May 17th, 2026 - The Source of Joy

It's a choice that we make. It's something that's intentional for us to abide in Christ. It's our responsibility to remain in him. We're dependent on him. He's our source of life. He's our source for everything. So we abide in him. Through him, have life and we're fruitful. And then Jesus said this in John 15 in verse 10. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. [00:21:42] (43 seconds)  #AbideInChrist

So many people wanna find many ways to God. Many paths to God, they say. So many people wanna find their own path and let other people find their way to God. They get upset with us when we say that Jesus is the only way. That's too narrow minded. That's too exclusive. So they'd rather pick their method of how they're gonna get to God. We can have our Jesus way, but let them have their way. And Jesus makes it very clear. There's only one way. [00:16:32] (29 seconds)  #OneWayToGod

If I go back a week previous, we talked about this where if we're not careful and we don't understand the full story, we look at the cross and the cross is a source of sorrow because the the cross is the instrument used to murder our savior. The the cross is an emblem of suffering and pain and shame and and we look at this and say, you know what? This is sorrow right here. But when we understand the full story, we understand, no, we need to cling to this cross because the same cross brings joy. Because we know it used to accomplish at the cross. Amen? [00:02:49] (35 seconds)  #CrossBringsJoy

So thank the Lord for the holy spirit and that's a source of our joy because it helps us with the first source of our joy. I want to be obedient but I sometimes I just don't know. Sometimes I forget. So whatever it is, that's okay. The Holy Spirit's there. He's gonna remind you of what I said. Gonna bring those words back to your mind. He's gonna teach you these things. The holy spirit's gonna be there to help you be obedient, to help you stay within that source of joy so you don't wander away from that. [00:24:56] (31 seconds)  #HolySpiritHelpsObedience

I hope you're being encouraged by this this morning because there's a lot of encouragement here. Amen. Here's why. Verse 27. For the father himself loves you because you have loved me and I believe I came from god. God loves you. Amen. Thank you. He loves you. Hallelujah. Thank you. Yes. He knows who you are and he still loves you. He knows what you've done and he loves you. He knows all about it. Those things you try to hide away, those things that you thought nobody else knew about, he knows and he loves you. Yes. Yes. He loves you. [00:33:47] (46 seconds)  #GodKnowsAndLovesYou

And sometimes we fail to recognize the privilege that it is to have direct access to the father through our prayer. It's a privilege. Amen. A privilege, not a right, a privilege. He allows us. Think about it. What business does imperfection have with the perfection? None. But he allows it through the holy spirit. He allows it through the what he accomplished at the cross. He allows this. Praise god. We have that kind of access. So our prayers, we come before the lord. Remember I told you earlier, Hebrews says, we go boldly before the throne of grace. But I heard a pastor years ago say, but not arrogantly. And it's true. [00:38:11] (53 seconds)  #BoldAccessToTheFather

Now, in case you didn't recognize it, that last phrase right there that your joy may be full, we've been talking about that for the last few weeks, but we've been pulling it from chapter 16. In other words, everything we've been talking about is the second time he's been saying it. He said it first here in chapter 15 and Jesus is telling us, want your joy to be full. That's what I want from you. And he says, that's why I've been telling you all of these things. All of what things? Keep his commandments so we will abide in him. Amen. Those things. [00:22:25] (35 seconds)  #JoyMayBeFull

Well, think about like the disciples for a second. Jesus, I'm so used to just asking because you've been right here. I didn't have to remember from day to day what to do. You would tell me from day to day what to do. I got to ask you these questions and now you're going away. What am I going to do? And Jesus says, oh, that's okay. I am going fulfill the desire in you to obey still. You're still gonna have help from that because I'm sending you the helper. And he said in John fourteen twenty five, these things I've spoken to you while I'm still with you. [00:24:15] (30 seconds)  #JesusSendsTheHelper