Sermons About Joy
Psalm 126 : The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of
We all have dreams – and I don't mean the kind of crazy things you might dream about when you are sleeping – I mean your waking dreams – the mental picture of how you want things to be in the future - and those dreams are made of something – they might be made of the wrong things but we all have them. And sometimes those dreams become reality and we find ourselves struck with amazement and say things like “I can't believe this...Somebody pinch me.” The kinds of dreams I am talking about are dreams which can be characterized by 2 words: hope and vision. What I want us to do is two things: (1) Evaluate our dreams and see what they're made of, (2) Begin to dream kingdom dreams, to look to the Lord to make them reality and to commit ourselves to actively making them a reality.
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Observing and Praising the Lord
This psalm, like many places in Scripture, commands us to praise the Lord with joy. This does not mean that we should manufacture an artificial emotional response but that we should observe the majesty of God and His perfect character and then respond accordingly. We sometimes have trouble praising God and this often happens because we haven’t spent enough time observing and meditating on who He is and what He has done for us, especially from what we see in the Bible. When we stop and spend time thinking about how powerful, faithful, trustworthy, and loving the Lord is it will help us to respond to His greatness with fitting words of praise.
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The Life Of Perfect Love
That God IS Love is the source of the Christian's witness, assurance, and confidence. Discover a life of abundant joy.
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Galatians 1.10: Whose Pleasure Do You Seek?
Whose pleasure do you seek? Pleasing God and pleasing others or ourselves are mutually exclusive, you can’t seek after one and the other. You either seek the pleasure of one or another and we all make a god out of what we take most pleasure in. Who you take pleasure in (who you desire to please) depends on whether you will truly be truly happy or not. May you like Paul seek after the pleasure of God.
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Compelling Love
Followers of Jesus are to be marked with compelling love - actively securing the good of another at cost to yourself without requiring merit or payment in return.
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Compelling Generosity
The earliest Christians were marked by compelling generosity. They embodied generosity having seen that pattern in their Lord.
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God-given Spirit During Trials
King David went through many arduous trials during his life, and God filled him with His Holy Spirit to help him persevere through them. David wrote this song during a time of trials and the God-given attitude during he exhibited during these trials is an example to us. David patiently trusted in the Lord’s provision and protection, he praised Him throughout the trials, he joyfully depended on the Lord, he was humbly teachable, and he was realistic about what he was up against.
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Hosea: Turning From Idols (Hosea 2:14-20)
Like the people of Hosea’s day, we often find ourselves enslaved to the very idols that we thought would satisfy us and bring us meaning. What can free us? In this sermon, we will see that we need to apply a specific antidote to our lives while finding our place in the overall story of a God in pursuit.
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Compelling Joy
The earliest Christians were a people of compelling joy. Their joy was rooted in remembrance of what God had accomplished for them in Jesus Christ, and expectation of what He would do in bringing about the renewal of all creation in Christ. The emphasis in the New Testament book, The Acts of the Apostles, is on joy being rooted in our experience of what God is actually doing among us now to heal and restore this broken world.
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Philippians 2:12-18 - Working Out A Common Salvation
God is going to get the glory either in our salvation or in judgment (see Rom. 14). Now that Paul has raised this high Christology he gets practical how what we do in living humbly. Paul gives moree explicit directive as to what it means to live humbly and how we must live out a humble live in the midst of community. We are commanded here to work out our salvation (sanctification) which is our responsibility, but in a way that give God the credit for working in us. This is not a matter of synergism between me and God in which he did his part and I did mine. This responsibility to work out our salvation is a monergtistic work of God. God doesn't help those who help themselves but helps those who cannot help themselves. It is his power (see 2 Peter 1:1-4) that gives and grows our faith. The amazing thing about these verses is that they refer primarily to working out our salvation within the church, the body of Christ rather than as individuals. And for that reason Paul goes on in verse 14ff to say that the way we work our ours slavation is to not be complainers or to not constant questioners. The complainer is committing a major sin according to Paul, becasue we are to examples to the crooked and twisted generation of what considering each other more important entails. We shine when we humble ourselves in our witness to this world For these reasons Paul is joyful and commands the Philippians and us to rejoice with a humble spirit in living in community - working out our salvation together in the power of Christ.
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Finding Joy in Suffering
No longer can we turn on the evening news and not hear about suffering throughout the world.
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Let us go to him
The conclusion of the Book of Hebrews? Let us go to HIM. Who is HIM... the subject of the book. Jesus Christ. A call to feast on Jesus, to enjoy him, to suffer for him.
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A Certain Salvation (Romans 5:9-11)
Some kinds of doubt -- self-doubt -- are healthy. But it is unhealthy for us to doubt God and his promises; we end up hedging our bets and trusting in things less secure. Not only that, but our doubting God is sin, unbelief. In this passage, Paul presents one of his strongest logical arguments for our assurance of God's saving us and keeping us. Paul anchors our assurance in the objective work of justification and reconciliation that Jesus accomplished at the cross. He has accomplished the most difficult thing in bringing us justification and reconciliation through his death. We can be confident that the one who declared "it is finished" will continue to preserve us! As a result, we rejoice, and we boast in Christ; we do this by looking backward on what he has done for us, by looking forward with confidence in his faithfulness and promises, and by living today in light of our certain hope.
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Thanksgiving: Every Day of the Year!
Thanksgiving: Every Day of the Year! (SERIES: Series: Over the Rivers and Through The Providence -- The Psalms: Songs We Sing Along the Way) Psalm 100
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Finding God In Times Of Emotional Trauma & Confusion
Pastor gives us a guide to staying on the right track amidst some of the difficulties of life.
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Will Your Faith Stand The Integrity Test?
Dick Dungan of Rejoice Ministries brings a Word concerning our relationship with Our Beloved Pastor George and he also shares a sermon on Will Your Faith Stand The Integrity Test? Podcast Legend: 00:00 – 38:15 – Worship 38:16 – 43:20 – Pastor George prays 43:21 – 44:48 – Cookie brings a Word 44:49 – 50:55 – Pastor George’s radio preview 50:56 – 52:47 – Various announcements 52:48 – 1:08:15 – Betty speaks then Cindi & Pastor pray with her 1:08:16 – 1:31:02 - Dick Dungan brings a Word concerning Our Beloved pastor George 1:30:03 – 1:53:30 – Dick Dungan of Rejoice Ministries shares on “Will Your Faith Stand The Integrity Test?” 1:53:31 – 2:03:42 – Closing Worship & Benediction
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The Community of the Spirit
God is not only saving individuals; he is saving a people for himself through Jesus Christ and by the Spirit.
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Keeping Perspective in Suffering (Romans 5:3-5)
As Christians we are to rejoice in our trials and sufferings because 1) they are part of God's agenda for us, 2) God will use them to forge a Christian hope in us, and 3) God will use them to forge a certain hope in us. Though we are tempted to disorientation and despair during times of suffering and trial, we can surely trust in God's promises and love to sustain us through trials, and even to bring a Godly rejoicing and hope in the midst of them.
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Why We Rejoice (Romans 5:2)
Joy should characterize Christians. It should be based on something deeper than temporal circumstances; it should be based on the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
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Something About George
We all miss Our Beloved Pastor George, each of us in our own way. Steve brings a unique message, dealing with a few of his qualities and how we each have, or can have those same qualities in our own life. Remember, you must move on and live your life in God's will.
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Faith and the Mission of God
Christians have a responsibility to declare God's glory among the nations, calling them to enjoy God above all else.
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God Is Faithful! The Drought Is Over!
We had a time of sharing this week. It's always great to hear what God is doing in our midst and in our community.
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Joy
Pastor Duane explores the 5 doors of joy and understanding the power of prayer in helping us experience God's transforming power.
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Genesis: 21 The Beginning of Hope in the Promises of God: A Life of Abraham
What is joy, what is blessing? Our church culture today spends much of its time fabricating joy, and chasing blessings that are fabricated, temporal and ultimately meaningless. There is one popular TV preacher (Identity withheld) that wrote, “God is a partner who exists primarily to make sure we’re happy.” It isn’t just a false gospel that can write this stuff, it is ultimately a joy robbing statement. If God exists for us, we can pity this world, because there is nothing greater than the things we can fabricate. There is nothing, or no one to worship, but ourselves, which is ultimately what aberrant theology does; move our eyes from Him, to ourselves!
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Philippians 1:3-6 - Joyous Thanksgiving
In American Society we are tempted to domesticate the Gospel through secularization, self-indulgence, and pluralism. We don't want to abandon Christianity but we marginalize and privatize it. We are more concerned about being comfortable and secure than with the truth of the Gospel. Paul's thanksgiving was joyful in the fact that the Philippians did not marginalize the Gospel of Christ but in fact participated in it. Gospel Fellowship always exceeds all earthly fellowship because it is rooted in God in an eternal quest. We see Paul’s thanksgiving grounded in 3 things: 1) A Thankful Remembrance, 2) A Thankful Fellowship, and 3) A Thankful Confidence or Assurance. It is not your grip on God that has made the difference or will make the difference in your life, but God's grip on you. In these 3 verses you learn not to be confident in your goodness, character, history, perseverance, but in God. Paul's joy and thanksgiving comes not because he attended a hotdog fellowship with the Philippians but because they suffered for something Greater - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is God's work in us that is a cause for great thanksgiving. Is God Working in you so that you? If he is you will be participating in the Gospel.
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The Gift of Community (1 John 1:1-7)
Christian community is built around our shared experience of the gospel. Community always begins with God, and God gives us community as a means of transforming our lives more and more into the image of his son. However, community is not merely a tool for growth, but also a gift from God for our joy as well as for our good.
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Philippians 1:1-2 - A Captive Joy
We normally think that Philippians is all about joy, and that is of course a major theme when it flashes forth 16 times. But it is sparked by the deeper themes of Paul’s letter. Philippians calls us to a particular kind of joy - a joy that was experience by Paul in Roman captivity facing a capital charge while his leadership was being contested. In this sermon we will look at acts 16 and see the journey Paul took to get to Philippi with his companions (Luke, Timothy, and Silas) including the Macedonia call by the Spirit of God. Secondly we will look at Paul's reception by 3 different people in Acts 16 when he arrives at Philippi. Finally, we will look at the occasion for this letter late in Paul's imprisonment at Rom (probably after 62 AD). My desire and prayer is that you will see the servant heart of Paul in fellowship with the Philippians Christians was based on making Christ the center of the letter and the motivation of His joy.
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Joy in the Gospel
Over the next 3 Sundays, we'll be looking at our mission in this great city. Our goal is not simply to be a great church, but to help build a great city full of joy in Jesus. In tonight's message, we look at the Gospel itself and ask how the preaching of the gospel can result in great joy in Spokane.
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Living With Hope
By applying Romans 15:13, we can live with hope by identifying the source of hope (God) and inviting Got to get actively involved in our lives. We can trust God for our eternal life and for daily guidance and strength.
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Justifying the Ungodly (Romans 4:1-12)
Paul argues and shows from scripture that we are justified only by faith in Jesus, not by anything we do. How can it be otherwise? After all, there is no boasting before God, and the only wages that our works could possibly earn for us is death. We see that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works, and furthermore that he was justified long before he was circumcised. Neither works nor rituals can save us; instead, we come to God as ungodly sinners, trusting only in him to receive justification as a free gift. Because of this, we can come to God today, now. And so the life we live is one of humility, recognizing our sin and guilt; but also grateful celebration, recognizing the magnitude of the gift God has given to us.
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In a Little While
What do you ask God for when you pray? When Jesus told his disciples that the Father would grant them “anything” that they asked, he was speaking within the context of praying for wisdom and understanding concerning his coming crucifixion. Resist the temptation of praying for earthly, material things and instead pray for God’s spiritual wisdom. Pray that you grasp the importance of his death on the cross for you and how that event impacts your life today. He promises that this will bring you joy that no one can ever take away!
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Joy in Trials
Joy is something we long for. How do we obtain it? Can we have joy in the midst of trials? Zach helps us understand the purpose of pain and how to have joy in the most unlikely circumstances.
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Have Fun: Finding True Joy
Offerings for fun, excitement, and adrenalin rushes abound – but will anything truly satisfy the hunger in our souls? After all, having a momentary blip of fun is one thing while a joy that lasts can be something entirely different. As we begin the 31 Days to Live journey, Philip Nation speaks on the subject of finding true joy.
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Have Fun: Finding True Joy
Offerings for fun, excitement, and adrenalin rushes abound – but will anything truly satisfy the hunger in our souls? After all, having a momentary blip of fun is one thing while a joy that lasts can be something entirely different. As we begin the 31 Days to Live journey, Philip Nation speaks on the subject of finding true joy.
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Is It In You?
You have an enemy that wages war against the soul, that you might love the "world." Is it in you?
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The self-defeating strategy of rule keeping
Christians are sons but how should we live? Not as slaves to rule keeping but by grace. Enjoying the gospel. These are the final three nails in the coffin of rule-keeping - 1. Rule keeping is idolatry 2. Rule keeping is joyless 3. Rule keeping is futureless
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Philippians 1: Joy in the Midst of Suffering
It is possible to experience joy in the midst of your suffering
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Nehemiah 12.27-47: O' Happy Day
In our day there seems to be much bad news, whether from the news channels, to the newspapers and even in our own homes. In the day of Nehemiah there were many depressing days from financial concerns, security concerns, and family concerns. But in spite of that the Jews were filled with joy and laughter. The Jews, under the leadership of Nehemiah, sought to think as God does, sought to see as God sees, sought to have God's perspective and see the big picture. This allowed the Jews to have joy in spite of their circumstances. As we will see today their joy is brought to a peak at the dedication of the wall. Their joy is so great that it can be heard from afar!
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Death Changes Everything
As the Teacher wrestles with the meaning of life, he is confronted with the ways in which death changes the way we look at life.
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Generous Orthodoxy
Generous: showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected Orthodoxy: a generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice Seeking for God to establish in us a doctrine that brings a readiness to give more than is necessary
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