Recap: The American Dream: Life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Is that what life is supposed to be all about? Our personal happiness? At what cost? If you ask most people around you they’ll tell you to do whatever makes you happy. But is that the best advice? What we read in the Bible is that self-focused living will never bring you the lasting happiness that you long for. Lasting happiness can’t be based on happenings, because happenings change. God is more concerned with who we’re becoming than He is with our happiness. But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about our happiness. He just knows where true, lasting happiness is found and He is constantly pointing us there, and when you discover the “secret” it can change everything.

1.What do you think would bring you happiness in your life right now? Where have you tended to go to find happiness in your life? (people, things, job, etc.)

2.“God wants you to be happy”. If that’s true, what do you think it means when you’re not happy in life?

3.“Lasting happiness can’t be based on happenings, because happenings change”. Do you agree or disagree? What does that mean for your pursuit of lasting happiness?

4.Where does discontentment tend to bloom in your life? Why?

5.Read Philippians 4:11-13. What does Paul say about contentment and where he finds it? What do you think that would like in your life?

6.Read Matthew 6:21. We said, the pursuit of happiness is not a “pleasure problem, it’s a treasure problem”. What do you think this means in relation to this verse?

7.God does care about your eternal happiness, He just knows where it’s found. It’s in making Jesus the center, it’s in being others-focused, it’s in becoming more like Him. Why do you think those things would actually lead to happiness, contentment, peace, joy, life?

PRAYER: God, help me to be more focused on who I am becoming than I am on my pursuit of happiness. To learn the secret of contentment. To live focused on you and others, rather than just myself. I want to know real, lasting happiness and joy. Help me not to be swayed high and low by every happening in my life and every change that comes my way. Help me to trust You and that what you want for my life is for my good and even joy. Amen.