Four Oaks East Podcast

Preacher: Funmi OjetayoText: Ecclesiastes 10
BIG IDEA: Walk wisely in your words, your work, and your witness—because folly isn’t just dangerous; it’s deadly.
I. The Ruinous Road of Folly (vv. 1–3)+ One moment of folly can outweigh a lifetime of wisdom.+ The fool’s heart leans away from God—and that lean leads to ruin.
II. Wisdom Seasons Our Speech (vv. 12–14, 20)+ Wise words are gracious, humble, true, and loving.    - A wise person speaks worshipfully    - A wise person speaks encouragement    - A wise person speaks the truth    - A wise person speaks with gentleness    - A wise person speaks with humility    - A wise person speaks love+ Foolish words are destructive, presumptuous, and loud.
III. Wisdom Shapes Our Work (vv. 8–11, 15, 18–19)+ Fools are busy but aimless; their labor wearies but produces little.+ The wise sharpen their tools, steward their time, and labor for God’s glory.+ Wisdom knows when to act and when to wait.
IV. Wisdom Responds to Folly in Power (vv. 4–7, 16–17)+ Fools in high places create chaos below.+ The wise remain calm, rooted, and faithful—like Jesus before Pilate.+ Our hope rests not on Capitol Hill—but on Calvary’s hill.

Pastor Funmi Ojetayo
Text: Ecclesiastes 8 Big Idea: In a complex and confusing world, wisdom from God grants us radiant appearances, respectful submission, resilient trust, and rejoicing hearts.
1. Wisdom’s Radiance (v. 1)    * Wisdom transforms our countenance, visibly showing God’s grace and joy.2. Wisdom’s Respect (vv. 2–9)    * Wisdom rightly relates to authority, discerning obedience as submission ultimately to God.3. Wisdom’s Resolve (vv. 10–14)    * Wisdom trusts God’s justice, remaining steadfast amid apparent injustice.4. Wisdom’s Rejoicing (v. 15)    * Wisdom finds genuine joy and delight in the daily life God graciously gives.

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 7
Big Idea: The wise way is seldom the wanted way, so we must learn to love what appears unlovely and befriend what appears unfriendly. 
1. Cultivate your character (v. 1a)2. Mind your mortality (vv. 1b-2)3. Develop through difficulty (vv. 3-12)4. Live within limits (vv. 13-29)
Heidelberg Catechism  Q27. What do you understand by the providence of God? A. The almighty and ever present power by which God upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but from God's sustaining hand.
Heidelberg Catechism Q28. How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us? A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from God's love. All creatures are so completely in God's hand that without the divine will they can neither move nor be moved.

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 6
Big idea: The good enjoyment of good life is the good gift of God; apart from it, the gathering of good things only goes terribly.
I. Receiving wealth is the gift of God
II. Enjoying wealth is the gift of God
III. Failure to enjoy wealth is a tragedy
What gifts do these truths offer us? 1. A higher view of God 2. A humbler view of self3. A heavenlier view of reality

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 5
Big Idea: God in Christ renovates and rightsizes our relationship to matters that matter so we can receive and rejoice in them rightly.
1. Bring your worship simply (1-7)
2. Practice your politics wisely (8-9)
3. Hold your wealth loosely (10-17)
4. Do your work joyfully (18-20)

Preacher: Kyle KraeftEcclesiastes 4:1-16Big Idea: Don’t Let Villainies and Vainities Keep You From The Greater Value of Others. 
I. Relational Villainies (vs. 1-3)II. Relational Vanities (vs. 4-8)III. Relational Value (vs. 9-16)
Takeaways:Slow down and See people Slow down and Savor people Slow down and Celebrate people 

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 3
Big idea: In the midst of our frailty, frustration, and finitude, we can have a stable, stubborn hope in the one who sovereignly sets the seasons and makes everything beautiful in its time.
I. Learn to eat the fruit that is in season 
II. Learn to measure moments in light of eternity 

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 2
Big idea: Since pleasure is passing and death is definitive in this life, we must seek lasting pleasures in God’s presence and provision.
1. The Test Methods 
2. The Test Results
3. Interpreting the Data
4. Living with the Data

Pastor Joshua HughesText: Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
Big idea: Wisdom under the sun won't give us what we want, so we must seek the wisdom that is the gift of God.
1. Qoheleth's quest #1 - the Way of Wisdom
2. Qoheleth's quest #2 - the Manner of Madness
Two Invitations:1. Learn to lament life under the sun2. Learn to receive the wisdom God gives

Pastor Joshua Hughes
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
1. Who is the Preacher?
1 Kings 11:1-10
2. What is this book? 
3. What can this book do for us?
Romans 8:18-25