WORD SEARCH, SCRIPTURES, WORKSHEET, C3 july 18
Fruit of the Spirit” JOY C3 Bible Study July 18 – July 24, 2010
July 18-24, 2010
Please take time to read/re-read the sermon handout from the past Sunday. Based on the themes in the sermon, your C3 group will delve deeper in study and discussion of the key themes. 10 Minute 5 Minute 10 Minute 15 Minutes 35 Minutes Fellowship Announcements Outreach Care & Pray Bible study
Read Galatians 5:22-‐23. Last week we talked about love as one of the “fruits of the Holy Spirit”. What do you remember about “love” in the Bible? How do you define it? How doe the Bible teach us to understand it? Did you read 1 Corinthians 13:4-‐8 each day this week, inserting your name into it? Was that a worthwhile activity? Why or why not?Today we continue our series on the Fruit of the Holy Sprit by looking at the concept of JOY. Defining ‘Joy’ can be somewhat elusive, can’t it? How do you define it? How do you think about it? What is the difference between ‘happiness’ and ‘joy’? What do you think of this distinction? Joy goes far beyond a smile and happiness; whereas a smile is outward, joy is inward; whereas happiness is based on what happens to you, joy is centered on God regardless of what happens to you. Happiness is an emotional response to your circumstances; joy is a state of mind and steady spirit regardless of your circumstances
“Today, think of Joy like a math formula. Just as 2+2=4 and 10x10=100; so too in the Bible there is a formula for “joy”: Faith + Hope = Joy .” • What is Faith? • How does Hebrews 11:1 define faith? • What does Hebrews 11:6 teach us? • Faith is important because of its object. Everyone has faith in something. List the various things people have faith in. • Christian faith that brings JOY has only Jesus Christ as its object. Note Romans 5:1, Acts 4:12, John 14:6. Why is Jesus the object of our faith? Joy begins with faith: Faith is the knowing that your sins are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Faith + Hope = Joy What is hope? Hope is confident faith that God will keep His word and promises. • Romans 5:5, 15:13 • Hebrews 6:19
• How does this part of Luther’s Morning Prayer capture the idea of ‘hope’: “into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things” • Describe a time when you have doubted God’s Word. Did anything good come from it? What was the end result? Discuss this part of the sermon: “Another way to look at this is to turn the formula upside down: If you do not have faith in Christ, then you do not believe your sins are forgiven. You will never find joy in sin, guilt and death. If you do not have hope in God, then you do not believe God’s word or promises. You will never find joy doubting God and His word.” • Is this true? Why or why not? • Have you seen this in your own life or in the life of someone else? Explain? • How does “Joy” bring balance to your life? • Do you have to smile and be happy to be joyful? Explain your answer? • How does this little saying capture the essence of ‘joy’? "If you start your day praising the Lord and end it praising the Lord than you had a good day.” •
• How can these spiritual disciplines increase your “joy”? • Worship? • Bible Study?
• Prayer?
• Fellowship? • C3?
What do these verses teach us about “JOY”? Nehemiah 8:18 Romans 14:17 Psalm 19:8 Psalm 119:111 Luke 10:20-‐21 Luke 15:7 Acts 14:15-‐17 Romans 12:12 Psalm 100:1-‐2
Habakkuk 3:17-‐18 Acts 5:41-‐42 Acts 16:22-‐26 Hebrews 10:34 1 Peter 4:12-‐13 Psalm 16:11 Psalm 37:3-‐4 Proverbs 12:20 Proverbs 15:30
Jeremiah 15:16 John 15:10-‐11 John 16:24 Matthew 13:44 Romans 15:13 1 Peter 1:8-‐9 John 16:20-‐22
Closing Prayer Father Son, and Holy Spirit, please help us all to understand the importance of Christian joy. Strengthen us with a fresh infilling of Your Holy Spirit and Your joy. Work this gift into our heart and lives. Help us to discover Your joy as we have faith in your gift of the forgiveness of sins, and hope in your Word and Promises each day. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, who sends the Holy Sprit to us , Amen!
July 18-24, 2010
Please take time to read/re-read the sermon handout from the past Sunday. Based on the themes in the sermon, your C3 group will delve deeper in study and discussion of the key themes. 10 Minute 5 Minute 10 Minute 15 Minutes 35 Minutes Fellowship Announcements Outreach Care & Pray Bible study
Read Galatians 5:22-‐23. Last week we talked about love as one of the “fruits of the Holy Spirit”. What do you remember about “love” in the Bible? How do you define it? How doe the Bible teach us to understand it? Did you read 1 Corinthians 13:4-‐8 each day this week, inserting your name into it? Was that a worthwhile activity? Why or why not?Today we continue our series on the Fruit of the Holy Sprit by looking at the concept of JOY. Defining ‘Joy’ can be somewhat elusive, can’t it? How do you define it? How do you think about it? What is the difference between ‘happiness’ and ‘joy’? What do you think of this distinction? Joy goes far beyond a smile and happiness; whereas a smile is outward, joy is inward; whereas happiness is based on what happens to you, joy is centered on God regardless of what happens to you. Happiness is an emotional response to your circumstances; joy is a state of mind and steady spirit regardless of your circumstances
“Today, think of Joy like a math formula. Just as 2+2=4 and 10x10=100; so too in the Bible there is a formula for “joy”: Faith + Hope = Joy .” • What is Faith? • How does Hebrews 11:1 define faith? • What does Hebrews 11:6 teach us? • Faith is important because of its object. Everyone has faith in something. List the various things people have faith in. • Christian faith that brings JOY has only Jesus Christ as its object. Note Romans 5:1, Acts 4:12, John 14:6. Why is Jesus the object of our faith? Joy begins with faith: Faith is the knowing that your sins are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Faith + Hope = Joy What is hope? Hope is confident faith that God will keep His word and promises. • Romans 5:5, 15:13 • Hebrews 6:19
• How does this part of Luther’s Morning Prayer capture the idea of ‘hope’: “into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things” • Describe a time when you have doubted God’s Word. Did anything good come from it? What was the end result? Discuss this part of the sermon: “Another way to look at this is to turn the formula upside down: If you do not have faith in Christ, then you do not believe your sins are forgiven. You will never find joy in sin, guilt and death. If you do not have hope in God, then you do not believe God’s word or promises. You will never find joy doubting God and His word.” • Is this true? Why or why not? • Have you seen this in your own life or in the life of someone else? Explain? • How does “Joy” bring balance to your life? • Do you have to smile and be happy to be joyful? Explain your answer? • How does this little saying capture the essence of ‘joy’? "If you start your day praising the Lord and end it praising the Lord than you had a good day.” •
• How can these spiritual disciplines increase your “joy”? • Worship? • Bible Study?
• Prayer?
• Fellowship? • C3?
What do these verses teach us about “JOY”? Nehemiah 8:18 Romans 14:17 Psalm 19:8 Psalm 119:111 Luke 10:20-‐21 Luke 15:7 Acts 14:15-‐17 Romans 12:12 Psalm 100:1-‐2
Habakkuk 3:17-‐18 Acts 5:41-‐42 Acts 16:22-‐26 Hebrews 10:34 1 Peter 4:12-‐13 Psalm 16:11 Psalm 37:3-‐4 Proverbs 12:20 Proverbs 15:30
Jeremiah 15:16 John 15:10-‐11 John 16:24 Matthew 13:44 Romans 15:13 1 Peter 1:8-‐9 John 16:20-‐22
Closing Prayer Father Son, and Holy Spirit, please help us all to understand the importance of Christian joy. Strengthen us with a fresh infilling of Your Holy Spirit and Your joy. Work this gift into our heart and lives. Help us to discover Your joy as we have faith in your gift of the forgiveness of sins, and hope in your Word and Promises each day. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, who sends the Holy Sprit to us , Amen!
