I Choose Joy

This weekend Mike Breaux has been teaching at Eastside Christian Church.

Mike is an awesome teacher and man of God, and if you were there, you know just how powerful his teaching on being full of Joy was. I’d love to recount all of what he taught, but that might take forever (knowing how I tend to embellish). Instead, I wanted to share just 3 of Mike’s many points and Scriptural references.

First, a passage where Scripture repeats itself, Phil 4:4…
“Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again: REJOICE!”

Are we, as Christians, looking like we were weaned on a lemon, or are we rejoicing and full of joy?

Second, Mike recited a poem. I could find no reference to it online, so I did my best to transcribe it. It goes something like this:

I Choose Joy

by Mike Breaux

The Lord is alive
He is with me
He is in me
And He’s coming back someday
And Heaven’s my real home, anyway.

When I think about my God, who:
Made the stars and named them
Took earth and sea and framed them
Pulled back the ocean tides; restrained them
Breathed life into His own and claimed them.

When I think about my God, who:
Before He gave the wind direction,
Before He assigned the moon’s reflection
Before He painted the leave’s complexion
He settled on us as his main affection.

Who despite our rebellion
Pursued us
Though sin skewed us
He viewed us
Priceless;
Chose not to exclude us,
Or let Grace elude us,
But instead came to us

Now sin cannot choke us, crush us, or beat us.
Shame will not conquer, condemn, or defeat us.
We are alive because He is alive.
We rise up because He is risen.
We know love because He first loved us.
So I choose Joy! I choose Joy.

And last, a passage from 1 Thes. 5:16-18…

“ Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Verses 16-18 give 3 simple steps to live a meaningful Christian life. Consider this…
It’s not joy that makes us grateful,
It’s gratitude that makes us joyful!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

[Mike Breaux is a Teaching Pastor
at Heartland Community Church, Rockford, IL.
This was transcribed by David Alan Hoag
from the “Full of It: Joy” teaching Mike gave
at Eastside Christian Church on 7/19/2014.]