This bible study was done on March 29, 2020. I hosted my first bible study via ZOOM video chat. My version includes bible passages from the New American Bible Revised Edition. Parts are also taken from the bible study “Beyond Happy: Discovering Joy in Unexpected Places” on YouVersion Bible App. All participants were encouraged to read at least one portion of the study and participate in discussion. It is my intention to share this bible study for others to use as a resource. Enjoy!
Time Approximation: 1 hour
Appropriate for all ages
Introduction
During the unprecedented times of the COVID-19, it is fair to wonder how everything going on right now fits into "God’s Plan". People are losing their jobs, people are losing their lives, and people are being forced out of their homes. Churches are closed, people are out of reach, and seasonal depression may be harshly settling in for many people. It is not an easy time for anyone. Why would God want it this way?
We may never know the answer to this question. It may be upsetting for many. But there still is a God! And He still loves us and cares for us dearly. This bible study is intended to boost the spirits of those living through these difficult times of any measure. In the next hour, we will focus on the blessings, joy, and happiness that God has brought into our lives. We thank the Lord for the things He has given us. We are reminded to cherish little things and embrace His creation. Maybe our eyes are being opened to something new. Maybe we needed to be humbled in this moment to truly appreciate the goodness we have.
Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for bringing all of us together today to praise you and thank you for the lives we have. We are so hopeful that you will nourish us as we grow through experiences and friendships to humble us and guide us. We trust in your plan. Please give us the patience to get through the storm as one Body of Christ. Remind us of the words of your prophet Jeremiah. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord; the Lord will be their trust.” [Jeremiah 17:7 NABRE] Amen.
Discuss: What is the difference between happiness and joy?
Read first devotional from “Beyond Happy: Discovering Joy in Unexpected Places” on YouVersion Bible App.
"Are you happy?
The world tells us there are plenty of paths to happiness: earning a college degree, achieving career success, getting a new car, hitting your goal weight, marrying the perfect person, making a lot of money, buying your dream house.
We can seemingly create our own happiness by pursuing and achieving these things and more. If we check off enough personal goals then we’ll be happy. Right?
But if enough boxes aren’t checked (or if other people seem to be checking them off faster), it’s easy to get disappointed and frustrated. Not just with yourself, but with God. Like He isn’t coming through for you or He isn’t providing what you want or need to feel good.
Even though you probably don’t believe all of this fully, some inward part reasons that by getting exactly what you want, you’ll truly be happy.
But what if God didn’t design you for happiness?
What if He designed you for joy?
Happiness is about the search for “more” in life—more friends, more money, more acknowledgement, more power, etc. Joy is the discovery of an abundant life found in “less” focus on yourself and others—and more on Christ.
Over the next hour, let’s explore what it looks like to live beyond happiness by finding joy in the unexpected corners of life."
Discuss: What in your life right now is preventing you from finding true joy?
Introduction to the Beatitudes:
The Beatitudes were a part of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. This sermon came early in the ministry of Jesus but after his baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus gave this sermon immediately upon his return from the dessert where he fasted, contemplated, and was tempted by Satan to renounce his spiritual mission and gain worldly riches.
Read Matthew 5:1-12
The Sermon on the Mount.
1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He began to teach them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. 6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Exercise: Read Matthew 5:1-12 again, but replace the word BLESSED with the word JOYFUL in each line.
Discuss: How does changing the word blessed to the word joyful change the meaning of the beatitudes for you?
Read fifth devotional from “Beyond Happy: Discovering Joy in Unexpected Places” on YouVersion Bible App
"Daniel has lost more friends and family members than he can count.
Living as a refugee in a foreign land, he’s lost loved ones to civil unrest, lack of food and disease. But if you meet him, you’ll likely find him smiling. It’s not a forced smile but one that reflects a joyful heart even in trials.
Putting the words “joy” and “trial” into the same sentence might seem unbelievable—even ridiculous. How could Daniel be happy about difficulties? About struggles and hard things?
The first step is to acknowledge once more that happiness and joy are different. Circumstances can make you feel sad, angry or disappointed, but that doesn’t mean joy isn’t possible. Daniel has joy because he’s found hope: God is with him, God is for him and one day he will dwell with his Lord in mansions of glory."
Exercise: Read James 1:2-8. Discuss what sticks out to you.
Perseverance in Trial.
2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. 6 But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
Continue reading fifth devotional from “Beyond Happy: Discovering Joy in Unexpected Places” on YouVersion Bible App
"James 1:2-4 says that trials are an opportunity for great joy. That opportunity is a willingness to be transformed by the situation—to change, to learn, to grow. It’s like training for a marathon: Each time you run, you’re pushed a little farther through hurt and hardship. And each time you go a little farther, you become stronger and can endure a bit more as you grow closer to God.
It’s a process of faith.
There’s rarely an immediate joy in the struggle when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, when you’ve lost your job or when you just can’t seem to conquer that class in school. The circumstances are unhappy, but Scripture reminds us that the struggle is your chance for joy to bloom—like a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk.
God doesn’t expect you to see your tears as blessings right away. He doesn’t ask that you break into a smile the moment a loved one is lost, or jump up and down when your world seemingly falls apart. All He asks is that you say “yes” to the process. Each time you do, you’ll grow and become stronger. And in time, your joy will bloom even in the midst of great trials."
Discuss: Why is it hard to find joy in trials and struggles?
Read Psalms 4:7
7 Many say, “May we see better times! Lord show us the light of your face!”
Closing Exercise: Using the words blessed, joyful, and happy, state three phases about your life right now. Be sure to use each word appropriately based on today's discussion. Everyone in the group should share their own three statements. Here is an example:
I am blessed to have a family like mine who checks in on each other often and loves in any way we know how.
I am joyful when I see so many families spending time together outside and enjoying God’s creation.
I am happy that so many Christian hearts could some together through this bible study and worship you, LORD, as we get through this time together.
Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for blessing our minds, hearts, and conversations through this bible study. We continue to love you and praise you for the goodness you have brought to our lives. We are thankful for the opportunities we have and will continue to grow in your goodness. Remind us to spread the love of Jesus, especially to those who may need it the most. Amen.
I am so thankful for all of these ladies for participating in bible study week after week. We are a mix of medical students, elementary school teachers, pharmacy students, and other young professionals. I am so blessed, always, to see their smiling faces! ❤ 3-29-2020
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