kickball: finding happiness

HAPPINESS

We always want something, don’t we?

Something that would make us happy!!!!

We don’t want it unless it makes us happy!

Way would we want something that makes us

sad???Wouldn’t you want the best of the best?

How does your happiness affect your family…your children??

What is that one thing that makes you

HAPPY??

Do you feel like you often don’t get the

things you really want?

Do you feel like God’s denying you these things

or maybe like he’s not even listening to you?

God Wants You To Be Happy!

Then why is there so much unhappiness?

But may all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say,    “The LORD is great!” Psalm 40:16

But may all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say,    “The LORD is great!” Psalm 70:4

Glory in his holy name;    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Psalm 105:3

Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,    and praise his holy name. Psalm 97:12

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,    burst into jubilant song with music; Psalm 98:4

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Phil. 2:18

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phil 4:4

Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thess. 5:16-18

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE

HAPPY

Chrristians are to be a joyful people.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who

does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 (NIV)

Why are so many people unhappy???

The Scriptures indicate that this happiness which we all seek is found only by properly ordering our lives in relation

to Christ and his will.

Matthew 5:3-11 (The Message)

In these verses, Jesus tell s us that our happiness is the result of having our minds filled with a right understanding of reality and our hearts set on a desire for spiritual things. When our lives are so ordered we will be happy.

Have you ever been mad at God for not

giving you what you’d asked for?

Is it okay to question God?

Have you ever felt like God did come through

for you?

If so….how?

If you got everything you

asked for in life, do you think you’d be

happy?

Happiness cannot be found in having

everything you desire--

“It is better to desire the things we have, than to have the things we desire.”

Henry Van Dyke

 Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes

desired;    I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my labor,    and this was the reward for all my

toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my

hands had done    and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

   nothing was gained under the sun.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Tim. 6:6-10

Do you see your life as part of a

bigger picture, a larger story?

How is God using you??

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and

find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD,

Have you ever felt unsure about an

important decision in your life and trusted

God to lead you in the right direction?

How did that work out?

Do you believe that God is

good?

Always?

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:11-13

So when you find yourself standing in front of your kiosk, asking, “Why can’t I have what I want?, may you believe that God is good, and that right

across the street he has something better.

What’s your kickball?