This week, we learn about joy from Icon friend Luke Frank as he continues our Fruit of the Spirit sermon series. Luke shares about how the hope we have in the Gospel can lead to an unending joy that is so much more than happiness and outlasts our circumstances.
KEY POINTS:
- There’s 400+ verses in the Bible that mention joy. Pastor Luke included 20 of them, including a key takeaway from each:
- Gal 5:22 | Joy is produced by His Spirit
- John 17:13 | Joy belongs to Him
- Psalm 16:11 | Joy is in His presence
- Nehemiah 8:10 | His joy is my strength
- Psalm 5:11 | Joy is in God, my refuge
- Psalm 20:5 | Joy is in His salvation
- Psalm 21:6 | Joy is in His presence
- Psalm 43:4 | God is my joy
- Psalm 63:7 | Joy is that my God is my help
- Psalm 71:23 | Joy is that I am redeemed
- Psalm 92:4 | Joy is present in all that He has made
- Ecclesiastes 2:26 | Joy is a gift of God to His people
- Luke 1:47-48 | Joy is in my God who is my Savior
- Matthew 5:12 | Joy is in our future reward in Heaven
- John 3:29 | Joy is the voice of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ
- Romans 14:17 | Joy is found in the presence of, and in receiving from, the Holy Spirit
- Romans 15:13 | Joy is given by the God of hope
- James 1:2-3 | Joy comes in His provision for what you need
- 1 Peter 1:8-9 | Joy is found in the salvation of your soul
- Joy is neither created by us, manufactured by us, or dependent on us; we are free to receive the gift of joy instead of working harder to earn it or achieve it.
- Joy is found in His presence, a relational experience with the living God.
- In this Bible Project video, Tim Mackie (co-founder) describes joy as “an attitude God’s people adopt not because of happy circumstances, but because of their hope in God’s love and promises.”
- We must abide (remain, stay connected) in Him for the fruit of joy to be produced in our life (John 15:4-5)
COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION:
- Take a moment to take inventory of your life right now. Are you experiencing joy? If not, do you have an idea as to why? Are there areas of your life where you tend to experience the power or presence of joy more than others?
- Why is joy essential to our life as followers of Jesus Christ?
- What have you learned as you’ve practiced abiding in Christ? How are you going to take steps to abide in Him and remain in His presence?
GUIDED PRAYER:
Luke led the congregation through a guided, listening prayer during the sermon. Here are the questions he asked, in case you wish to refer back to them:
- Lord, what do you want me to know about joy? Pause and wait on Him.
- Lord, what is keeping me from being joyful? Is there anything in my life that is keeping me from receiving the joy that you have for me? Pause and wait on Him.
- Lord, what is keeping me from abiding in you? What is keeping me from connecting with you? Pause and wait on Him.
- Lord, is there a lie that I am believing? Pause and wait on Him.
- Lord, whatever it is that is keeping me from experiencing your joy, will you take that burden from me? Pause and wait on Him.
- Lord, what do you want me to receive in this moment? Pause and wait on Him.