Theme:

Ecclesiastes teaches that the quiet discontent many of us carry is not a failure of faith but a holy signal. God allows the restlessness of the human heart to awaken us to our need for something beyond what this world can provide. The ache is not meant to be silenced — it is meant to lead us. We begin by admitting that much of our busyness, entertainment, and striving may be attempts to numb a deeper longing for God. The question is not whether life feels empty, but whether we will listen to what that emptiness is trying to say.

Opening Questions:

• What stood out from Sunday?

• Where in life do you feel: “Is this really it?”

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1–11
Read aloud slowly. Pause. Re-read. Note the repetition: “vanity,” “striving,” “nothing new.”

Reflection Question:
What feels repetitive, empty, or exhausting in your life?

Group Discussion:

• What does “under the sun” represent today?

• Why do you think God allows dissatisfaction?

• Where might God be stirring hunger?

Activation:
Name the ache - Each person writes one longing they keep trying to fill.

Prayer:
God of eternity, we confess that we have tried to fill our lives with many things, yet we still feel restless inside. We bring you our weariness, our unanswered questions, and our quiet doubts. Awaken our hearts again.
Teach us to listen to the hunger within us and lead us toward You, the only source of life that truly satisfies. Amen.