How (and why) I’m Teaching Ecclesiastes in Youth Group

Bible Study
Written By Kyle Kennicott

Note: “What I’m Teaching at Youth Group” is an ongoing series that presents a snapshot of a recent series the author has taught in their own ministry. Our goal is to present a helpful model for what it looks like to practice biblical and theological depth in youth discipleship.

This fall, I am leading our middle and high school students through the book of Ecclesiastes. When I first told others about this, I got a mixed bag of reactions, from “that book will challenge students” to “are you sure that will connect with middle schoolers?” Teaching the Old Testament is hard enough, but teaching wisdom literature, for most people, is another level. However, if we truly believe that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable" (2 Timothy 3:16), then we need to be willing to teach through hard books of the Bible so our students believe it too. Here are some reasons why I think Ecclesiastes is worth teaching through in youth ministry. 

Why Teach Ecclesiastes?

We are familiar with verses like 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” However, can our students clearly articulate what that looks like? I know students who say they believe that truth, but then struggle to match their belief with their actions. It is right for us to emphasize God’s mercy, grace, patience, and faithfulness to try and captivate their hearts, but Ecclesiastes takes a different approach: one of “discerning deconstruction.” Bobby Jamison says it this way, “You have to let it hurt you before it will heal you. Ecclesiastes demolishes before it rebuilds…to convince you that many of this world’s most common promises are false friends, and you should break up with them.”(1)  Ecclesiastes cautions us to question how much faith we place in the world so we can see how God is essential to our flourishing.

How does Ecclesiastes help us to question our faith in the world? By acknowledging the hevels of life. But what does hevel mean? The literal translation is breath or vapor, but often translated using terms like vanity (ESV, NKJV), meaninglessness (NLT/NIV), or futility (CSB). Because of this, some have wrongly understood Ecclesiastes as arguing that life is pointless, but if that’s true, I have several questions: Why write the letter? If life is pointless, then what about the recognition throughout the book of God giving good gifts to enjoy (Ecc. 2:24-26)? And why spend time describing how living a life of wisdom (Ecc. 7:12), a life with companions (Ecc. 4:9), and a life with eternity in mind (Ecc. 3:14) are means of pursuing a better life? 

If this letter provides meaning that helps us enjoy life and offers hope, how do we help our students understand the intent of this language? Jason DeRouchie says, “I propose that when the preacher opens and closes his book with the declaration, 'All is breath,' he meant that all things in this world are enigmatic or mysterious…As finite creatures, we are not able to grasp all that God is doing in this world, and this is deeply grieving.”(2)  All of life is like a vapor we try to catch and hold, and since we cannot, it leaves us deeply frustrated with the world. Our students know this. All good things come to an end. Good people die young. Wicked people seem to “win”.  The language of Ecclesiastes, I believe, can help them grapple with the truth that life is deeply frustrating, so we can help them to find meaning, satisfaction, and hope in God.

How to Teach Ecclesiastes

Like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes can get convoluted because it repeats similar ideas with different nuances throughout the book. I chose to handle this series the same way I have taught Proverbs: using a topical-exposition approach. This approach organizes a book or study around the topics it addresses and stays constrained to the original author's argument. The key focus/theme of our walk through Ecclesiastes was living in light of eternity, how the frustrations we face in life are designed to lead us to live for God and depend on Him, knowing we will stand before Him one day.

This is how I structured our 9-week teaching plan:

  1. Why does life feel empty? (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11) Life feels empty because everything is temporary, unable to provide lasting significance; therefore, we must humble ourselves before God.

  2. Why doesn’t success satisfy? (Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26) Success cannot satisfy us because we were never made to find our ultimate identity, security, or joy in what we achieve. Rather, life is about receiving God’s gracious gifts so that we can live with contentment in Him.

  3. Why can’t I control my life? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15) Only God is in control; therefore, we must respond with proper fear in Him.

  4. Why is the world so broken? (Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3; 5:8-9) The world is broken because sin has corrupted justice, power, and human relationships, but God will one day judge the righteous and the wicked.

  5. What hope does religion have in this frustrating world? (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7) Empty religion cannot solve life’s frustrations, but humble reverence before God is the proper response.

  6. Why doesn’t money fix everything? (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12; 5:10-6:12) Because wealth cannot guarantee enjoyment, satisfy the heart, or eliminate suffering.

  7. How should I live? (Ecclesiastes 7-11:7) Live wisely, fear God, enjoy his gifts with contentment, and trust him with what you cannot control.

  8. How do I not waste my life? (Ecclesiastes 11:8-12:8) Find enjoyment in the gifts that God has given you, but do not let those gifts distract you from remembering your Creator, who will one day judge your life.

  9. What is the meaning of life? (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14) Fear God and keep his commandments because He will judge every person.

Seeing Christ in Ecclesiastes

I am a firm believer in teaching students how the Old Testament foreshadows Jesus. The anticipation of Jesus in Ecclesiastes is unique because the route it takes to get there is by reminding the reader of their death and judgment before God. Because they know they will stand before God, they should be watchful over their lives, taking care to not place their hope in anything this world has to offer. This can help our students see clearly how their response to Jesus shapes their lives in a couple of key ways:

  • There will come a day when we will be raised from the dead and be judged by Christ. It’s only through faith in Jesus that we will be judged with grace and mercy, because we have “feared God and kept His commandments.”  

  • After we die, for those of us in Christ, we will be raised with Him, and our frustrations will be no more because He truly will make “everything beautiful in its time” (Ecc. 4:11). All wrongs will be made right, and what God hasn’t fixed now, He will one day.  

A Closing Thought

At the time of writing this, I am already four weeks into teaching Ecclesiastes to our students, and it has been incredible to see God's word bear fruit not only in our students’ and leaders' lives, but in my heart as well. Student ministry has its own frustrations that we deal with, and this book has been an excellent reminder of my need to depend on the Lord. So often we can be over-focused on performance with work, having our me-time to satisfy us, or reading a good book to grow in wisdom. Even our good Christian duties can be characterized by worldliness: depending on ourselves and forgetting to pray, teaching for the sake of teaching more than letting God form us through His word. This leads us to forget our need to live a life of fearing Him and being still because He is God, and we are not (Psalm 46:10). If you decide to teach or study this book, I pray that you allow this book, by the help of God, to break you so that it can heal you.

Resources that have helped me:

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(1) Bobby Jamieson, Everything is Never Enough, (Waterbrook, 2025), pg. xxii

(2)  https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/ecclesiastes-finding-joy-amidst-lifes-enigmas 

Kyle Kennicott
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