“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
 
We each have a job to do many times we can think that the job that we have is not important by saying “I am just…” or “I just do …” since what we do does not include a fancy title or are not famous. We can think that we are limited in our abilities because of the tasks that we are assigned.

Often, we do not think that the task we are assigned can be an opportunity to bring someone joy or learn new habits and grow. Each person has a task to do which contributes to the overall goal of the company or organization no job is more important than the other for each has a different opportunity to influence people.

We may work as a janitor at a hospital, but we can also brighten a patients’ day by greeting them and having a conversation with them. We may work as a dog walker but, may also at the same time be helping a family not feel stressed about leaving their dog home alone, you may be a gardener but, are truly helping an elderly person keep up with their yard when they cannot. The work we do is not “I am just…” but is our world of influence. Everyday there are several people we encounter at our jobs that we can influence. Our jobs are not just a place of employment but, a place to influence others and grow.

The job we have may not be glorious but, every task that we are given we can influence the people around us and create a better environment.
 
Praying
Stacy Watt

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
Psalm 51:12
 
When have you felt the most joy in life? What caused that joy? How long did that joy last? Why did you stop experiencing joy (if you have)?  What would you do to get that joy back?

David, known as a man after God’s own heart, had experienced tremendous joy in his life, even when running for his life and hiding out in caves. He knew what it was to live a life of joy – not a life free of trials or trouble, but a life of joy. But, eventually David would become King and begin to lose his focus resulting in some really bad decisions. It was adultery and murder that stole David’s joy.

The biggest joy stealing culprit in our lives is sin. It doesn’t have to be adultery or murder, just about any kind of sin will do. When we try to live life on our terms it almost always ends up in selfish and sinful decisions. That sin will take our joy. Leaving us with the question what do we want more – the sin we have been living in or the joy we have been living without?

David was tired of living without. He wanted that joy back. To get it back he was willing to take responsibility for his sinful actions. He was willing to come before God humbled and broken confessing his sin and recommit himself to a life of obedience. His life needed to be, once again, not about him but all about God.    

The joy David was after couldn’t be found anywhere else. His massive kingdom couldn’t provide it. All of his military victories couldn’t give it to him. His wealth, his power, his success – none of it came close. So, he cried out God – return to me the joy of YOUR salvation. What he wanted only God could provide.

Many of us want joy – a joy we cannot find anywhere else. To get there and experience it we need to become like David. We need to repent of the sin in our life and be willing to leave it behind. We can’t blame anyone else, that’s one us. Confess it and leave it. With that burden gone and barrier out of the way joy can come in.

When the angel announced Jesus’ birth they said He would bring great joy to all. God wants you to have joy. He wants you to live in joy. Jesus is ready to give it to you. But you can’t have sin (which breaks that joyful relationship with Jesus) and joy. We must choose. Let’s choose joy. 

Pastor Matt

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:8-11
           
What an incredible announcement! What makes it even more incredible is who was receiving this announcement. Shepherds would not have been the first group of people I would have thought of to tell about the birth of Jesus. I know when I have an important announcement to make I usually tell the people closest to me first. In these days, shepherds were not known for their religious excellence or their prominence in society. They were known for being dirty and dishonest people. Yet, those are the people God sent an angel to, with such great news.

This part of the Christmas story gives us many reasons to rejoice at the birth of Christ. One of the things it shows us is that God always knows where we are and will always come find us there. These shepherds were out with their sheep in the middle of the night, very easily could have been in the middle of no where. Yet, God knew right where they were – darkness and all. The birth of Jesus is a reminder that God knows where we are and that He will not just sit back and wait for us to come to Him, He will come to us with the Good News of Jesus. 

God’s presence in our world is reason to rejoice. These shepherds were afraid at first. Probably because there was a bright light and an angel out in the middle of no where in the middle of the night. But, there may be times in our life where we find ourselves afraid and in the dark. Let this be a season where we are reminded that we don’t need to live in fear. Jesus is here with us. Our Savior has come.
            Let’s spend a little extra time rejoicing in the arrival of Jesus. Let’s make sure to celebrate His birth. But, take time to also rejoice and celebrate that He has come into your life too. He can be our personal Savior. These angels gave this message, personally, to the shepherds. God, through Jesus, has also brought this Good News personally to you as well. Rejoice and do not be afraid because Jesus has come for you today!  
 
Pastor Matt

“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.
John 16:20
           
How much time do you think you spend grumbling and complaining about the circumstances in life?  We probably do that way more than we should.  Have you ever noticed how that grumbling and complaining never really makes you feel any better and will often just make things worse?  Well, the disciples get a lesson from Jesus about the best way to live through less than great circumstances.  They, too, found themselves questioning (probably grumbling) about Jesus’ statements.  Instead of going to Jesus with their concerns, they just kept it to themselves.

Jesus intervened, however, in their griping session and said told them to change their conversation.  They were going to go through some difficult times – like child birth.  Great advice right?  He started by telling them it will be hard.  They will experience grief and sorrow.  But, if they can stay the course, the joy will come in the end.  Jesus challenged them to change their focus from their present grief to their future hope.

As followers of Christ we need to recognize that our joy doesn’t come from a peaceful and pain free life.  Our joy comes from the hope we have in the future we have been promised.  Jesus uses a woman giving birth as an illustration.  That is a very uncomfortable and, at times, painful process.  But, when it is over the new mom doesn’t think about the pain, she thinks about the joy and love of her new child.  Women can make it through child birth not by focusing on their current pain, but on the baby that comes at the end. 

In this life we will have some trying and difficult times.  But, even in the midst of them we can still have joy.  Not because the trying times go away, but because we know that they will only last a little while.  Soon, we will see Jesus.  Soon our grief will be turned into joy.  As Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning!”  Let’s make sure we spend less time grumbling and more time celebrating what lies ahead – the best is yet to come!

Pastor Matt

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing….“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 15:5, 11

What brings you joy in life? That will look different for all of us. Some of find joy in nature, some find joy in family, some find it in careers, and others find it in success. Rejoicing in those things is perfectly fine, in fact we need to rejoice in those things recognizing that the blessings and good things we have in life are a gift from God. But, what happens when those things change or stop? What happens to our joy when the career ends, or the family moves away, or we aren’t finding the success we had hoped for? What then?

Jesus gives us a lesson on joy in John 15. This passage talks about Jesus being the vine and us being the branches. He goes on this long explanation about if we want to bear fruit we have to stay connected to the vine. If we are not connected to the vine we will not bear fruit. We like our fruit, in fact we find great joy in our fruit. Wouldn’t you consider the things you thought of earlier as fruit in your life? I, however, don’t think Jesus is speaking only of those things. I also think He is talking about things like the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. But, however you view fruit understand this – there is no fruit apart from the vine. There is no joy apart from the vine. If you want joy and you want fruit you have to abide in Jesus.

We may go through seasons where we aren’t seeing much fruit, maybe even no fruit. But, that doesn’t mean we should give up. This passage talks about the non-fruit bearing branches being taken away. But, the problem with those branches isn’t the fact that they aren’t producing fruit, it is that they have disconnected from the vine. They are no longer abiding. We know god looks at the heart while we look at appearance. So, fruit is all we can see. A lack of fruit doesn't mean your heart is dead, it may just mean you are in a difficult (or pruning) season. God is the vinedresser who cares for us to make sure we can produce fruit.

So, if you are in a difficult seasons and aren’t seeing much fruit. Stay connected to Jesus.  He is the source of life and joy – and fruit. Stick with Him – the fruit and the joy will come.
 
Pastor Matt

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:9-10
 
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which means it is the 4th Sunday before Christmas and a special season set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to look forward in hope to His second coming.  This advent season we will be focusing on the joy Jesus has given to us.  When Jesus prayed for us in John 17 He told the Father that He had been teaching us all these things so that we may experience the fullness of His joy.  Joy is essential to our living the life God meant for us to live.

Way back in the Old Testament there was a man named Nehemiah who had the privilege of leading God’s people, the Israelites, out of exile.  He got to lead them home and even rebuild the walls around Jerusalem after the city was destroyed.  Soon after their return Nehemiah had the people gather together to hear the reading of God’s Word.  Once they heard it, and understood it, they began to week and mourn because they realized how messed up things had gotten.

However, Nehemiah interrupts their weeping with a challenge to rejoice and trust in the joy of God to get them through.  They could have stayed in their guilt and in their shame because of their past decisions.  They could have continued to sulk and beat themselves up because of missed opportunity.  Or, they could take Nehemiah up on the challenge to make a different choice – let the joy of the Lord be their strength.

Their joy wasn’t based on their past.  They didn’t need to do all the right things to be loved by God.  He loved them unconditionally.  The fact that they were standing in a rebuilt city after all these years of exile was testimony to that.  God never left them.  Yes, they had messed up.  But, their joy didn’t depend on their perfection.  It depended on God.  Their joy wasn’t their own, it was God’s joy and it brought them great strength.  Don’t live in the past, live in the joy of God and let Him be your strength.              

Pastor Matt