Last week, we talked about how this season of Advent isn’t just about surviving, but about growing. It’s an invitation to do more than simply make it through—to allow God to form us into disciples who are willing to let the chaff fall away, the things that hold us back, so that new life can emerge.

Today, I want to talk about what that new life looks like. I want to explore how a church that chooses to reclaim joy can actually change the world. Because a church marked by joy doesn’t just feel different—it lives different. And when that kind of joy takes root, it begins to transform not just the church, but the neighborhood around it.

Passage: Luke 1:46-55 CEB