3 John 1:4; Phil. 2:1-2; 1 John 1:4

How do you abound with joy?

1)    Connecting together to worship God.

• Rom 15:13, 30-32
• 1 Thes. 2:19-20; 3:9
• 2 Cor. 2:3; 4:15; 9:8

2)    Equipping together in grace to become more like Jesus.

• Phil. 1:21-26; Col. 1:9-11
• Eph. 6:1-3; Heb. 13:17
• Jam. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-8; 4:13

3)    Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world. 

• 2 Cor. 8:1-2; Phil. 2:16-18; 4:13
• Gal. 5:22-23
• Heb. 12:2

When you Connect, Equip and Multiply you will have abounding joy.

• Abounding joy will become contagious.
• Abounding joy will heal every wound.
• Abounding joy will be your name.

Do you have His joy?

Message Based Discussion Questions

1)    What do you enjoy doing in Indianapolis the most?

• Walking in the neighborhood and getting to know new people.
• Running through the neighborhood and breathing fresh air.
• Leading at Grace.
• Watching the Colts win the Super Bowl……….

Digging Deeper:

2)    What are incidents in Scripture, in which joy is expressed?

• Job 38:7 the angels shouted for joy at the creation of the world
• 1 Sam. 18:6 the people shouted for joy at David’s victories
• 1 King 1:40 at Solomon’s coronation
• 1 Kg 8:66 at the dedication of the tabernacle
• 1 Ch 29:17 as David set aside resources to build the tabernacle
• Ezra 3:12 when the foundation was laid for the post-exilic temple
• Matt. 2:10 The three wise men rejoiced when they saw the star.

3)    Does God desire a person to have joy? (cf. Ps. 51:12) __YES__ What are things in life that add to or take away from joy?

• Sin takes away Ps. 51:12
• Distractions on earth take away Luke 9:57-62
• Lack of understanding in the Word of God takes away from joy Matt. 13: 20-21
• Cares of the world take away Matt. 13: 22
• Filling of the Holy Spirit adds Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22-23
• Freedom in Christ adds Gal. 5:1,13
• Eyes on Jesus adds Heb. 12:2
• Accepting God’s plan adds James 1:2-4
• Trusting God’s sovereign ability adds Rom. 8:28-29

4)    Was Jesus, in His humanity, always filled with the Holy Spirit (see Luke 4:1, 14, 18)? __YES_  Is the believer in Jesus always filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18)?  Why or why not?

• No.
• When the believer sins, he is not filled. He is indwelt, but not filled Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18
• When he sins, he is living like a mere man 1 Cor. 3:1-3
• He is filled when he has confessed his sins 1 John 1:9
• He remains filled by repentance 2 Cor. 7:9-11 and dependence on the Spirit

Bonus question: If Jesus, in His humanity, was always filled with the Holy Spirit, how can /should you define joy so that it includes the time just prior to and including His crucifixion, so that it is consistent with Scripture?

Jesus was always filled with the Holy Spirit. So, during his persecution, He was also full of joy.  Joy is not defined as happiness in circumstances, but “settled assurance that God is in control.”  It can be manifested as rejoicing or it can be trust moving forward in the face of fear, trouble and difficulty.  Even you may be in the valley of the shadow of death, you can be filled with the Spirit and have joy, because you have “settled assurance that God is in control.”

Application from the message:

5)    What are steps a Christian can take in order to increase his joy?

• Consider that God is using every circumstance for bringing me to perfection Jam. 1:2-4
• Be dependent on the Spirit and making the choice to trust God Gal. 5:22-23
• Continue to study God’s Word and rejoice at God’s character
• Seek the joy of salvation, which is inexpressible 1 Pet. 1:6-8
• Gather with other believers to stir them up to love and good works Heb. 10:24-25
• Be obedient to those who are in spiritual authority Heb. 13:17
• Make Jesus your life, and know that death is a gain Phil. 1:21

6)    When parenting is difficult, how should a parent maintain his joy? What should a spiritual parent do in order to increase his joy?

• Keep your eyes on Jesus
• Consider the end result of a child living for Jesus, rather than the present reality of disobedience or rejection of authority
• Stay in the Word and be dependent on the Holy Spirit
• The spiritual parent will do the same things from the spiritual perspective

7)    How would you disciple another person, who is normally discouraged or has trouble expressing joy in his life, have greater joy?

• Find out if he is a believer Acts 16:31
• Help him see what he has in Jesus Col. 1:27; 2:10
• Help him see the end of life in heaven Phil. 3:20-21
• Help him see how short this life is 2 Pet. 3:8
• Help him see that life will not last this way forever Ps. 90:12
• Help him see what he can do in Jesus Phil. 4:13
• Help him see how God will provide Phil. 4:19