The podcast delves into the profound significance of joy within the Christian faith, emphasizing that joy is not merely a personal experience but a vital aspect that impacts others. The speaker articulates that a Christian’s joy is deeply rooted in a theological understanding, which should overflow into daily life, making Christians the most joyous people. Despite challenges and hardships, the speaker asserts that joy is essential, not optional, and it is crucial for influencing a watching world positively. The conversation highlights that joy is not only for personal satisfaction but also serves to uplift and encourage fellow believers within the church. Ultimately, the speaker reminds the audience that their joy matters to Jesus, who desires for them to experience fullness of joy even amid trials.
Joy is a central theme in the discussion led by Speaker A, who emphasizes its importance not just for personal well-being but as a vital element that influences others. They articulate a vision of Christian joy that transcends mere happiness, positing that it should stem from a deep theological understanding of salvation and God’s grace. The speaker argues that Christians, being recipients of God’s grace, should manifest joy in all circumstances, which in turn reflects positively on the community. This joy is not optional; it is essential for personal fulfillment and communal witness. The speaker references Scriptural passages, particularly 1 Peter, to underline the necessity of being prepared to share the hope and joy that resides within believers. They further explain that joy is a powerful testimony to a watching world, encouraging Christians to embody joy as a demonstration of their faith and trust in God, especially in difficult times. Ultimately, the message is that joy is a profound expression of one’s faith and should be actively pursued and shared with others.
Takeaways:
- The opportunity to participate in missions is a privilege that should be valued.
- Christian joy is rooted in theological understanding, not merely personal happiness.
- Joy is essential for Christians, affecting both personal well-being and the lives of others.
- A watching world is influenced by our joy, which reflects the hope we have in Christ.
- True joy is an inner contentment that persists despite external circumstances and trials.
- Joy matters not only to ourselves but also serves to uplift and encourage the church community.
Transcript
And aren't you glad we have an opportunity to have a part in missions?
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:It's a great opportunity.
Speaker A:It's a great privilege.
Speaker A:Go ahead and open your Bibles in tonight to first Peter is.
Speaker A:That clock right there is correct?
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:6:58.
Speaker A:Okay, good.
Speaker A:I don't want to keep pulling mine out.
Speaker A:I have to be finished by 7:30.
Speaker A:That should be plenty of time.
Speaker A:I made this brief in my mind.
Speaker A:I'm supposed to be brief in our.
Speaker A:In our Bridge to Recovery meeting sermons.
Speaker A:I'm supposed to be at the most like 20, 25 minutes.
Speaker A:I almost always go over it, but I don't have a choice.
Speaker A:Tonight the kids are coming back in, so I have to stop at 7:30.
Speaker A:They're going to come in about 7:40, but I'm going to stop before 7:30.
Speaker A:I abbreviated this anyway for this purpose.
Speaker A:So I want to talk to you tonight about joy.
Speaker A:About joy with a twist.
Speaker A:Christian joy.
Speaker A:Christian joy.
Speaker A:It's a topic that really is bigger than our own personal satisfaction or happiness.
Speaker A:Now listen to this.
Speaker A:A Christian's joy really is rooted in a theological understanding that overflows into our daily living.
Speaker A:Now I'm not saying that you have to be a theology, a theological major, a theological scholar in order to understand joy or to even have joy, but it really is.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:Joy is rooted in a theological understanding that overflows into our daily living.
Speaker A:Now Christians ought to be, and I'm sure you'll amen this, Christians ought to be the most joyful, the most joyous people in the world.
Speaker A:We ought to be.
Speaker A:If we stop and consider who we were, where we were, and what God saved us from and who he saved, we ought to be the most joyful people in the world.
Speaker A:But the fact of the matter is we rarely think of joy in terms of how it affects others.
Speaker A:We always think about joy, how it affects me in my circumstances, in my situation.
Speaker A:I always think about joy in terms of me.
Speaker A:But we never really stop to think about how joy affects others.
Speaker A:Only for me, we get to that place where we might even think joy is optional.
Speaker A:But when we understand how much joy is actually as much for others as it is for us, we would realize it's not optional.
Speaker A:Now you can't fake joy.
Speaker A:You can't really fake joy.
Speaker A:Because joy is being content in any circumstance doesn't mean being bubbly over bubbling over with laughter.
Speaker A:It means having a deep, deep rooted inner contentment in whatever circumstance you happen to find yourself in.
Speaker A:That's joy.
Speaker A:So the truth is that joy is just as much for others as it is for me.
Speaker A:And I want to show you that.
Speaker A:Why do you think that Peter said in first Peter, chapter three, in verse 15, it's a very familiar verse to you.
Speaker A:And he said this.
Speaker A:Peter said, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Speaker A:Now, sanctify means to set apart.
Speaker A:Set apart as holy, set apart and honor.
Speaker A:So sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.
Speaker A:With meekness and fear.
Speaker A:Now, we always have a tendency to think, okay, well, if somebody asked me, you know, about salvation, I need to be ready to tell them about salvation.
Speaker A:And that's true.
Speaker A:We should.
Speaker A:But it's more than that.
Speaker A:It's deeper than that.
Speaker A:Your joy, which is the result of sanctifying God in your heart, it's bigger than our own personal satisfaction and happiness.
Speaker A:Your joy matters.
Speaker A:Sometimes people lack joy.
Speaker A:Christians lack joy.
Speaker A:Sometimes we go around dragging, like Linus's blanket.
Speaker A:And we got Pigpen's blanket.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I can't remember now.
Speaker A:I guess it's Linus's blanket and Pigpen's cloud, right?
Speaker A:His dust cloud.
Speaker A:We walk around like those peanut characters, and there's no reason for people to ask us about the joy and the hope that's within us.
Speaker A:And so we have to exuberate joy by setting God apart in our heart so that others will have something to ask us.
Speaker A:So your joy matters.
Speaker A:What does it matter?
Speaker A:It just matters.
Speaker A:3.
Speaker A:I'm going to say three things.
Speaker A:It matters first of all to a watching world.
Speaker A:Your joy.
Speaker A:Your joy as a Christian, it matters to a watching world.
Speaker A:If we're constantly walking around complaining and whining and griping and groaning, that's not going to affect anybody in a positive way for Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:Can I get an amen right there?
Speaker A:I mean, nobody wants to be that.
Speaker A:And so it's important that our joy is true joy.
Speaker A:It's important that we realize.
Speaker A:I said we were at our meeting on Friday night, our bridge to Recovery meeting, and I preached a message entitled, there's no faith, no resurrection power without first, a crucifixion.
Speaker A:You can't have a resurrection unless there's a crucifixion.
Speaker A:And so many times we as Christians, we have to go back to that cross and we have to remember what Jesus Christ did for us.
Speaker A:And maybe there's a time of weeping involved because we ought to weep when we consider what he did for Us.
Speaker A:But then there also, after the weeping is gone, there ought to be a time of joy.
Speaker A:There ought to be a time of rejoicing.
Speaker A:There ought to be a time of realizing, man, I'd be in hell right now if it wasn't for Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:There's no telling where I'd be.
Speaker A:Some of us could be in the penitentiary.
Speaker A:Some of you could be homeless on the side of the road somewhere.
Speaker A:Some of you could be dead and in hell.
Speaker A:And so we ought to have.
Speaker A:We ought to rejoice when we go to the cross.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:So our joy matters to a watching world.
Speaker A:A joyful heart shines.
Speaker A:The truth of what we believe to the world.
Speaker A:It matters.
Speaker A:Our joy really does matter.
Speaker A:Christians aren't immune to hardship and trials, and we're not immune to suffering.
Speaker A:We experience them differently than others do.
Speaker A:That's all.
Speaker A:We have hope in the darkness.
Speaker A:Somebody came to me today and said, I like.
Speaker A:And they said, I'll tell you what I.
Speaker A:It was one of our men.
Speaker A:They said, I'll tell you what I like most about our Bridge to Recovery meetings.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:We have.
Speaker A:We have a main assembly.
Speaker A:And then after the main assembly, after.
Speaker A:Then we go, we break off into our sessions, our group sessions.
Speaker A:That's what that brother said.
Speaker A:He said, I love our group sessions.
Speaker A:And he said, the reason I love our group sessions is because it makes me realize that I'm not the only one dealing with this.
Speaker A:I'm not the only one dealing with this.
Speaker A:I have been pleasantly surprised and praise God for the transparency.
Speaker A:I can't say anything about the women because I'm not in their group, but the transparency that the men in our group have displayed, and it's because they know that we can help each other.
Speaker A:We're there for each other.
Speaker A:Oh, brother, I'll tell you, I don't know how I got on that, but, oh, it's because we're not immune to hardship.
Speaker A:Christians suffer, Christians struggle.
Speaker A:Christians have temptation.
Speaker A:Christians even give in to temptations.
Speaker A:But in the midst of all of that, we can go through all those things differently than those who are not saved.
Speaker A:We can have joy in the midst of darkness.
Speaker A:We can have hope in darkness.
Speaker A:A Christian's hope shines to a watching world in such a way that we need to be prepared to defend our hope.
Speaker A:We should expect and we should be ready for instances where people approach us and they can ask us, why are you so hopeful?
Speaker A:How can you be happy under such circumstances?
Speaker A:And I think about our society today.
Speaker A:I think about our economy.
Speaker A:I'm a Christian.
Speaker A:I have been saved 40 plus years and I still gripe about the economy.
Speaker A:I hate the fact that I'm paying $3 a gallon for gas.
Speaker A:I'm glad I don't, you know.
Speaker A:Anyway, I don't buy meat.
Speaker A:My wife usually buys meat if I go into the grocery store just to buy milk or whatever, you know, nothing big.
Speaker A:I don't.
Speaker A:But my wife buys the meat.
Speaker A:We went the other day, I was with her and she said, let me show you something.
Speaker A:She took me to the steaks.
Speaker A:We looked at a rib eye steak.
Speaker A:Oh, oh, here's why I'll tell you backstory.
Speaker A:I was complaining because I stopped at a place to get a Philly cheesesteak.
Speaker A:I love Philly cheesesteaks, a good one.
Speaker A:And I stopped at a place to get one and they wanted $15 for a foot long Philly cheesesteak.
Speaker A:I'm like, uh, I walked in and walked out.
Speaker A:Listen to this.
Speaker A:They're so desperate.
Speaker A:The lady followed me out to my car.
Speaker A:I'm not kidding you.
Speaker A:She followed me.
Speaker A:The lady inside the restaurant got out from behind the counter, followed me out to my car.
Speaker A:She said, did you decide you're not hungry?
Speaker A:Telling you, she said that.
Speaker A:Anybody ever followed you out to your car at a restaurant before?
Speaker A:That's the truth.
Speaker A:She followed me out to my car.
Speaker A:She said, did you decide you're not hungry?
Speaker A:I said, no.
Speaker A:I decided I didn't want to pay $15 for a sandwich.
Speaker A:She said, yeah, but this is ribeye.
Speaker A:It's the real stuff.
Speaker A:It's the good stuff.
Speaker A:And I said, well, I do.
Speaker A:Well, I didn't have any clue.
Speaker A:I didn't know.
Speaker A:I didn't know that a Philly cheesesteak was made out of ribs.
Speaker A:So anyway, that's the backstory.
Speaker A:So my wife takes me to the grocery.
Speaker A:We're in the grocery store, my wife takes me.
Speaker A:And after me coming home and complaining about this, griping like a good Christian should, ent I'm complaining about this.
Speaker A:And so we're at the grocery store and she says, come here, let me show you something.
Speaker A:We go to the steaks, ribeyes.
Speaker A:I want to become a vegetarian.
Speaker A:$25 for one ribeye and up.
Speaker A:And I'm like, man, let's just go to the roadhouse and get it cooked and put on a plate for me with veggies next to it.
Speaker A:$25.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:29 maybe.
Speaker A:I think that's what mine cost today, but folk.
Speaker A:And I even had shrimp with it.
Speaker A:Going to a restaurant, get an Uncooked steak for.
Speaker A:See, we're complaining about.
Speaker A:I fuss over that.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:It's hard to believe, isn't it?
Speaker A:But how many people are we going to affect in a positive way by constantly fussing over the prices, over the economy, over the fact that it is what it is?
Speaker A:Can my fussing change it?
Speaker A:Can my worrying change it?
Speaker A:Can my lack of joy affect anybody in a positive way?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Joy is being content, no matter the circumstance.
Speaker A:I'm with you, brethren.
Speaker A:I don't like having to shell out that money either.
Speaker A:But it is what it is, and we just need to learn to be content.
Speaker A:Like Paul said, hey, we are where we are.
Speaker A:Well, I'm going to have to scale it down.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:I can't have a ribeye.
Speaker A:I might have to have something else.
Speaker A:But I like bologna.
Speaker A:Good thing I like bologna, I guess.
Speaker A:Our theology, our understanding of God's redemptive plan, and I hope that you have a somewhat of an understanding of God's redemption plan, his redemptive plan in your life, how you got to where you are today in terms of salvation.
Speaker A:Our understanding of that allows us to hold joy and sorrow side by side and not be in opposition to one another.
Speaker A:Does that make sense?
Speaker A:If we understand the theological aspect of salvation, then we can hold those two and they can be balanced.
Speaker A:And that's what people look at and say.
Speaker A:How is it that you never complain about the gas prices?
Speaker A:How is it I never hear you cuss at the shop?
Speaker A:How come it is I never.
Speaker A:How is it that when.
Speaker A:That's what makes a difference.
Speaker A:When Joni Eareckson Tada was a teenager, she was paralyzed from the shoulders down in a diving accident.
Speaker A:She described those who.
Speaker A:And she became quite the speaker across the country.
Speaker A:She described those who suffer in profound ways, yet still have hope and joy as spectacles of glory.
Speaker A:In her words, she called him spectacles of glory.
Speaker A:They're like the burning bush who Moses saw that Moses saw and was confused by.
Speaker A:How could a bush be on fire and yet not be consumed?
Speaker A:The bush was a spectacle of glory, something that made you turn and look and wonder.
Speaker A:And Joni explained that Christians who suffer faithfully, they shine as light.
Speaker A:They shine the light of Christ in a way that is perplexing for the world.
Speaker A:And watch.
Speaker A:And they don't.
Speaker A:They don't.
Speaker A:They simply just don't understand how a person can be joyful, patient and kind in the midst of such hardships.
Speaker A:Profound suffering opens us up to be a spectacle of glory for all the world to see.
Speaker A:The beauty of Christ in us.
Speaker A:It demonstrates that we have something greater than this world.
Speaker A:We have Jesus.
Speaker A:Your joy matters.
Speaker A:Your joy matters to a watching world.
Speaker A:Important that we recognize joy is not optional, but something that we ought to put on every single day.
Speaker A:Your joy matters to a watching world.
Speaker A:Secondly, I want you to notice it matters to the church.
Speaker A:Your joy matters to the church.
Speaker A:I want you to look at 1st Thessalonians, chapter 3.
Speaker A:When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he shared with them his concern for their well being.
Speaker A:He knew that they had been suffering greatly and he was deeply concerned about their faith.
Speaker A:Because you know how it can be when suffering comes in.
Speaker A:You know, sometimes people's faith is shaken and sometimes it can be shattered.
Speaker A:So he sent Timothy to check on them.
Speaker A:And Timothy returned with the positive report that the Thessalonians were standing firm in their love and in their hope and in their faith.
Speaker A:In the midst of his own discouragement.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, in the midst of his own suffering, Paul was encouraged.
Speaker A:In the midst of his own suffering.
Speaker A:And I don't need to go over all of that.
Speaker A:You all know, most of you, I'm assuming, I suppose, but I don't have time to go over all of that.
Speaker A:Paul suffered in life.
Speaker A:He suffered a lot in life and even from prison.
Speaker A:He said, I'm just glad Christ is preached.
Speaker A:In the midst of his own suffering.
Speaker A:He was encouraged.
Speaker A:He said in 1st Thessalonians chapter 3, and read with me in verse 7 through 9.
Speaker A:He said, Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress.
Speaker A:How?
Speaker A:By your faith, he said, I overlooked my own affliction and my own distress.
Speaker A:Your faith allowed me to put my stuff to the side.
Speaker A:I was encouraged by that.
Speaker A:He says, for now we live if we stand fast in the Lord, for what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy.
Speaker A:In other words, he says, for all the joy that we feel for your sakes before God.
Speaker A:Here's a man who suffered.
Speaker A:And yet the Thessalonians, the church in Thessalonica, their contentment in the midst of their suffering and their hardship, it encouraged Paul in the midst of his own suffering.
Speaker A:As we stand firm in hope, rejoicing in the Lord, the church is encouraged.
Speaker A:Our joy in the Lord stirs up fresh courage in others, blessing our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Speaker A:We've started several churches in our ministry, in my ministry, and you've had a part in one of them.
Speaker A:And I know you rejoiced with me.
Speaker A:You rejoiced with me when I was down in Corpus Christi.
Speaker A:We were there 10 years.
Speaker A:We saw a lot of people saved.
Speaker A:We saw just.
Speaker A:It was a really great ministry that God gave us and allowed us to be a part of.
Speaker A:And we saw, you know, we were able to help a lot of people.
Speaker A:And you rejoiced with us.
Speaker A:We would send back.
Speaker A:We would send back reports, and you rejoiced with us.
Speaker A:Brother Kelly brought down people.
Speaker A:And you guys, some of you came down and you worked.
Speaker A:You physically labored on the building for us, and you put in some time and effort.
Speaker A:You were encouraged by our faith.
Speaker A:And then Covid got the better of us.
Speaker A:We weren't a large church.
Speaker A:You know, most of y' all never got the real story, why, after 10 years, we had to close the doors.
Speaker A:Well, the big thing, the big picture is, Covid, I'm not going to blame everybody.
Speaker A:You know, I had my own part in that.
Speaker A:But the big picture was Covid, you know, it was an unprecedented time.
Speaker A:Nobody really knew exactly what the right thing to do was.
Speaker A:And you did one thing, you offend some people, you did another thing, you offended the rest of them.
Speaker A:So you just had to figure out what to do.
Speaker A:And it wasn't always pleasant.
Speaker A:And so small churches across the country ended up closing their doors.
Speaker A:We were one of them.
Speaker A:And I know that when that happened, that broke your heart.
Speaker A:I know it did.
Speaker A:It broke my heart.
Speaker A:And I know that you who.
Speaker A:You poured yourself into this ministry, and then you saw it.
Speaker A:I won't say go under.
Speaker A:Look at it like this.
Speaker A:Pastor encouraged me by these words, he said, because I was discouraged when we had to close those doors.
Speaker A:But pastor said this to me.
Speaker A:He said, brother, a church is a body.
Speaker A:It's born, it lives, it dies.
Speaker A:Not everybody.
Speaker A:Not every body lives 100 years.
Speaker A:Not everybody lives 50 years.
Speaker A:Some live a short period of time.
Speaker A:And such is the case with Corpus Christi.
Speaker A:I wish it was still going, but it's not the case.
Speaker A:And you've welcomed me back, right?
Speaker A:You brought me back and you said, come home, Brother Stone.
Speaker A:You put me back on staff, and I just know that my joy is important to this church, and your joy is important to this church.
Speaker A:Not just this church, but others who invest in this church.
Speaker A:And now we're investing in other churches.
Speaker A:And it's important that we see their joy because their joy affects us.
Speaker A:So it matters to the church.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Our joy in the Lord stirs up fresh courage in others.
Speaker A:It blesses our brothers and our sisters in the faith.
Speaker A:So God, your joy matters.
Speaker A:It matters to the watching world.
Speaker A:It matters to the church.
Speaker A:And then, most importantly, you're going to love this one.
Speaker A:It matters to Jesus.
Speaker A:Your joy matters to Jesus.
Speaker A:I want you to think about this with me just for a minute.
Speaker A:On the night before Jesus died, he shared a final meal and a conversation with his disciples.
Speaker A:And though they didn't understand that Jesus was about to die, he knew.
Speaker A:Jesus knew his time was short.
Speaker A:He knew the apostle John recorded much of their conversation.
Speaker A:Jesus comforted his disciples, and he encouraged them to not be troubled.
Speaker A:He assured them that although he was going away, he would come back for them.
Speaker A:He told them that if they loved him, they would obey him.
Speaker A:He explained that the Spirit would come and dwell within them and be with them always.
Speaker A:And then Jesus explained to them why he was telling them these things.
Speaker A:He said in John:Speaker A:This is what Jesus explained to them, why he was telling them all this.
Speaker A:He said, these things have I spoken unto you.
Speaker A:This is right on the.
Speaker A:This is right on the.
Speaker A:On the.
Speaker A:On the cusp of his.
Speaker A:Of his crucifixion, he said, these things I have spoken unto you.
Speaker A:Why, that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full.
Speaker A:Folks, listen.
Speaker A:Jesus was on his way to the cross.
Speaker A:I mean, in just a matter of hours, he was going to be taken and he was going to be shamed in a way you and I could never imagine.
Speaker A:He was preparing to endure unimaginable pain at this moment.
Speaker A:What was on his mind?
Speaker A:What goal prompted his last words to those he loved at the height of his own agony?
Speaker A:Remember, he was in the garden.
Speaker A:He was agonizing in such a way that his sweat dropped, as it were.
Speaker A:The Bible says, as it were, great drops of blood.
Speaker A:He sweated at the height of his own agony.
Speaker A:His love desired our joy.
Speaker A:He was getting ready to go to the cross, and he told those guys, these things I've spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Speaker A:Our joy matters to Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:It's unbelievable, isn't it?
Speaker A:For the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross.
Speaker A:And I know that we think about when we hear that for the joy that was set before him.
Speaker A:Well, what joy was that?
Speaker A:We're thinking about the joy that he has, the joy that he's anticipating going home to be with the Father and sit on the right hand of the Father.
Speaker A:Well, I imagine that was in his mind, too.
Speaker A:But also the joy that was set before him was him passing on his joy.
Speaker A:To us so that we can have joy in the midst of that kind of agony, that kind of a circumstance.
Speaker A:Jesus is about to die.
Speaker A:He's about to be crucified.
Speaker A:He's about to undergo the most agonizing death.
Speaker A:You know, I said it.
Speaker A:I guess I said it in Sunday school this morning, maybe, I think, I can't remember now, but I said it just recently.
Speaker A:Whether it was Friday or whether it was this morning, I think it was Friday.
Speaker A:Of all the ways that there are to die, of all the means of execution, probably crucifixion had to be the most undesirable of them all, the most excruciating, the most painful, the most shameful, the most agonizing way to die.
Speaker A:And of all the times that God could have allowed his son to die, and the ways that he could have allowed him to die, he allowed him to go at that time.
Speaker A:And I'm sure that probably some of you in here, maybe many, you've studied the method of crucifixion and how it affects the body.
Speaker A:And it's a horrible way.
Speaker A:I'm not going to go into the details, but it is a horrible, horrible way to die.
Speaker A:And during that, just before that, he said, I want my joy to be in you.
Speaker A:The joy that I'm feeling right now, I want it to be your joy.
Speaker A:I don't know that I'd have much joy in the midst of that kind of a circumstance if I knew I was getting ready to be beaten, torn apart by a whip, have a crown of thorns placed on my head and beat into my scalp with a reed, spit in the face, betrayed by my own friends.
Speaker A:I don't know that I'd have much joy, but he did.
Speaker A:He said, I want my joy to be in you and that your joy be full.
Speaker A:That's what he wanted.
Speaker A:Jesus was concerned about our joy.
Speaker A:He wasn't hoping for us to have a little bit of happiness.
Speaker A:He wants us to have fullness of joy, overflowing, abundant.
Speaker A:Our joy matters.
Speaker A:Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:We shouldn't just go through this life, you know, just happy Christians, because happiness depends on happenings.
Speaker A:We need to have joy, deep seated, deeply rooted joy that's there, put there by the Holy Spirit of God, so that when bad times do come, we can still rise up in such a way that people say, how in the world can you be so happy?
Speaker A:How can.
Speaker A:They don't understand joy, so they'll say, happy.
Speaker A:How can you be so happy in the midst of all of this?
Speaker A:I tell you, I don't see Ms. Chalene here right now.
Speaker A:Is Ms. Chalene here?
Speaker A:Oh, there she is.
Speaker A:Well, she's already here.
Speaker A:I don't want you to.
Speaker A:Don't let your head puff up, okay, Sweetheart?
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker A:Listen, I've never seen.
Speaker A:Honestly, I've never seen Ms. Chalene.
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker A:And I'm asking the Lord right now.
Speaker A:Just keep you humble while we say this because it can definitely affect you if you let it.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:She's letting her head deflate.
Speaker A:I've never met anybody going through cancer the way that she is, who handles it the way she does.
Speaker A:I've never seen anybody with that spirit, with that demeanor, with that joy.
Speaker A:I mean, she comes into the room and she ought to be the one that everybody goes to and is trying to encourage.
Speaker A:She encourages me.
Speaker A:She walks into a room and she lights up the room.
Speaker A:That's joy.
Speaker A:I love you, Ms. Chalene.
Speaker A:I know you do.
Speaker A:Your joy matters.
Speaker A:Your joy matters.
Speaker A:And it matters to Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:Our joy matters for more than ourselves.
Speaker A:It causes the world to question.
Speaker A:It causes the church to rejoice.
Speaker A:And it's the hope of our Savior.
Speaker A:Your joy matters.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Let's stand together this evening, just for a few minutes.
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