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August 9, 2009

Week 10: It's All About Joy!

It's hard for me to believe, but the last week of our second Dot Com(unity) session has arrived. And I think it's rather appropriate that our study material for this week covers the topic of joy. I've had fun this summer!

And on the subject of having fun, this week's study material definitely includes the article with the funnest title: Yabba-ka-Doodles! You'll have to read more if you want to figure out what that one is about. :)

Teaching Points
Teaching Point One contains a good lesson for small-group leaders. You may have already heard that joy is separate from happiness, and that joy is a permanent state of being while happiness is a temporary emotion. If you're like me, you've heard those ideas about a thousand times—which means you may gloss over the point and move on to other, "deeper" issues with your group.

But tread carefully here. Just because you have a good handle on a principle or idea doesn't mean that all of your group members feel the same way. There may be someone in your discussion this week that would greatly benefit from learning about true joy and how it is separate from happiness.

So take the time to mention the topic, maybe ask a few questions, and see if anyone wants to go deeper. If not, you can move on with a clear conscience.

When you do move on, I think the second teaching point is a good place to camp for a while. I especially like the inclusion of Hebrews 12:2: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

How did enduring the cross produce joy in Jesus? What does that mean? This is a great place to dig into Scripture for a few moments and really pull out some interesting ideas.

Are there any other passages about joy that could be addressed in this time? Any other verses that we should be aware of as we prepare for our studies?

Teachable Moment
The third teaching point gives you a great opportunity to apply not only the principles in this study, but in our entire 10-week course. We've been studying a course called "Essentials in Knowing God," and I don't think anyone would argue with me that the more we get to know our Father and Savior, the more joyful we should become.

So take a moment with your group and ask the question: Am I being transformed toward the person that God created me to be? Can I see that by an increase in joy in my life over the past months? Years? (Not an increase in happiness, necessarily. But joy.)

Then take a look toward the future. What do you think you would be doing if you were a more joyful person? Specifically, what activities would you engage in—smiling more, smelling roses, giving more hugs, serving the poor, etc. What's stopping you from doing those activities now?

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posted by Sam O'Neal on August 9, 2009 7:36 PM