Sunday Highlights
The Sync series continues this week. George Stull, our interim student pastor, spoke today at Cross Point Nashville on “Syncing Through Joy” and it was a good one.
I’m embarrassed to admit (although I’m sure it’s no big surprise to many of you that know me well) that I have trouble with choosing joy. And that was George’s point today, we have to CHOOSE joy.
I’m always amazed by how people have great joy even in difficult circumstances – the people who have just lost someone dear to them, people facing life-threatening illnesses, people who have lost a child, etc. How embarrassing it is to acknowledge that (fortunately) I don’t have any grave tragedy in my life and yet I have trouble finding joy.
I was challenged today!
Here are some key points and scriptures from George’s message today:
- John 15:9-11 Joy goes hand in hand with how we love others
- 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
- We lose joy when we covet or envy others. Are we really loving people when we’re envious of what they have?
- Joy can transcend circumstances.
- What would your life be like if you were dialed into the things that can’t be taken away?
- Joy is a posture of the heart.
How can we live in more complete joy?
- See Joy more clearly as a choice.
- Wear Joy no matter what – allow joy to permeate the way you see the whole world. Psalm 30:11
- Sing for Joy because sometimes we just have to. Psalm 71:23, 100:1-5
Here’s a great quote from Henri Nouwen to leave you with:
“Joy is what makes life worth living, but for many joy seems hard to find. They complain that their lives are sorrowful and depressing. What then brings the joy we so much desire? Are some people just lucky, while others have run out of luck? Strange as it may sound, we can choose joy. Two people can be part of the same event, but one may choose to live it quite differently than the other. One may choose to trust that what happened, painful as it may be, holds a promise. The other may choose despair and be destroyed by it. What makes us human is precisely this freedom of choice.”
I hope you’ll choose Joy this week!
“One may choose to trust that what happened, painful as it may be, holds a promise.” – I think I could write a book on this. In fact I am hoping to teach this one Sunday – but am almost afraid, if you know what I mean. In the last two years I have learned alot about the “hidden riches of brokenness”. Yet in that time I’ve never lost a child or spouse and much of what I’ve experienced was really about others around me. I’ve felt guilty about how deeply I’ve allowed it to impact me. I am learning – just a little bit – what it may be like to be able to look for the promise. At times it’s been hard work – and it is very much a choice, or determination or just hanging on or something. Thanks for the post. I was encouraged.
so true. we DO have to choose joy. and it is not the same as happiness, which is based on circumstances. joy goes much deeper and exists in the storms!
i would have loved to be there for that sermon!
Jenni, you have an uncanny ability to bullet point with laser precision the key points. I’m going to just copy and paste THIS to replace my original outline. Hey, how bout I just tell you what I’m thinking next time and you write my sermon outline for me! 🙂
George, I’m pretty sure that my ability to capture the key points has more to do with your ability as a communicator. I’m just glad you feel like I did it justice… it was such a great message!