Part 4 in a book discussion series on the book "The Myth of Happiness". Use in a church homegroup, sunday school, or Bible study.

2. John 16:24 - your joy will be complete

3. John 17:13 - “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

5. Tapping into that joy is a choice for every believer.

6. The amount of joy available to us is unlimited.

7. Joy is our spiritual lifeblood.

8. Joy is experienced with other believers.

10. Lump – raw material that needs molding and refining before it is in its final form. But the nature of that precious material is already there. Quote on p. 71 – True joy must speak! Sunshine can’t help but work its way out! <br />*** Pleasantville effect – p. 71-72 <br />2. Can you think of any believers who have had a “Pleasantville Effect” on people with whom they came into contact? <br />Clint<br />3. How does outwardly expressed joy differ from charm or charisma? <br />Charisma has nothing to do with a person’s spiritual state. <br />Joy is a direct result of it. <br />We often confuse the two. <br />Why else are we so surprised when great Christians fall? <br />Oswald Chambers – “The one thing that Jesus Christ does for a man is to make him radiant, not artificially radiant. There is nothing more irritating than the counsel ‘keep smiling’. That is a counterfeit, a radiance that soon fizzles out.” <br />Paul – “unimpressive, speaking amounts to nothing” 2 Cor. <br />Not a charismatic person <br />But how the churches adored Paul! <br />Read Phil. 1:4-8 – reveals a special bond and deep affection between Paul and the church of Philippi <br />4. Why is joy such an important characteristic for believers to exhibit in their lives? <br />When the nature of God is in control of a person’s life, joy cannot help but spill out. <br />Display of joy in my life – reveals the state of my soul. <br />[Read p. 79 about bishop]<br />5. Take a moment and think about your life – are you a lump of sunshine? On scale from 1-5: <br />Your coworkers or neighborsOther believers at churchYour spouse/familyYourself<br />How similar are they to each other? Do you project yourself differently to different groups? What is getting in the way of exhibiting true joy? <br />(busyness, shyness, my own agenda)<br />