Episode 22 – Finding Unshakeable Joy in a Shaken World

In this episode, Brian and Derrick are joined by Alice Williams — former FLUMC Conference Co-Lay Leader and member of St. Luke's UMC in the Orlando — for a rich conversation on joy as a fruit of the Spirit. Alice draws on decades of life experience, including walking alongside her wife Debbie through cancer, to draw a clear line between happiness (an emotion tied to circumstances) and joy (a gift of the Spirit that cannot be taken away). The three explore how joy coexists with grief, how trust in Jesus makes "rejoice always" more than bumper sticker theology, and how practices like gratitude, abiding, and showing up for one another cultivate joy that overflows as witness to the world. Show Notes 0:30 — Happiness vs. joy: a foundational distinction 5:01 — Joy as what the Holy Spirit brings when it moves in 10:54 — Love, loss, and why joy and grief coexist 18:58 — Practices that cultivate joy: prayer, gratitude, humor, and burning bushes 27:29 — Joy as community witness: celebrating and being celebrated For more information on the year-long Awaken to Grace series, visit awakentograce.org. Produced by Wesley's Revival, a ministry of Studio Wesley. Original music by the Institute for Modern Worship.