Joy in a Time of Despair

September 13, 2020 Speaker: Drew Bennett Series: Character in Crisis: The Fruit of the Spirit

Passage: Galatians 5:22-23, James 1:2-10, Philippians 4:4-6

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Outline

I. DRIVEN AND TOSSED
Without joy, there is no stability.

 

II. COUNT IT JOY!
Joy is not a feeling; it is an action.

 

III. THE JOY OF THE LORD
“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 9:10).

 

Discussion Questions

  1. Read James 1:6-7 together. Do you ever feel like that?
  2. Does the world need joy? How would things change if there was more joy in our public discourse? Why is there such little joy in the world?
  3. What are the spiritual obstacles to joy? (There are real emotional, psycho-somatic causes of despair and depression. They're all connected. But for this discussion, we're interested in the spiritual reasons for despair.)
  4. Do you have a habit of joy? What does it mean to "count it joy" (James 1:2)? What kinds of activities does that require of you?

More in Character in Crisis: The Fruit of the Spirit

October 25, 2020

Gentleness in a Time of Outrage

October 18, 2020

Kindness in a Time of Cruelty

October 11, 2020

Faithfulness in a Time of Disruption