When you've experienced pain of any kind, it can feel easier not to dream than to be disappointed, or not to hope than to be left heartbroken. Thankfully, the Bible paints a different picture—one that gives you the courage to hold on to joy regardless of your circumstances. Through the examples of six women in the Bible, you’ll see that God longs for you to embrace abundant joy! Don't miss out on your beautiful, God-given life because you're busy preparing for the worst.

Daring Joy

“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free.” These words from a beloved hymn capture the heart of Advent: longing, waiting, expectation. Scripture builds our anticipation of our Saviour, God Himself who would dwell among His people and set them free from sin and death. Celebrate Jesus’ first coming as the baby born in Bethlehem and anticipate His second as the glorious King over all.

Horizon Church Christmas Advent Bible Reading Plan: The Joy of Every Longing Heart

The word extravagant comes from the Latin, extravagari, meaning to “wander outside or beyond.” It describes working outside of prescribed lines, even recklessly so. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume was someone prepared to go “outside the lines” of what was deemed acceptable in her passion to demonstrate her love for Jesus. Read to learn more about a lifestyle of extravagant worship!

Extravagant – When Worship Becomes Lifestyle

This plan includes five daily devotions based on Nicole Zasowski’s book What If It’s Wonderful?: Release Your Fears, Choose Joy, and Find the Courage to Celebrate. This study will explore what it means to trust joy and find the courage to celebrate when you have endured seasons of disappointment and despair. We can stay tethered to the hope of Christ by embracing joy and celebration, even when it feels scary.

What if It’s Wonderful?

Are you ready to increase in joy? Join us for this 35-day study as a part of our 365-day “Living in Increase” plan to experience the fulfilled and abundant life God always intended for you.

Living in Increase (Part 11) - Increase in Joy

We can sometimes see our days as a day-to-day dredge leaving us tired, overwhelmed, and depleted. God wants so much more for us. God has given us life — a life to be filled with joy if we allow it. In this 4-day plan, learn how to seek joy often.  

Jump for Joy

Don’t let disconnection steal the affection from your marriage. God wants you to live a connected healthy life together. Take this 7 Day Married Couple’s Connection Challenge and see how the Bible points us to connect with each other. This 7-day plan by Christina Dodson will help you talk more, prioritize each other, have fun again, and learn new things about each other.

7 Day Married Couple’s Connection Challenge

Woven throughout this longest chapter of the Bible are beautiful character qualities of Scripture, reminding us that God’s Word is sufficient, truthful, pure, authoritative, and unchanging. But when we look to God himself – we see how his character is reflected in this chapter as well.

This Bible study gives us a glimpse into the beauty, importance, and usefulness of Scripture, prompting us to walk away more in love with God and his Word, more aware of our sin, and more in awe of our great Savior and his sacrifice on our behalf.

Love God Greatly - Psalm 119

Inspired by best-selling author Janette Oke and the Hallmark Channel original TV series  When Calls the Heart , these devotions from Hope Valley are about finding moments of grace, joy, and beauty amid the unexpected circumstances of life. In this reading plan, Brian Bird, Executive Producer and Co-Creator of  When Calls the Heart , and Michelle Cox illuminate the “God-moments” from the fictional, 1910 mining town of Hope Valley. The stories of faith, hope, and love from each episode will inspire and encourage you with wonderful virtues and relatable life lessons. Photos used in the plan images and throughout the reading plan are copyright © 2018 Jordan Blackstone and Crown Media Networks, LLC, and used by permission. 

Joy