“We write you now about something that has always existed. We have heard. We have seen with our own eyes. We have watched, and we have touched with our hands. We write to you about the Word that gives life. 2 He who gives life was shown to us. We saw him, and we can give proof about it. And now we tell you that he has life that continues forever. The one who gives this life was with God the Father. God showed him to us. 3 Now we tell you what we have seen and heard because we want you to have fellowship with us. The fellowship we share together is with God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to you so that we may be full of joy.” (1 John 1:1-4, ICB)
Choose joy:
1.
Choose to have a
friendship with Jesus.
“Be full of joy in the Lord always. I
will say again, be full of joy.” (Philippians 4:4, ICB), see I John 1:1-2 above
2. Choose to have a friendship with others in
Jesus’ church.
“The believers met together in the
Temple every day. They all had the same purpose. They broke bread in their
homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts.”
(Acts 2:46, ICB), see I John 1:3-4 above
“To experience joy
on a daily basis, learn what it means to live in the moment. Notice I said in,
not for. To live for the moment is irresponsible and leads to decisions you may
regret. You may already have a testimony of what it meant for you to live for
the moment. Living in the moment helps us recognize that God can be found in
this moment, whether it contains joy or sorrow. As a perfectionist, I’m always
waiting for a perfect moment before I enjoy it. But nothing is ever perfect!
That’s why the Bible encourages us to “make the most of every opportunity for
doing good.” (Kay
Warren)[i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Introduction: Join Us in Our
Joy” (installment four, final) Sunday February 10,
2019, Pastor Dave Jansen, CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
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