December 16, 2025 • 27 mins
Joy that survives sorrow is not a mood; it’s the steady life of Christ in us. We open our Advent series episode on Joy by tracing where joy comes from, why it holds when happiness fails, and how ordinary people can practice rejoicing without faking smiles or denying pain. Our guest, Joey Caldwell, a high school Bible teacher at Ben Lippen, shares a vulnerable story of years-long infertility, heartbreaking loss, adoption, and a slow return from depression and panic. Through it all, a surprising truth emerges: joy never moved, because Jesus never moved.
We unpack the core difference between happiness and Christian joy, using Scripture to ground the idea that joy is a gift of the Spirit, deeply tied to peace, love, and abiding. From Luke’s “good news of great joy” to Revelation 21’s promise of God dwelling with his people, we explore why joy can coexist with grief and how rejoicing becomes a spiritual discipline. You’ll hear practical ways to “rehearse the gospel” in daily life; gratitude that names grace, prayer that keeps the heart soft, obedience that aligns our loves, and worship that trains our desires. We also talk about Advent rhythms that keep the season focused: fasting from distractions, telling the story clearly to our kids, singing, serving, and slowing down to rest.
If you’ve confused joy with feelings or wondered how to choose joy when your heart feels numb, this conversation offers clear language, honest testimony, and doable practices. Walk away with a renewed vision of joy as a state of being in Christ; Peace at rest, Love in action, and hope that endures. If this encourages you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:30):
Welcome to our Advent Podcast series, where we
prepare our hearts to celebratethe coming of Christ.
During Advent, we remember thatGod entered our world bringing
hope, peace, love, and joy, notas distant concepts, but as
gifts fulfilled in Jesus.
Each week, you'll hear from aspecial guest who will share
scripture and personal testimonyas we reflect on what it means
(00:52):
to live in Christ's presence.
Whether you're listening athome, in the classroom, or on
the go, our prayer is that thisconversation draws you closer to
the heart of Jesus, who isEmmanuel, God with us.
Mrs. Erin Kay (01:22):
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what
you do here at Ben Lippen.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (01:26):
I am a Bible teacher here at Ben Lippen.
I've been at Ben Lippen for, Ithink this is my 13th school
year.
I started in January 2014.
So been here a while and a wifeand two kids, all under the age
of six.
Mrs. Erin Kay (01:39):
Great.
We're excited to have you herewith us today.
Let's just jump right in here.
How would you define joy,especially in contrast to
emptiness, numbness, oranhedonia?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (01:50):
So I think there's a difference between the
joy that someone who followsJesus experiences versus the joy
that someone who isn't afollower of Christ experiences.
So for someone who's not inChrist, I would describe joy as
like a happiness that's kind ofattached to that person seeking
some sort of personalsatisfaction in an achievement
or like a success andaccomplishment.
But I would say it's limited inits fulfilling nature.
(02:12):
Like it's not, it's not gonnabe something that lasts for
them.
But for someone who is inChrist, I would say joy is a
gift of the Holy Spirit.
It's a good and right feelingin the soul that's characterized
by this groundedness, likecontinually deepening
relationship and sense of whatthe true reality is of who we
are in Christ.
So ultimately, Christian joy islike the byproduct of our
(02:35):
hearts when they're aligned withour understanding of the
reality that we are imagebearers and that we're created
for fullness of life with God,to be in loving and thriving and
fruit-bearing relationship withthe Heavenly Father.
So when it comes to the loss orthe inability to feel joy, I
think the reality is that a lotof factors can and do contribute
to someone's inability to feeljoy.
(02:56):
I think a person's situationcould require various levels of
intervention.
So if there's truly a loss ofthe inability to feel joy, that
has to be devastating.
Like I can't imagine what thatdeprivation is or could feel
like.
But I think even after sayingall that, do you think from a
biblical perspective that a feltnumbness or an emptiness in a
person could be pointing to adeeper spiritual reality or a
(03:18):
need in that person?
I think obviously like seriousprayer and thought and studying
the word and discernment andcounsel is needed in those
situations, but I think itpoints to a spiritual reality or
it can point to a spiritualreality.
And I actually often questionlike, is someone who's feeling
that loss of joy or theinability to feel joy?
Are they conflating the idea ofhappiness equals joy?
(03:40):
So that would be a question Iwould ask someone is what is joy
to you?
Mrs. Erin Kay (03:44):
That ties beautifully right into our next
question.
How would you describe thedifference between happiness and
joy?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (03:52):
Happiness is subjective.
It's based on yourcircumstances.
So it's mostly affected byoutside influences and it's
purely an emotion, right?
It's not lasting, it's notfulfilling.
You experience it and then itgoes away.
And so I think uniquely thatbecause of that, it's tied to
experiences and circumstances.
It can also lead into otherthings like selfishness could be
(04:12):
attached to like yourhappiness, right?
Because it becomes all aboutme, and then that makes me feel
good.
It makes me feel happy.
But I would say from thatperspective, it's purely
subjective.
But the comforting and thebeautiful thing about Christian
joy is its objectivity, it's notbased on my experiences.
So joy is a state of being.
Like Jesus said in his upperroom discourse, I'm saying these
(04:32):
things to you that my joy maybe in you and that your joy may
be full.
It's a state of being.
It's actually about abiding andabout dwelling in Christ.
I think that is joy.
Joy doesn't necessitate myability to feel it.
The reality of joy doesn'tdepend on my awareness of it.
The theme of joy for Advent,Christ has come, He brings the
(04:53):
joy of salvation.
So it's a state of being, it'soutside of myself.
I also think joy is a muchweightier and real substance
than happiness.
There's a quote by AlistairBegg that I really love that he
says, joy is peace dancing,capital J and capital P.
Joy is peace dancing, and peaceis joy at rest.
So I think it's really hardactually to talk about joy
(05:15):
without its connection to theother fruit of the spirit, like
the peace and the love.
They're all related to oneanother.
Like they have to connect,they're not isolated.
It's one fruit of the spiritthat's produced in us, not
fruits of the spirit.
So joy comes from this place ofpeace and rest, and it's more
of an internal state of being,like it's a virtue, it's not an
(05:35):
emotion.
It is emotive though, like itdoes express itself, it can
express itself in happiness, butit's not dependent on
particular circumstances.
So it informs our attitudes,our behaviors because it's
ultimate reality.
When you think of the Christmasstory, the good news of great
joy is that a savior has beenborn unto us.
That restoration, thatrelationship, the reality that
(05:58):
we will be with God, that's thegood news of great joy.
And so the reality of thatrestored relationship that will
always be with the Lord is uhfor me the defining piece of
joy.
My favorite picture of joy isRevelation 21, where the voice
comes down and he says, Behold,the dwelling place of God is
with man.
And it's almost like thisbreath, this exhale, we're we're
(06:20):
whole again, we are at rest,and that relationship is made
new.
So that's how I would describethe difference between joy and
happiness.
Mrs. Erin Kay (06:28):
And as you're talking about this, I'm being
reminded of the verse that says,I bring to you good news of
great joy unto you as born asavior, who is Christ the Lord.
And that is that juxtapositionof joy.
Like we have joy in his birth,but we know what that's gonna
result in.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (06:47):
Yeah, it's gonna result in that horror of
the cross.
But even Jesus in Hebrews forthe joy that was set before him,
he endured the cross.
So even Jesus' eyes are fixedon joy, on that ultimate end of
everything being made right, allthings being made new, that new
creation.
So I think that often, maybewithin the church, I would say
the misconception is that joyand grief or hardship or
(07:10):
suffering don't go together.
And that's not at all biblical.
I think that it's often throughhardship and suffering that
we're able to recognize and seejoy for what it is.
Mrs. Erin Kay (07:21):
Marries very well into our next question of why
does scripture call us to choosejoy even in trials?
And what does that look likepractically?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (07:31):
Well, I think for the reason laid out in
Revelation 21, right?
Because the joy that weexpress, like when Paul says
rejoice, right?
That's an expression of joy.
So expressed joy is a witnessto the true and ultimate reality
of Christ in my life and whatthat means for me in the
ultimate end or the beginning,however you want to look at it.
It's like a testimony to thework he's accomplished in the
relationship that's beenrestored with the Father.
(07:52):
So I think choosing joy isactually a spiritual discipline.
It's an exercise because if I'mcalled to rejoice in all
circumstances, that would implythat there's something to still
be joyful about, despite mycurrent circumstances.
So the idea of choosing joy,it's actually volitional on my
part to fix my eyes and train myeyes to look to Christ despite
my emotions, despite what I'mfeeling.
(08:14):
Like my happiness is anemotional response to my
interactions and relationships,surrounding circumstances.
So something like grief andloss or suffering, they can
seriously affect my happiness,but I can still rejoice within
those circumstances.
I can still remember joy.
And again, that's advent.
Anticipating, longing for,waiting for that final moment,
(08:36):
like the marriage supper wherewe are united again with the
Heavenly Father.
I think of the Christmas storyand the angel's pronouncement.
Fear not, for behold, I bringyou good news of great joy.
For unto you is born this dayin the city of David, a savior
who is Christ the Lord.
And then they go on to say,Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace among those withwhom he's pleased.
(08:57):
So for the believer, our end isChrist.
Our joy is a savior born untous that we might be reconciled,
have peace again.
Like they've married joy andpeace.
The angels have in thatpronouncement that we would have
peace again with God.
So he's not only the end of allthings, but he is our life.
So choosing joy isn't aboutputting on a happy face, it's
(09:18):
rooted in something beyond andgreater than ourself.
So practically, what does thatlook like?
Honestly, it can be really hardsometimes.
To choose joy is to recalibratemy mind, to be eternally
minded, and to fix my eyes onChrist and the hope that one day
everything will be made right.
Sorrow will be no more and willalways be with the Lord.
Like I think of C.
S.
Lewis.
The Lord has used theChronicles of Narnia and C.
(09:40):
S.
Lewis in my life to deepen myunderstanding of his heart for
me and who he is.
And the prophecy of Aslan'sreturn is wrongs will be made
right when Aslan comes in sight.
At the sound of his roar,sorrows will be no more.
And I just love that picture oflike the lion shows up and
everyone knows who's in chargeand there is peace.
(10:01):
So, practically, what does thatlook like?
I think because I'm a human,it's hard.
My flesh wants to define my joyby my circumstances.
So I think one of the best waysto practically choose joy is by
rehearsing the gospel.
Preach the gospel to yourself,whether it's in song, whether
it's seeing it within scriptureand tying things back to like
(10:22):
what has Christ done, whetherit's in the books that you read,
the podcasts that you listento, the people that you surround
yourself by, it's importantthat we rehearse the gospel to
ourselves because it's importantthat we're reminded who we are
and what our need is.
It's no longer joy if I don'trealize that I have a need for
it.
My joy is rooted in the realitythat I need Christ to reach
(10:43):
that place.
If it's up to me, if I'vealready arrived, if I think I've
arrived, then like it's notreally joy at all.
It's absent of a loving fatherwho has sent his son to rescue
me.
So I think rehearsing thegospel is a huge way.
And you can do that in so manyways.
But I do think on that note, ifsomeone doesn't actually know
what Christ says about them, ifthey don't know and understand
the father's heart for them,that's the first issue.
(11:05):
Like that's the first thing yougotta address, right?
If you don't understand yourworth, where your identity is,
how can you find joy and peaceand rest if those things are
missing, right?
So go read Genesis one throughthree, go read Exodus 34 and
find out God's character, likewho he says he is.
Learn about his gentleness andhis lowliness in Matthew, just
as heart, like he wants to bewith us, not because he needs
(11:26):
us, but just purely out of adesire to be with us.
That's how he initially createdus to be in that relationship
with him, to care for hiscreation.
I also think prayer andthankfulness are practical ways
to choose joy.
Being thankful in allcircumstances, you're
acknowledging the true realitiesof your spiritual condition in
spite of your circumstances.
Again, it's just like thatreminder.
(11:48):
I also think obedience is ahuge practical way to choose
joy.
It's also probably the hardestbecause it's rooted in our
affections.
Like, what are my affectionsfacing toward?
How am I nurturing my rightaffections?
If joy is a fruit of thespirit, it follows after love.
So it's intrinsically linked tolove.
And Jesus told us how to love.
And he said, If you love me,you'll keep my commandments.
(12:09):
Like our obedience is attached,it's an expression of our love
for him.
And so I think if you're gonnapractically choose joy, I think
obedience, in spite of what youmay be facing or what he's
asking you to do, obedience is avery practical way to choose
joy.
It's obedience in small things,it's obedience in big things,
it's obedience in just beingconsistent in the mundane.
(12:32):
Just obedience is huge.
And I think that ties into likea fourth thing, which is
abiding.
The word abide, may know, it'sa word of command, but Jesus is
using it as an invitation, andhe does so because he says that
this is where you'll havefullness of joy.
He says, These things I spoketo you, that my joy may be in
you, and that your joy may befull.
So our joy is directly tied toour obedience and the alignment
(12:53):
of our hearts, and just the ideaof abiding in that relationship
with the Father is huge.
And so those are those are fourpractical ways I would say to
choose joy in trial or hardship,suffering or grief.
It's a spiritual disciplinebecause it helps us to
practically grow in ourrighteousness.
Righteousness is relational,it's not performative.
So it's born out of myrelationship with the Father.
(13:14):
So if I'm not in his word, ifI'm not abiding, if I'm not
pursuing him, then that's goingto be reflected in everything
else, including my joy,including my level of obedience.
So the best practical thing youcould do is work on that
relationship to choose joy, noteven as a virtue, but as a
person, like as Christ.
Like joy is Christ.
If we abide in him, we havefullness of joy.
Mrs. Erin Kay (13:36):
Yeah, those are some great ways to do that.
And continually being in tuneto where you are in your
relationship with the Lord andnot losing grip of Yeah, the
Lord's not gonna leave youguessing.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (13:48):
My experience, anyways, has been
that the Holy Spirit will makevery clear where you where you
stand with him.
Because the Holy Spirit is onlygonna produce holiness in you.
That's the only thing he canproduce in us is holiness.
And so it's gonna be becomevery obvious if I'm on a
spiritual level, if I'm notpursuing that.
Mrs. Erin Kay (14:03):
Can you share a time when you experienced or
chose joy in the middle of apainful or uncertain season?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (14:11):
So my wife and I have been going through
years of unexplainedinfertility.
We've been married for 13years, and for 11 of those,
there's no answer for it.
There's no reason medicallythat we've been able to find.
And there is a period of timein those first four or five
years were really challenging inour faith because things got
really dark really fast.
When you have something thatyou're hoping for, and it's good
(14:33):
that you're hoping for it, andyou're designed and you're
created to want that and notonly want it, but you should be
able to grow your family in thatway.
It can become verydisheartening, it can become
very infuriating at times.
That's the ultimate reality ofus not being able to have
biological children is becauseof brokenness, right?
Like the brokenness of ourbodies, brokenness of creation
(14:54):
as a result of sin.
So those first four to fiveyears, I would probably describe
them desperate, like becauseall of a sudden these hopes and
these dreams that you've had forwho knows how long, and just
how deep-seated they are,they're just being ripped from
you and you can't do anythingabout it.
And for me, as a husband, I'mwatching my wife suffer and
grieve and experience reallydeep pain that I wasn't able to
(15:16):
do anything about.
And as a part of that, I alsothink I've learned since then
the husband is also experiencingthe trauma and the grief and
the pain.
And so this after years oftrying and thousands of dollars
and medical procedures andappointments and examinations
and just trying to figure outwhat's going on.
We finally got pregnant withtwins.
And then the Lord took thetwins, and it was just like this
(15:39):
renewed sense of despair.
It was like the surge and likehe's answered our prayer.
Like the number of people thatwere praying for us.
I mean, I would guess likehundreds of people across
international borders.
So to have that excitement andthen have it removed almost
immediately, that was a horriblefeeling.
And then we got pregnant againwithin that year, and the Lord
took that one.
And all this time, as we'regoing through it, like as a
(16:00):
husband, like I'm watching mywife deal with this.
Her testimony is incredible.
Like, I don't respect a womanmore than my wife.
Like, my wife had a seriouscrisis of faith, and she in the
end chose Christ.
And I watched her go throughthat.
And meanwhile, as we're goingthrough this, I'm trying to keep
us just like moving forward,right?
Because like the cruel thingabout life is that it keeps
moving forward.
So if you've not experiencedthat, that's that's a horrible
(16:21):
place to be, right?
Where life keeps moving and youjust want everything to stop.
So as my wife is going throughthis, like she's processing
everything.
And for me, I didn't reallyprocess anything because I'm
stereotypical male and I justshoved it away for the time
because I needed to keep usafloat.
So we move beyond that, andthen we ended up adopting our
daughter, and that was such amoment of joy of the father
(16:43):
saying, I see you and I dorestore the brokenness.
And Psalm 112, verse 4 says,Light dawns in the darkness for
the upright.
And our daughter, Lumia, wechose her name because it meant
light.
The Lord had given us that nameas a promise, and we got the
call.
Like, that's her name.
Like Lumia, like this is ourlight.
Like, this is a testimony ofhis faithfulness to us in that
(17:04):
way.
But for me, the rough part wasafter that.
Our friend's son, who was mybuddy, he was filling a hole
that I was unaware that I had.
And he was born with half aheart, and he was six years old.
And a month and a half afterwe'd adopted our daughter, uh,
he passed away.
And can't think of a time thatI felt more empty and broken.
And I think the interestingthing is that the Lord allowed
(17:25):
me to get to a place ofdepletion, emotional, mental,
physical, spiritual depletion.
And then he chose to take meinto the dark valley.
And so I had like a year and ahalf period of depression.
I was having panic attacksbecause my body had decided
we're processing this now.
And so, like, I wasexperiencing panic attacks.
I was having some prettyintense spiritual oppression
(17:46):
happen to me as well.
And it was a really darkseason.
And when the Lord brought meout of that, it wasn't until he
brought me out of that that hebegan to show me every place he
had been faithful for me andfought on my behalf and carried
me.
And it was in that moment thatI realized all those times I had
been telling my wife, we haveto choose Jesus.
It will be okay.
We know what the end is, right?
And then that reverses andshe's telling me those things,
(18:08):
right?
To come on the other side ofthat and then to have that
reality of he is faithful, it isokay, and to realize that the
seat of my joy didn't waver, itdidn't change.
He stayed the same.
I would say that is a momentwhere I experienced joy.
And I think it's important tosay that sometimes we think joy
has to come with a feeling, andthere's a lot of times where
that's not the reality.
(18:28):
And that's the good thing aboutit, too, is that it it's not
based on your feeling, but tothen come out of that pain or
out of that suffering, thatgrief, and realize that my joy
hasn't changed and that joy isstill full in Christ.
That's like a stake in theground for me, like a marker in
my life of choosing joy orrecognizing that joy that I have
and experiencing just like ataste of like the extent of it.
(18:50):
It reaches even into thedarkness and it's unfazed by
your circumstances.
Mrs. Erin Kay (18:56):
What's coming to mind is the phrase, even still.
Even still, the joy is there.
So, what has God taught youabout finding joy that isn't
dependent on your circumstances?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (19:07):
I think, like I just said, like joy doesn't
change.
My heart does, my heartchanges, but joy is consistent.
So my experience of joy andfinding joy often requires a
heart change.
Like I think of David in Psalm51, like, restore to me the joy
of your salvation.
Like his heart had moved awayfrom God, and he's also
confessed that like he needs Godto bring him back to that
(19:28):
place.
And so I think it's alsoimportant that we recognize that
joy is a gift, joy is somethingthat God works within us.
Also, I'm more naturally amelancholy person, like in my
temperament, and like I can bemore cerebral.
And I think that's part of whyspiritual disciplines are a
thing.
Choosing joy as a spiritualdiscipline, like I think we're
exhorted to do that because it'sa part of us that needs to
(19:48):
actually practice righteousness.
I grow in holiness because theHoly Spirit only produces
holiness in me.
So if joy, which is a fruit ofthe Holy Spirit, is birthed in
Christ, then to continue findingjoy, we should be growing in
our righteousness, right?
That's that relationship pieceagain, because that's where it's
going to be found.
So our growth comes from aflourishing relationship with
Christ.
Again, the fullness of joy inthe presence of the Lord.
(20:10):
So finding joy is anintentional on my part.
I have to recognize, again,being aware, like you said,
being aware of who I am, butalso like being intentional in
pursuing that.
I also think like activelyputting myself in his presence,
if we're to abide in him, thenputting myself in his presence
is vital.
Vitally important to thatexperience of joy, to finding
that joy.
(20:30):
Like Psalm 16, 11, there'sthere's fullness of joy in the
presence of the Lord.
So putting myself in hispresence.
I think joy is intended to beshared.
It's not just isolated to you.
Like joy is communion with theFather.
Joy is shared with others.
And it's intended to becommunal.
It's intended to be likebinding, right?
At base level, it's the HolySpirit in you producing that.
So like there's already twoparties, but it's done in
(20:52):
Christ.
So now there's three parties.
And it's so that you can have aright relationship with the
Father.
So now you you've been broughtinto the Trinity.
And then as an outworking ofthat, like it's shared with
others.
So I think it might be hard tofind joy in isolation.
And then the last thing I thinkone of the biggest things for
me was when there's a shift inmy thinking, my understanding
when I thought of being saved.
So like I used to think of I'msaved so I can go to heaven.
(21:13):
Okay.
So a big piece of this is likea shift in my mindset of
thinking that I'm not saved togo to heaven.
Or like realistically, like ifwe're honest, saved to get out
of hell, right?
Like kind of how it'spresented.
And I think that does adisservice to our understanding
of the gospel because when whenmy mindset shifted from that
being saved to go to heaven toI'll always be with the Lord,
when that shifted in my mind of,oh, he wants that.
(21:35):
Like he wants my heart.
Like he's wooing me.
He wants me to abide in him.
Why?
Because it's for my good andit's for his glory.
Like when that shifted for meand my source of joy was rightly
placed in that context of myrelationship with him, I began
to understand what meant that hewas my father, that he's a good
shepherd, that he's king andsavior, he is with me.
I'm not his enemy anymore.
(21:56):
So Christ is my joy and mypeace dancing, and my good news
of great joy, right?
So like I think those are someof the things like I've been
I've learned about finding joydespite outside of any sort of
circumstantial things in mylife.
Mrs. Erin Kay (22:09):
What does everyday ordinary joy look like
as an expression of life withChrist?
And what helps you cultivatejoy as a spiritual posture, not
a temporary emotion?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (22:20):
I think thankfulness is an everyday
ordinary expression of joy.
Genuine thankfulness.
I think genuine self-givinglove for others is an expression
of joy.
Serving in a non-transactionalway is an expression of joy.
That peace that passesunderstanding, right?
That we live day to day in isan expression of joy.
It's that unhurriedness, it'sthat I'm at rest.
(22:41):
I think also to cultivate joyand as an expression of it, like
worship is like a huge piece ofthis.
Worship is one of the thingsthat the Lord has used in my
life.
Like music that he's used in mylife to draw me closer to
himself.
It's not the only way, and Iwould caution anyone who thinks
that that's how they, that's theonly way they could commune
with God.
But worship is vital.
(23:01):
And if I could say somethingabout worship, God's given
everyone a voice.
We're called and commanded tosing, and we're exhorted to
sing.
It's a distinguishing mark ofsomeone who's a follower of
Jesus, and it's expected, right?
Like it's like it's expected tobe a part of the believer's
life.
I was raised in a church thatI'm thankful for, that the music
minister.
He is regularly exhorting thefathers to sing.
(23:23):
He says, Your children need tohear you sing.
I think singing is anexpression.
Uh C.
S.
Lewis calls it praise is thatconsummation of those feelings
that you have.
Like you can do no higher thingthan to praise, right?
And so, like worship tocultivate that joy in your life,
you really should be singing.
There's also scientific andother things to back that up,
just like the benefits of thatand and why it's important to
(23:45):
our human psyche and just ourexistence and things like that.
But worship is huge incultivating joy in your life.
Mrs. Erin Kay (23:52):
All right.
So, what are some simple thingsthat bring you joy during
Advent and how do those momentspoint you back to Jesus?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (24:01):
Anything that we can do to keep our mind on
Christ during that season iswhat we try to do.
So, one of the things that I doand that our family does is we
kind of treat Advent just likesomeone would treat Lent.
It is intended to be thatseason of preparation before the
festival.
So, like Lent is that period oftime where you're looking
toward Holy Week and thenEaster, like Resurrection Sunday
and then the Easter tide.
(24:22):
And in the same way, Adventserves as that season of
anticipation and waiting.
So, like what we try to do iswe try to keep Christmas at
Christmas and we try to fosterlike anticipation during the
Advent season.
So one of the things I dopersonally is like I abstain
from social media during thattime.
And anything that coulddistract me, I probably should
just be off like social medialike altogether, right?
(24:43):
Like I understand that it issomething I intentionally like
just remove myself from so thatI could be intentional in that
time and focus.
Another way that we do that iswe make sure that our kids
understand that any gifts thatthey receive that they know who
they come from.
Not intentionally to becontrarian or controversial, but
it's something that my wife andI decided that we want the joy
of Christmas to not be confusedat all.
(25:03):
Because it's soconsumer-minded, we want there
to be a clear distinction of whywe're celebrating.
And we don't want our kids tothink we're like supplementing
anything.
Like the story is incredible,and we want them to know the
story, and we want them tocelebrate and to feel that
excitement that he's here,right?
So that's one of the thingsthat we have intentionally just
decided for our family.
(25:23):
We do fun things, like we putup light, and again, like
anything we can do to like tieit back to Christ, like he's the
light of the world.
Like, why are we putting uplights right now?
It's a festival of lights.
We're we're celebrating that helike the light has come into
the world, the light has shinedin the darkness.
We we bake birthday cakes forJesus.
Our kids are very excited aboutit.
This past September, like we'redriving back from a camping
trip and they're talking aboutwhat they want the cake to be
(25:45):
and what it's gonna say and howthey're gonna decorate it.
Like it's something that likethey're actually like genuinely
like looking forward to.
And uh, that's I mean,obviously, that's what we want.
We listen to good music.
I just love finding new conceptalbums and things of retelling
the story, and I reallyappreciate that.
Obviously, go through theadvent story.
The last thing I'd say is likewe try to slow down to just be
(26:06):
to rest.
This is only our third yearthat we're gonna be like in our
home on Christmas Eve andChristmas Day.
Like, we're giddy about it.
Our kids, I mean, they lovegoing to Grandma Papa's, but
Bethany and I, we're we're giddyabout being at home and just
being at rest, being at peace,cutting out the busyness and the
chaos.
Even if it's festive, sometimesthe busyness can steal your
(26:27):
ability to reflect and bask inthe reality that there is good
news of great joy and it's oursavior who is Christ the Lord.
So those are things that we tryto do to foster that.
Mrs. Erin Kay (26:39):
Thank you so much for being here with us today,
Mr.
Caldwell, and for reminding usof the good news that is the
great joy and helping us toshape our understanding of what
joy was designed to be.
If any of our listeners want tocontact you to ask more
questions or just sharesomething that's going on in
their life, what's the best wayfor them to contact you?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (27:00):
Well, they could come by my office, but I
think the easier thing would bejust email me at joseph.caldwell
at binlippen.com.
Mrs. Erin Kay (27:06):
Great.
Thank you so much for beinghere with us today and Merry
Christmas.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (27:10):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thank you so much for being with us today as we
explore the beautiful promisesof Advent.
We hope these truths deeplyinspire you throughout the week,
turning the story of Christinto a personal invitation,
calling you to walk daily in hishope, peace, love, and joy.
We truly look forward tosharing the next step of our
Advent journey with you soon.
Welcome to our Advent Podcast series, where we
prepare our hearts to celebratethe coming of Christ.
During Advent, we remember thatGod entered our world bringing
hope, peace, love, and joy, notas distant concepts, but as
gifts fulfilled in Jesus.
Each week, you'll hear from aspecial guest who will share
scripture and personal testimonyas we reflect on what it means
(00:52):
to live in Christ's presence.
Whether you're listening athome, in the classroom, or on
the go, our prayer is that thisconversation draws you closer to
the heart of Jesus, who isEmmanuel, God with us.
Mrs. Erin Kay (01:22):
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what
you do here at Ben Lippen.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (01:26):
I am a Bible teacher here at Ben Lippen.
I've been at Ben Lippen for, Ithink this is my 13th school
year.
I started in January 2014.
So been here a while and a wifeand two kids, all under the age
of six.
Mrs. Erin Kay (01:39):
Great.
We're excited to have you herewith us today.
Let's just jump right in here.
How would you define joy,especially in contrast to
emptiness, numbness, oranhedonia?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (01:50):
So I think there's a difference between the
joy that someone who followsJesus experiences versus the joy
that someone who isn't afollower of Christ experiences.
So for someone who's not inChrist, I would describe joy as
like a happiness that's kind ofattached to that person seeking
some sort of personalsatisfaction in an achievement
or like a success andaccomplishment.
But I would say it's limited inits fulfilling nature.
(02:12):
Like it's not, it's not gonnabe something that lasts for
them.
But for someone who is inChrist, I would say joy is a
gift of the Holy Spirit.
It's a good and right feelingin the soul that's characterized
by this groundedness, likecontinually deepening
relationship and sense of whatthe true reality is of who we
are in Christ.
So ultimately, Christian joy islike the byproduct of our
(02:35):
hearts when they're aligned withour understanding of the
reality that we are imagebearers and that we're created
for fullness of life with God,to be in loving and thriving and
fruit-bearing relationship withthe Heavenly Father.
So when it comes to the loss orthe inability to feel joy, I
think the reality is that a lotof factors can and do contribute
to someone's inability to feeljoy.
(02:56):
I think a person's situationcould require various levels of
intervention.
So if there's truly a loss ofthe inability to feel joy, that
has to be devastating.
Like I can't imagine what thatdeprivation is or could feel
like.
But I think even after sayingall that, do you think from a
biblical perspective that a feltnumbness or an emptiness in a
person could be pointing to adeeper spiritual reality or a
(03:18):
need in that person?
I think obviously like seriousprayer and thought and studying
the word and discernment andcounsel is needed in those
situations, but I think itpoints to a spiritual reality or
it can point to a spiritualreality.
And I actually often questionlike, is someone who's feeling
that loss of joy or theinability to feel joy?
Are they conflating the idea ofhappiness equals joy?
(03:40):
So that would be a question Iwould ask someone is what is joy
to you?
Mrs. Erin Kay (03:44):
That ties beautifully right into our next
question.
How would you describe thedifference between happiness and
joy?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (03:52):
Happiness is subjective.
It's based on yourcircumstances.
So it's mostly affected byoutside influences and it's
purely an emotion, right?
It's not lasting, it's notfulfilling.
You experience it and then itgoes away.
And so I think uniquely thatbecause of that, it's tied to
experiences and circumstances.
It can also lead into otherthings like selfishness could be
(04:12):
attached to like yourhappiness, right?
Because it becomes all aboutme, and then that makes me feel
good.
It makes me feel happy.
But I would say from thatperspective, it's purely
subjective.
But the comforting and thebeautiful thing about Christian
joy is its objectivity, it's notbased on my experiences.
So joy is a state of being.
Like Jesus said in his upperroom discourse, I'm saying these
(04:32):
things to you that my joy maybe in you and that your joy may
be full.
It's a state of being.
It's actually about abiding andabout dwelling in Christ.
I think that is joy.
Joy doesn't necessitate myability to feel it.
The reality of joy doesn'tdepend on my awareness of it.
The theme of joy for Advent,Christ has come, He brings the
(04:53):
joy of salvation.
So it's a state of being, it'soutside of myself.
I also think joy is a muchweightier and real substance
than happiness.
There's a quote by AlistairBegg that I really love that he
says, joy is peace dancing,capital J and capital P.
Joy is peace dancing, and peaceis joy at rest.
So I think it's really hardactually to talk about joy
(05:15):
without its connection to theother fruit of the spirit, like
the peace and the love.
They're all related to oneanother.
Like they have to connect,they're not isolated.
It's one fruit of the spiritthat's produced in us, not
fruits of the spirit.
So joy comes from this place ofpeace and rest, and it's more
of an internal state of being,like it's a virtue, it's not an
(05:35):
emotion.
It is emotive though, like itdoes express itself, it can
express itself in happiness, butit's not dependent on
particular circumstances.
So it informs our attitudes,our behaviors because it's
ultimate reality.
When you think of the Christmasstory, the good news of great
joy is that a savior has beenborn unto us.
That restoration, thatrelationship, the reality that
(05:58):
we will be with God, that's thegood news of great joy.
And so the reality of thatrestored relationship that will
always be with the Lord is uhfor me the defining piece of
joy.
My favorite picture of joy isRevelation 21, where the voice
comes down and he says, Behold,the dwelling place of God is
with man.
And it's almost like thisbreath, this exhale, we're we're
(06:20):
whole again, we are at rest,and that relationship is made
new.
So that's how I would describethe difference between joy and
happiness.
Mrs. Erin Kay (06:28):
And as you're talking about this, I'm being
reminded of the verse that says,I bring to you good news of
great joy unto you as born asavior, who is Christ the Lord.
And that is that juxtapositionof joy.
Like we have joy in his birth,but we know what that's gonna
result in.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (06:47):
Yeah, it's gonna result in that horror of
the cross.
But even Jesus in Hebrews forthe joy that was set before him,
he endured the cross.
So even Jesus' eyes are fixedon joy, on that ultimate end of
everything being made right, allthings being made new, that new
creation.
So I think that often, maybewithin the church, I would say
the misconception is that joyand grief or hardship or
(07:10):
suffering don't go together.
And that's not at all biblical.
I think that it's often throughhardship and suffering that
we're able to recognize and seejoy for what it is.
Mrs. Erin Kay (07:21):
Marries very well into our next question of why
does scripture call us to choosejoy even in trials?
And what does that look likepractically?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (07:31):
Well, I think for the reason laid out in
Revelation 21, right?
Because the joy that weexpress, like when Paul says
rejoice, right?
That's an expression of joy.
So expressed joy is a witnessto the true and ultimate reality
of Christ in my life and whatthat means for me in the
ultimate end or the beginning,however you want to look at it.
It's like a testimony to thework he's accomplished in the
relationship that's beenrestored with the Father.
(07:52):
So I think choosing joy isactually a spiritual discipline.
It's an exercise because if I'mcalled to rejoice in all
circumstances, that would implythat there's something to still
be joyful about, despite mycurrent circumstances.
So the idea of choosing joy,it's actually volitional on my
part to fix my eyes and train myeyes to look to Christ despite
my emotions, despite what I'mfeeling.
(08:14):
Like my happiness is anemotional response to my
interactions and relationships,surrounding circumstances.
So something like grief andloss or suffering, they can
seriously affect my happiness,but I can still rejoice within
those circumstances.
I can still remember joy.
And again, that's advent.
Anticipating, longing for,waiting for that final moment,
(08:36):
like the marriage supper wherewe are united again with the
Heavenly Father.
I think of the Christmas storyand the angel's pronouncement.
Fear not, for behold, I bringyou good news of great joy.
For unto you is born this dayin the city of David, a savior
who is Christ the Lord.
And then they go on to say,Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace among those withwhom he's pleased.
(08:57):
So for the believer, our end isChrist.
Our joy is a savior born untous that we might be reconciled,
have peace again.
Like they've married joy andpeace.
The angels have in thatpronouncement that we would have
peace again with God.
So he's not only the end of allthings, but he is our life.
So choosing joy isn't aboutputting on a happy face, it's
(09:18):
rooted in something beyond andgreater than ourself.
So practically, what does thatlook like?
Honestly, it can be really hardsometimes.
To choose joy is to recalibratemy mind, to be eternally
minded, and to fix my eyes onChrist and the hope that one day
everything will be made right.
Sorrow will be no more and willalways be with the Lord.
Like I think of C.
S.
Lewis.
The Lord has used theChronicles of Narnia and C.
(09:40):
S.
Lewis in my life to deepen myunderstanding of his heart for
me and who he is.
And the prophecy of Aslan'sreturn is wrongs will be made
right when Aslan comes in sight.
At the sound of his roar,sorrows will be no more.
And I just love that picture oflike the lion shows up and
everyone knows who's in chargeand there is peace.
(10:01):
So, practically, what does thatlook like?
I think because I'm a human,it's hard.
My flesh wants to define my joyby my circumstances.
So I think one of the best waysto practically choose joy is by
rehearsing the gospel.
Preach the gospel to yourself,whether it's in song, whether
it's seeing it within scriptureand tying things back to like
(10:22):
what has Christ done, whetherit's in the books that you read,
the podcasts that you listento, the people that you surround
yourself by, it's importantthat we rehearse the gospel to
ourselves because it's importantthat we're reminded who we are
and what our need is.
It's no longer joy if I don'trealize that I have a need for
it.
My joy is rooted in the realitythat I need Christ to reach
(10:43):
that place.
If it's up to me, if I'vealready arrived, if I think I've
arrived, then like it's notreally joy at all.
It's absent of a loving fatherwho has sent his son to rescue
me.
So I think rehearsing thegospel is a huge way.
And you can do that in so manyways.
But I do think on that note, ifsomeone doesn't actually know
what Christ says about them, ifthey don't know and understand
the father's heart for them,that's the first issue.
(11:05):
Like that's the first thing yougotta address, right?
If you don't understand yourworth, where your identity is,
how can you find joy and peaceand rest if those things are
missing, right?
So go read Genesis one throughthree, go read Exodus 34 and
find out God's character, likewho he says he is.
Learn about his gentleness andhis lowliness in Matthew, just
as heart, like he wants to bewith us, not because he needs
(11:26):
us, but just purely out of adesire to be with us.
That's how he initially createdus to be in that relationship
with him, to care for hiscreation.
I also think prayer andthankfulness are practical ways
to choose joy.
Being thankful in allcircumstances, you're
acknowledging the true realitiesof your spiritual condition in
spite of your circumstances.
Again, it's just like thatreminder.
(11:48):
I also think obedience is ahuge practical way to choose
joy.
It's also probably the hardestbecause it's rooted in our
affections.
Like, what are my affectionsfacing toward?
How am I nurturing my rightaffections?
If joy is a fruit of thespirit, it follows after love.
So it's intrinsically linked tolove.
And Jesus told us how to love.
And he said, If you love me,you'll keep my commandments.
(12:09):
Like our obedience is attached,it's an expression of our love
for him.
And so I think if you're gonnapractically choose joy, I think
obedience, in spite of what youmay be facing or what he's
asking you to do, obedience is avery practical way to choose
joy.
It's obedience in small things,it's obedience in big things,
it's obedience in just beingconsistent in the mundane.
(12:32):
Just obedience is huge.
And I think that ties into likea fourth thing, which is
abiding.
The word abide, may know, it'sa word of command, but Jesus is
using it as an invitation, andhe does so because he says that
this is where you'll havefullness of joy.
He says, These things I spoketo you, that my joy may be in
you, and that your joy may befull.
So our joy is directly tied toour obedience and the alignment
(12:53):
of our hearts, and just the ideaof abiding in that relationship
with the Father is huge.
And so those are those are fourpractical ways I would say to
choose joy in trial or hardship,suffering or grief.
It's a spiritual disciplinebecause it helps us to
practically grow in ourrighteousness.
Righteousness is relational,it's not performative.
So it's born out of myrelationship with the Father.
(13:14):
So if I'm not in his word, ifI'm not abiding, if I'm not
pursuing him, then that's goingto be reflected in everything
else, including my joy,including my level of obedience.
So the best practical thing youcould do is work on that
relationship to choose joy, noteven as a virtue, but as a
person, like as Christ.
Like joy is Christ.
If we abide in him, we havefullness of joy.
Mrs. Erin Kay (13:36):
Yeah, those are some great ways to do that.
And continually being in tuneto where you are in your
relationship with the Lord andnot losing grip of Yeah, the
Lord's not gonna leave youguessing.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (13:48):
My experience, anyways, has been
that the Holy Spirit will makevery clear where you where you
stand with him.
Because the Holy Spirit is onlygonna produce holiness in you.
That's the only thing he canproduce in us is holiness.
And so it's gonna be becomevery obvious if I'm on a
spiritual level, if I'm notpursuing that.
Mrs. Erin Kay (14:03):
Can you share a time when you experienced or
chose joy in the middle of apainful or uncertain season?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (14:11):
So my wife and I have been going through
years of unexplainedinfertility.
We've been married for 13years, and for 11 of those,
there's no answer for it.
There's no reason medicallythat we've been able to find.
And there is a period of timein those first four or five
years were really challenging inour faith because things got
really dark really fast.
When you have something thatyou're hoping for, and it's good
(14:33):
that you're hoping for it, andyou're designed and you're
created to want that and notonly want it, but you should be
able to grow your family in thatway.
It can become verydisheartening, it can become
very infuriating at times.
That's the ultimate reality ofus not being able to have
biological children is becauseof brokenness, right?
Like the brokenness of ourbodies, brokenness of creation
(14:54):
as a result of sin.
So those first four to fiveyears, I would probably describe
them desperate, like becauseall of a sudden these hopes and
these dreams that you've had forwho knows how long, and just
how deep-seated they are,they're just being ripped from
you and you can't do anythingabout it.
And for me, as a husband, I'mwatching my wife suffer and
grieve and experience reallydeep pain that I wasn't able to
(15:16):
do anything about.
And as a part of that, I alsothink I've learned since then
the husband is also experiencingthe trauma and the grief and
the pain.
And so this after years oftrying and thousands of dollars
and medical procedures andappointments and examinations
and just trying to figure outwhat's going on.
We finally got pregnant withtwins.
And then the Lord took thetwins, and it was just like this
(15:39):
renewed sense of despair.
It was like the surge and likehe's answered our prayer.
Like the number of people thatwere praying for us.
I mean, I would guess likehundreds of people across
international borders.
So to have that excitement andthen have it removed almost
immediately, that was a horriblefeeling.
And then we got pregnant againwithin that year, and the Lord
took that one.
And all this time, as we'regoing through it, like as a
(16:00):
husband, like I'm watching mywife deal with this.
Her testimony is incredible.
Like, I don't respect a womanmore than my wife.
Like, my wife had a seriouscrisis of faith, and she in the
end chose Christ.
And I watched her go throughthat.
And meanwhile, as we're goingthrough this, I'm trying to keep
us just like moving forward,right?
Because like the cruel thingabout life is that it keeps
moving forward.
So if you've not experiencedthat, that's that's a horrible
(16:21):
place to be, right?
Where life keeps moving and youjust want everything to stop.
So as my wife is going throughthis, like she's processing
everything.
And for me, I didn't reallyprocess anything because I'm
stereotypical male and I justshoved it away for the time
because I needed to keep usafloat.
So we move beyond that, andthen we ended up adopting our
daughter, and that was such amoment of joy of the father
(16:43):
saying, I see you and I dorestore the brokenness.
And Psalm 112, verse 4 says,Light dawns in the darkness for
the upright.
And our daughter, Lumia, wechose her name because it meant
light.
The Lord had given us that nameas a promise, and we got the
call.
Like, that's her name.
Like Lumia, like this is ourlight.
Like, this is a testimony ofhis faithfulness to us in that
(17:04):
way.
But for me, the rough part wasafter that.
Our friend's son, who was mybuddy, he was filling a hole
that I was unaware that I had.
And he was born with half aheart, and he was six years old.
And a month and a half afterwe'd adopted our daughter, uh,
he passed away.
And can't think of a time thatI felt more empty and broken.
And I think the interestingthing is that the Lord allowed
(17:25):
me to get to a place ofdepletion, emotional, mental,
physical, spiritual depletion.
And then he chose to take meinto the dark valley.
And so I had like a year and ahalf period of depression.
I was having panic attacksbecause my body had decided
we're processing this now.
And so, like, I wasexperiencing panic attacks.
I was having some prettyintense spiritual oppression
(17:46):
happen to me as well.
And it was a really darkseason.
And when the Lord brought meout of that, it wasn't until he
brought me out of that that hebegan to show me every place he
had been faithful for me andfought on my behalf and carried
me.
And it was in that moment thatI realized all those times I had
been telling my wife, we haveto choose Jesus.
It will be okay.
We know what the end is, right?
And then that reverses andshe's telling me those things,
(18:08):
right?
To come on the other side ofthat and then to have that
reality of he is faithful, it isokay, and to realize that the
seat of my joy didn't waver, itdidn't change.
He stayed the same.
I would say that is a momentwhere I experienced joy.
And I think it's important tosay that sometimes we think joy
has to come with a feeling, andthere's a lot of times where
that's not the reality.
(18:28):
And that's the good thing aboutit, too, is that it it's not
based on your feeling, but tothen come out of that pain or
out of that suffering, thatgrief, and realize that my joy
hasn't changed and that joy isstill full in Christ.
That's like a stake in theground for me, like a marker in
my life of choosing joy orrecognizing that joy that I have
and experiencing just like ataste of like the extent of it.
(18:50):
It reaches even into thedarkness and it's unfazed by
your circumstances.
Mrs. Erin Kay (18:56):
What's coming to mind is the phrase, even still.
Even still, the joy is there.
So, what has God taught youabout finding joy that isn't
dependent on your circumstances?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (19:07):
I think, like I just said, like joy doesn't
change.
My heart does, my heartchanges, but joy is consistent.
So my experience of joy andfinding joy often requires a
heart change.
Like I think of David in Psalm51, like, restore to me the joy
of your salvation.
Like his heart had moved awayfrom God, and he's also
confessed that like he needs Godto bring him back to that
(19:28):
place.
And so I think it's alsoimportant that we recognize that
joy is a gift, joy is somethingthat God works within us.
Also, I'm more naturally amelancholy person, like in my
temperament, and like I can bemore cerebral.
And I think that's part of whyspiritual disciplines are a
thing.
Choosing joy as a spiritualdiscipline, like I think we're
exhorted to do that because it'sa part of us that needs to
(19:48):
actually practice righteousness.
I grow in holiness because theHoly Spirit only produces
holiness in me.
So if joy, which is a fruit ofthe Holy Spirit, is birthed in
Christ, then to continue findingjoy, we should be growing in
our righteousness, right?
That's that relationship pieceagain, because that's where it's
going to be found.
So our growth comes from aflourishing relationship with
Christ.
Again, the fullness of joy inthe presence of the Lord.
(20:10):
So finding joy is anintentional on my part.
I have to recognize, again,being aware, like you said,
being aware of who I am, butalso like being intentional in
pursuing that.
I also think like activelyputting myself in his presence,
if we're to abide in him, thenputting myself in his presence
is vital.
Vitally important to thatexperience of joy, to finding
that joy.
(20:30):
Like Psalm 16, 11, there'sthere's fullness of joy in the
presence of the Lord.
So putting myself in hispresence.
I think joy is intended to beshared.
It's not just isolated to you.
Like joy is communion with theFather.
Joy is shared with others.
And it's intended to becommunal.
It's intended to be likebinding, right?
At base level, it's the HolySpirit in you producing that.
So like there's already twoparties, but it's done in
(20:52):
Christ.
So now there's three parties.
And it's so that you can have aright relationship with the
Father.
So now you you've been broughtinto the Trinity.
And then as an outworking ofthat, like it's shared with
others.
So I think it might be hard tofind joy in isolation.
And then the last thing I thinkone of the biggest things for
me was when there's a shift inmy thinking, my understanding
when I thought of being saved.
So like I used to think of I'msaved so I can go to heaven.
(21:13):
Okay.
So a big piece of this is likea shift in my mindset of
thinking that I'm not saved togo to heaven.
Or like realistically, like ifwe're honest, saved to get out
of hell, right?
Like kind of how it'spresented.
And I think that does adisservice to our understanding
of the gospel because when whenmy mindset shifted from that
being saved to go to heaven toI'll always be with the Lord,
when that shifted in my mind of,oh, he wants that.
(21:35):
Like he wants my heart.
Like he's wooing me.
He wants me to abide in him.
Why?
Because it's for my good andit's for his glory.
Like when that shifted for meand my source of joy was rightly
placed in that context of myrelationship with him, I began
to understand what meant that hewas my father, that he's a good
shepherd, that he's king andsavior, he is with me.
I'm not his enemy anymore.
(21:56):
So Christ is my joy and mypeace dancing, and my good news
of great joy, right?
So like I think those are someof the things like I've been
I've learned about finding joydespite outside of any sort of
circumstantial things in mylife.
Mrs. Erin Kay (22:09):
What does everyday ordinary joy look like
as an expression of life withChrist?
And what helps you cultivatejoy as a spiritual posture, not
a temporary emotion?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (22:20):
I think thankfulness is an everyday
ordinary expression of joy.
Genuine thankfulness.
I think genuine self-givinglove for others is an expression
of joy.
Serving in a non-transactionalway is an expression of joy.
That peace that passesunderstanding, right?
That we live day to day in isan expression of joy.
It's that unhurriedness, it'sthat I'm at rest.
(22:41):
I think also to cultivate joyand as an expression of it, like
worship is like a huge piece ofthis.
Worship is one of the thingsthat the Lord has used in my
life.
Like music that he's used in mylife to draw me closer to
himself.
It's not the only way, and Iwould caution anyone who thinks
that that's how they, that's theonly way they could commune
with God.
But worship is vital.
(23:01):
And if I could say somethingabout worship, God's given
everyone a voice.
We're called and commanded tosing, and we're exhorted to
sing.
It's a distinguishing mark ofsomeone who's a follower of
Jesus, and it's expected, right?
Like it's like it's expected tobe a part of the believer's
life.
I was raised in a church thatI'm thankful for, that the music
minister.
He is regularly exhorting thefathers to sing.
(23:23):
He says, Your children need tohear you sing.
I think singing is anexpression.
Uh C.
S.
Lewis calls it praise is thatconsummation of those feelings
that you have.
Like you can do no higher thingthan to praise, right?
And so, like worship tocultivate that joy in your life,
you really should be singing.
There's also scientific andother things to back that up,
just like the benefits of thatand and why it's important to
(23:45):
our human psyche and just ourexistence and things like that.
But worship is huge incultivating joy in your life.
Mrs. Erin Kay (23:52):
All right.
So, what are some simple thingsthat bring you joy during
Advent and how do those momentspoint you back to Jesus?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (24:01):
Anything that we can do to keep our mind on
Christ during that season iswhat we try to do.
So, one of the things that I doand that our family does is we
kind of treat Advent just likesomeone would treat Lent.
It is intended to be thatseason of preparation before the
festival.
So, like Lent is that period oftime where you're looking
toward Holy Week and thenEaster, like Resurrection Sunday
and then the Easter tide.
(24:22):
And in the same way, Adventserves as that season of
anticipation and waiting.
So, like what we try to do iswe try to keep Christmas at
Christmas and we try to fosterlike anticipation during the
Advent season.
So one of the things I dopersonally is like I abstain
from social media during thattime.
And anything that coulddistract me, I probably should
just be off like social medialike altogether, right?
(24:43):
Like I understand that it issomething I intentionally like
just remove myself from so thatI could be intentional in that
time and focus.
Another way that we do that iswe make sure that our kids
understand that any gifts thatthey receive that they know who
they come from.
Not intentionally to becontrarian or controversial, but
it's something that my wife andI decided that we want the joy
of Christmas to not be confusedat all.
(25:03):
Because it's soconsumer-minded, we want there
to be a clear distinction of whywe're celebrating.
And we don't want our kids tothink we're like supplementing
anything.
Like the story is incredible,and we want them to know the
story, and we want them tocelebrate and to feel that
excitement that he's here,right?
So that's one of the thingsthat we have intentionally just
decided for our family.
(25:23):
We do fun things, like we putup light, and again, like
anything we can do to like tieit back to Christ, like he's the
light of the world.
Like, why are we putting uplights right now?
It's a festival of lights.
We're we're celebrating that helike the light has come into
the world, the light has shinedin the darkness.
We we bake birthday cakes forJesus.
Our kids are very excited aboutit.
This past September, like we'redriving back from a camping
trip and they're talking aboutwhat they want the cake to be
(25:45):
and what it's gonna say and howthey're gonna decorate it.
Like it's something that likethey're actually like genuinely
like looking forward to.
And uh, that's I mean,obviously, that's what we want.
We listen to good music.
I just love finding new conceptalbums and things of retelling
the story, and I reallyappreciate that.
Obviously, go through theadvent story.
The last thing I'd say is likewe try to slow down to just be
(26:06):
to rest.
This is only our third yearthat we're gonna be like in our
home on Christmas Eve andChristmas Day.
Like, we're giddy about it.
Our kids, I mean, they lovegoing to Grandma Papa's, but
Bethany and I, we're we're giddyabout being at home and just
being at rest, being at peace,cutting out the busyness and the
chaos.
Even if it's festive, sometimesthe busyness can steal your
(26:27):
ability to reflect and bask inthe reality that there is good
news of great joy and it's oursavior who is Christ the Lord.
So those are things that we tryto do to foster that.
Mrs. Erin Kay (26:39):
Thank you so much for being here with us today,
Mr.
Caldwell, and for reminding usof the good news that is the
great joy and helping us toshape our understanding of what
joy was designed to be.
If any of our listeners want tocontact you to ask more
questions or just sharesomething that's going on in
their life, what's the best wayfor them to contact you?
Mr. Joey Caldwell (27:00):
Well, they could come by my office, but I
think the easier thing would bejust email me at joseph.caldwell
at binlippen.com.
Mrs. Erin Kay (27:06):
Great.
Thank you so much for beinghere with us today and Merry
Christmas.
Mr. Joey Caldwell (27:10):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thank you so much for being with us today as we
explore the beautiful promisesof Advent.
We hope these truths deeplyinspire you throughout the week,
turning the story of Christinto a personal invitation,
calling you to walk daily in hishope, peace, love, and joy.
We truly look forward tosharing the next step of our
Advent journey with you soon.
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