12.11.21 - Joy (Kenny Camacho)

SCRIPTURE: Zephaniah 3

“In God’s economy, we are always moving from an initial state of stubbornness, of rigidity, of overconfidence and arrogance into a state of humility, of gentleness, of flexibility, of submission. We are becoming softer, not harder! And the more we change, the easier it is for us to catch, to receive, God’s love for us...and then to share it. Our joy is increasing, it’s ahead of us. There is no time better than this one, than Advent, to be reminded of what is to come...and to feel replenished and restored by that promise and that hope.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. What does ‘joy’ mean to you? How have you heard it defined? When have you felt it?

  2. What does the Bible teach about joy? What does it mean for joy to be a “fruit of the Spirit”? Where does it come from? What is its purpose?

  3. The central metaphor Saturday was that “joy” is like a game of catch between God and us: God sees goodness in us and He celebrates it, He draws it out; we are then filled with His love and attention, and we are compelled to pour that back out in praise and compassion for our neighbors. What do you think of this metaphor? How is this situation “joy-bringing”?

  4. On that note, the angels who appear to the shepherds on the night of Christ’s birth are very clear: their news will bring us great joy. What does that mean, exactly? How does it connect?

  5. What gets in the way of your joy right now, of your ability to accept what God is giving you and then pour it back out?

Kenny Camacho