In our culture, there is a constant quest for more. But what is enough? King Solomon had, literally, everything. But he discovered through his life that even that wasn't enough to give life meaning. And through the thousands of years since then, this fact has been rediscovered time and time again. But, as Christians, we know the Source of true meaning and satisfaction, and we are able to live a life of purpose because of Jesus.
Have you chased after something only to find that once you "got" it, it wasn't actually satisfying? You felt duped by it all. For those living just for the things of this life (what Solomon deems as everything "under the sun"), life's pursuits are, in fact, ultimately unsatisfying and meaningless. Only with God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ can life have real significance. Here, Pastor Davey continues applying the timeless wisdom of King Solomon's Book of Ecclesiastes.
King Solomon uses the word "vanity" 37 times in Ecclesiastes, beginning with verse 2 where he uses it five times, emphasizing this original Hebrew word meaning vapor, futility, senselessness, and frustration. In other words, Solomon begins his journal by describing how human lives come and go as the world continues turning. And he warns us that if we keep our gaze "under the sun"--and don't look to God's purpose for us--life is indeed a futile vapor.
To this day, King Solomon is touted as the wisest man to ever live. Although he asked God for the wisdom he was given, he quickly turned away from following God, and his life became self-centered and destructive. Only in his last days did he remember the Truth and return to the Wisdom-giver. With urgency, Solomon tells us to learn from his mistakes--to remember our Creator God all our days, regardless of life's ups, downs, and uncertainties.
We don't learn much about Epaphroditus from Paul's letter to Philippi, but we learn enough to know how vital he was to Paul's ministry. Stephen introduces us to this unsung hero of the New Testament in this portion of his series, "Humility."
Paul planned to visit Rome, but was instead imprisoned by Felix for two years. When he was finally allowed to leave, his ship capsized in Malta. Paul learned early in his ministry that "the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9)."
We'll never live a life without regrets if we aren't committed to living today without regrets. Paul shows us what that commitment looks like in Philippians 2:16-18.
Discontentment is a virus in the Church today. It travels on the winds of gossip, snuffing out joy in every heart it passes through. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:14-15 why it can have no place in a believer's life.
We are all different people. We have different tastes, hobbies, ambitions, and convictions. Our diversity is seen from the food we eat to the places we vacation. But in the midst of all this diversity, there are a few tendencies we share in common that hinder our spiritual growth and vitality. In this eye-opening look at Paul's exhortation to Philippian believers, Stephen exposes these tendencies and teaches us how to overcome them.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 3 (Philippians 4:6–7), Stephen Davey teaches believers how to conquer anxiety through prayer and trust in God. He compares worry to a deadly anaconda that strangles faith, urging Christians to “be anxious for nothing.” Instead of allowing fear to consume them, they are to replace worry with prayer—bringing every concern to God with gratitude. Davey explains that worry pulls believers apart, while thankful prayer realigns their hearts toward God’s power and presence. The result is a supernatural peace that “guards hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” a peace flowing directly from God’s own character. This peace doesn’t come from understanding circumstances but from trusting the God who controls them all. Through continual, thankful prayer, believers display the extravagant grace of God by living free from fear and full of peace.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 2 (Philippians 4:4–5), Stephen Davey teaches that believers are called to display grace in a disappointed and self-centered world through two qualities—a resolution to be joyful and a reputation for gentleness. Joy, he explains, is not dependent on circumstances but flows from the Holy Spirit, the gospel, and trust in God’s sovereignty—even in suffering. Gentleness, often misunderstood as weakness, is strength under control—a willingness to yield, be courteous, and respond to hostility with grace. Using vivid examples from history, culture, and personal experience, Davey challenges believers to demonstrate joy and gentleness as living testimonies of Christ’s presence. Because “the Lord is near,” Christians can embody supernatural calm and kindness, showing a frustrated world the reality of God’s transforming grace.
In his sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:1–8, Stephen Davey explains Solomon’s urgent call to “remember your Creator” while young, because ignoring God early in life leads to confusion in youth, misery in old age, and regret at death. Solomon describes aging with vivid imagery—failing eyesight, shaking hands, trembling legs, sleepless nights, fading voices, and diminishing desire—reminding listeners that physical strength inevitably declines. Davey emphasizes that these poetic pictures are not meant to discourage but to motivate believers to build a foundation of trust and obedience long before the hardships of aging arrive. Solomon then depicts death as sudden and certain, when the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God for judgment. Davey concludes that life is fleeting, but remembering your Creator—walking with Him now—prepares you for every season of life and for the final awakening after death.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 4 (Philippians 4:8–9), Stephen Davey explains that a transformed life begins with a transformed mind. He contrasts the believer’s renewed thinking with the unbeliever’s darkened mind and challenges Christians to discipline their thought life through eight biblical filters—whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. These qualities shape godly attitudes and actions. Davey warns that mental purity requires constant guarding and rejection of worldly influences, especially in a culture saturated with impurity. He urges believers to not only ponder these virtues but to practice them daily, promising that “the God of peace will be with you.” When believers fill their minds with truth and holiness, Christ’s character “shows through” their lives, reflecting His peace and presence to the world.
In his sermon on Ecclesiastes 7:1–14, Stephen Davey explains how Solomon shifts from raising life’s troubling questions to offering God-given wisdom for living well. Davey highlights four truths Solomon teaches: contemplate your mortality, because facing death cultivates serious thinking and a life of purpose rather than pretense; choose wise companions, since the rebuke of the godly is far more valuable than the shallow laughter of fools; cultivate godly character, resisting the pull of anger, corruption, impatience, and nostalgic fantasies about “the good old days”; and consider your Creator with humility, recognizing that God ordains both prosperity and adversity, the straight paths and the crooked ones, to deepen trust in Him. Davey concludes that Solomon’s inspired counsel urges believers to live with sober perspective, intentional relationships, steadfast integrity, and humble dependence on the God who shapes every season of life.
