Journal of a Mad Man: The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

by Derrick McCarson, Dennis Thurman (Foreword by)

Overview

What is the meaning of life? The question has been asked by the brightest philosophical minds for centuries. Still to this day answers vary greatly depending on the worldview. Solomon, the wisest king in Israel's history, set all his energies to search for the ultimate meaning of life under the sun. His conclusions may shock and surprise you--vanity, chasing after the wind, absurdity, vanishing smoke. Are these the musings of a genius or of a mad man? If you are looking for a candy-coated appraisal of life then go ahead and put this book down. However, if you are looking for a no-frills, brutally honest, ragged-edged assessment of reality, then you have discovered an indispensable volume. In Journal of a Mad Man, pastor and author Derrick McCarson will carefully guide readers verse by verse through Solomon's meditations recorded in the Old Testament book of wisdom--Ecclesiastes. Not only will readers attempt to plumb the depths of some of mankind's most vexing questions, but they will also discover Solomon's secrets for wise living in a warped world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630872489
Publisher:	Resource Publications
Publication date:	02/19/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	218
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Derrick McCarson is the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Candler, North Carolina. He has an MA in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Matthews, North Carolina. His sermons can be found online at www.lbccandler.com. McCarson is the author of Origins: An In-Depth Study of Genesis 1-11 and Living in the Light: An Exposition of the Letters of John.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dennis Thurman ix

Acknowledgments xiii

1 The Journey of a Desperate Man (1:1-3) 1

2 The Circles of Life (1:4-11) 13

3 The Search for Meaning (1:12-2:11) 24

4 A Brief Glimpse above the Sun (2:12-26) 36

5 The Mystery of Time and Eternity (3:1-15) 47

6 Crooked Justice (3:16-4:3) 57

7 Overcoming Loneliness (4:4-16) 68

8 Wise Words for Worshippers (5:1-7) 78

9 Beware of the Money Trap (5:8-20) 87

10 Satisfaction Sold Separately (6:1-12) 97

11 Taking the Bitter with the Better (7:1-14) 105

12 The Balancing Act of Wisdom (7:15-29) 118

13 Wisdom for a Warped World (8:1-17) 128

14 Straight Talk about Life and Death (9:1-10) 140

15 Reckoning with Murphy's Law (9:11-18) 149

16 How to Spot a Fool (10:1-20) 160

17 Living on the Edge (11:1-10) 174

18 Passing the Final Exam (12:1-14) 183

Bibliography 197