Brene Brown (author/speaker) – has an interesting thought:
“We’re not thinking beings who sometimes feel, we’re emotional beings who sometimes think.” Friends, we have ALL been created physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally in our nature. As we’ve been made in the image of God! The truth is: our emotions are God-given and gifted, necessary and valuable.

Quote: (Peter Scazzero - book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality)
"You can not grow to be spiritually mature, if you remain emotionally immature”…emotional maturity and spiritual maturity are not the same thing, but they are each others’ ceiling.

*Truth: (Gen 1:25, 6:6, Exodus 20:5, Isa. 42:14, Jer. 30:24)
=Jesus felt anger (Mk 3:5), felt love (Mk 10:21), felt joy (Lk 10:21), felt compassion (Mt. 9:36), Jesus wept (11:35 - shortest verse in the Bible)
**‘compassion’ is the most described emotion in the gospel accounts of Jesus.

*our emotions are indicators of what’s happening inside of us!
illust: indicators lights on your car dashboard - if you ignore them, it might lead to some major damage if not addressed = our emotions are indicators to us of what’s going on under our own hoods so to speak. pay attention to them.

“The journey of genuine transformation to emotional healthy spirituality begins with the commitment to allow yourself to feel. It is an essential part of our humanity and unique personhood as men and women made in God’s image.” -Peter Scazzero

With the time we've got left - let's look at one emotion: JOY

Joy is an amazing thing. One that the Scriptures indicate can become an anchor IN our lives – something that is a constant reality. Not to the exclusion of other emotions, but one that can stay with us and foster our eternal HOPE in Christ.

Joy is to be a rhythm of our existence as we live in relationship with Christ…we must choose JOY – not because our circumstances say so, but because our secure relationship with Jesus and all His promises allow us so.

There is a major difference between happiness and joy. Often in our cultural context: we can get the pursuit of happiness mixed up with the pursuit of JOY.

Happiness is dependent on our circumstances producing a feeling of contentment and satisfaction.
Joy isn’t contingent on your circumstances… it can be anchored deep within and flows from all we’ve been given in Christ. Forever with us, not something we misplace, lose or something that abandons us.

We’re called to embrace JOY and live it out: Joy is a command. There is an irrepressible theme of joy in the New Testament – despite the persecution – how? = it’s because followers of Christ are called to practice gratitude and celebration – and these practices greatly shape us from the inside/out and can fuel us with the JOY of the LORD.

Happiness is an “outside-in thing” -- Happiness is found only when circumstances are right

JOY is “inside-out thing”… a gift with divine connections – Joy can be experienced no matter the landscape of your life…

Jesus is saying to his followers then – and NOW…He’s where you find ultimate Joy! It’s not ultimately found in a full bank account, fancy vacation, or finishing an accomplishment. It can’t be found in something that you ALONE produce or achieve…it’s ultimately found IN HIM. He’s the one that can make OUR JOY COMPLETE. Jesus is the source of Joy that we can continually draw from - joy is available through Christ – that’s why it can transcend circumstances.

Quote:
Joy is the serious business of Heaven
~ C.S. Lewis

Quote: (author Robert Hughes said) :
“We live in an age of melancholy and in a culture of complaint”

We all know people who seem stuck in the tractor-beam: of the culture of complaint…we can get stuck there too, if we’re not proactive in re-anchoring to our eternal HOPE than can fuel OUR present joy – in the Lord

The Psalmist tells himself:
Psalm 43:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

"If we don’t rejoice today, we will not rejoice at all. If we wait until conditions are perfect, we’ll never stop waiting. If we are going to rejoice, it must be in this day." ~John Ortberg

This is the day that the Lord has made. “This is God’s day,” the psalmist says. “I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

How to practice celebration (rejoicing):

Celebrate with family and friends: "a toast"

Celebrate with a Thank You note or Text to someone this week

Celebrate verbally w/ someone: “rejoice with those who rejoice”

Celebrate with a “Spiritual Pause” - 10 min JOY and GRATITUDE experience – writing out all God has done for you and does for you…on your phone/paper.

Celebrate with soaking up a moment of JOY – do something that you love to do and as you do: take a moment to thank God for how He loves you and the oppt. to enjoy this moment (ice cream date, read a book, hobby, etc.)

Need Prayer? ....we've got some of our prayer team and pastors available following service to pray with you. Or you can text the word "prayer" to our phone number: #520-300-9001 to submit your prayer request to our prayer team to partner with you.

Thanks so much for being with us again! Check out the WEEKLY for more info on all things happening around Elements like: Egroups, Food Distribution and other Serve Team oppt., Starting Point Classes and much more. http://elem.cc