Sermons on Ecclesiastes 2:1-17:

Feeling Kind Of Empty?

Contributed by Michael Bates on Dec 31, 2023

Feeling unhappy and empty inside? Trying to find ways to fill those empty voids? Material possessions and wealth brings only temporary happiness. God, though, will fill your emptiness with eternal joy, love, and pleasure.

Please open your Bibles to Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 and lets all read together: The Emptiness of Pleasure 1 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. 2 I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, Philippians 4:19

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Sermon On The Best Days Of Your Life?

Contributed by William Meakin on Jan 25, 2024

The best days of your life are reputed to be the days that one has enjoyed the most.

Russell Brand, an English comedian and actor once remarked: “People do this a lot. They don't seem to realize that the future is just like now, but in a little while, so they say they're going to do things in anticipation of some kind of seismic shift in their worldview that never actually ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:3, Ecclesiastes 6:12, Proverbs 11:24-25, John 6:53

Where Is Meaning? Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Jan 27, 2023

Today many are re-evaluating the lifestyle of seeking pleasure. The rich and famous are coming to the same conclusion of another rich and famous person Solomon, “meaningless”.

People try all avenues to bring meaning and purpose to their life. I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 2:1) You name any field, professional sports, business, politics and if you do just a ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Search For Meaning Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Feb 23, 2023

In your pursuit of meaning in life, look beyond your own hands; look beyond your own head; and look beyond your own heart. Look beyond the sun to the Lord, who died for you and rose again.

Since its founding in 1995, people have used eBay to sell billions of items. They include some odd products and occasionally something priceless. For example… In 1954, the great physicist Albert Einstein penned a personal letter to philosopher Erik Gutkind in which he defended his views on ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, Ecclesiastes 2:1-17, John 10:10

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Search For Satisfaction Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Jul 22, 2024

We will never find our purpose in life if we put the pursuit of our pleasures above God’s priorities.

The Search for Satisfaction Rev. Brian Bill Ecclesiastes 2:1-17 July 20-21, 2024 According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, the U.S. ranks 23rd on a global measure of happiness across 143 countries in the world. This is worse than last year, when we came in at number 15. Americans under 30 ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Lessons From The Cave (1 Samuel 22:1-4)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Sep 1, 2024

David was in the deepest time of his life. He lost his support network and on the run from Saul. He possessed nothing of material worth or value and all seemed lost. He hid in a cave, but it is in the cave where God prepared him for greater things.

In his film, "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon", Pastor Greg Laurie described the time where Mr. Cash had reached the lowest point of his life and career. He had become addicted to pills, which lead to an erratic and hostile behavior that cost him his first marriage, a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 61:1-2, 1 Samuel 22:1-4, Job 14:1, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Hebrews 13:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Sermon On The Diversity Of Perceptions In Life

Contributed by William Meakin on Dec 6, 2024

Uniqueness is defined as the quality of being particularly remarkable, special or unusual.

Isaac Bashevis Singer, an American novelist once remarked: “The greatness of art is not to find what is common but what is unique.” Psalm 19:1-5 reminds us: ”The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day-to-day pours out speech, and night-to-night reveals ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:14, 1 Samuel 16:7, Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 6:22-23

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two Series

Contributed by Tom Shepard on Jan 4, 2025

What if there was no God - what would life be like? It would be meaningless - Meaningless.... The book of Ecclesiastes looks at life from the view that there in no God. This is a verse by verse look into chapter two of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two Ecclesiastes 2:1 (NASB) I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. Solomon conducted his search for life's meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing pleasure. He undertook great ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-26

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Futility Or Fulfillment

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Feb 22, 2026

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, there was no profit under the sun. kjv

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, there was no profit under the sun. kjv Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard i had worked doing it and I realized that it ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:18-22, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Luke 12:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Denomination: Adventist

The Limits Of Pleasure

Contributed by Michael Blitz on Jul 19, 2025

Ecclesiastes 2 shows us the limits of pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2 isn’t King Solomon suggesting there’s no joy or that we should just grab whatever pleasure we can. Instead, it’s about the limits of pleasure. The book of Ecclesiastes is what we call wisdom literature, and it’s crucial to understand that wisdom isn’t law. The law of gravity always ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Denomination: Anglican

"all Is Vanity"

Contributed by William Erhart on Jul 27, 2025

The crux of my message is that everything lived under the sun is indeed vain and meaningless, even wisdom, but that done in Christ is eternally valuable.

Now, I want to start today by asking you all some questions. I won't go on for too long, but I just want to make sure everyone is awake because I know what it is like to sit down for chapel in the morning. I will, however, ask that you please spare me your attention for these next few moments ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 1:21, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Corinthians 10:31  (view more)  (view less)

You Can't Take It With You, But . . . Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Sep 20, 2025

How many of us follow the rich fool's lead and build bigger barns by finding new avenues for our investments, as though this life is all that matters? Jesus tells us to beware of all kinds of greed, including being greedy with our own possessions.

There are some Bible passages which will forever be associated with vivid personal experiences. And today, as we consider the Parable of the Rich Fool, we have encountered one of those passages. My experience with it dates from nearly 40 years ago. In the spring of 1986 I was preparing to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-34, Ecclesiastes 2:4-10, 1 Timothy 6:10-19

Denomination: Bible Church

Leaving A Spiritual Legacy

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Oct 16, 2025

What will you leave behind when your life on earth is over? The Scriptures tell us that a spiritual legacy is far more valuable and lasting than any financial inheritance.

As I look back over the first 65 years of my life [65 years, two months, and two weeks, to be precise, tick tock], I’ve been thinking a bit more about what difference my life has made so far, what more I would like to accomplish, and what I will be leaving behind, when eventually I “shuffle off ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-5, Ecclesiastes 2:17-21, Matthew 6:19-21, Psalm 78:1-7, 1 Peter 1:3-5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Learning From The Mistakes Of Others

Contributed by Don Campbell on Dec 18, 2025

We all make mistakes, but we can avoid some by learning lessons from other people's mistakes.

LEARNING FROM THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS INTRODUCTION A. Puublilus Syrus (85-43 BC) said, “From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.” B. Confucius observed, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Ecclesiastes 2:4-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hope Beyond Disappointment: Following Jesus When Life Feels Empty Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jan 5, 2026

There are seasons when our deepest hopes feel deferred, when our dreams are shattered, and when our efforts seem futile. The Word of God speaks with a voice that cuts through despair and points us toward hope found in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Hope Beyond Disappointment: Following Jesus When Life Feels Empty Introduction Whether we admit it or not, life often leaves us disappointed. There are seasons when our deepest hopes feel deferred, when our dreams are shattered, and when our efforts seem futile. We scroll through social media and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:12, Ecclesiastes 1:2-4, Ecclesiastes 1:5-9, Ecclesiastes 2:10-11, Ecclesiastes 2:17, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Psalm 37:4-5, Romans 8:28, Colossians 3:2, Matthew 6:19-21, Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, Romans 15:13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal