Imagine Joy
In a season that is supposed to be all about joy—it can be difficult to find any. For many of us joy is something that we used to know and for others it is only for the ones who have had everything go their way. Joy is a word that could use some rediscovering because in doing so we will find that joy isn’t as far away as it seems.
Monday: Read Psalm 5
Let’s try and clean up our understanding of what joy is. What is the relationship between joy and righteousness? What about joy and where we take refuge? How does this psalm influence your understanding of what joy is and where joy comes from?
Tuesday: Read Isaiah 35
This chapter was written to the Israelites while they were in captivity in Babylon. With that in mind, what does it have to teach us about the nature of joy? What exactly is joy? Where does joy come from?
Wednesday: Read Isaiah 51
In the message this past weekend, Pastor Chris said that people often confuse joy with happiness. Do you think that is true? Why or why not? What does this passage have to say in regards to that?
Thursday: Read Luke 2
In this passage, the angels tell the shepherds that the message they have is good news and that it will “cause great joy for all the people.” How is the birth of Jesus the cause of great joy for all of the people? Would you say that Jesus truly is the source of your joy? Explain. What are some other things that you look to as the source of your joy?
Friday: Read 2 Corinthians 8
According to this passage, how is joy connected to generosity? How can joy, poverty and generosity all co-exist? How does this challenge some of the common misconceptions we have about joy? Think of a time when you experienced the joy of giving.
Saturday: Read Luke 12:22-34
What is the relationship between our joy and our picture of God? How can a picture of a stingy or tightfisted God lead to a lack of joy? How can a picture of a generous God, like the one that Jesus paints in Luke 12, lead to an abundance of joy? How does all of this relate in our generosity toward others? Spend some time in prayer reflecting on the truth that God looks like Jesus.
Sunday: Read Luke 15
What do these parables teach us about the joy of God? What does God rejoice over? How can we share in that? In the message this past weekend, Pastor Mike said that joy is inclusive—it’s supposed to be shared. Who are some people you know that you could invite to the Christmas Eve worship celebration to hear a message of hope?