Enter:
· What are some things that bring you joy?
· Do you think it makes God happy when we experience joy? Why or why not?
Hear:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16-26)
Pause:
· If the fruit of the Spirit that Paul lists are a normal part of life when we live in God’s kingdom, what does that say about joy?
· If we grow in the Spirit, we will grow in joy, but how do we grow in God’s Spirit?
Reflection:
A few weeks ago in our Sunday morning worship, we talked about the spiritual fruit of joy. You can access that sermon on our YouTube channel by clicking here. In the Bible, joy is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing, promised to those who abide in Christ. Such joy often exists where external circumstances would say that it shouldn’t be found. While our happiness depends upon what is happening to us, joy transcends what’s going on in our lives. That’s how we can be around someone who’s going through terrible things and be blessed by their joy and we can be around people that seem to have everything going for them and they’re just miserable. The difference between those two lives is joy. Proverbs 17:22 tells us, “A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” That kind of “cheerful heart” grows out of our relationship with God, because of the transforming power of Jesus that’s at work in our lives. Our sermon series on the fruit of the Spirit that we’re calling Living into a Kingdom Normal reminds us that ceaseless joy is the norm of life in the kingdom of God. That means laughter and enjoyment in this life are preparation for the life to come when we will continue to dwell with our joyful God.
Christian author Richard Foster suggests some practical ways to nurture kingdom joy in our hearts.
· Singing, shouting, and “making a joyful noise to the Lord”
· Laughing, poking fun at ourselves, and relishing good comedy
· Celebrating the creative gifts of fantasy, imagination, and play
· Making family events into times of celebration and thanksgiving
· Playing games, watching movies, reading books
Could you try any of those practical suggestions? Might you offer more suggestions for nurturing joy?
Wonder:
· Why do you think our joy is important to God?
· How can we grow in joy?
Bless:
· Affirm what everyone has shared.
· Pray that God might help us to grow in His Spirit that our lives might more and more be characterized by God’s joy.
Pray together:
“Lord, we are grateful for your joy that is new every day and not dependent on what we are going through. Help us to grow in your Spirit of rejoicing. In the midst of this pandemic, the world’s hate, and the challenging political environment we find ourselves immersed in, help us to find ways to experience and share your joy. When times are hard, help us to remember that “joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). In the joy-filled Spirit of Jesus we pray, Amen.”
We hope that you will join us online Sunday at 9:30 AM in Spanish and at 11:00 AM in English. We also have various Zoom Bible Studies and Sunday School classes that you can plug into; call the church office at 956-968-9585 for more information about those. May God fill your week with joy!