121 AdventSample

What is Joy?

Joy is often defined as, “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” Too often we confuse joy with happiness and think that someone must be joyful if they are always walking around happy, but that isn’t really how the Bible defines it.

When we believe God is in control of everything, including all the details of our lives, we can be confident that He is always at work to draw us closer to Him in all situations. Not only will that drive us to praise Him, but that will bring us true joy.

Joy isn’t so much a feeling as it is an action of us choosing to trust God in our circumstances.

Families With Young Children

Read Philippians 4:4-7. Spend a few minutes talking about what joy really is. When does the Bible tell us to be joyful? (always) Why does it say to be joyful? (because we belong to Lord)

KIDS, Most people feel happy when everything seems to be going good for them, but when things around them are difficult or something bad happens, they feel frustrated or sad. But, they are confusing happiness with what true joy really is. Remember where Philippians 4 tells us our joy comes from, it comes from belonging to the Lord. Even when things aren’t going great around us, we can have true joy because we know that we belong to Him, and we can trust God with all that is going on around us.

Read Luke 2:10-11. What kind of news did the angel bring? (good news of great JOY!) Who was the news for? (for all people) What was the news? (a Savior was born!) Where does your joy come from this Advent season? From what is going on around you or from the good news of great joy, that the Savior was born and you belong to Him?