Joy in God's Sovereignty

Jim Leffel

Philippians 1:12-20

Paul's imprisonment meant that the legal status of the church was at stake. Aside from the unique role Paul played, he was undergoing enormous personal suffering as well. Here he shares his example of how to respond to suffering with joy. Your perspective of yourself, your purpose, and God drastically alter your ability to recognize the opportunities He provides. Paul's joyful perspective in suffering resulted in: the elite Roman guard being reached with the Gospel; boldness among Roman Christians; and the books of Luke, Acts, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. There is no greater joy than to participate with God in His work.

The Epistle of Joy

Jim Leffel

Philippians 1:1-8

What is joy and what causes it? Paul speaks to the Philippians while in jail about lasting joy amidst suffering. This joy is different than fleeting happiness. Joy is the handprint of God on your heart. Three main causes of joy he points to are: 1) partnership with other Christians, 2) confidence in the future, and 3) a deep, present connection with God.

David and Bathsheba

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 32:1-5

Years after David''s throne is established, he begins making poor choices that lead his life in a bad direction. The culmination of this is when he commits adultery with Bathsheba, impregnates her, then tries to cover it up by having her husband killed in battle. A prophet named Nathan confronts him about this, and David finally chooses to admit to his wrongdoings and repent rather than continuing to lie and hide his sin. Through his repentance, we see the joy and happiness that comes from the release of guilt that God's grace offers. We also see that God's grace covers all sin, no matter how big.

Being About What Really Matters Most

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

The center of Christian spirituality is love. As our most basic need, God has promised to meet our need for love so that we can be empowered to give His love to others. Experiencing love is found through giving ourselves to others for their good, producing real joy. Biblical love is centered around God's grace and is: committed, excited for others' success, and able to extend radical forgiveness based on God's forgiveness towards us.

Christian Euphoria

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 5

Within Christian community, we should enjoy fellowship through the Holy Spirit and refrain from drunkenness. We should also cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving, which allows us to appreciate God and what He's doing in our lives or the lives of others. Real living comes from Christ-centered relationships, seeing God move in people's lives, and refreshing times of fellowship.

Jesus' Farewell Teaching to His Disciples

Gary DeLashmutt

John 15:1-16

On the last night Jesus spent with his disciples, he imparted the wisdom he felt was most important for the disciples to hear. Jesus explained what it looked like to bear fruit for God. He did this through the teaching of the vine and the branches. The first step in having a spiritually fruitful life is to "be in the vine" which means "have a personal relationship with God." Jesus talked about what it means to cooperate with the vine-dresser and how to abide in the vine. A testimony by Sue Olah is included.\r\n

An Anchor for the Soul

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 6:9-20

Each person desires an anchor for hope that is steadfast and unchanging. God's promises, which He swears by Himself, are the sort of foundation that we are looking for. Perseverance in acting on these truths with strengthen our hope. A woman named Teresa shared her testimony about learning real hope through suffering

True Happiness

Gary DeLashmutt

Hebrews 6:9-20

God's design for personal fulfillment and happiness comes from self-giving love that emulates Christ. As we move away from self-saving and selfish love and move towards giving out to meet the needs of others, we are able to experience: increasing contentment, relational success, and substantial emotional health. This type of love is only possible through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The best context for self-giving love is in a healthy Christian community.

It is More Blessed to Give than to Receive

Jeff Gordon

Acts 20:33-35

God's wisdom reveals that Christians will be more happy and content as they choose to give out to others. This principle goes against society and culture throughout history, but has profound impact for those who hold to it. We are able to give out to others based on God's love for us and as such become a blessing for others. Growing Christians realize more how God wants to use them to be givers of His love, resulting in real joy and happiness for them as they live it out.