Review this week's message.
Key Thought: Your strength is joy. The quicker you get your joy back, the quicker you get your life back.
Key Quote
“Focus not on what you are going through, but what you’re going to.” Pastor David Crank
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
- What do you do to relax after a stressful week?
- Where is your dream vacation and why?
- What is a hobby that brings you joy?
- What is something that always brings a smile to your face?
Start thinking. Ask a thoughtful question.
- What is the difference between joy and happiness?
- How can someone train themselves to view things more positively?
- What are some things you can do or say to bring joy to a hard situation?
- How are trying times a gift?
Start sharing. Choose questions that create openness.
- What things can steal your joy?
- Do you believe that you live regularly from a place of victory?
- Why do we tend to run away from church when things go wrong?
- Share a time when you turned your mess into your message. What changed?
Start praying. Be bold, and pray with power.
Dear Jesus, we believe our joy doesn't hang on our circumstances. We know that if we ask, you will provide us with a refreshed spirit of joy in our lives. In your name, Amen.
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Ask God to bring you your joy back! He is a good God and cares for you.
- Start speaking positively to yourself with daily affirmations.
- Create a new state of mind and mouth by thinking about what you’re going to in God’s promises. Speak that destination out loud with confidence daily for 55 days and note what changes in your state of mind and the state of your circumstances.
Scriptures
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.. James 1:2 MSG]
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.. 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9 KJV
The joy of the Lord is our strength… Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds… James 1:2
