JOY- Week 1

SCRIPTURES FROM SUNDAY: Philippians 4:4-8

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

REFLECT/DISCUSS:

Read verse 4:

Q: Have you ever thought of rejoicing as a commandment? Do you believe it is possible for you to rejoice all of the time?

Read verse 5:

Q: Do you agree that even when we give our worries to God, we often want to hold on to them at least a little bit? Why do you think we do this?

Read verse 6:

Q: Prayer is presented as an appropriate way to deal with trouble and still find joy. What does it say to God when we give Him our problems and then continue to worry about them?

Read verse 7:

Q: According to this verse, when does the peace come? Who gives/generates it?

Read verse 8:

Q: Instead of our anxieties and problems, check out the kinds of things God wants us to think about. How does what’s been on your mind lately compare to this list? If we are glorifying what we think about constantly- what are you glorifying right now?

What do you think of this statement from the teaching?:

“Rejoicing always isn’t about losing touch with reality. It is about acknowledging the reality that no matter how big our problems are- they don’t match up to the Cross of Jesus.”

Where are you at when it comes to rejoicing and worrying? How might God be prompting you to live differently this next week?

NEXT WEEK:
“Joy In The Middle Of Trials”