For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) Thomas Jefferson defined three things as unalienable rights in the U.S. Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Apparently, the first two are things you might receive, possibly as a gift from others, but the third is something you must pursue. Maybe this is why happiness is one of the greatest obsessions with us as Americans; no matter how hard we look for it we can’t seem to find enough of it! This Sunday we begin a 4-week sermon series entitled “Joyride” where we’ll review the Apostle Paul’s letter who provides the clearest path yet for something far better than happiness, joy. Only as we “do life” with Christ, can life be the ride of joy it was created to be. In preparation for this Sunday, read/consider the following: Philippians (the whole letter or at least chapter 1). Acts 16 Questions: Are you happier now than you were a year ago, 10 years ago? Why or why not is that the case? What is the difference between happiness and joy? What does Paul mean by the statement: “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”?

Related Topics: Abundant Life, Happiness, Joy | More Messages from Mike Souder

From Series: "JoyRide"