Jesus promised a joy that would remain. Not a happiness shaped by circumstances, but a deep, steady joy rooted in Him. Many believers know the truth of salvation, yet struggle to live with the joy Jesus intended.

This message explores the difference between happiness and joy, why joy matters in the Christian life, and how abiding joy is built through cleansing, confidence, commitment, and daily fellowship with Christ. True joy is not manufactured or forced; it is produced within us as we walk closely with Him.

The joy Jesus gives does not deny sorrow, but it does sustain us through it. And it remains available to every believer willing to choose it.

A new year often feels like a fresh start, full of hope and possibility. But Scripture reminds us that true renewal does not come from turning a calendar page. Real change comes from being in Christ. As we step into a new year, we are invited to place our hope not in resolutions or new routines, but in the unchanging faithfulness of Jesus, who alone makes all things new.

As the year comes to a close, many of us feel the pull to look back. Some memories bring gratitude, others carry regret, loss, or unanswered questions. Scripture reminds us that remembering is not wrong, but dwelling can quietly keep us from trusting God in the present. As a new year approaches, we are invited to place the past where it belongs; in God’s hands. Step forward trusting that His mercy is already waiting for us in the morning.

Paul prayed for his thorn to be taken away, and God answered him. The thorn stayed. What Paul learned was not how to escape weakness, but how to live faithfully within it. Grace did not remove the burden, but it proved sufficient to carry him through it. Sometimes the power of God is not revealed by what He takes away, but by what He sustains us through.

The Israelites were dying from the bite of fiery serpents, and there was no remedy they could make for themselves. God did not give them a treatment, a ritual, or a list of things to fix. He gave them a simple command: look and live. That same picture points us to the cross. Sin has bitten every one of us, and no amount of effort, religion, or self-reform can cure it. When Jesus was lifted up, God provided the only remedy. The moment a sinner looks to Christ in faith, new life begins.