Joy

Day 1-“I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in my Heart”

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Ask, “Do you know what joy is? When do you feel joy?”
  • Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a feeling like happiness but deeper. It is confidence of knowing that God is in control and remembering that. We make a choice to have an attitude of joy, just like we make a choice to love. When the Holy Spirit is present and working in out lives we are able to choose joy and desire to choose joy, no matter what may be going on around us.
  • Today, we are just going to read a few verses that tell us about joy. You can read them aloud, have your older kids read them, count how many times you hear the word joy, joyful or rejoice, or have them raise their hands when they hear joy, joyful or rejoice.
  • Psalm 16:11
  • Psalm 30:5
  • Psalm 35:9
  • Psalm 118:24
  • Luke 2:10 (Jesus being born)
  • Luke 15:10
  • John 15:10-11
  • Romans 15:13
  • Philippians 4:4
  • We have joy because God made us, and He has a purpose for each of us. We have joy because God loves us. We have joy because God sent Jesus to save us. We have joy because He offers eternal life. We have joy because we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to help us know how to live lives that please God. He fills us with joy so that we may have hope.
  • Activity:
    • Jot down all the reasons your family has joy. Make this an ongoing list throughout the week. Display it where everyone can see it and will be reminded to choose joy each time they pass it.
    • Make a “Joy Journal”. Keep a notebook to write down or draw things that bring joy.

Day 2-Yet I will Rejoice

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Today we are going to be reading from Habakkuk. We don’t know much about him, except that he was a prophet during a very sinful, wicked time (Habakkuk 1:3-4).
  • God had told Habakkuk what was getting ready to happen: He was going to allow an opposing army (the Chaldeans) to come attack their country and overtake it (Habakkuk 1:5-11).
  • Habakkuk didn’t understand why God was allowing this to happen, but He knew God was in control (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1).
  • God told Habakkuk that He had a plan for all that He was allowing to take place (Habakkuk 2:2-20). God reminded Habakkuk once again that He was in control (Habakkuk 2:20).
  • Habakkuk made a decision: he would choose to have joy even though He knew some very hard times were coming.
  • Read Habakkuk 3:16-19.
  • Ask,” How would you feel if you were Habakkuk and knew that another country was about to invade yours?”
  • Ask, “What fruit of the Spirit did Habakkuk choose to have? How was he able to rejoice even in a very hard time (verse 18-God of my salvation- He knew God was His only hope)?”
  • Older kids-look at the list in verse 17. Can you think of what a modern-day list like this may look like? What are some daily needs, predictable things, that you rely on that if they were taken away, you would still choose to have joy?
  • Look at verse 19.
  • Ask, “How does Habakkuk refer to God? (the Lord is my strength).
  • Habakkuk was able to choose joy even when he knew very hard times were coming because He knew God, the One who is in control, would give him the strength He needed.
  • God is still in control and will give you the strength you need too. So, choose JOY!

Day 3-Joy in All Things

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Read Philippians 4:4.
  • Explain to your children that Paul wrote these words from prison. Have them consider what they might be thinking about while in prison. Would their minds be on rejoicing? Paul goes on to say in Philippians 4:5 that “the Lord is near”. Ask your children if they understand a little more about why Paul was able to rejoice even while in prison.
  • This wasn’t the only time Paul was in prison and being joyful.
  • Read Acts 16:20-34 after explaining the reason why Paul and Silas were in jail (Acts 16:16-19). Older kids can understand, but for younger kids, just explain that they had made the masters of a slave girl very angry because she once was helping them make money and now she wasn’t. So they seized Paul and Silas and took them into the market place where they were beaten.
  • Ask, “What happened to Paul and Silas after they were beaten up? What was going on in the jail about midnight? What is a word that might describe the feeling they had that night (joy)? Why do you think they were praying and singing?”
  • Ask, “When you are in a bad mood or something happened that was unfair, which helps your attitude improve more: to feel sorry for yourself, mope around, and complain OR to pray, sing, and thank God?”
  • Help your children understand that when we are walking with the Spirit, He will give us joy when we need it most.
  • Ask, “Did you notice what the other prisoners were doing around midnight (verse 25)?”
  • When we praise God and show we trust Him even in the worst of times, other people notice, and it brings glory to God (others start to recognize how wonderful He is too).
  • Ask, “What happened as they were praying and singing? Who else rejoiced that night (verse 34)?”
  • Ask, “Can you think of times during the day that you need the Holy Spirit to help you to have joy?”
  • Have each child pray individually and ask God to help them have joy in those tough, maybe not-so-fun parts of their day.
  • Activity: