Complete and In You
John 15:11
Pastor Jerry Koller

In the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers made it very clear that We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

· In Scripture, the word happy is found 22 times. The word happiness is mentioned 6 times. That totals 28.
· The word joy is mentioned 214 times. Joyful is mentioned 19 times. The word joyfully is mentioned 10 times. That totals 243.

Happiness is the English translation of the Latin word “fortuna” from which we also get our word "fortune."
· The dictionary defines it as “a quality or an emotion that is a result of good fortune, or pleasure.”
· Happiness is circumstantial.
· It is subject to change.
· It is subject to people. It is subject to circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is much different.

Joy is an internal attitude that is grounded in truth.
· An attitude is a complex mental state involving beliefs, values, and dispositions to act in a certain way.
· It can easily be described as being a heart issue. (see Luke 6:45)
· Grounded means based on. It is the basis for something. It means to fix firmly and stably.
· It is grounded in truth.

Joy is a supernatural delight in God.
· To delight is to find extreme pleasure or satisfaction in someone or something.

Look again at today’s Scripture.

Joy is supernatural because Jesus is supernatural.

God delights in Himself.

There is complete joy within the Godhead: Father, Son, and Spirit.

Happiness would not lead Jesus to endure the cross. Joy, on the other hand, would.

Can you believe that Jesus prayed that we may have the full measure of His joy within us. All He had said to His disciples, all He had taught them, each and every truth, were given so that they may have His joy in full measure, until it seeps into every area of our being, until every corner of our hearts and minds is filled with His joy.

The world will not cease her relentless pursuit of happiness. I don’t see how she can. Apart from the joy of Christ, what else could she pursue? For those of us who are in Christ, this third Sunday in Advent reminds us that Jesus has given us His joy and that the Holy Spirit will continue to develop this fruit in us.

May this Advent season encourage you to rest in the Hope you have in Christ.
· May it encourage you to rest in the Peace Jesus leaves and the peace He gives.
· May this Advent season encourage you to live every day in the joy of Christ.

· Roberta Newton is doing much better and is recovering from a mild case of shingles and a severe illness at home.
· ​Patrick Low had a successful procedure to break large kidney stones into smaller pieces; continued prayers are appreciated as he deals with this ongoing issue.
· Linda Newell · is recovering from surgery for a herniated disc in her lower back.
· Hannah Clouse (niece of Chet & Renee Goff) who lost her husband, Daren, in a car accident on 11/11. They have a 1-year-old son together and she has twins from a previous relationship.
· ​Dean & Linda Newell and their family upon the loss of Dean's mother, Marilyn Newell, on 11/8.
· Judy Jones (wife of Pastor Grady Jones/friend of Pastor Jerry) is recovering from a successful surgery and doctors believe they removed all of the cancer. She is waiting for biopsy results to decide how to proceed with treatment.
· John Randell (friend of Bruce Ferguson) has been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
· Lennon McKamey (son of Kyle & Sarah) needs surgery on his shoulder. Please pray that preparing for surgery goes smoothly.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com