This past Sunday, the focus of the sermon was on JOY! I wanted us to start off the Advent season looking at embracing the glad tidings of great joy that the birth of Jesus is for all people. I think it's one of the major things that we miss out on--of course, there is another part of the issue that I didn't get deeply into during the sermon.
I did touch on the idea that joy, being a fruit of the Spirit, is much like regular fruit: it takes time to cultivate and grow it. That means that we're probably better off to work all through the year to cultivate joy and not just wait until Christmas to try and find space for joy. It's not the answer most of us want: we want joy right now like we want patience yesterday! but the truth is, growth takes time.
Now, as with all motivational talk, remember this point: the best time to start was back then, the next best time is right now. After all, you don't want to wait another year to start, right?
Some additional:
A book I just finished, which I did lean on for this sermon, was Alastair Sterne's Longing for Joy which was recently published by IVPress. I've read another work by Sterne, Rhythms for Life, and have enjoyed his writing style. He's much more of a creative type of person than I am, which fits since he's worked in creative career fields before entering paid ministry.
I would highly endorse this particular book.
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