Pure Joy–finding joy through life’s trials

What this episode covers

Psalm 51 Blank Outline Completed Outline scroll to 15:20 for start of sermon Psalm 51:7-13 Pure, lasting joy is found in… This is Psalm 51, We have some insight into David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51. And there’s three times the word joy and rejoice is used here. And we’re going to camp on that in just a little bit. But let me read you part of David’s prayer. Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. And then David prays, create in me a clean, pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways so that sinners will turn back to you. It’s been a difficult week in our country for aviation. The MedeVac plane that went down in Philadelphia a couple days ago. The horrific accident in Washington, D.C. where 67 people went out into eternity. All of these individuals have stories behind them. One of the ones on the plane that crashed into the Potomac River was a student from my alma mater, Cedarville University. Grace Maxwell was a junior mechanical engineering student. She’d attended her grandfather’s funeral in Wichita, Kansas. Was on her way back to finish her junior year of college when that accident happened. There are 66 other stories like that. So, I thought it’d be appropriate if we could just have like a moment of silence for a minute and remember these families in prayer, and then I’ll lead us in prayer. You may be seated. Well, 17 years ago, the state of Michigan came up with an ad campaign. You’ve seen it on license plates. You’ve seen it on billboards. You’ve seen it on social media and TV ads. Simply two words, and it’s still a campaign that they’re using today. The two words are Pure Michigan. That ad campaign has drawn tens of thousands of people to the great state of Michigan and our 3,288 miles of coastline, more than any other state except Alaska. When you put those 3,288 miles of coastline together, that stretches from Maine all the way to Florida, and certainly Michigan has some great, great vacation spots, and I especially like the western side of the state in the summertime, and just the coastline is so, so beautiful. But this morning, we’re going to talk about a series and introduce it, and then we’re going to get into the book of Philippians. And rather than Pure Michigan, we’re going to call the series Pure Joy. Is there a lasting joy that we can experience in our lives, even in the world in which we live? And the answer to that question is yes. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking. The kingdom of God is not defined by our cookies and coffee and fellowship time afterwards. But the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. John 10:10, the words of Jesus, Jesus said, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come, Jesus has come, that you might have life, and you might have it to the full, or overflowing life, or some translations say the abundant life. So, Jesus has said, I’ve come, you might have a joy-filled abundant life. And I believe that when we look at this and examine this, that Christians, people that know Jesus as their Savior, should be the most joy-filled people on earth. In fact, I’m going to suggest to you this morning that Christians are the only ones who can truly experience the pure joy as we’re going to define it in just a little bit. So, we’re going to think about pure joy. Max Lucado, a pastor and author in his book, How Happiness Happens, and he uses happiness and joy interchangeably, although we know scripturally there’s a little bit of

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.