THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS: The Gift of JOY // JOY Starts with Saying YES to Jesus

Embracing the JOY of Jesus will transform our lives, not just during the Christmas season but all year round. Let's explore this truth, drawing inspiration from the story of the angels and the shepherds, who discovered the joy of saying "yes" to God's invitation. Let's unpack how joy is not just a fleeting emotion but a deep, intrinsic part of our relationship with Him. Whether you're navigating the complexities of life or facing moments of loneliness, this episode invites you to consider how accepting God's invitation can lead you to a lasting and fulfilling joy.

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“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 NIV

SEEK HIM: Devotion is Meeting with God in Our Own Lives! Christmas is known as the happiest time of the year, but what about the rest of the year? What gives us true happiness? Thing is, Jesus came at Christmas bringing the gift of His presence. This can fill us with joy at Christmas and always. Let’s spend some time unwrapping the gift of joy through His Word!

• WHAT:  What is God saying through this Scripture? God doesn’t just give occasional joy; He promises to fill us up with joy as we stay close to Him. He helps us know what paths to follow, and He gives us joy as we walk with Him along the way. ~ Does God sound like a generous gift giver in our key verse? What stands out to you from our verse? Where is joy found? 
• WHY:  Why does this Scripture matter? The truth of our key verse mattered so much to the Apostle Peter that he recited it in his testimony centuries later (Acts 2:28). Joy in God’s presence has mattered to generations of His people, and we can choose for this to matter to us, too. ~ How does this verse encourage you? What does God’s presence feel like to you? What type of path do you want to walk?
• HOW: How does God want us to respond to this truth? Each of us gets to decide every day whether or not we will stay close to Jesus. Being in His presence means being mindful of Him, relying on Him, talking to Him and spending time with Him in His Word. This is His path that keeps us close to Him and will result in giving us joy. ~ How are you choosing to stay close to Jesus? How much joy do you have today? 

SPEAK HIM: Discipleship is Making God Known to Others! After Christmas, we put away the decorations, but the joy of God’s presence can decorate our lives all year long. As we “Seek Him,” we can pray with joy (Philippians 1:4), ask for more joy (Psalm 86:4) and sing with joy, because “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:2a, 3 NIV). God’s gift of joy is always available, and we can “open” this gift and experience His joy again and again. What’s more, our joy with Him can overflow so that we “Speak Him” and share His joy with others, at Christmastime and always. 

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Merry Christmas.
I hope that you are in themidst of the most amazing
Christmas holiday season.
I hope that you're surroundedby friends and family and
meaningful relationships thatare filling your heart with so
much joy.
Or maybe your life is a littlelike mine this year, because I

(00:23):
don't have everybody who mattersto me around me this Christmas
holiday season.
But the question for all of usis how do we experience joy,
true joy, at Christmas,regardless of our circumstances,
and experience true joy allyear long, no matter what is

(00:44):
happening in our lives?
You know my last podcast.
I have to admit it was a ratherlong episode.
I had a lot to say, but in thisepisode I'm going to keep it
really brief because I believeGod has something for us that
well, it's pretty quick and justlike that we can get on with
all the holiday happening.
So I'm going to cue the introand I'll be right back to talk

(01:05):
about God's gift of joy.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast.
If you have a real relationshipwith Jesus, then you're in the
right place to be encouraged,challenged and blessed as you
seek Him, speak Him.
The mission of the FamilyDisciple Me ministry is to
inspire devotion-drivendiscipleship, which is something
we believe every Christfollower can do.

(01:32):
Discipleship starts with aconversation, so let's get going
with that right now.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
We all know that in the Christmas story, the angels
appeared to the shepherds asthey were watching their sheep
in the fields, and one of theangels said to them fear not,
for behold, I bring you goodnews of great joy, joy that will
be for all people, for unto youis born this day, in the city

(02:02):
of David, a Savior who is Christ, the Lord.
That's Luke, chapter 2, verses10 and 11, that good news of
great joy.
It was available for everybody,for all people.
The question is how do wereceive that joy?
This is the question I've beenpondering as I've been leading

(02:26):
up to this podcast and thinkingabout what it means to receive
joy.
How do we find it, how do wereceive it, how do we keep it?
And I've honestly been layingawake in my bed saying, lord,
show me something new about joy.
And he answered my cry, becausehere's the thing when we seek

(02:47):
him, he promises that he'll befound by us.
He promises that he will speakto us, that he will show us
what's next, in his timing, inhis way and as I was seeking him
about joy, this is what he toldme the way to have joy is one
word, and that one word is yes.

(03:10):
Now that may seem reallystrange to you, but I believe
it's absolutely intrinsic to theconcept and the truth of joy in
Scripture.
You see, when the angels gavethe shepherds the news of great
joy, they could have respondedin so many different ways.

(03:32):
They could have said anoutright no.
They could have said wait.
They could have said well,let's just see what happens in
the morning.
They could have said, you know,sounds kind of iffy, not going
to pay attention to that one.
They could have said they couldhave responded so many

(03:53):
different ways.
And yet what their actions say,that they said, was this they
said yes, no.
That's not explicitly in thescriptures, so I'm not trying to
add to what the Word of Godsays, but we know that they said
yes in their hearts becausetheir actions then led them to

(04:17):
the manger scene.
Their actions then led them toJesus and friend.
I believe it's the same for uswhen we are given the good news
of great joy.
And really, who doesn't wantgreat joy?
Great joy leads to Jesus.
And we can respond in so manydifferent ways as well.

(04:40):
We can say an outright no.
We can say maybe.
We can say I'll check it out,maybe in the morning?
Or what are my other options?
Or we can say yes.
God's word says in Psalm 16,verse 11, you make known to me
the path of life.

(05:01):
You will fill me with joy inyour presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.
Over and over and over again,god's word says that our joy,
true joy, is found with Jesus.
That our joy, true joy, isfound with Jesus.

(05:24):
Oh, my goodness, we love thejoy of being with the people
that matter most to us.
Not going to negate that, butscripture tells us that the
greatest of our joy comes frombeing with the Lord himself.
The question is what's ouranswer to that invitation?
I was reading in my devotionsthis morning as I continued
processing Lord, show me whatyou want to show me about joy,

(05:47):
and I came upon these words inPsalm, chapter 73, words that
actually led me into aconversation as I spent time
seeking the Lord.
When I got to verse 23, itreads Yet I am always with you,
you hold my right hand, and Ifelt like God said Do you want

(06:08):
this?
And I said yes.
Then I continued reading.
Verse 24 says you guide me withyour counsel and afterward you
will take me up in glory, and Ifelt like the Spirit of God said
Do you want to be this close tome?
And my spirit said yes.

(06:32):
The scripture continues, sayingwho do I have in heaven but you?
And I desire nothing on earth.
But you and the Spirit of Godsaid is this true in your life,
tasha?
And I said yes, I want this tobe true.
Scripture continues my fleshand my heart may fail, but God

(06:55):
is the strength of my heart, myportion forever.
But God is the strength of myheart, my portion forever.
And he said am I truly yourportion forever, no matter what,
regardless of who is with you,who is not, what's going right,
what's going wrong, no matterwhat is happening, am I your
portion forever?

(07:15):
And my spirit said to him yes.
The passage ends with thesewords as for me, god's presence
is my good.
Oh, friend, how do you respondto that?
Does your spirit say no?
Does your spirit say, well,maybe, or I'll think about that

(07:42):
tomorrow, or I think I'm goingto look into other options, or
does your spirit respond to thatand say yes?
I'm convinced that one reason somany people experience joy at
Christmas is because it's theone season where they get closer
than ever to the presence ofGod Because, well, the presence
of Jesus is all over Christmas.

(08:04):
Whether you want to accept itor not, christmas is about
Christ and because of that,there is a sense of joy that is
inexplicable, that even peoplewho want nothing to do with God
experience, even people who wantnothing to do with God
experience.
And yet, if we want that joy tofill our hearts always, not

(08:27):
just at Christmastime but thewhole year through, the question
is how are we going to respondto God?
Will we say yes, oh, friend, Ipray that as you spend the rest
of this holiday season and thenconclude this year, I pray that
you'll spend some time seekingthe Lord and listening to what

(08:49):
His Spirit wants to say to you.
Through this scripture, god hasmade known to us the paths of
life.
He will fill us with joy in Hispresence.
Friend, seek Him about this andthen, what's more, don't just
stop there.
Turn around and speak Him intothe life of someone that he has

(09:13):
entrusted to you.
This is devotion-drivendiscipleship.
This is how we can make adifference in this world.
As we seek the Lord and weexperience Him and know Him
better in our own lives, as wemeet with Him, then we can turn
around and make Him known.
Oh friend, choose joy, chooseJesus.

(09:37):
As this year ends and we getready to begin a new year, don't
miss a moment of the amazing,amazing gift that you have that
I have to be in His presence.
He is with us, he wants us tobe close to Him and this is the

(09:57):
tidings, the good news of greatjoy that is for all people.
Be encouraged Until next time,god bless.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
Thanks for joining us in this podcast episode.
You can find the matchingconversation guide in the show
notes.
To get the latest updates aboutthe Family Disciple Me ministry
, as well as word about oursoon-to-be-released app, sign up
to be the first to know atfamilydisciplemeorg.
Also, if you enjoyed thispodcast, help us get the word

(10:31):
out by leaving us a review onyour favorite podcast platform.
God bless you, friend.
Now go seek him.
Speak him.