Summary4 min read

The Daily Blade: Episode #164

Guest: Kyle Thompson
Date: August 18, 2025
Title: "A Time to Be Born, and a Time to Die"

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson explore the famous passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “For everything there is a season…” The discussion centers on God’s sovereignty over life and death, and how Christians should view their time on earth—as a responsibility to be stewarded faithfully and a call to ultimate hope in Christ’s resurrection. Thompson guides listeners through both Old and New Testament passages, ultimately urging a personal response to the gospel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ecclesiastes and Solomon's Reflections

[00:20] Kyle introduces the week’s focus: Ecclesiastes 3, attributed to Solomon reflecting on life’s lessons near his end.
Solomon addresses the futility of life and the dangers of chasing worldly things apart from God.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is read aloud, emphasizing that all events have their divinely appointed season.

“The key doctrine of what follows is God’s providence. God’s sovereignty is applicable in all seasons, and his involvement in the affairs of this world never ceases.”
— Kyle Thompson [01:40]

2. A Time to Be Born and a Time to Die

Thompson zooms in on verse 2: "a time to be born and a time to die."
Main point: God alone is Lord of both life and death. Birth and death are not random—they’re under His sovereign control.
This reality can seem “dour” but should actually be comforting: no life is accidental or meaningless.

“The beginning of our lives are not random, and the ending of our lives are not random. Everything and everyone lives and dies in the purview of the sovereign will of our Creator.”
— Kyle Thompson [02:10]

3. Stewarding the Dash (Your Life)

We’re called to steward well the time given to us.
Thompson shares an anecdote about Dakota Meyer (Medal of Honor recipient), who talks about “owning the dash”—that is, living intentionally in the space between birth and death.

“One day, all of our fleshly bodies will be buried in a wooden box…a tombstone with the day that we were born and the day that we died. In between: a dash. And that’s where we come in.”
— Kyle Thompson [02:50]

4. Scriptural Comfort and Hope

- Comfort in God’s Knowledge and Sovereignty

Psalm 139:16 is referenced to show God’s intimate foreknowledge of each life.
God’s knowledge of us should humble us, not give us pride.

“Before I was even a twinkle in my Father’s eye, right? God knew me. God had a plan for me, and God was calling me to himself. I mean, that doesn’t give me a big head, you know, it humbles me.”
— Kyle Thompson [03:25]

- Hope in Christ’s Resurrection

John 11:24-27 is discussed (Jesus and Martha after Lazarus’s death).
Even as Christians face physical death, Jesus promises resurrection and eternal life.
Thompson invites listeners to trust in Jesus for this hope.

“There certainly is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, and a time to be born and a time to die. But for believers, we can rest assured that our earthly death is by no means the end. In the most ultimate of ways, it’s just the beginning.”
— Kyle Thompson [04:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“God is the Lord of life and death.”
— Kyle Thompson [02:10]
“We are to steward well the time we are given.”
— Kyle Thompson [02:40]
“If you want everlasting life, you must repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ. If you have never done so, let today be the day I compel you to come in.”
— Kyle Thompson [05:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:20] – Introduction to Ecclesiastes & Solomon’s Reflection
[01:40] – God’s Providence and Sovereignty
[02:10] – “A time to be born, and a time to die”
[02:50] – “Owning the dash” — the responsibility to steward your life
[03:25] – Psalm 139:16 & God’s foreknowledge
[04:10] – John 11 and the assurance of resurrection
[04:50] – Earthly death as the beginning, not the end, for believers
[05:25] – Call to respond to the gospel invitation

Summary Tone & Style

This episode’s tone is both pastoral and direct—encouraging men to reflect deeply on the meaning and stewardship of their lives in the light of God’s sovereignty, and inviting all listeners to faith and hope in Jesus’ promise of resurrection.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.
[00:21]
B
Welcome to a new week of the Daily Blade. And how about Derwin Gray from last week, huh? I mean, the dude is a straight killer. Joby and I are very, very thankful to be brothers in Christ and brothers in ministry with him. But this week we focus on a passage from chapter three of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. So the book of Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, the son of King David, and it was likely written in the late 10th century BC and Solomon wrote it towards the end of his life. So you can tell as you read it, as you read through really all of Ecclesiastes that it seemed like Solomon is reflecting on his life and the lessons that he's learned over his life. And, you know, there were clearly some hard lessons and some that weren't so hard, but the audience was God's covenant people, Israel. And broadly, the writing tackles subjects like the futility of life and the folly of pursuing worldly things apart from God. And the passage that we are going to focus on this week is from Ecclesiastes 3:1:8. I'll read it here. For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to break down and a time to build up, A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to seek and a time to loose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, and a time to tear and a time to sew, and a time to keep silence, and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. So to start, Solomon says that for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. So the key doctrine of what follows is God's providence. Okay? So essentially, God's sovereignty is applicable in all seasons, and his involvement in the affairs of this world never ceases. But let's key in today on verse two, a Time to be born and. And a time to die. So I want to emphasize this, that God is the Lord of life and death. So the beginning of our lives are not random, and the ending of our lives are not random. Everything and everyone lives and dies in the purview of the sovereign will of our Creator. So that may seem a little dour to some of you, but it should be very encouraging, actually. So, yes, God is in charge of the ways and means of life and death, but we have been given an incredible responsibility. We are to steward well the time we are given. So my buddy, Dakota Meyer, he's a retired Marine and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He calls it owning the dash. So, essentially, one day, all of our fleshly bodies will be buried in a wooden box about six feet under the ground. And to mark who lies in that grave will be a tombstone with the day that we were born and. And the day that we died. In between a dash. And that's where we come in. And no matter what happens to or because of us during that time, we can have ultimate comfort and ultimate hope. So I find ultimate comfort in verses like Psalm 139, 16. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. In your book were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet, there was none of them. So before I. I was even a twinkle in my Father's eye, right? God knew me. God had a plan for me, and God was calling me to himself. I mean, that doesn't give me a big head, you know, it humbles me. It should humble all of us. The creator, God of the cosmos and everything in it allowed me to come into existence, and I am to serve him while I'm here. And the same goes for you. And I find ultimate hope in verses like John 11, 24, 27. So in John 11, we see that Jesus's good friend Lazarus has died. And before Jesus goes to Lazarus's tomb to resurrect him from the dead, he's having a conversation with Lazarus's sister Martha. And Martha is distraught and confused because she thinks Jesus should have showed up before Lazarus died to prevent his death from happening. So Jesus actually informs her that Lazarus will live again. And here is Martha's response in verse 24. And then we'll go through verse 27. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live, yet shall he live. And Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world. So there certainly is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, and a time to be born and a time to die. But for believers, we can rest assured that our earthly death is by no means the end. In the most ultimate of ways, it's just the beginning. If you want everlasting life, you must repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ. If you have never done so, let today be the day I compel you to come in.
[05:33]
A
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.