Church@9
Church@9am 12.4.2026
  • How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
      • Ezekiel 9:1–11ESV

      • 1 Peter 4:1–19ESV

      • Genesis 15.1-2ESV

      • Genesis 15.3-4ESV

      • Genesis 15.5-6ESV

      • Romans 3.27-29ESV

      • Romans 3.30-31ESV

      • Romans 4.1-3ESV

      • Romans 4.4-6ESV

      • Romans 4.7-9ESV

      • Romans 4.10ESV

      • Romans 4.11ESV

      • Romans 4.12ESV

  • Grace Awaiting Me
  • Jerusalem
  • It was Finished Upon that Cross
  • Joy or Happiness?

    Over the next 2 weeks, Josh Lu and I will be preaching a topical sermon series on the Christian emotional life…
    The emotional life might be the most intimate and instinctual part of what it is to be human. We are always feeling… always…
    Maybe we don’t always have the language for it… but its no less true… human beings are always feeling something…
    What are you feeling now? If you took a moment, closed your eyes and thought about it… what label would you put on your current emotional state?
    Lets actually do this… for the next 30 seconds, close your eyes and think about it… in fact, don’t think about it… feel it… then write it down somewhere… just for you.
    How are you feeling right now?
    I tried this yesterday and it was actually quite tricky… but there are 2 things that I hope that you noticed during that exercise...
    The first is that emotions are complex… we can feel multiple things all at once… we can even feel seemingly opposite emotions like happiness and sadness at the same time.
    I felt this on Wednesday night as I was about to catch a plane from Dhaka back to Sydney… I was very happy to be going home… but I was sad that I was leaving behind the people I spent the last 3 weeks with…
    The second is that emotions are both a psychological AND physical experience… we can identify that we feel a certain way deep down, but that deep emotional experience expresses itself physically in our bodies…
    We all know this instinctually… this is how we identify how we feel emotionally… we feel a certain way in our bodies, and our actions and desires are shaped by that feeling… and when we don’t allow our deep emotion to be expressed, we say that we are burying it… or ignoring it… but this doesn’t make it go away… in fact, it can be extremely unhealthy for us… deep emotions require expression… in some way or another…
    And this is why we’re doing this series… because in our fallen state, sin affects our emotional life from our deepest emotions all the way through to their surface expressions…
    This is a hard thing to accept… because, we often don’t feel like we’re in control of our emotions… emotions kind of just happen to us and we have to deal with them… and that’s true to a certain extent, but it doesn’t change the fact that there is sin wrapped up in tha complex web of feelings…
    We can feel sinfully… and we can express feelings sinfully...
    So as Christians, it’s vitally important that we understand how Jesus want us to feel… What does the bible have to say about our emotional life? How does the gospel transform us as emotional creatures?
    So this week, we’re going to start with joy.
    What is joy?
    Is there a difference between joy and happiness?
    Should I expect God to give me happiness in my life?
    Does the suffering in the world mean that I should expect to be happy now?
    How should we pursue joy as Christians?
    I hope to answer all these questions in the next 30 minutes…

    Joy is a Promise

    The first thing I want us to understand about JOY is that it is a promise.
    God promises us joy… It’s a promise all throughout the old testament
    Isaiah 34 tells about God’s judgement on the nations… his righteous judgement on all the world… but then Isaiah 35 talks about those who have been saved from that judgement… with all evil destroyed and sin wiped away, weak hands will be made strong, blind eyes will see, deaf ears will hear, lame legs will walk, and mute mouths will sing for joy...
    Everything bad removed, and only good remains…
    And Isaiah 35 finishes with this verse… Have a look at Isaiah 35:10
    Isaiah 35:10 ESV
    And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
    This is a promise to us… if you have been saved from God’s judgement through Jesus… then this is a promised to you… an eterntity filled with joy… complete joy…
    And this makes sense if you consider what else the Bible teaches about heaven...
    Ephesians 2:7 teaches that heaven will be an eternal school of God’s grace in Jesus Christ...
    Ephesians 2:5–7 ESV
    in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
    To know God is true joy… but since God is infinite… we will never finish knowing him deeper… in heaven, all limitations on knowing God are removed… every desire that you have to know God better will be satisfied… but you will never be able to say that there is nothing else to know…
    Imagine it… every day in heaven will be the most joy filled day you have ever lived… so much joy that just the day before you could not imagine being any more joyful… and yet your joy will only increase the very next day… because you will see yet more of the riches of God’s grace…
    This was like Christmas from me as a kid… I’d wake up in the morning and there would be a pillowcase at the end of my bed filled with a few little gifts… and as I eagerly opened the first one, all my attention was on that gift and the joy that it brought me… and in that moment, I couldn’t imagine being any happier than I was right then… but then there was another gift and as opened that one, I not only had the joy of the first gift, but now the 2nd one as well… and then there were the gifts around the tree… and then the ones we’d open up at grandma and grandpas house after lunch… joy after joy… but then boxing day would come and the boxing day test match would start… would there ever be an end to all the joy?
    Well, yes. Sometimes I wouldn’t get a gift that I’d hoped for… and my joy would be frustrated… and the cricket would eventually finish, and I’d get bored of my presents… but that’s not how it will be in heaven… each new joy will never fade… and every new one will just stack on top of the next for eternity… joy after joy after joy after joy… forever knowing God more and more and more with no limitation… and no frustration…
    This is what is promised to us through faith in Jesus Christ...
    Heaven will be an eternal life or ever-increasing joy…
    But what about now… ?
    What joy are we promised now?
    Because we know that in this life we will have suffering right?
    We’re not promised happiness in this life…
    You see have this kind of thinking can go wrong… the prosperity gospel that says that what God really wants for you is for you to be rich and healthy and happy in your life… or the liberal theology that says that what God really wants is for you to be happy and true to yourself…
    But the Bible teaches that we will have trouble in this life… there will be suffering… there will be loss… and the world will hate us… (1 Peter 4:12)
    1 Peter 4:12 ESV
    Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
    And the Bible also teaches that the Christian life is a life of self-denial and difficult obedience to God’s word (Luke 9:23)…
    Luke 9:23 ESV
    And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
    This is all true… because the world we live in is still a world effected by sin… this world hasn’t passed away yet…
    So we do have suffering now… even our good desires are met with frustration… our ability to know God is still limited in some way…
    So we live this life gritting our teeth, with our eyes fixed on eternity… so that we can endure the suffering… and get to the joy on the other side… because even though deep down, we have the hope of joy in the future… that’s where it is… the future… we’re not promised happiness in this life… the kingdom of heaven is not here yet…
    Is that how you think about this life?
    In our Sydney Evangelical world, this is the most common view I have come across… we embrace a kind of sanctified stoicism… we treat joy like it is just a kind of inner peace that gets us through suffering so we can get to future happiness in heaven… we’re so afraid of making the mistakes of liberalism and prosperity teaching, that we treat the kingdom like it hasn’t really come yet…
    But that’s not what the Bible teaches…
    Look at Matthew 4:17
    Matthew 4:17 ESV
    From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
    The coming of Jesus meant that the kingdom of heaven was at hand…
    And when Jesus rose from the dead… he took the throne of his Kingdom and began to reign… This is what Peter preaches in Acts 2… he says…
    Acts 2:32–36 ESV
    This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God... God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
    So in a very real way… the kingdom of heaven with all it’s inexpressable joy is already here now… Jesus is reigning over his Kingdom today…
    Our world is a little bit like this diagram…
    The old world might be passing away, but it is still very much a reality today… and so are the sufferings and griefs and trials that come along with living for Jesus in that world…
    But Jesus has risen! He has taken up the crown of His Kingdom! The Kingdom of Heaven has begun… and so has the joy of heaven…
    Real joy is possible now… in fact, it is promised to us now… and this joy is not compatible with the attitude of sanctified stoicism…
    Joy is an inner peace that gets us through the suffering of this life… but it is more than that… because Jesus is more wonderful than that…
    Jesus promised his disciples that after his resurrection… they would have a joy that no-one could take away… (John 16:22) and they did...
    John 16:22 ESV
    So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
    Just consider how they suffered…
    They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for Jesus’ name… (Acts 5:41)
    Acts 5:41 ESV
    Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
    There’s no hint in scripture that they left the council all dejected but still trusting God through the suffering… no, they REJOICED in their suffering!
    Because the Kingdom has come… Jesus reigns in heaven now… so the promise of the JOY and HAPPINESS of heaven is ours to take hold of now as well…

    Joy is a Fruit

    The second thing I want us to understand about joy is that Joy is a fruit of the Spirit…
    Look at Galatians 5:22—23
    Galatians 5:22–23 ESV
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
    Joy is a fruit of the Spirit… its the inevidible result of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you… because that’s what fruits of the Spirit are…
    When you become a Christian… The Holy Spirit is implanted in your heart like a seed planted in the ground… and as a new Christian person, that seed sends out roots through every part of who you are as a human being… and it shoots and grows and bears fruit from out of your mouth in what you say… and through your hands by what you do… and through your mind by how you think… and in your heart by how you feel… and people begin to see that fruit… they see how the Spirit is changing you… and shaping you you to be more like Jesus…
    And just like you know a tree is an apple tree because it bears apples… you know a person is a Christian person because they bear the fruit of the Spirit…
    There are three big implications of this reality…
    Firstly… joy is visible… Christians should be observably happy people…
    The only way you can see that a person is joyful is if they rejoice!
    You can only see joy through outward happiness… and a crop of inner joy that doesn’t make it out into true experiential happiness is like a tomato plant that produces hard green tomatoes that don’t ripen into sweet, juicy red ones…
    A healthy crop of spiritual fruit is visible to others...
    So your joy should spring out from your heart and into the fruit baskets of the people around you… let them taste your joy and so taste the Spirit that produced it...
    The second implication is that joy is not really your work, but God’s… you are not really the farmer… God is.
    So we can pray for joy with confindence… knowing that God can produce it in you.
    The third implication is that you can grow in joy… maybe your life has been a pretty weak crop of joy… take heart!
    The Spirit lives in you… He can grow joy in your heart, and let it overflow into real, experiential happiness…
    Joy is a fruit of the Spirit… it is the visible work of God in your life that you can grow in just as much as you can grow in love… or patience… or self-control…

    Joy is a Command

    The third thing I want us to understand about Joy is that it is a command…
    It’s a command that the Apostle Paul gives repeatedly throughout his letters…
    Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:16
    1 Thessalonians 5:15–17 ESV
    See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
    Rejoice Always…
    Or Philippians 4:4,
    Philippians 4:4 ESV
    Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
    Or maybe Romans 12:12 just for good measure...
    Romans 12:12 ESV
    Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
    Through Paul… God commands us to be happy and rejoice!
    But this command is in the Pslams too… See Psalm 100...
    Psalm 100:1–2 ESV
    Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
    Or Psalm 97:12
    Psalm 97:12 ESV
    Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
    And this command is also given by Jesus himself in Luke 10:20
    Luke 10:20 ESV
    Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
    and Luke 6:23...
    Luke 6:23 ESV
    Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven;
    Joy is a command… its part of faithfulness to Jesus…
    It’s not just an inner peace to help you obey… but it is a command to obey in and of itself…
    Joylessness is disobedience… it’s sin…
    Christian, your King commands you… be happy!
    [pause]
    Now, if you’re anything like me… this makes you a little uneasy…
    Because it’s not so simple to just be happy… life is really hard sometimes… and it just seems a bit much for God to ask me not only to get through it faithfully, but also to smile through the struggle… I just don’t have that much control over my emotions…
    And what about Christians who experience clinical depression… people who for weeks, months or even years at a time feel no positive emotion at all… and not even even for reasons that make sense… the chemistry in their brain just won’t feel happy… are they just unable to obey this command?
    Is Jesus saying to them… “cheer up, it ain’t that bad… just get over it...”?
    Well… kinda… in a way he is…
    But it’s not a bit much… it’s not too big of an ask… it’s actually amazing news for the person with depression… if they understand the command rightly…
    Because this is it the same Jesus that called out to a dead man “Lazarus, come out!” and the dead man came out… (John 11:43-44)
    John 11:43–44 ESV
    When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
    Just as Lazarus was able to obey Jesus’ this command, the Christian with clinical depression is also able to obey to command to rejoice and be happy…
    This is incredible hope for the depressed christian… because if Jesus commands joy, then it means that joy is actually possible. It means that God has provided a way out of the depression…
    Just like every Christian, the depressed Christian has the Spirit of God living in him… and God is faithful to his promises…
    We don’t need to worry if we don’t feel happy now… we only need to pray, trust God, and pursue joy even when we don’t yet feel it…
    And I don’t speak about this in the abstract… I personally was diagnosed with severe chronic depression in my early twenties… and almost joyless existence was a reality for me for many years…
    But God has been faithful to me and has given me abundant and growing joy in my life… and over time, that joyless existence has felt like a distant memory… and its not as though the struggle is just over… but obedience to joy has got easier and easier… just like any other kind of obedience, you grow in it over time…
    So what do you do if you’re depressed… or a Christian you know is depressed? How can you pursue obedience to joy?
    Well, I have three bits of advice for you:
    How to Pursue Joy:
    Firstly, accept help — Make wise use of earthly resources like medication and psychologists. These are part of God’s provision to you to help you obey his command to be joyful. So put away your pride and say accept this help that God offers to you.
    Secondly, Pray — Ask God to make you a joyful person. God loves to give us the good things we ask for… He wants you to be joyful so pray for joy every day… multiple times a day… pray, pray, pray…
    Thirdly, read God’s word — find joyful passages in the bible that preach the joy of the gospel to you. Make a note of them, and return to them over and over again. Make it a habit to remind yourself of the joy of Christ through scripture.
    Fourthly, think about heaven and the gospel — One of the most helpful things I’ve done in my pursuit of joy is to obey Philippians 4:8
    Philippians 4:8 ESV
    Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
    In a video he released last year, theologian Gavin Orlund challenged his viewers… for one month, every day, at least once a day, just sit quietly and think about heaven and all its joys until it makes you happy… when you realise how joyful and happy the gospel is… and how wonderful our future in heaven will be… then there is nothing more true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise than that promise… so spend time just thinking about it and thanking God for it… nothing else will so effectively make your heart joyful…
    Brothers and sisters, both those with a depression disorder and those without a depression disorder… pursue joy… King Jesus commands it.

    The Source of Joy

    The last thing I want us to understand about joy is where to look for it…
    And to do that I want to finish with one of my favourite stories from the Bible… the story of John the Baptist’s dad Zechariah…
    Luke 1:5–7 ESV
    In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
    See Zechariah was an old Jewish man… and his wife was past the age of childbearing… and after many years of marriage and trying to have a baby, they’d more or less given up…
    Now Zechariah was not just an old Jewish man… he was a Priest in the line of Aaron and his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron… and in first century Judea, this was like being descended from royalty… these were premium genetics… the most honourable family line…
    And the Bible says they were faithful too… righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the statutes of the Lord…
    Yet despite all this, God had not blessed them with a child all their lives…
    Now in the first century contexts, this was a big deal… because childlessness brought with it a kind of shame… it was thought of as a kind of evidence that God was punishing you for something…
    Luke 1:8–10 ESV
    Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
    One day Zechariah’s name was called up to be priest who got to go into the temple and burn incense in the Holy Place… a true honour… something that might only come round once in a lifetime even for a priest of Zechariah’s standing…
    Luke 1:11–14 ESV
    And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
    So Zechariah is in the temple doing his priestly duty when all of a sudden a angel appears to him! And the angel tell him that despite their old age, Zechariah and Elizabeth will have a son and they are to call him John. And not only that, the angel promises that they will have joy and gladness and many people with rejoice with them…
    Luke 1:15–17 ESV
    for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
    Because this John will be special… he’ll take a special vow to serve God… and make get things ready for God himself to come…
    Luke 1:18–22 ESV
    And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.
    It was an unbelievable promise! So unbelievable in fact that Zechariah didn’t fully believe it!
    So because of his doubt, the angel says that he will be mute until John is born… 9 months of silence…
    Luke 1:23–25 ESV
    And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
    But sure enough, after Zechariah went home, Elizabeth became pregnant…
    Now fast forward 9 months… and in the mean time, the same angel has appeared to Elizabeth’s youngest cousin Mary and told her that she was having a miracle baby too… and that this baby would not just prepare the way for God, but would be the very Son of God…
    But back to Zechariah and Elizabeth…
    Luke 1:57–58 ESV
    Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
    9 months have passed, and Elizabeth gives birth to a baby boy… just as was promised… and also as was promised… the neighbours and relatives rejoiced with Elizabeth…
    But what was going on with Zechariah… well he was still mute… and this leads to a little comedic scene at the babies circumcision…
    Luke 1:59–63 ESV
    And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
    So after 8 days, Elizabeth takes the baby to the temple to go get him circumcised… and I guess since this was such a remarkable birth, most of the town seems to have come along to get in the way… and so as the chaos is unfolding, and I guess the priest doing the circumcision has asked the for the child’s name… and everyone just decides that they’re going to name him after Zechariah… Now this is actually really weird… this is not normal in first century Judea… all those neighbours and relatives wouldn’t even normally be there, let alone jumping ahead of the mum and dad to name the baby… it just goes to should what a miracle it was that Elizabeth had a baby… everyone wanted a piece of the action!
    Anyway… so Elizabeth takes charge and says, “hang on a second, you don’t get to name my baby… his name is John!”
    And the crowd, well they’re still not happy so they turn to Zechariah… who being mute, has been silent to this point…
    And Zechariah gets a writing tablet and agrees with his wife… the baby is to be called John… And everyone’s just mistified…
    Luke 1:64–66 ESV
    And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
    Then Zechariah speaks…
    and he blesses God… and fear comes over all the neighbours and the news of this remarkable story got out and spread all over the hill country of Judea… and everyone wondered “What then will this child be?”
    So what did Zechariah say?
    After his wife’s baren womb was opened after decades of childlessness… decades of praying for a baby finally answered…
    After 9 months of silence… what were the words that Zechariah spoke that made everyone wonder?
    Look at verses 67 to 80…
    Luke 1:67–69 ESV
    And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
    Luke 1:70–72 ESV
    as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
    Luke 1:73–76 ESV
    the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
    Luke 1:77–79 ESV
    to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
    Luke 1:80 ESV
    And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
    So why did Zechariah’s song cause such amazement among his relatives and neighbours?
    Well… I can tell you why it amazes me…
    This is the most joyful moment of Zechariah’s life… this is the moment where all his dreams have come true…
    He has a son… a miracle son… the long awaited, long prayed for son… vindication for his righteous life of obedience to God… the shame of childlessness wiped away…
    And he can speak now for the first time in 9 months… he’s had 9 months to prepare these words… and his song isn’t even really about John… it’s about his cousin Jesus…
    Zechariah realises that there is something even more joyful at hand… the kingdom is at hand… the King is in Mary’s womb as he speaks… a king to fulfil the promises of old… a king that brings salvation…
    Luke 1:76–78 ESV
    And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
    Even the mention that John does get in verse 76 is only because he will prepare the way for Jesus…
    Zechariah rejoices in the kingdom before Jesus is even out of the womb…
    How much more reason do we have to rejoice that he has died to redeem us from our sin and rose from the dead to reign for eternity over his kingdom…
    How much reason for joy to we have that by faith in Jesus, all our sins are washed away and we will have joy upon joy for all of eternity…
    Church… meditate on that truth daily and take hold of joy that is yours in Christ… a joy that can’t be taken away by any suffering… and a joy that no worldly happiness can surpass…
    Worship the Lord Jesus and find true happiness… Smile and laugh and sing and shout for joy… because the Kingdom has come and the world is passing away…
    Let’s pray.
    Father,
    Thank you that the you have given us joy beyond all imagination in the gospel.
    Thank you that Jesus has risen, and now sits at your right hand in heaven, reigning over his kingdom.
    Thank you that because of this fact, we have a joy that can’t be supressed by any suffering or grief in this world.
    A joy that surpasses any worldly joy.
    Father please fill us with this joy by your spirit.
    Grow us in joy and help us pursue joy even when we are struggling to feel it.
    Lord Jesus, make us a joyful church. Make us sing with gladness and rejoice just to be your people.
    Make our joy obvious to those who don’t know you, let them taste and see that you are good as they see our joy.
    Father, we ask all these things in Jesus name,
    Amen.
      • Isaiah 35:10ESV

      • Ephesians 2:5–7ESV

      • 1 Peter 4:12ESV

      • Luke 9:23ESV

      • Matthew 4:17ESV

      • Acts 2:32–36ESV

      • John 16:22ESV

      • Acts 5:41ESV

      • Galatians 5:22–23ESV

      • 1 Thessalonians 5:15–17ESV

      • Philippians 4:4ESV

      • Romans 12:12ESV

      • Psalm 100:1–2ESV

      • Psalm 97:12ESV

      • Luke 10:20ESV

      • Luke 6:23ESV

      • John 11:43–44ESV

      • Philippians 4:8ESV

      • Luke 1:5–7ESV

      • Luke 1:8–10ESV

      • Luke 1:11–14ESV

      • Luke 1:15–17ESV

      • Luke 1:18–22ESV

      • Luke 1:23–25ESV

      • Luke 1:57–58ESV

      • Luke 1:59–63ESV

      • Luke 1:64–66ESV

      • Luke 1:67–69ESV

      • Luke 1:70–72ESV

      • Luke 1:73–76ESV

      • Luke 1:77–79ESV

      • Luke 1:80ESV

      • Luke 1:76–78ESV