Joy, part 9. Ephesians 5 teaches us to give thanks always and for everything. This is easy when life is good. But doing this when life is hard produces real evidence that God is at work in us.

Joy, part 8. The gospel transforms us from death to life. In this we take off the ‘old self’ and put on the ‘new self’. But how do we go about doing this in our ordinary, everyday lives?

Joy, part 7. Unity is a critical issue at this moment in our society. There are very few generations that would claim to be have been as divided as we are today. What is it that we must do to … Continue reading “Happy Together: Unity and How to Find it”

Joy, part 6. Jesus always looks at the heart behind our giving. It’s never about the amount. We don’t give to catch God’s attention, we give as a response to all he’s done for us.

Joy, part 5. How would you describe your purpose in life? Most of us would answer that question at an individual level. In many cultures—including that in which the Scriptures were written—people would think about their purpose corporately. The most … Continue reading “Happy Feet: Know Your Purpose”

Joy, part 4. The absolute centre of God’s affection, love and joy is his son, Jesus. When we place our faith in Jesus, we’re placing ourselves in the epicentre of God’s joy.

Joy, part 3. The future is unbelievably bright, no matter how tough things might be now. A joy-filled Christian can be cheerfully unconcerned about the future, because God is in control.

Joy, part 2. Last week we looked at seven reasons to be filled with joy regardless of our circumstances. This week we look at the seven responses that follow in Ephesians 1:15-23.

Joy, part 1. We start this series with a bold claim: Ephesians has the most upbeat, blessing-filled, happy opening to any letter in history.