“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
Whether you’re skeptical to Christianity or practice it you very likely may believe that real Christianity is about saying no to the things that make you happy—a bunch of rules to ruin your fun. Some Christians may even believe that through their denial, sadness, or detachment that God is more pleased and it’s how we show Him we actually love Him.
While there are kernels of truth, the Scriptures command joy, not despair. Joy is an expected part of the Christian experience. Rather than a mark of immaturity, it is a sign of maturity. Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). He expects joy to be central to the Christian witness as it sustains us (as it does him) through sacrifice, setbacks, and suffering.
You’re invited to a three week series through Philippians unpacking how the Christian has joy in all of life’s circumstances.
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Joy in Sacrifice
Apr 28, 2019 • 38:58
In a world that pursues happiness through all kinds of self-gratification, the Christian witness proclaims (and even commands) joy in our sacrifices. As we look to Jesus, we find the only means to fulfilling this part of our Christian witness. Speaker: Aaron Meservey Series: Joy Scripture: Philippians 3:1-11
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Joy in Setbacks
May 5, 2019 • 44:38
One of the greatest challenges we face as Christians is the threat of questioning God’s goodness when circumstances turn bad. Therefore one of our greatest needs is to have faith that God is in control over every aspect of our lives and will turn even the most aggravating setback we…
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Joy in Suffering
May 12, 2019 • 43:25
We often view suffering as an aberration of the normal course of life, but this perspective was far from the early church. Throughout the New Testament, we see both the expectation of suffering as well as the expectation of joy within that suffering as God sustains his people with hope…
