This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor
So here I am, speaking about joy in the three services on Sunday, and I look out at the church family and see people I know who haven't worked in nearly two years, people who are losing their homes because of the economy, people whose marriages are on the brink of disaster, people who live with the weight and uncertainty of cancer, and I think to myself, "It's a good thing our joy is not based on the circumstances of life."
But in light of all of this awareness of how difficult life is right now, preparing for this message was challenging for me. All week long I searched for the answer to the question, "Where does joy come from?" I know it is not based on my circumstances, but where does it come from?
For those of you who were in the service, what did you think of my attempt to bring to the conversation some things to consider? How did Zephaniah 3:17 impact your thoughts about God? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit produce joy in relationships? Let's talk.
Thank you so much for keeping true to the Word, as I have been blessed by all of the sermons I've heard from February to now. The one on joy last week is a good reminder that we can have real/true fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit, or we can rely on ourselves to manufacture fruit; but if we rely on ourselves our fruit will be an imitation and will not last,eventually it'll rot over time,falling short of what the Holy Spirit can give us. I believe many times Christians fall away or give up because they're trying to produce fruit themselves rather than being dependent on God. I look forward to the next fruit of the Spirit teaching.
ReplyDeleteI agree Kathi. I also think, that it is important to have fellowship with others and to reach out to those in need, I believe that by doing this we are allowing God/the Holy Spirit to work through us, therefore; producing joy! Knowing God, is so much in allowing God to work through us and being aware of his awesome power!!! Recently I was at work talking with a sister in Christ about how God was working in our lives. Later that morning I had another co worker come down to my desk and tell me that she heard me talking about God, that she was a Christian and was going through a trial. Her husband had a substance addiction and had left her. We prayed together, asking God to change his heart and bring him home. The Holy Spirit gave me a devotional that day that connected 100% with what she was going through and I shared it with her. I continued to pray for her throughout the next couple weeks and one Monday, she came to me and said that her husband had come home and that they were going to Christian counseling together for his addiction. I was so filled with Joy in knowing that the Lord had blessed them and that he allowed me to be his servant in helping her to get through her trial. That day I realized the Holy Spirit not only produces Joy in us with a direct blessing, but also by blessing those around us and allowing us to serve them in their time of need. I now keep my eyes and my heart open to these opportunities.
ReplyDelete