Welcome to the first week of November bible studies!  

Our first study will be on the topic of joy.

This topic will run from 11/11 to 11/16.
We will meet in google hangouts for discussion on the 16th, from 4:00pm-4:30pm.**

Joy is an essential part of any relationship with Christ and as His sheep, we should constantly seek it. In an effort to not only understand the meaning of a joyous heart, but also to seek one consistently, we will be looking at various scriptures throughout the bible.  Before you read anything however, I would like to encourage you to answer the following questions.  Jot a short phrase or sentence down somewhere you won't forget, and then at the end of the week, pull it out and see if you can add to your thoughts.

1.  Why is joy a fruit of the spirit?
2.  What causes God Himself to feel joy?
3.  How should our joy reflect God's?
4.  How do we experience joy, and why should we?
5.  How do we express joy?
6.  Is joy limited to happy times and experiences?
7.  Can you name one bible story in which joy was a central theme?

There are two passages we will cover during the first week of our bible study.  I advise you take your time to read these and even read the full chapters if you want or need more context.  The two passages you need to read by Saturday are the following:

- Luke 15: 11-31
- Acts 16: 16-34

In addition to these passages, there are some verses I suggest you ponder over during the week.  I have split them up between the five days of the week.  Please pray before reading any scripture, and ask God to reveal His intentions to you.   Write down any thoughts or questions you have so that we my discuss them later.

Monday, November 11th
Matthew 5: 11-12
Psalm 90: 14
Psalms 126:5

Tuesday, November 12th
Proverbs 15:13
Jeremiah 15:16
Luke 10:20

Wednesday, November 13th
John 10:10
Romans 12: 15
2 Corinthians 2: 14

Thursday, November 14th
Philippians 4: 4
1 Thessalonians 5: 18
James 1: 2-4

Friday, November 15th
Psalm 16: 11
Psalm 112: 1
Romans 7: 22
3 John 1: 4

**Time for hangout is subject to change.

Hi just wondering if it would be ok if I try to join in on this via this thread only since I can't do hangouts due to limited Internet connection

probably should say I'm a later day saint member  as well

Singelli : Are different people liking your post because they are planning to participate?

RetroSteve : Well, you can read the verses with us that are assigned for each day, but you will probably miss the interactions that we would have on the day that we meet as a hangout...which reminds me,

Singelli : I was wondering if it is a possibility for us to record the hangout and then post the video as an unlisted link onto this thread, so that those who couldn't make it can add more of what they want to say if they missed the hangout.

RetroSteve : Me too!  I may disagree with a few things, but I love to try and support Singelli and the rest of the gang (I hope I'm included!).  They're good people that love to have fun.  We'll laugh and doodle (I hope!) and get along and just have a good time.  If they'll let me mention my beliefs when there's something I disagree with that's fine, but my main goal isn't to be preachy.  My main goal is to support them and have fun doing it.

play4fun :  I have no idea why so many people are liking it.  I was guessing what you guessed.... that they're liking it because they want to participate?  At least... I hope they want to participate.  XD

Sorry for not initiating any conversation yet.  I'm very, very sick.  I don't even want to read or type.  Extremely light headed.  If one of you could start a discussion here, it would be wonderful.  Maybe even share the answers to your questions before you read anything?

And play4fun, that's a great idea.  I'll do that if everyone agrees to be recorded.

supernerd117 :  You are always welcome to express your opinions.  This is meant for everyone to learn something, so you might see something we don't, or vice versa.  Speaking your opinion is the best way for us all to gain some insight.

I will not be able to make it to the hangout, but I guess I will start off here then. 

God's desire is for us to have unconditional joy: having an intimate relationship with Him, who is joy Himself, having gratitude for everything he has done for us (saving us from our sins, always loving us, giving is insight and wisdom, etc), and expressing your gratitude to others as well. 

A story in the Bible that may show joy and why God may feel joy is The Parable of the Lost Sheep. 

"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15: 1-7

God feels joy when a sinner repents, for there comes another person into the Kingdom of God, one who may have an intimate relationship with Him. 

A way we may express joy is through giving and serving. Many times, the world may think that joy is from receiving. 

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Gratitude is a big part of joy, and showing your gratitude for others is one thing that brings joy. Showing your love to others as well as God also induces joy. 

Joy is not limited to happy times and experiences due to the fact that emotions should not come in the way of you and Christ. being sad should not stir you away from loving God.

Psalm 73 is a good example of that. Asaph shows how his relationship with God almost suffered because " [he] envied the arrogant when [he] saw the prosperity of the wicked."
Asaph put his emotions before God, and his relationship got interrupted.

That is all I have for now. God bless.

Hello everyone.  I wanted to do a little bit of discussion every day until the hangout, but unfortunately I became sick.  I'm still sick, but after sleeping most of the day away, I feel a little more.... in control of my thoughts.  LOL

Did anyone read the scriptures each day?  Were there any that spoke out to you?  Did any of them reveal anything to you that you hadn't thought of before?

I was hoping to hear some answers to the questions above, so thank you for sharing, Sidewinder!

One of the verses from the study that really jumped out to me was Psalm 126:5 (They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.) and Proverbs 15:13 (A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.)  I even made it my goal to memorize them because they spoke so much to me.  I think that as children of Christ, we should always feel joy.  It's one of the fruits of the spirit for a reason, and with Christ by our side, how can we NOT feel joy?

However, the joy can be hard to find as we go through persecution and trials. When we go through the things that make us cry, it almost seems as though joy is nowhere to be found, doesn't it?  I specifically liked theses verses for this reason.  There IS joy even in times of sorrow.... we simply need to learn and look for it, lest we end up breaking our spirit.

I remember one time, actually, where something really bad happened to me, and I began to weep.  However, I turned my face up to God, asking and asked Him to take my pain.  The strangest thing occurred:  I began to sing praises to God.  Despite crying and tears falling down my face, I felt compelled to praise Him.  My heart began to fill with joy, and I started to smile.  It was an odd sensation and one I'll likely never be able to accurately convey.

Speaking of such testimonies, does anyone know why I chose the two stories to share in the study?  I'll provide some input, but I want to hear what you guys thought first. How did the stories relate to the topic of joy?  If you haven't read them yet, I strongly encourage you to read them and think about what it takes to make God happy, and why a Christian should be joyful.  This discussion will be open until Sunday night, so I'm hoping to hear something from all of you!

Sidewinder :
People often use the phrase 'unconditional love', but I've never heard 'unconditional joy' before. I like it quite a bit, as it speaks strongly of the fact that we should always be joyous, even with the world at our backs. David was a great examples of such an attitude.

What other things do you think causes God joy?  I mean, surely there is NO greater joy than a lost soul turning to Him, but what else would make Him happy, you think?

I'm going to go read Psalm 73.  I didn't think of it and I'm not all that familiar with it.  Thank you for the example!

Um, well, to start, I think joy is a fruit of the Spirit because most people are hopeless, sad, and depressed all the time, and having joy can really set you apart from them.

Anyway, your question. They relate to joy because someone expressed lots of joy in each story. The father had joy because his son came back to him. And the soldier had joy because he was saved.

Singelli :  

Yes, nothing can bring as more joy than a sinner repenting and joining the family. 

But God also finds joy when you seek him. 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 

Seek his kingdom, and he will reward you. Find a way to get an intimate relationship, and you and Him will get much closer. (James 4:8) 

I feel God gets a lot of joy when you zealously seek after Him and yearn to uncover the truths and revelations of His Word, the Word he has given unto us. 

"David went back to bless the people in his home, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “With what honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!”
Then David said to Michal, “I did it in the presence of the Lord. The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from Saul’s family. The Lord appointed me to be over Israel. So I will celebrate in the presence of the Lord. Maybe I will lose even more honor, and maybe I will be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will honor me!” 2 Samuel 6: 20-22

David didn't give a hoot what others thought about him dancing in the fashion he did. He was praising the Lord, for He was the one who made David...are we not going to praise the Father in heaven anyway? So why would it matter if we started down here, got our little practice in lol? 

I feel God receives joy for those who love Him, seek Him, and worship Him. 

If there is anything that can be added, please do so!

God bless.

I'm sorry I kind of left this thread for a week, but I wanted to let all of you know that it is no my intent to abandon this idea.  I already know what topic I want to use next, and which verses to study.  However,  I'd really like to start it next Sunday, just so we can do a topic a week and keep things nice and organized.  Thus, I'd like this topic to still be up for discussion.  Not much occurred anyways, so I'm not really sure who actually read the verses and who didn't. lol

I guess I'll start with discussing the story from Acts. This story takes place during the time Paul was alive.  A little girl had a spirit which allowed her to 'tell fortunes', and she made a lot of money doing so.  She would follow Paul and Silas, yelling out "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew us unto the way of salvation."  This bothered Paul quite a bit, so after so many days, he turned to her and commanded the spirit to leave her body.  The spirit did leave, but the slave girl's owners were pretty angry when they learned of the event, because they could no longer make money from her divinations.  They accused Paul and Silas of causing trouble, and the two men were beat and put into jail.

Now, why Paul was so distressed by this girl, I'm not entirely sure.  I've read/heard several theories... the worst of which I think was "the slave girl annoyed Paul with her chanting."  Some sources said that Paul was annoyed because the girl used a partial truth, claiming that Paul and Silas spoke of -a- way to be saved, instead of THE way to be saved.  I still think this is highly unlikely, but another reason I've read upon also speaks of satan's subtlety.  Apparently, some scholars think the little girl was trying to gain the trust of the people being witnessed to.  If she followed the two men around and acted as though she believed what they had to say, people would trust what she had to say as well, and thus, the spirit could gain a wide realm of influence.

(What do you guys think?)

Whatever the case, can you imagine being in that situation?  For days you go around telling people about God and about how to lived a holy life.... and the minute you banish a spirit from a little girl, travesty strikes!  Not only are you accused of ill intentions, but you are also beaten and thrown into jail.  While most apostles faced many events similar to this, I'm sure they never got any easier.  I can't imagine living a decent life, and then to be given no hope for the future.

You know what's even MORE amazing though?  Despite being beaten and thrown into jail, Paul and Silas -worshipped- God.  They still found a reason to be joyful and thankful, and they happily sang out to their heavenly Father.  It's a difficult thing to do, isn't it?  In the worst times of your life, how easy was it for you to lift your head and thank God?  Can you imagine how much honor and joy this would give God?  Even while facing tribulations here on earth, if you can still remember that God is your father.... and if you can find joy in the situation... then you are truly showing a Christ-like attitude.  It takes strength, determination, and clarity of mind.

As Paul and Silas lifted their voices to God, an earthquake shook the grounds, and an amazing thing happened: all of the doors were opened, and the shackles of all prisoners fell loose.

Now, proposing you were wrongfully jailed and such a miracle occurred, would you have been content to stay in place?  Amazingly.. that's exactly what the prisoners in this case did.  Although no reason is given as to why the prisoners did not flee, one can wonder if they were influenced by the worship of Silas and Paul.  Even the guard, when he saw the prison doors open, assumed the worse.  The punishment for allowing prisoners to escape must have been pretty severe, because the guard almost took his life in his dismay.

Paul noted this and called out to the man, stopping him in time and alerting him to the presence of all the prisoners.

Can you imagine the joy that GUARD must have felt?  I mean, here was a man so frightened of consequences, that he was ready to take his own life!!! Instead, he was told that the prisoners had gone nowhere, and he had nothing to fear.  I bet he could hardly believe it even as he sprang into the prison to check for the truth himself.  So impressed was he by this miracle, that he asked Paul and Silas what he had to do in order to be saved.

I bet Paul and Silas felt so much tremendous joy.  As Christians, we are commanded to spread the gospel and share the good truth, but how many times can we say that an enemy has cast himself at our feet and asked for our wisdom concerning God?  The very man meant to keep Paul and Silas in shackles, was looking for freedom himself.

The guard himself washed Paul's and Silas's wounds, offering them a place at his table. He was baptized and accepted Christ into his life thanks to this incident.

I personally love this story because it's a great reminder to us about joy in troubled times.  Even when things seem at their worst, God has a plan.  There's -always- a reason to celebrate God, as all things work together for the good of those who love Christ.  We might not always see what's going on or understand God's motives, but they're there.

Did you guys have any thoughts on the other story?

Singelli :  

I have never given much thought as to why the slave girl bothered Paul, but it's awesome you bring it up. There obviously has to be a deeper meaning to this, one that we may or may not be able to comprehend and/or understand (in the present time, or even in the future). The Bible is open up to interpretation, but it is God's guidance that stirs one to the "right direction" in regards to interpretation. 

I will have to meditate on the story to get God's view, and hopefully I can understand it lol. Can't always understand what transcends our finite human minds.

Anyways, what I think about it upfront is maybe Paul didn't want to have the idea of making money off of stirring people towards salvation. The girl was making money off of her fortunes, such as the one "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew us unto the way of salvation." Maybe Paul didn't totally agree with the fact that one made money off of something that should be free to everyone and should gain no other reward but names being written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 

Going to the latter part of the story, I too find it really amazing how Paul and Silas could have rejoiced in their predicament. As for me, praising God in tough situations used to actually be the last thing on my mind. I would always get worried, frustrated, and angry. But there were many times where God "led me out of Egypt", and I started to not fret so much in situations, and whenever I do happen to come across a hard situation, praising Him is actually the first thing on my mind. Do I actually praise Him right away? No. Being in hard situations, the enemy still affects me, through fear, worry, pain, and that will sometimes get in the way between my relationship with Him. It's a habit to think about praising Him, but it isn't a habit (yet) to actually carry that out. 

I may have posted my thoughts on the other story already; I might have some more notes on it, but I cannot find them right now (my room's a mess!).

sonic23 :
Eniitan :
BluemageKyle :
supernerd117 :
mrfe :
A user of this :
play4fun :
Sidewinder :
Surgiac :

And anyone else that wants to join in:

I'm going to do a lot better hosting this now that I'm not sick. I apologize for last month.

Are you guys ready?  I know I am, and I'm super excited to proceed. Hopefully we get more conversation this time around, especially if I am a bit more involved.

With that part taken care of......

---

Addiction is something that plagues nearly everyone, whether they realize it or not. Common misconceptions teach us that the word 'addiction' can only apply to drugs and alcohol and sex, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Many of us are addicted to the internet, our cell phones, or even people.  Before we study the topic, it's important that we look through addiction from a biblical perspective.  I would like to encourage you to answer the following questions.  Jot a short phrase or sentence down somewhere you won't forget, and then at the end of the week, pull it out and see if you can add to your thoughts.

1.  Why does it mean to be addicted to something?  How do you know if you're addicted?
2.  What is something you're addicted to?
3.  Why are addictions so dangerous for our spirits?
4.  What can we do to break addictions?
5.  Are there any addictions which are good for us?
6.  What happens to us spiritually when an addiction does not get fed?
7.  Can you think of a story which discusses addiction in the bible?

There are two passages we will cover during this week of our bible study.  I advise you take your time to read these and even read the full chapters if you want or need more context.  The two passages you need to read by Saturday are the following:

- 2 Samuel 11:1-26
- Titus 2:1-15

In addition to these passages, there are some verses I suggest you ponder over during the week.  I have split them up between the five days of the week.  Please pray before reading any scripture, and ask God to reveal His intentions to you.   Write down any thoughts or questions you have so that we may discuss them later.

Monday, December 1st
1 Thessalonians 5: 6-23  (Sorry for making this one so long, but it's just such a good chapter for this discussion)

Tuesday, December 2nd
Psalm 2:1-3
Romans 8: 26-27

Wednesday, December 3rd
1 John 2:15-17
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Thursday, December 4th
Isaiah 43:1-2
1 Corinthians 10:13
Matthew 6:13  (Why this this mentioned in this outlined prayer?)

Friday, December 5th
Jeremiah 29:11-13
1 John 2:16
1 Peter 2:11

**Time for hangout is subject to change.

Yay! I've waiting for this! This time, I am well enough to do bible study now! I look forward to this. ^-^

Singelli : I would like to join!

I can't do the video hangout due to .... well lets call it technical difficulties so I will just read the scriptures and post my thoughts here in the hope that I can stimulate some more discussion.

1 Thessalonians 5: 6-23  

What a great scripture this is reminding us that we ( those who follow Christ ) are in the light and are set apart from those who walk in the darkness of the world not to say we are above them and should treat them like lesser people but to remind us that we have a responsibility to warn them with love and compassion remembering that no man/woman is perfect save Christ himself who died for us all weather we wake or sleep  and see that none render evil for evil I think that is something everyone needs to remember no mater what people do they are still treasured children of our almighty heavenly father and Jesus still died so that they may return to live with GOD.  

This scripture also extorts us to Rejoice evermore , Pray without ceasing, test every thing ... hold fast to all that is good and abstain from all Appearance of evil and despise not prophesying. 

So not only must we not do or think about doing evil things we must not appear to do evil things which reminds me of  .... I don't remember the actual scripture but it's something like when visiting friends for a meal don't worry about weather it's been blessed by another god eat what you are given but if you are told that at is blessed by another god eat it not lest they are able to complain against you... made me smile when I read it .

that's Monday's  thoughts GOD Bless and live long

Barathemos :  Feel free to jump in the discussion any time!  

RetroSteve :  Thanks so much for the input!

I absolutely adore 1 Thessalonians 5.  I re-read it about three weeks ago and have been wanting to put it up here ever since.  Although I had read it before, I hadn't really read it with the topic of 'addiction' in mind.  I also agree with you on the emphasis about avoiding the appearance of evil.  I think a lot of people don't esteem this as highly as trying NOT to sin themselves, and it tends to be a forgotten piece of advice.

As an example, I don't think drinking is a sin, but I do believe that getting -drunk- is.  We've never really bought alcohol though.... but not only because we don't enjoy its taste.  Jason sometimes worries that if we -were- to buy alcohol, the people around us would believe it was with the intent of getting drunk, and therefore he wishes to avoid that 'appearance of sinning'.  Although this may seem a little extreme, the city in which we live is pretty notorious for people enjoying drunkenness as a pastime.

Just out of curiosity though, did you have any thoughts about how some of the verses could apply to addiction?   For example, I think even the verse  about praying without ceasing, is something that could help us in those times we feel tempted to reach for an addiction.

YAY another voice in the discussion?

Singelli : 1 Thessalonians 5 ?while not specifically advice on addiction can and should ?definitely be applied to addiction it tells us both how to treat those who are addicted and what to do to help get over being addicted pray always
I agree while alcohol and caffeine are not specifically a sin I stay clear of them because ?alcohol can easily lead to being drunk and caffeine is a stimulant?

A user of this : the point ?of not appearing to do evil is that if we can then none can fault us because nothing we do looks bad so it doesn't matter what they think or say we are fine of course none are perfect at this  also where can I get a layout like yours?


and now Tuesday

psalm 2: 1 - 3 such a small part of the whole ... this psalm talks about the kings and rulers of the earth will take counsel against the lord ?and?how ?the lord will break there bonds asunder I like verse 4 GOD just laughs? and unleashes his wrath I guess if he can defeat kings with ease addiction is pretty easy for him so we just substitute prayer for what ever we are addicted to .... well that is how I became a Christian anyhow.

Romans 8: 26 -27 a great reminder that the spirit lifts us up far more than mere mortal words ever could?

ok Now Wednesdays just to catch up
john 2:15-17 hmmm reminds me of the process of detox driving out the contaminants and then Jesus reminds us that he can rebuild our temples (Bodies) no mater what damage we do we just have to ask

Corinthians 12:9-10 a wonderful reminder that when we are weak and in need of help we can be sure that through Christ we are Strong

ok time for bed .... I'll try to post Thursday in the morning ?GOD Bless and good night?

With 1 John 2:15-17, it to reminds us to not love the things of this world, which is really hard for me, being a moron not really knowing how to do that. But it tells us to not be attached to this world (Which can mean not to get addicted to things) because it won't last. But loving God will.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us to pray, and rely on God's help when we are weak. Which again, can apply to breaking an addiction.

RetroSteve : Thanks. I sorta understood going over it again, but it was too late at that point. lol Also, I agree being addicted to something can easily be a sin. I wouldn't call drinking coffee or alcohol by themselves bad. But being addicted to either can be dangerous. Well, not so much with coffee, it will just end up hurting your wallet . And it's kind of a stimulant, the caffeine gives you a boost of energy. Also, I asked Tornado Mudkip for the layout. (You have to supply the picture though) :3