Series: Fruit of the Spirit
Date: 9/27/2020
Text: John 16:16-22
Central Thought: Our joy is a declaration to the world that our God reigns.
Read the text, then discuss some/all of the following questions.
Icebreaker: When was the last time you felt your heart jump with joy? What was it that brought you joy, and did it last?
1. The Promise of Joy
From the sermon: “The truth that Jesus reigns is what brings joy.” How does Jesus’ lordship promise joy to us as Christians? See Romans 15:13 and Philippians 4:4.
2. Experiencing Joy
If Jesus is the source of joy in our lives, we can experience joy daily. The sermon mentioned two stumbling blocks to joy:
- Sin – not being reconciled to God through faith in Jesus
- Idols – treating circumstances/created things like they can bring us the joy we seek
How have you been let down in your quest for joy? How can you make a return to the source of joy?
3. Invitation into Joy
The flesh takes joy in circumstances and good gifts, which leads to boredom and cynicism. The Spirit takes joy in the truth and the eternal Gift-Giver, which can actually satisfy our souls! One test to determine whether your joy is true and eternal or counterfeit and temporal is if you desire to tell people about the true joy you have been gifted in Jesus.
- When was the last time you told someone about Jesus?
- When was the last time you desired that other people could experience the joy you have been gifted by the Holy Spirit?
CLOSE IN PRAYER
Let us pray for one another to find true and eternal joy in our reigning Savior!
Pray for our church family to share with others about our joy in Jesus.
Pray for neighbors, family, and friends to recognize the hopelessness of their quest for joy apart from Jesus. May they turn to Jesus for eternal life and joy!
