What does joy mean to you? We struggle with this question. Joy can be an emotion just like love but often it is a choice, a commitment. Joy isn't dependent on the actions of ourself or others. Joy comes from being in a right relationship with our Father God, regardless of our circumstances.

Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to invite us into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Intelligence is knowledge, wisdom is how you apply it. It is not enough that we are biblically literate, we must also be biblically obedient. Building the wise foundation takes time and intentionality. Nobody accidentally builds their house upon or "in" the rock.

Kingdom living starts in the heart. Our old selves must be uprooted and a new self planted in God. Our focus should not be on our fruit but on the depths of our roots!

There is a difference between discerning and judging. "When we condemn another, we are declaring that they have no worth - they do not matter to God or to us."

As followers of Jesus we are challenged to do things differently, to live differently. We can trust God with every aspect of our lives. He will provide for our every need. His is the only approval we need to seek.

A deep desire to be seen is what fuels social media. We want someone, anyone to notice us and approve of us. As we look at this weeks text, Jesus pushes on prayer and the importance of both a hidden life and a shared one. Prayer holds the key to our search for significance.

How do you handle conflict with people who you don't like? As followers of Jesus we are called not only to love our neighbors but to love our enemies as well.

Righteousness isn't about what you do but about the state of your heart. Jesus is less concerned about us doing good then He is about us being good.

So what if Jesus was serious about His followers being the salt and light in the world? if we are salt then we can preserve the world and help prevent rot by bringing out the good in the world around us. If we are light then "Our light will shine before men" and will elicit a response. It is easy to view the world as our "enemy" but the world is not our enemy - it needs us!