• We believe that followers of Jesus are equipped with enough bandwidth to find happiness and contentment in the middle of chaos, confusion and loss.
• What if there are things you can bring with you, out of all this, that God can use to transform your life.
• This is what we mean by “Staycation: getting all the good stuff out of being stuck right where you are!”

We’ve been conditioned to think that happiness is a what, rather than a who.

What if happiness had more to do with WHO you are than WHAT you have?

• Happiness and Holiness are NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
  • The pursuit of happiness OVER holiness will rob you of both
  • A biblical pursuit of holiness should, inevitable, lead to happiness

• “True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Helen Keller
• “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln
• “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.” Thomas Jefferson
• “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” Dale Carnegie

What did Jesus say about Happiness?

Mt 5:1, “One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them. 

• Blessed = makarios, meaning “happy”
• “God blesses…” = “God makes happy”

There are nine attitudes that lead to happiness. Write them down and pick ONE to work on. Come back to this passage later on and pick another.

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

• It’s not the rich who are automatically happy
• It’s those who embrace their dependence on God
• As long as you work SO HARD to not NEED GOD to provide for you, you will continue to find happiness hiding from you
• When you can say, honestly, “Without God, I’m sunk” you are finally free
• That is when you will become content with where you are and what you have
• In what area of your life are you afraid to give control to God?

4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

• This one is tough. This isn’t saying those who have horrible things happen. It says those who learn to MOURN when it does.
• Mourners are comfortable with their emotions and are not afraid of sharing them
• Mourners do not hide from the bad and the unjust things in life
• Quit being so afraid. Life is going to happen and you can’t stop it.
• Mourn and grieve the bad things so they don’t enslave you to pain and sadness, robbing you of the good things
• What fear is consuming you right now and how can you hand that over to God?

5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 

• Humility (meekness) is simply having a healthy view of self
• It’s recognizing that life doesn’t OWE me anything
• I’m a sentence in a paragraph in the chapter of this generation in a book of human history. I will not insist on bold type or italics but I will crush the heck out of my sentence.
• Pride is insisting the whole paragraph and chapter should be about me
• Truth: arrogant people are not happy people. They are exhausted people
• How comfortable are you letting others have the spotlight? Who are you unwilling to serve?

6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 

• Happy are those without guilt, regret and have clear consciences
• Wouldn’t you agree that sin is a major factor in your unhappiness?
• Confession and accountability can clear that garbage out quickly
• What patterns of sin in your life are you hanging onto?

7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

• happy are the relationally generous
• You give what’s undeserved. Never seeking revenge
• Happy are those who hold no grudges
• Who do you need to forgive?

8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 

• Those whose intentions are good.
• “Check yourself before your wreck yourself!”
• What have you run into that you may need to pull back from?

9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 

• You know any happy troublemakers?
• Happy are the reconcilers, the ones who seek common ground with those they would normally oppose
• They initiate, they don’t simply wish things were better, they work toward making them better
• What area of your life robs you of peace and what is one fearless, righteous thing you could do to bring resolution?

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 

• You are going to suffer in this life for doing right or doing wrong. You can only be happy on one side of that equation.
• What is some act of good that you feel may end up costing you something? What is one thing you’ll do this week to get you closer to taking that step?

Happiness is not a button you wake up and push.

Happiness is the product of healthy, life-giving, godly choices.

• it is a seed you plant today that, by faith, you will harvest tomorrow
• It is something you reap, if you sow wisely.
• It is the product of godliness
• It is the partner to contentment
• It is the reward for living life better.

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?