A Season of Anticipation

Joy the the World

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”                

–Luke 2:10-12

The angels announced the good news and told the shepherds where to find the source of joy.

How did the shepherds respond?  They went to find the Savior, and when they found him, they told others!  

The shepherds shared the joy they found! 

Christmas is the perfect time to tell someone where they, too, can find the joy you have in Christ Jesus!

Worship

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Songs of Peace for Advent       (Week 3)

Good News of Great Joy

Week three of Advent focuses on Joy.  In Luke chapter 2 you can read the familiar story of the angels who announced: Fear not!  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.

The good news the angels announced was the coming of a long awaited Savior who would bring joy to all people.

It didn’t seem like God’s people,  the Israelites, had a whole lot to be joyful for.  They were under Roman rule, oppression, and taxation, and they hadn’t heard from God through a prophet in over 400 years.  Life was hard.  

It was into this hard place, and to ordinary people, that Joy was born in the form of a baby.  The Savior of the world didn’t wait for a peaceful time in history, nor did he come to people who had it all together.  Jesus came right into the mess, into the hard place.  He came right into the need. 

Are you in need of some good news?   Jesus wants to enter into your hard places and make them areas of joy and hope for you.  

Ways to Pray in Week 3

• Ask God to fill you with the joy of His presence.
• Pray for God’s peace and hope to enter into the hard places and produce joy.
• Thank God for things and people who give you joy.
• Pray for opportunities to share the joy you have in Christ.
• Pray for those who are bound by bitterness and unforgiveness.
• Pray for those who don’t yet know the joy of salvation through Christ.

Daily Readings

Sunday: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Monday: Luke 1:46-48

Tuesday: Luke 2: 8-14

Wednesday: Psalm 16:11

Thursday: Psalm 30:4-6

Friday: Matthew 28:7-9

Saturday: Romans 15:13

The Joy of Salvation

When we think of joy, we often think of something that brings us intense happiness.  But biblical joy is not dependent on circumstances.  Galatians 5:22 lists joy as one of the fruits of the Spirit.  The source of our Joy is God, who gives us many reasons for joy.

• Joy in God’s Presence:   Mary sang a song of joy when she realized that God was with her, using her to bring salvation to the world.  Luke 1:46-48, Matthew 1:23
• Joy in Salvation: Jesus birth was a cause for great joy because, through Christ, God has redeemed us and saved us.  Isaiah 12:1-6, Habakkuk 3:18, Psalm 51:12
• Joy through the Holy Spirit: Joy is the direct result of the Holy Spirit’s work in you.   Galatians 5:22, Acts 13:52
• Joy in Hope:  We have joy as we look forward Christ’s return and  a promised future where every tear will be wiped away.
  John 16: 20-24
• Joy in our Fellowship:   We can experience joy as we grow together. As we watch others grow in Christ, it is a reminder of what God is also doing in us.
  Philippians 2:2 and 4:1, 1 John 1:4, 3 John 1:4
• Joy through Love:  As we abide in Christ and learn to love as Christ loved us, we experience joy as we are formed into the image of Christ. Hebrews 12:2, John 15:11
• Joy in the Gifts God Gives: Gratitude for all that God has created, the way God works on our behalf, and the many ways God provides for our needs produces joy deep within us.
  Psalm 4:6-8, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 35:27, Psalm 66:1-3
• Joy in Trials: We can have joy even through the hardest times because we know that God is at work in our circumstances and within us.  We also know the future.
  James 1:2, 1 Peter 1:18, Jeremiah 31:13