, and that our lives
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: only have meaning when we submit to him. The fear
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: of the Holy One is understanding Proverbs nine ten. In
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: other words, if you want a happy life, start by
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: putting God first. But here's the problem. The world today
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: tells us the exact opposite. We are constantly told, follow
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: your heart, do what makes you happy. You are the
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: master of your own destiny. But look at the world
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: around you. If self worship really worked, why are so
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: many people still miserable. If following your heart was enough,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: why a depression and anxiety at all time? Highes? If
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: chasing happiness apart from God worked, why do so many
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: people feel empty? Because real peace isn't found in doing
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: what we want. It's found in surrendering to what God wants.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: The truth is God created us, which means he knows
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: exactly what will bring us fulfillment. When we try to
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: live life our own way, ignoring His wisdom, chasing our
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: own desires, we will always come up short. There is
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: a way that seems right to a man, but in
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: the end it leads to death Proverbs fourteen twelve. But
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: those who fear the Lord they find peace. Look around.
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: Have you ever noticed that the people who are most
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: grounded in faith often have the most peace. The single
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: mother who bear has enough money to pay the bills,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: but has unshakable faith that God will provide. The elderly
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: man who has seen decades of hardship but still wakes
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: up every morning saying God is good. The persecuted believer
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: who has lost everything but still says, my hope is
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: in the Lord. What do they know that the world
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: doesn't They know that happiness isn't found in circumstances, It's
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: found in trusting God completely. And this is exactly what
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: Solomon realized after a lifetime of chasing everything but God.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: So what about you? Are you still looking for happiness
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: in things that will never satisfy or will you finally
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: accept Solomon's wisdom that the true key to peace, joy
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: and fulfillment is fearing God and following his commands. Because
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: the happiest people aren't the ones who have the most,
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: they're the ones who know that God is If Solomon,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: the wealthiest, wisest, and most accomplished man of his time,
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: couldn't find happiness in power, success or pleasure, then what
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: hope do we have. He tried everything the world had
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: to offer, only to realize that without God, it was
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: all meaningless. But here's the good news. You don't have
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: to make the same mistakes. You don't have to waste
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: your life chasing empty things. You can start applying Solomon's
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: wisdom right now and find the joy and peace that
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: he spent his whole life searching for. So how do
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: you do that? It starts with one word contentment. Better
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite,
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: This too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind Ecclesiastes
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: six x nine. Solomon warns that the constant craving for
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: more will never be satisfied. The moment you get what
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: you want, you'll immediately start wanting something else. The house
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: isn't big enough, the car isn't new enough, the job
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: isn't paying enough, and the cycle never ends. But the
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: person who learns to be content with what God has
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: already given them, that person is free. Look at your
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: own life. How often have you said, I'll be happy
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: when I'll be happy when I get a better job,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: I'll be happy when I get married, I'll be happy
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: when I finally make more money. But what happens the
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: moment you reach that goal? You find another reason to
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: be unhappy. This is exactly what Solomon warned about. He
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: had it all and still felt empty. But Paul, sitting
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: in a prison cell, chained and suffering, wrote, I have
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: learned to be content whatever the circumstances Philippians four eleven.
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: Why Because joy doesn't come from what you have, It
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: comes from whom you serve. And that leads to the
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: second key, gratitude, A cheerful heart is good medicine, but
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs seventeen twenty two.
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: Solomon tells us that our attitude determines our experience. A
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: grateful person can find joy in the smallest things, a
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: meal with family, a conversation with a friend, a simple
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: moment of peace. But an ungrateful person they can have
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: everything and still feel miserable. Look at the world to day.
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: People have more than ever, yet they're unhappier than ever.
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: They have access to instant gratification, endless entertainment, and unlimited information,
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: yet depression and anxiety are at an all time high.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: Why Because happiness isn't about what you have, It's about
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: how you see what you have. Start making gratitude a
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: daily habit. Thank God for what he has already given
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: you instead of focusing on what you don't have. Thank
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: Him for the breath in your lungs. Thank Him for
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: the people in your life. Thank Him for his mercy,
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: his grace, and his presence. Because when you shift from
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: complaining to gratitude, your whole life changes, and the final
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: key dependence on God. Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: and he will establish your plans. Proverb sixteen three. Solomon
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: tried to live life his own way, and it led
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: him to despair. But the person who surrenders their plans, desires,
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: and future to God will always find peace because when
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: you trust God to direct your steps, you don't have
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: to worry about what's next. But how do you actually
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: live this out look at real life examples a business
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: man who once chased money but now finds peace serving
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: in his local church. A single mother who once worried
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: about the future, but now trusts God to provide for
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: her and her children. A former addict who once sought
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: happiness in temporary highs, but now finds true joy in
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: God's presence. These are not just stories. They are proof
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: that when you stop chasing what the world says will
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: make you happy and start living by God's wisdom, everything changes.
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: So ask yourself, are you still looking for joy in
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: things that will never satisfy or are you ready to
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: apply Solomon's wisdom and finally walk in the happiness God
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: intended for you? Because the answer has been right in
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: front of us the whole time. Contentment, gratitude, dependence on
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: God that is the prescription for a truly happy life
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: After everything Solomon had seen, done and achieved. He left
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: us with one undeniable truth, Chasing the world will leave
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: you empty. And yet most people still ignore his wisdom.
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: They hear it, agree with it, and then go right
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: back to running on the same exhausting tree treadmill of more, more, more,
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: more money, more success, more pleasure, more of everything except
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: the one thing that actually matters God. But let's be honest,
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: how often do we do the same. We read Solomon's words,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: gnawd in agreement, and then go right back to believing
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: the lie that happiness is just one achievement away. If
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: I can just get that promotion, I'll feel secure. If
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: I can just find the right person, I'll finally be fulfilled.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: If I can just make more money, I won't have
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: to worry any more. But what happens every single time
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: You get the promotion, but then there's another level to reach.
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: You find the relationship, but it doesn't fix the emptiness inside.
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: You make more money, but now you fear losing it.
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: This is exactly what Solomon warned us about. Look at
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: his life life. He had more than any one could
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: ever dream of. Wealth. He was the richest king in history, power,
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: nations bowed before him pleasure, He had hundreds of wives
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: and concubines, wisdom, He was the smartest man to ever live,
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: And yet he still sat back and said meaningless, meaningless.
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: Everything is meaningless Ecclesiastes one too. Why because when you
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: put your hope in things that don't last, your joy
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: won't last either. But here's the real question, what about you?
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: Are you living your life according to the world's broken
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: definition of happiness, constantly chasing, never satisfied, or will you
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: do what very few people have the courage to do, stop,
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: step off the treadmill, and finally choose to follow Solomon's wisdom.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: Because he didn't just leave us with a warning. He
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: gave us the answer at the very end of Ecclesiastes.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: After all the searching, after all the wasted years, after
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: all the dead end roads, he finally says, this, now
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: all has been heard. Here is the conclusion of the matter.
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: whole duty of man Ecclesiastes twelve thirteen. That's it. Not wealth,
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: not success, not pleasure, not even wisdom itself. Fear God,
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: keep his commandments, live for him. That is the only
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: path to real, lasting happiness. So the question is will
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: you listen or will you keep searching for joy in
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: the same places that left Solomon feeling empty, because the
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: choice is yours, But only one path leads to the
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: life you've been searching for. As we come to the
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: end of this message, we are closing with prayer. This
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: is not just words. It is an invitation for God
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: to shift our hearts, to open our eyes, and to
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: we align us with true joy. Lord, we come before
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: you with hearts that are weary from chasing things that
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: cannot satisfy. We have spent so much of our lives
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: believing the lie that happiness is something we must find
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: out there in success, in wealth, in the approval of others.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: But to day we pause, we breathe, We let your
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: truth sink in. You alone are our source of joy. Father.
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: We repent for the times we placed our hope in
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: things that faded. The times we thought more money, a
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: bigger house, a better job, or the perfect relationship would
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: finally bring peace. But Solomon had it all, and even
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: he found it empty. Let us learn from his wisdom. Lord,
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: Let us not wait until we are exhausted and broken
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: to realize that only you can fill the void inside us.
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: We surrender our restless hearts, the longing that keeps us searching,
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: the discontentment that keeps us anxious, the fear that whispers
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: your not enough. Lord, Quiet these voices, replace them with
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: your peace. Teach us what it means to be truly content,
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: to wake up each day with gratitude instead of greed,
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: with trust, instead of worry, with joy instead of emptiness. God,
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: help us to find joy in the simple things, in
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: the sunrise that greets us, in the laughter of loved ones,
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: in the work you have given us, in the stillness
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: of knowing you are near. Let us not despise the small,
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: ordinary moments, for that is where true happiness is found. Lord,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: We lift up those who feel lost, those who are
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: drowning in the pursuit of more but never feeling full,
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: Those who are looking to social media, careers, possessions, or
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: relationships to define their worth. Father, reach them where they are,
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: open their eyes to see that everything they are searching
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: for is found in You. Help us Lord to seek
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: first your kingdom, not our own desires, not our own plans,
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: but yours, Because we know that when we trust you first,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: everything else falls into place. Let us delight in You
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: more than anything else. Let us find joy not in
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: what we own, but in who we are in Christ.
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: We pray for wisdom to walk differently than the world,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: to reject the empty promises of temporary happiness and instead
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: chase the eternal joy that comes from walking with You.
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: We ask for strength to turn away from distractions, to
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: silence the voices that tell us we need more, and
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: to fix our eyes on the one who is enough. Lord,
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: guide us, shape us, teach us to rest in You.
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: Thank you for your patience. Thank you for never giving
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: up on us even when we ran after the wrong things.
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you for calling us back, for opening our eyes,
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: for giving us a joy that the world cannot take away.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: We receive this joy, Lord, We step into it, We
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: hold on to it, and no matter what comes next,
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: we will not be shaken because we know the secret. Now,
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: happiness is not something we chase. It is some one
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: We know. It is You. In Jesus Mighty name, we pray, Amen,
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: stay wise, stay joyful, stay close to God, stay blessed.