2 truths about joy:

1. Joy is a

   Reveal Answer
   to getting what we desire.

2. God wants you to be

   Reveal Answer
   of joy.

PROBLEM: When we get what we

, the joy doesn’t

Reveal Answer

.

2 examples of lasting joy:

Mary (Luke 1:46): Lasting joy comes when what we

want and what God

Reveal Answer

wants are the same.

Wisemen (Matthew 2:10): When our deepest joy is found in Jesus,

and

Reveal Answer

flow freely.

Next Week: Have a Grateful Christmas: Hope

SMALL GROUP GUIDE

Welcome
Weekly Vision Casting  Let’s celebrate some “small group wins” over the past year. If a disciple is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and living on Mission with Jesus (Matt 4:19), how are we seeing that happen in our group or in one another’s lives?

Small Group Guidelines Click here to view guidelines

Warm Up Question

Study: Head, Heart, and Hand Questions

Personal Prayer Requests

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

WARM UP QUESTION
What is something recent that happened that filled you with joy (big or small)? [Today we are going to be looking at the simple reality of joy within the Christmas story, as part of our series on gratitude.]

HEAD: These questions help us examine the Word.
1. Read Psalm 16:11, John 15:11, Psalm 32:11, and Psalm 33:1. What do these verses tell us about God’s nature?

1. Read Luke 1:46-47. Why was Mary full of joy?

2. Read Matthew 2:10-11. Why were the Wisemen full of joy?

3. Are there any similarities between the joy of Mary and the joy of the Wisemen?

HEART: These questions help us wrestle with what we believe.
5. When you picture God, do you often picture Him as a being full of joy?

1. Can you remember a time when you faced suffering, disappointment or loss, but you still had joy in Jesus? How was that possible?

2. Is there an area of your life where you aren’t experiencing joy? Why do you think that is?

HAND: These questions help us bring truth and beliefs into our everyday life.
8. In your life, what do you find to be the connection between joy and gratitude?