How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made Simple

How to Pursue Joy That Doesn’t Depend on Your Circumstances


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This is a "best of" episode, which I’m calling this episode “The Potential for Joy.” I know that might sound like an unexpected title for a passage about foot washing—but stay with me, because Jesus gives us a picture here that can genuinely reshape the way we think about joy and peace. We’re sitting in the tension of the Last Supper: Jesus knows the cross is coming, He knows Judas will betray Him, and He also knows all authority has been given to Him. And then—this is the shocking part—He gets up, wraps a towel around His waist, and washes His disciples’ feet. Even Judas’.

What Jesus is showing us is that true spiritual power doesn’t flex—it serves. And joy isn’t just something we chase through circumstances; it’s something that grows out of love, security in Christ, and humble obedience. I’ll also give you a simple challenge for the week: spend time in Scripture (or worship) daily, and then share one thing you received with someone else. I really believe you’ll feel your joy rise—not because life got easier, but because your mind is being renewed by what’s true.

What We Cover:

  • See what real power looks like in the Kingdom of God: Jesus uses His authority to serve, not to elevate Himself.

  • Understand the spiritual meaning behind foot washing: it’s not just hospitality—it’s a living metaphor for Jesus cleansing, loving, and forming His followers.

  • Notice what changed Peter’s response: following Jesus means letting Him love you in the places you’d rather hide or control.

  • Be confronted by Jesus washing Judas’ feet: love and humility aren’t based on what someone “deserves.”

  • Reframe joy as a deeper reality, not a mood: joy grows from security in Christ + humility + obedience, even when life is hard.

  • Learn why renewing your mind matters: transformation happens as we intentionally fill our minds with God’s Word and truth.

  • Get a practical one-week challenge: read Scripture (or listen to worship) daily and share one verse or takeaway with someone—text it, say it, post it, anything.

What Does It Mean for Me?

If you want to experience life with Jesus, you have to let him love you. You have to let him care for you. You have to let him see you for who you really are, which is a person who does need to be cleansed, right? And Jesus is saying to them, like, hey, you don't need to do this over and over again. It's not like a baptism over and over again. You already know me, you're clean and you're in me, but this is an act of me caring for you. This is an ongoing, this is what ongoing relationship looks like with me. What I'm doing for you, I am asking you do to for others.

THIS WEEK'S RESOURCES:

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How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made SimpleBy Nicole Unice, Bible Study Coach and Author of the Alive Method of Bible Study

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