First session of the "Myth of Happiness" discussion guide.

1. A Semi-Charmed Life
"Most Christians I know have just enough of the Gospel to make them miserable,
but not enough to make them joyful" -- Tony Campolo
"Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian." -- G.K. Chesterton
Why write book?
- Grace -> What's So Amazing About Grace?, Les Mis, Babette's Feast
- Joy -> ????
1. What words come to mind when you think of the word "joy"?
Write them down. Want to revisit this at end of the series.
Hard to define. "defining it is much trying to hold Jell-O in your hands - when we
try to explain what joy means, it ends up slipping out the sides looking like
something else -- usually happiness, peace, or gladness. But biblical joy is
distinct from each of these words.
2. Biblically speaking, is joy the same thing as happiness?
No! No! No!
But we treat it as such.
Popular culture - Heard it twice on TV over the weekend
Life takes joy. Life takes MasterCard.
Almond Joy candy bar
Christian books:
The Joy of Serving
The Joy of Prayer
The Joy of Financial Freedom
As a result -- the nature of joy can become muddied. Joy can sound like a
fringe benefit when we behave a certain way or perform a given activity.
When we make joy = happiness:
• joy no longer exists as a permanent trait of our Christ-filled life,
• It becomes something more superficial - a reflection of our mood or
emotional state.
Princess Bride example - page 16

2. 3. How joyful are you right now in your life? What factors are producing it? Or
hindering it?
Scale 1-10.
Joy Busters
Discouragement
Fear
Grumbling
Guilt
Unforgiveness
4 . "Thirst, seek, and settle" is a common life cycle for unbelievers and believers
alike. What do you think that cycle is?
What do people thirst for? - Jenna as great example
Do most people attain what they are seeking?
What is the common result?
Yes -> Didn't fulfill. Seek something else.
No -> Settling.
"I want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life."
-- Third Eye Blind, "Semi-Charmed Life"
5. Have you experienced this cycle in your life?
6. What is the common, almost clichéd response to settling?
Mid-life crisis
What is the common end-result of this crisis?
Thirst->Seek->Settle->Crisis Seek->Resign
"I know see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I
liked."
-- The Screwtape Letters
Settle sounds negative. Is settling always a bad thing?
Can be contentment -> great thing, a joyful thing.

3. 7. Read John 15:11, Luke 6:23, Gal. 5:22-23, Phil. 4:4, and 1 Thes. 5:16. Constrast
these promises and exhortations with something Tony Campolo once said,"Most
Christians I know have just enough of the Gospel to make them miserable, but not
enough to make them joyful".
John 15:11 - our joy will be complete
Luke 6:23 - leap for joy
Gal. 5:22-23 - Holy Spirit will produce a lasting joy inside of us
Phil. 4:4 - to be joyful always
1 Thes. 5:16 - to rejoice always
Explain this "joy gap" -- -- a separation between the promises of Scripture
and the very real letdown they experience in their daily lives.
8. Does the joy that is described in these passages reflect what you regularly
experience in your Christian walk? If not, do you think this joy is something
realistically attainable on a day-in, day-out basis?
What are some factors in our world that make it easy for us to become confused
with what true joy is?
9. Read Ecc. 1:2, 18. How is Solomon an example of a believer living a joyless life?
Can you think of other people in the Bible or Christian history who suffered a
similar "joy gap"?
Ecc. 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
Ecc. 1:18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.
Solomon possessed unmatched wisdom and wealth. More than anyone else, he
should have been the poster child for a joy-filled life. Yet Solomon's blessings
only brought him confusion over what could offer lasting joy, peace, and
meaning. The book of Ecclesiastes, reveals his true spiritual state - it's the most
joy-starved entry in the entire Bible.
• Newly freed Israelites
• New Testament letters - written to correct bad teaching that was robbing
the church of joy - "What has happened to your joy?" Paul is asking the
Galatians.
• Martin Luther - personal life - joy wasn't a quality he naturally exhibited.

4. 10. How does the dynamic "real time" nature of our lives influence our ability to
live joy?
Our faith can become preoccupied and dependent on "on demand" results.
Joy comes and goes in proportion to the "real time" state of our lives. When
things are good, we radiate joy to everyone. But when times are rough, our
shoulders slump in defeat and discouragement.
Ever hear of the term "pidgin English"? What does it mean?
p. 19
11. What are some ways in which we water down biblical joy and live out "pidgin
joy"?
A broken, lesser version of the real thing.
12. How big of a deal is joy to the Christian life?
Thesis: While grace is God's priceless gift to the unsaved, joy is his most tangible
and transformative gift that he gives to his followers this side of heaven. Joy is
dynamic proof of our future hope as believers and our greatest distinguisher to a
cynical world held hostage by life's circumstances.
G.K. Chesterton - "Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian"
While
How is joy the most tangible and transformative gift that God gives to believer while on
earth?
We often use the word "joy" differently than how it used in the Bible. Do you think of
joy as being the same as happiness?
Friday Night Lights
Lars and the Real Girl
7:00pm
Sullivan 101
Next meeting:

5. Jan 30 instead of Feb 6