Tag: Happiness

WHERE DO I FIND JOY?

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“The very nature of Joy makes nonsense of our common distinction between having and wanting” – C.S. Lewis.

How do I find joy? If you talk to 100 people you most likely will get 100 different places to find joy. If you want even bigger numbers google joy: over 1 billion results will pop up on your device. If you click on the top sites, you will find list after list of things you can do to try and find the joy you are looking for that border on the practical all the way to the surreal and everything in between. But is joy that complex and varied and is it that difficult to pin down?

Philippians 1:3-5 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.”

The Apostle Paul was in prison awaiting a trial and a verdict when he wrote these words. In preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and declaring Jesus as the true king, Paul had broken the law of Rome. But despite Paul’s imprisonment, Philippians is a letter characterized by joy. How could Paul have joy in prison? How could Paul have joy in a time of great uncertainty? Lastly, how could Paul experience joy when he knew that the judgment of death could happen every day?

Philippians 1:3-5 gives us the answer. Read Paul’s words again. He thanks the Lord for the relationships and for the fellowship he has shared with the church in Philippi. God and the church members are the source of joy for Paul. They studied God’s word together, built the church, and shared the Gospel throughout Philippi. While Paul was not able to be with them at this time, he knew that their friendships were eternal. Paul reminded himself of this truth and of the joy of partnership which enabled Paul to give thanks and experience joy even in difficult circumstances.

We can experience the joy of God’s presence today as well as the joy of living with Him in eternity.  In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist writes, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

The joy of the Lord is the firm, unshakeable belief that God loves me and the unbendable belief that He is working everything for my good.

There are many things in this life that can give us happiness or even a taste of joy. Relationships. Nature. A fun hobby. But nothing can give you long-lasting joy like the freedom that is found in the completed work of Jesus.

God loves you. He knows you. And He is working in you.

So, before you do a Google search on where to find joy, remember that the results are already in. All we need is found in Christ.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When people say that God has a wonderful plan for their lives, what do they usually mean?
  2. What can we do this week to trust and accept God’s plan for the future?

True Happiness Can Only Be Found In God

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“Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.” – Psalm 144:15.

Human history is the story of mankind’s search for true and lasting happiness. Some find it, some don’t. Even billionaires who appear to have it all and want for nothing can’t seem to find true contentment and joy.

We are probably not one of the approximately 3,311 billionaires looking for happiness. While we are in a different place financially, we still look for happiness: often in the wrong places. We focus on what is not important rather than what is. We all experience happiness at different times in our lives. But if our happiness is found outside of God, then it is temporary.  True happiness cannot be found in relationships, wealth, status, or accomplishments because all of these things can be undone or disappear rather quickly. When that happens, we are giving away our joy, nobody is stealing it.

Happiness is a choice.  Randy Alcorn says, “Those who sit around waiting to be happy shouldn’t hold their breath—it will likely be a long wait.” True happiness comes from having a relationship with God, our Creator, and Jesus His Son. That’s where true and lasting happiness comes from—not in stuff we build up here on earth. When we know, love, and serve God, His peace invades our hearts and we can see life in a different way.

God is eternal, His purpose is perfect, and we are forever His. He gives us all things and works all things for our good. What makes God’s gifts so special is not the thing given but the One who gives it. If we are going to be happy, truly happy, then we have to look behind the gifts we enjoy when days are easy to the God who gives them. And when days are dark we have to look beyond our painful circumstances to the God who loves us and strengthens us.

Being “joyful always” doesn’t mean we have to walk around with a fake smile on our face all the time, ignore reality or suppress every negative emotion. This verse simply implores us to intentionally let our faith, not our feelings, dictate our joy. The secret to real happiness isn’t really a secret at all.

To find true happiness you must look to the Lord Jesus, find beauty in His character, fall in love with His work, and stand in awe at what He has done for you and the future you have in Him. In Him, we have real joy. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you believe joy is a feeling or a choice?
  2. Remind yourself of the importance of rejoicing by searching the Bible—both Old and New Testaments—for God’s instructions in this area. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us it’s God’s will that we “rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances.”

Matching Your Dreams with God’s Dreams

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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” – Luke 4:18-19

We hear a great deal about “the American dream” or “finding your dream girl or boy” or “beyond your wildest dreams” to speak of experiences that surprise us or go beyond our expectations. There are many terms and expressions in which the term “dream” is used. God starts with a dream of a beautiful, interconnected world, constantly unfolding, teeming with His creation that is loving. The question is how do we match your dreams with God’s dreams for your life. 

Joseph was a dreamer. He had dreams of his brothers bowing down to him. His brothers hated him because he was already their father’s favorite; he wore a special multi-colored robe that was a daily reminder of their father’s favoritism. Now, these dreams just made them hate him even more. They wanted to kill him, but one of the brothers talked the others into selling him into slavery instead. They looked at Joseph and saw a pampered and spoiled pet, and an egotistical dreamer.

But God looked at Joseph and saw a man He could trust. God knew that tough times were coming, and if the family was going to survive, God needed a man He could trust in a position of authority. God gave Joseph those dreams, and other dreams, because God had a dream for Joseph. God didn’t see a spoiled boy; God saw the next administrator of Egypt and the savior of Jacob’s family.

 God’s dream for you is more significant than anything you may have in mind. You are called to participate in greatness, not smallness. God’s dream is for you to have a spectacular life—the best. But often, God’s dream for His creation veered off course putting each other down instead of bringing out the best in others, or ourselves.

Jesus is the answer to getting back on the path toward re-alignment and cutting the gap between the world as it is and the world God intended. In Luke 4:18-19, at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus tells us what He is all about and how to get back on track.  Jesus was about healing, liberating, forgiving debts, and extending God’s favor to all.   

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Every person is a dream of God. God dreamed you up…for a reason. God has a plan and purpose for you, and you will be the happiest and most effective when you are living God’s dream for you. Agree or disagree and why? 
  2. How does God’s dream for us impact our daily lives? 

Happy Days

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“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” – Psalm 37: 4-6. 

In a survey, 90 percent of respondents said they have regret in their lives. In the same survey regret is the second most frequently mentioned emotion after love. One survey response on living a regret free life is simply allowing yourself to be happier.  Blaise Pascal said, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end…”  I think if we are honest, we would accept the truth of this statement, especially in the context that God wants us to be happy.   

As Christians, we tend to think about and talk about the sacrifices we must make to be a follower of Jesus. Most Christians understand that it is not easy to be a follower of Jesus. There are things to do and things to avoid. There are do’s and there are don’ts. There are laws and commandments. It’s no wonder many Christians wonder if God really wants wants us to be happy or to simply keep our nose to the grindstone. Having the grindstone mentality may explain why Christians aren’t always the happiest looking people you come in contact with. 

But, the truth is, God wants us to be happy. In fact, our pursuit of happiness is commanded. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Delighting or finding your happiness in God is your chief aim in life. Because when you find your happiness in God,  you are declaring God as more valuable than anything else. John Piper puts it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” God knows that you will be happiest when you find your happiness in Him.

So, what does this have to do with regret? The impact that regret can have on our lives is sometimes difficult to foresee. But regret is an incredibly powerful and enduring feeling that is directly related to our happiness in the end. When we find our happiness in God, we will remember what matters most, what counts and doesn’t count. We won’t be distracted by the petty, the trivial, the things that are not important in life. How much money we make. How popular we are. Not getting into a school, or closing that deal, or giving into that temptation or breaking that rule. 

When you are centered on Jesus we will do less things that cause regret. When we are happy in God, we won’t feel the overwhelming need for other people or things to satisfy our deepest desires. And that is why 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. There are many different ideas of what constitutes happiness. What does it mean to you to be truly happy? 
  2. Besides your faith in Christ, what are some of the things in your life that give you happiness? 
  3. How do happiness and regret go together?
  4.  Ask God to help you seek happiness through Him only.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

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“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” – Lamentations 3:22

If you ask the average person if they wanted to be happy, they would look at you like this is a trick question.  Who wouldn’t want to be happy? In fact, if you were to make a list right now of all the things you want in your life, chances are the vast majority of things that make the list are the things that make you happy, or at least you think they will make you happy.

You may think if you have a bigger house, more money, a better car, a different job or a better boss you’d be happy. Many of those things are based on another person or on some kind of outward circumstance over which you have no control. It reminds me of the scenes from a movie where some guy is out in the desert. He’s so thirsty his mind is playing tricks on him. He thinks he sees a pool of water up ahead. It looks very real to him. He staggers toward the water. But when he reaches the water’s edge, he discovers the pool of water is just more desert. It was just a mirage—something that appeared to be something that is not really there. 

Many of us have been that poor guy in the desert seeking happiness by chasing after things that convince us that happiness was just around the corner. All we need is something that we can’t find in other people or in other circumstances. Unfortunately, those things are often a mirage.

The truth is, God wants you to enjoy your life every day. Take a look at John 10:10 (AMP). It says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” This scripture clearly tells us that God doesn’t just want us to live our life in a desert. He wants us to live with abundant joy.

I would encourage you to not wait on when, or wait on someday. So many people have the mindset that they will be really happy and enjoy life when…they go on vacation, when the kids are older, when they get higher on the ladder of success at work, when they get married…whatever we hope for in the future. We can all relate to waiting for a when in our lives.   

Make a decision today to connect to God. Remember that God loves you always. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway. We all have things about us and in our lives that need to change, but they will really only change when we’re abiding in Christ, living with the joy of the Lord.

As you go about your day today, make this your goal: Set the Lord continually before you and He will give you strength to face any problems you have to deal with, and you’ll enjoy your life while you’re doing it.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever wondered why you did not let yourself be happier?
  2. What is the secret to finding happiness in your mind?
  3. Can we enjoy our lives more? Why or why not?
  4. Pray and ask God to help you set the Lord continually before you.   

Unshakeable Contentment

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But godliness with contentment is great gain.” – 1 Timothy 6:6.

A man was upset that his friends had houses that were larger and more luxurious. That had to change. So he listed his house with a real estate firm, planning to upgrade to a bigger house once his sold. A few weeks passed and he was looking through the real estate section of the newspaper. An ad for a house caught his eye. It seemed ideal from the description. He promptly called the realtor and said, “a house described in today’s paper is exactly what I’m looking for. I would like to go through it as soon as possible!” The agent asked him several questions about it and then replied, “but sir, that’s your house you’re describing.”

We live in a culture where we’re taught to believe that more is never enough and our success is based on how we’re doing in comparison to others. Basically, we have created a culture of discontent. We have closets full of clothes, but complain that we have nothing to wear. We run out of storage space for all our stuff that we don’t use and probably never will. We protect our homes with sophisticated security systems and still fear for our safety. We have 200 channels on our television and complain that there’s nothing worth watching.

We have become short-sighted, plagued with short-attention spans and shorter tempers. We are constantly seeking the secret to happiness and often that search translates into more, bigger, or better. But that doesn’t bring us happiness. Most of us possess so much, yet we enjoy what we have so little.

God wants us to be content because He knows that contentment produces peace, joy and love. 

So how do we find contentment? Let me take a moment and give some additional thoughts from what I talked about on Sunday. One way is to keep from falling into the comparison trap, that is comparing ourselves to others. 2 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” Comparing what we have with what others have means, according to the Bible, we are without understanding. 

Then be content and give thanks in what you do have. “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Instead of focusing on your circumstances or what you don’t have, think about what you do have, and be grateful and thank God for it. 

Finally, share what you have to help others. “…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38) Don’t put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. Put your hope in God because He provides for you. Do good with what God has given you and be willing to share it and watch Him multiply and bless you. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. This series is about putting God first. Sometimes our lives get cluttered with things that distract us.  If you could eliminate one thing from your life, what you would eliminate?
  2. Would you define yourself as content or anxious?
  3. What’s the secret to being content in all circumstances?
  4. What are some steps we can take to be more content?

The Song Of Solomon Today

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“My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother,  pure to her who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her. “Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners? –  Song of Solomon 6:9-10.

The Song of Solomon was written and inspired by God to bless the lives of every man and every woman regardless of their age or upbringing by teaching them how to find true love, enjoy a lifelong partner, and build a successful marriage. The Song of Solomon is talking about love, sex and marriage. The question is whether “love like the dawn and beautiful as the moon” is still relevant today.

Love, sex, and marriage is very relevant in today’s culture. It is hard to pick up a magazine, regardless of the target audience, that does not have one or more articles on one of these categories.  We are inundated with messages when it comes to themes like love, sex and marriage. All these were created by God. He is the creator, the designer, the architect, He owns the copyright. So it makes perfect sense that we would hear from Him on the subject.  In Song of Solomon you find the beauty and depth that God had in mind for love, sex and marriage.   

The Song of Solomon shows that God cares about the daily lives of his people. Ideally, if a couple today learns the Song of Solomon, then they can lay the proper foundation in dating for a joyful marriage. The story gives some of the best advice available for dating couples. It teaches a woman how to choose a husband and a man how to choose a wife so that they might live full, married, lives. The ones who learn what God expects of them before marriage start off with fewer problems. When problems do appear, they know how to handle them instead of just reacting to them. It will work as well today as it did thousands of years ago.

But there is another reason why the Song of Solomon is still relevant today and why we are talking about it in the Unforgettable Love Story series. It is never too too late for those of us who are already married. The Song of Solomon teaches how to lay the foundation for a happy marriage at every stage–courting, newlywed, and silver or golden anniversaries. At whatever stage a couple happens to be, they can examine their relationship, and more importantly they can build on it. To make it better. It’s not too late to enjoy the happiness displayed in the Song of Solomon or the marital love that God designed.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some of the ways that the Song of Solomon expresses the nature of a right relationship between husband and wife?
  2. What can you learn from the Song of Solomon that will help you in your marriage?
  3. What can you learn from Solomon or his bride on how to be a better spouse?
  4. If you need to take a step or two of growth in dating, marriage or relationships, what might that look like?

Trust In Action

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“Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” – Galatians 3: 6-9

Aside from Moses, no Old Testament character is mentioned more in the New Testament than Abraham. Abraham is mentioned in 230 verses in the Old and New Testament.

There is much we can learn by observing Abraham’s life through the scriptures. The apostle Paul in Romans chapter 4 refers to Abraham six times as the father of faith. Though he lived in a world at enmity with God, Abraham models a life lived to those who chose to walk by faith in God.

When told to go, he went. When promised, he believed. When commanded, he obeyed—even when it seemed to make no sense at all. Abraham’s faith wasn’t because of his intellect, his accomplishments, or pedigree, or even his wealth. Exercising that was not easy. Abraham “hoped against hope” at times, in other words he believed God, in spite of their being little or no hope. Abraham was “a friend of God “ (James 2:23) because of his faith. The object of Abraham’s faith was God himself. Abraham believed in and trusted God completely.

Fast forward 2,000 years. Trust can still seem like hoping against hope. Trust is rarely a suggestion. When someone says “trust me”, it is usually implied that you throw one’s self into a situation and believe wholeheartedly that the situation will come to pass as they promise. For in the times of trouble; in the out-of-my-control circumstances and in the I-don’t-get-it days, we will look to something or someone to trust.

Proverbs 3: 5 gives us a direction for trust: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Trust is action, an active throwing of yourself into the hands of God as Abraham did, and saying I believe in Your grace and accept Your plan.

Why should we trust God completely? Because He is trustworthy. He is worthy of trust because trust requires a track record. You wouldn’t trust someone at their word if they had lied to you consistently in the past. But God’s track record is perfect. This does not mean it is perfectly understood, but it means His love, power, grace and compassion is promised clearly in scripture and can be experienced plainly in our lives.

God used Abraham to play a pivotal role in the outworking of the story of redemption, culminating in the birth of Jesus. Abraham is a living example of faith and hope in the promises of God (Hebrews 11:10). Our lives should be so lived that when we reach the end of our days, our faith and our trust in God, like Abraham’s, will remain as an enduring legacy to others.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is trust and delight related.
  2. What prevents us from taking delight in God’s promises and plans? What areas of your life do you not fully trust God?
  3. If there are areas of your life where God is not “coming through” the way you would like, how can you learn to trust God in those situations?
  4. What can you do this week to realign your actions to reflect trust in God?
  5. Think of someone in your life that you see as an example for trusting God – what do they do really well that you can learn from?

We Have Met The Enemy And He Is Us

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Not many people are happy with themselves. We all want to be thinner or stronger, taller or shorter, happier, healthier, smarter, you name it. There’s a myriad of things we’d like to change about ourselves. And in most cases there are any number of things we would like to change about our relationships as well. The question I would ask about change in the area of relationships is this: how often are we asking others to change and how often do we change ourselves?

Relationships can be challenging in the best of times. Whenever there are two people there is the possibility of differences in perspective and view point. Even for believers, in spite of the fact that we are new creatures, there is the possibility of our old self rearing its ugly head. And when we are facing trials in our life, and some generally hard times, then problems are magnified. They seem bigger. It is times like this when we say things to others that we would never normally say. We are angry and disheartened and the spouse, brother, aunt, co-worker, business partner, or neighbor is on the receiving end of those pent-up emotions. “Yes, I really let them have it with both barrels. And yes, I hit below the belt. Still, I feel justified.  I can’t recover those words anyway, so what do I do now?” That is an easier position to be in than most people realize.

The instinctive reaction to that question for Christians is to pray. But when we are in the midst of a bump in the road or an event that has left us devastated, we often pray to blame God for not preventing the problem, or spend large amounts of time explaining to Him the problem in detail. It seems a bit funny to explain to God what our problem is, but I am confident most of us, me included, has done it. The bottom line is that this prayer is about God “fixing” the problem; and fixing the problem involves showing the other party in the relationship where they went wrong. Because God knows they could use some straightening out.

“Wow, Marty, I felt that one. Fifteen yards for unnecessary roughness.”  Maybe. But I want you to consider that it may be that you are the one who is wrong. At least, more than likely, there is enough “wrong” to go around. When I reflect on the relationships over my lifetime, I have been either wrong or partly wrong a good number of times. Especially when I look at relationships from a Biblical standard.

The Bible is full of instructions on getting along with people. The way that God changes people is by His word. I believe that if you took the time to let His word speak to your heart, there would be some transformation taking place that let you see that other person from God’s perspective and allow you to love them with His kind of love. That doesn’t mean you have to approve of his or her actions or words, or go along with whatever that person does. I’m not asking you to condone their actions, but rather just to see them through the lens of Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell us that people have to think before they speak or harness their words before we love them, forgive them, or live at peace with them. Nor do we need to seek revenge or retribution. Romans 12:17-19 says: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” 

Fortunately, God doesn’t accept our good part and reject our bad part. He doesn’t write us off because we fail occasionally to meet His standards in our relationships.  He sees us as a whole person. God does not expect you to have “arrived” in any area, including how we use our words. Or in relationships. In fact, He makes it very clear that you will never be all you can be in this life (Romans 8:18-25). That being the case, to have a goal of being a “finished product” in the area of relationships is to set yourself up for failure.  We will make mistakes.  We will say things we wish we had not said.  And yes, we will have relationships that we wish to improve. Remember small changes can make a big difference.

So, are you working on you rather than the other person? Are you taking small steps to being more Christlike? Are you taking small steps to becoming all God wants you to be? Remember our study of Philippians. Paul had no problem asking the Philippians to follow his example because he was modeling a process, not a finished product.

Discussion questions:

1. What percentage would you give of the times you were wrong or partly wrong in your relationships?
2. Are we obligated to forgive someone who harmed us with their words? What if I am still hurting?
3. Words can hurt people. Should we treat repeat offenses different than the first offense?
3. Psalms 86:5 says, “ You, Lord, are forgiving and good abounding in love to all who call to you.” What does this mean to you?
5. How would you rate the quality of your relationships? Friendships? What is the one thing you would change to improve them? Pray and ask God to help you in that area.

 

Looking For Joy?

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The song Joy to the World reminds me of our mission to help the whole world find and follow Jesus. One of the things we have attempted to do over our years here at Northstar is connect God’s unchanging Word to our ever-changing world. That’s our job. We have worked hard at inviting the unchurched, de-churched and over-churched to become developing followers of Jesus and as a result find the joy of living a life dedicated to God.

Along the way I have learned some undeniable truths; God’s dreams are way, way bigger than our dreams. I believe that God’s dreams for us are way, way better than our dreams. God has chosen to bless Northstar in so many ways. Many people have found Jesus and joined our church over the last few years. So how do we help each one of these people grow in the Lord and find joy in their relationship with Him. I have one possible answer to those challenges, but it is probably not what you are expecting.

Have things gotten a little less exciting than they were when you first started coming to Northstar? This is somewhat common among some believers, especially if you weren’t raised in the church and don’t have a church family. Psalms 92:13 tells us, “They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.”

It’s great to want to be part of a church that’s healthy and has longevity, accountability, a pastoral leadership team and Biblical doctrine. We need to see those things as important, but also that we need to serve. Joy does not come from “going to church,” but when we become “the church” and to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

As pastor, you begin to see how valuable each person is. Every person and volunteer matters. Your presence matters. Your help and the time you give is so valuable. You may think your church is fine with people who are on staff, but you would be surprised to find out just how much help we need. And that doesn’t include our future outreach programs.

What I’m trying to explain is that joy comes from a mentality of serving others, not from being served. It is a joy to serve and to set up chairs or coffee, or be backstage setting up for the worship. Whether greeting people, or singing on the stage, every person in the body of Christ who is serving matters. I encourage you to reread 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, the passage on one body and many members.

Without the volunteers at our church right now, we wouldn’t have a service. We all have different gifts, so volunteering may not be of interest to you, but I pray God will show you where you too can serve in your local church. Just ask the Lord to show you what your part is.

I believe if you step out of your comfort zone and serve—rather than just go to receive—it will be a wonderful, joyful experience for you.
Discussion Questions:
1. How would you answer the following question: What is the Christian Life?
2. Luke 12:48 says, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” What does this mean to you? Can “much” include spiritual gifts?
3. Do you find joy in serving? Why or why not?
4. Pray that God will show you where you can best serve others in the local church?