Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
Habits of Happiness
Scripture
17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Main Idea
Seeking after joy is found through the Holy Spirit. Your situation should not dictate your satisfaction. Joy is not found in counterfeits and distractions, but is found in a deep abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. True joy is found when we:
1) Reject joy substitutes (counterfits)
2) Reorder your source - personal standards, relational sharing, internal sourcing
3) Remain in the spirit
You’ve got the wrong focus for your fulfillment. To the indulgent: Pleasure won’t satisfy you. To the restrained: Performance won’t sanctify you.
Discussion Questions
- What are some substitutes for joy that try to capture your time and attention?
- Personal intention involves effort to connect and form community - what is one way you could connect to your community in a new way?
- If joy is a byproduct of intimacy with the Holy Spirit, what are some ways to practice intimacy with the Holy Spirit?
Summary
In Romans, Paul encouraged believers to seek after the kingdom of God by skirting false sources and instead pursuing authentic sources; righteousness, peace, and joy. Joy is found in the presence of God, not dictated by our changing circumstances. To do this we must:
1) Reject the substitutes: These are the counterfeits to joy. Fast pleasure, fake peace, filtered smiles. This looks different for everyone - scrolling, sipping, shopping - yet we still feel anxious and unfulfilled. When we chase the superficial, we forfeit the supernatural.
2) Reorder the source: shift your foundation to the Holy Spirit. Joy not is manufactured by effort, but by intimacy. To do this you must have a) personal standards. This is your character - tested to be true and faithful. b) relational sharing. You need connection in community. c) internal sourcing. Christ is our inner anchor
3) Remain in the spirit: John 15:11 He is the source. You don't need a different situation, you need a different source. Psalm 1:3; be planted by streams of water and produce fruit. You don't need to panic in drought, because you are rooted in a source that will never run dry.
You don't need more comfort, you need more connection to the source
That source is Jesus and his presence, the Holy Spirit
Take Action
- Put away one distraction today and offer words of gratitude instead
- text a friend and offer a word of encouragement
- post Romans 14:17 on your bathroom mirror or on your phone's lockscreen
