The Gift of JOY | Rev. Tony Sammut [December 14, 2025]

Advent reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to help us escape hard things; he came to bring heaven’s goodness right into the middle of them. We all feel the pull to chase joy through escape—through screens, weekends, vacations, and even the dream of retirement. But that kind of joy is always temporary. Our brains are wired to register pain quickly and to let goodness take longer to sink in, so we end up working against ourselves. The nativity reframes the pursuit: the angel’s “good news of great (mega) joy” points not to a dazzling sky but to a baby laid in a feeding trough—poverty, shame, isolation, and a circle of disreputable shepherds. The sign of joy is not the absence of trouble; it’s the presence of Jesus in the trouble.

Throughout his life, Jesus moved toward hard places and people. He didn’t always remove the circumstances; he transformed people by his presence. Think of the woman at the well: no quick exits, just truth with compassion that made her whole enough to go back into the very town that shamed her—now as a joyful witness. That’s the pattern of Advent: God-with-us in our mess, bringing forgiveness, dignity, provision, and peace.

So how do we receive and give this kind of joy? Two practices. First, gratitude: not waiting for perfect conditions but looking for the “signs” of heaven’s goodness in everyday life—and then dwelling on them long enough to let them sink in. Gratitude trains our attention to notice where God is already present. Second, giving grace: choosing compassion and kindness over complaint and critique, especially with the people closest to us. Grace doesn’t deny truth; it delivers it in a way that protects joy rather than steals it. Even small moments—a noisy house on a study day—can become places where grace lightens the room. As we practice gratitude and grace, joy grows in us and through us. Not by escape, but by Emmanuel.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Joy grows where we stop escaping We chase joy by avoiding pain, but escape only delays the hard and often drains the joy we have. The Christmas story shows a better way: God draws near to our trouble and meets us there. Real joy is found not by running away but by welcoming Jesus into the very places we’d rather avoid. [46:29]
• 2. The sign of joy is surprising The angel’s sign was not spectacle but a child in a manger—poverty, rejection, and vulnerability on full display. God plants joy in soil we’d never choose, so we learn to look for heaven’s goodness in lowly places. If we only expect joy where life is tidy, we will miss where Jesus is standing. [41:29]
• 3. Practice gratitude to notice heaven’s goodness Gratitude is spiritual attention: searching our ordinary day for God’s gifts and lingering long enough for them to lodge in the heart. Because our brains hold on to pain faster than goodness, gratitude slows us down to receive joy. Over time, it forms a readiness to meet God in the middle of our real life. [56:15]
• 4. Give grace to create joy for others Our default is critique and complaint; grace is a deliberate choice to offer truth with kindness. Grace doesn’t erase wrongs, but it refuses to steal joy through harshness or hurry. In families, friendships, and workplaces, grace makes room for people to grow—and joy often follows. [61:11]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome

1. In Luke 2:1-20, what specific “sign” were the shepherds told to look for, and where did they find it?
2. What layers of hardship surround Jesus’ birth in Luke 2 (political pressure, family dynamics, setting)? List what the text shows.
3. What are some common “escape routes” people use to chase joy? ([34:39])
4. What two practices are held up as Advent ways to receive and give joy? Define each in a sentence. ([53:25])

1. The angel points the shepherds from a dazzling sky to a manger. What might God be teaching about where true joy is found by making the manger the sign? ([41:29])
2. The titles “Savior, Messiah, Lord” are announced over a baby in poverty. How do these titles reframe expectations about what God’s joy looks like in hard places? ([47:22])
3. In the encounter at the well, Jesus does not remove the woman’s circumstances but changes her. What does this suggest about the way God brings joy: by escape or by presence? What difference would that make in expectations? ([50:46])
4. Because the mind holds onto pain faster than goodness, gratitude must linger. Why might God call people to “treasure and ponder” signs of his goodness rather than rush past them? How could that shape daily prayer? ([56:56])

1. Name one hard place you’re tempted to avoid right now (home, work, inner struggle). What would it look like to welcome Jesus into that place this week instead of trying to escape it? Be specific. ([46:29])
2. What is your go-to method of escape (screen, weekend countdown, vacation daydreaming, shopping)? Try a small experiment to replace five minutes of escape with five minutes of prayerful presence. What will you do, when, and where? ([34:18])
3. Practice gratitude that dwells: name one concrete sign of God’s goodness today and linger over it for 24 seconds. What helped you notice it, and how will you build a daily cue to repeat this? ([57:32])
4. Think of one person close to you with whom complaint or critique has become your reflex. What would “truth with kindness” look like in your next interaction? Draft the first two sentences you plan to say. ([01:00:18])
5. Consider a story you retell with frustration (like “there was no room for us”). How could you retell it in a way that protects joy and gives grace? What details would you choose to emphasize differently? ([01:02:45])
6. Who is a “shepherd-like” person in your world—overlooked, undervalued, or avoided? What simple step will you take to move toward them with presence this week? Name the step and the day. ([52:24])
7. When noise, interruptions, or inconveniences hit, what one question could you ask yourself to keep from stealing joy in the room? Try it for a week and share what happened. ([01:04:46])