Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No. 44 – July 1975   Life: Empty Or Full?   Sermon by Rev. K. J. Campbell, B.A., B.D. on Ecclesiastes 2:25 Scripture Readings: Ephesians 1:15-23; Ecclesiastes 2:1-26 Psalter Hymnal (New): 111; 114, Opening; 201; 459; 288; 307:3 Doxology   Purpose: To show the emptiness of life without Christ and the fullness of life with Christ and thus to urge all to seek that fullness of life.   Ecclesiastes is perhaps a book of the Bible which you have not read very much.  It is a book of the Bible which we all should read...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 22 No. 12 – December 1975   It Makes No Sense... Does It?   Sermon by Rev. A. I. de Graaf, B.D. on Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (esp.  vss.2 & 10a) (New Year's Sermon) Scripture Readings: Isaiah 59:19-21, Romans 8:18-25 Psalter Hymnal: 121:1,2; 385; 163:1,2,3,4; 163:5,6,7; 198:1,3,4; 493   Brothers and sisters, Boys and girls, Young people, Congregation of our Lord Jesus! "Vanity of vanities!” Ah yes, and no doubt you have a picture in your mind of a girl spending hours before the mirror dolling herself up, or maybe a young fellow going in for a perm.....But...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 23 No. 38 – June 1977   How To Stay Married.... Happily   Sermon by Rev. A.I. de Graaf,B.D. on Eccles.9:9 & Prov.5:18 Scripture Reading: Eph. 5:14(b)-33 Psalter Hymnal: 89; 481; 408; 175; 316:3   Brothers & Sisters, Boys & Girls, Young People, Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ! Enjoy life! This is your God speaking. Not the devil. When the devil says "Enjoy life!" watch it, he's out to spoil it. But when God says: "Enjoy life!" you can almost hear laughter in His Voice but you hear tears, too. Because God paid dearly to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 34 – June 1981   The Unfading Beauty Of God's Re-Creation   Sermon by Rev. H. W. Pennings on Eccles 3:11a & Isa 40:8 Scripture Reading: Eccles 3:1-15; Isa 40:1-11   Beloved in the Lord, The Bible tells us that God has made everything beautiful in its time. It also tells us to enjoy life. So we do. Or, at least, we try to and like to: to enjoy life: to admire the things in life that God has made so beautifully. Beauty and enjoyment often come together hand in hand. When we sing...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 27– July 1988   Man’s Place In God’s Time   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Eccles. 3:1-15 Reading: Psalm 90, Romans 8:28-39   Brothers and sisters, beloved in the Lord, Most of us here today have watches on.  Probably even most of the children have a watch.  We all wear a watch because we like to know what the time is.  We want to know when to do different things during the day.  When to get up, how late we are for school, when lunchtime will be, how soon it is before we...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 39 No.25 – July 1994   For Each Experience A Time   Sermon: Rev. D. Baird Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Hymns: B.o.W. 145, 104, 360, 460, 181   Dear Brothers and Sisters, This book of Ecclesiastes is a strange one, isn't it?  We are attracted to it but we are not sure what to do with it.  We are attracted to it because it is practical.  It's about everyday life.  In a way it's all so familiar: eating and drinking, work, time, old age, God, wisdom. The Preacher talks about the frustrations of life, and we all...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 34 No. 26 – July 1989   Remember Your Creator   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Ecclesiastes 12. Reading: Psalm 71; Eccl. 12; John 10:7-18. Theme: The need to turn to God and serve him while we are young.   One of the saddest features of the last ten or so years has been the rise of a generation of street kids. Children and young people who are out on the streets.  Who wander around during the day and have nowhere to go at night.  Who sleep out in garages and sheds and bus shelters...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 02 – January 1985   The Time For Commitment Is The Present   Sermon by Rev. G. Van Schie, v.d.m. on Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1 Reading: Luke 12: 18-21 Suggested Hymns: BoW.H.10; Psalter Hymnal 170:1,4; 441:1,3,4,5; 456; 487   INTRODUCTION Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, It is only a man-made proverb: "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today."  Many pay no attention to it.  The natural tendency of man is to live for today and to put off as much as we can till tomorrow. In the spiritual realm this...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 25 – July 1988   The Search For Satisfaction   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26 Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26   There are some questions that every human person asks at some stage or another.  There are a few key questions that occur to every thinking person on the face of the earth.  What is the point of life?  What am I doing here?  What is life all about?  What will give me meaning and purpose?  What do I have to do to find satisfaction? Those questions are as old as history itself. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 35 – September 1988   Wealth: The Various Options   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Eccles. 5:10-6:6 Reading: Luke 12:13-21, 1Tim 6:3-19   THEME: Wealth in and by itself cannot satisfy unless it is connected with God.   Brothers and sisters in the Lord, It is quite clear to most of us that we live in a very materialistic culture.  By this we mean that the people around us are very concerned with material things.  Whether they are relatively wealthy or relatively poor, people are all taken up with money and the things...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 02 – January 1992   Time On Our Hands - Eternity In Our Hearts   Sermon by Rev. H. DeWaard on Ecclesiastes 3:10,11 Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11;3:1-13, Romans 8:18-25, Ecclesiastes 3:10,11   Dear congregation, beloved in Christ, If I asked you, 'Why are you a Christian?', I wonder what you would say. If you asked me, my main answer would be that the Gospel gives meaning to life.  That's important, isn't it? The Gospel tells me where I came from, what my destiny is and what the purpose of my life is. Without meaning, life...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 30 – August 1988   The “Dead Ends” Of Life   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Eccles. 3:16-4:16 Readings: Philipp. 4:4-13; 2Cor. 1:3-7   I wonder how many of you have come across a cynical person.  We're not thinking of a person who occasionally makes a cynical comment.  No, we are talking about someone who is really cynical.  Their whole outlook on life is twisted and bitter.  They don't see any good in anything.  They think the worst of every situation and of every person. Fortunately you don't meet too many people like...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 23 – June 1988   Life Under The Sun   Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Eccles. 1:1-11 Reading: Eccles. 1:1-11, Romans 8:18-30   Dear Congregation, beloved in Christ the Lord, Those of you who are parents will know what it is like when your children start to ask ‘why’.  Every question and every statement and every command is greeted with the response, "why?" For a time the why's are fairly straightforward.  Johnny, you need to have a bath.  Why?  Because you are dirty.  Why?  Because you were playing outside.  Why?...  and so it...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 40 – October 1988   Wisdom: Its Value And Limitations   Sermon: by Rev. J. Haverland on Eccl. 7:11-8:1, 16-17 Reading: 1Cor. 1:18-31, Eccl. 7:11-8:1, 16-17   Congregation, beloved in Christ, Some years ago Alvin Toffler wrote a book called Future Shock.  In that book he documented the rapid changes that were taking place in society.  He pointed out that we live in a technological world that is changing very fast.  New scientific and electronic discoveries are made every day. In a world like this the emphasis is on movement and speed, action and...

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS Rev. John Haverland   Text: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Readings: Prov 10:8-14, 18-21; Matt 5:33-37 Theme: Our words and promises before God must be considered and kept. Purpose: To urge you to be careful and thoughtful in what you say and promise to God, and to keep your promises. *********************   This coming week/this past week we will pass/ we have passed from one year to another. Many of us will stay up/stayed up to see in the New Year. This transition from one year to another often causes people to reflect on the past year and to think about...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.36 - September 1994   The Realities Of Life   Sermon: by Rev. L. Douma Text: Psalm 71 & Ecclesiastes 12   Beloved Congregation, There is the saying that says' Youth are idealists and the elderly are realists'.  There is truth in that.  Young · people are very much idealists.  They have their life in front of them.  They have their ideals and dreams about what life should be and what it can give to them.  They have not suffered great hardships and tragedies that would knock some of these ideals out of them. The elderly...