17 Jul, 2009

Spreading Joy... one cheeseball at a time?

Jolly Molly the Cheeseball ChickAt a conference this past weekend I met "Jolly Molly" aka The Cheeseball Chick. Molly wears a container of Cheeseballs on her back just about everywhere she goes. Complete with a custom made harness and an ingenious dispensing system to ensure freshness and cleanliness. Molly brings joy everywhere she goes passing out cheeseballs to strangers, having conversations, and sharing the real reason why she wears this cheeseball contraption. To find out more of Molly's story and why she does what she does, visit cheeseballchick.com

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)

Be joyful always

Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

What does today's story & God's Story Scripture teach us about joy?

The Bible talks about joy, a lot. In fact, did you know that joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22) That means that if we have the Holy Spirit in us we are called to be Joyful. That doesn't mean just being happy or giggly or smiling and pretending that things are great when they aren't. Being joyful means having hope in Christ, being content in every situation, and knowing that His Kingdom is so much greater than the world we live in. In our culture people try to find joy by acquiring things, getting a better job, being the best at a sport, or getting into the best school and once they have accomplished these things they still don't have happiness. True Joy can only come from Christ.

How can we connect today's story & God's Story Scripture to our own lives?

  • Are you truly Joyful?  Ask GOD to give you the fruit of the spirit, Joy.  Pray and ask GOD to show you where you may need to surrender some things and have true Joy in Christ.
  • Pray and ask GOD for opportunities to bring His Joy to those around you.
  • Ask GOD to open your eyes & heart to the many opportunities for Joy he puts in your life daily.

How can I connect today's story, God's Story Scripture, & my story to my friends?

  • Ask your friends what makes them smile and what brings them joy in tough times.
  • Tell your friends about Molly, the Cheeseball Chick, and ask them what their reaction would be if they met her.
  • Share with your friend a time when you found Joy when it wouldn't make sense to the world.
  • Get with a group of Christian friends or you youth group and come up with your own cheeseball way to spread joy & share Christ's love with others.  Try it for a week and then get together to share your stories of how GOD moved. 
Comments

Ornament

The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.