This Sunday at the Gathering Church we complete the message series, Serious Joy, a 40-Day Experiment of Joy. Is it possible to increase our capacity to experience and express joy?
From the very beginning a key theme emerged: Â Joy is a choice?
A choice to do what?
Just to be more positive? Â To ignore whatever might make us sad, angry, or fearful?
Undoubtedly, Christians have often misused the biblical teaching on joy to avoid, deny, or stuff the normal emotions we feel when the circumstances of life are crushing us. For the perceived sake of faith we have become some of the least honest people on the planet.
The choice is not to ignore our difficult circumstances or the hurts, pain, and suffering of our world. The choice is to find our joy in God, who God is, and what God has done and does. Ironically, when we do this, we actually learn to suffer better.
And when we learn to suffer better (something for which no one volunteers) we discover the surest sign of Joy: Â Thankfulness.
This Sunday we look at Colossians 2:6-7.  Life with Christ is summarized as one overflowing with thankfulness.  And this by a writer who was always suffering with one disaster after another. How was it possible for his life to overflow with thankfulness?
It is easy to be joyful and thankful when things are going well. How deep is that joy?
How do we become good at the whole joy thing no matter what?