Message Summary: God desires for His children to find joy and live a lifetime of joy. It’s not God’s will for us to live in misery and despair. God is a good Father, and He wants His children to seek and find the joy He gives. He desires His joy to be in us and to be complete like in Jesus. Jesus tells us, we have a need for joy and to search it out, so we’ll experience unity in spirit with Jesus’ joy.

We often misunderstand what joy is. Joy is not an involuntary response to good, but a voluntary response to the goodness of God. Choose to focus on the goodness of God and know God is always good no matter the circumstances. To know God’s goodness, you must widen your perspective of what is God’s goodness. Constant reminders in life are His creations, worshipping, family, food, time with others. Start to recognize His goodness in your life.

Joy versus happiness, happiness can come and go, but joy is with us all the time. Intentionally focus on God’s goodness in your life. Just like the star the shepherds saw at Jesus’ birth represent God’s goodness, we are God’s light shining in the lives of those around us. Choose to shine of God’s goodness and experience joy!

Sometimes like a 2nd degree shift, we need to make a little shift in our lives to experience joy. Each day, look for God’s goodness and call it out. Say, “That brings me joy!” Use the power of your words to bring you joy.

1. Why is it sometimes hard to be joyful?
2. How come we have misery, anger, despair in this world?
3. What are some things you can be joyful for right now?