TRUE HAPPINESS

Happiness sells! Modern religion: vague religiosity of self-help and self-improvement.

Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church (Houston—30,000) “people want happiness, not doctrine.”

False religious view of happiness: Great marriage, nice house, kids, dog, dream job, spare $$$$.

Jesus had LOTS to say about happiness; was He right or wrong? Is His teaching out of date?

Where did He say happiness can be found (Mt. 5:3)? __________________________________.

We can only find happiness where there is ______________________________________(Mt. 5:4)?

Without ___________________________________ we cannot have happiness (Mt. 5:5).

We also need __________________________________ (Mt. 5:6).

Happiness can come by giving things away – what can we give? ___________________________.

Happiness can come through encouragement – how can we encourage? _____________________.

Happiness can come through thanksgiving in prayer – examples ___________________________.

How does happiness related to Mt. 5:7? ______________________________________________.

Mt. 5:8 contains what important key? ________________________________________________.

Discuss Mt. 5:9 - _________________________________________________________________.

How can Mt. 5:10 possibly be true? __________________________________________________.

GODLINESS IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS, AND BIBLE CHARACTERS DEMONSTRATE THIS:

Gen. 6:8-9 – Noah was __________ who was (Gen. 6:22) _________. Mt. 24:38-39 – happy? ______.

What city is described in Jon. 3:3-4? ______ Were the people happy? ______. Later? _____.

Who do we read about in Acts 16:23? _______________

List this man’s blessings from verses 23 ____________ 27 _____________ 29 ____________________

33 ____________________ 34 ___________________. Was he happy (verse 34)? ________________.

PASSAGES THAT SHOW A LACK OF GODLINESS ULTIMATELY LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS.

Eve – Gen. 3:20 tells us ____________________. How must she have felt about that? ____________.

What do we find in Gen. 3:7? ____________ Verse 8? __________ Verse 12? __________________.

Verse 16? _________________________________________________________________.

Who do we read about in Mt. 26:47? ________________________________________________.

How is he described in Acts 1:17? __________________________________________________.

What did he choose (Lk. 6:16)? ____________________________________________________.

Did this choice lead to happiness (Mt. 26:24)? ___________________.

After the church started, we see an example of “happiness” from the standpoint of the world.

Acts 5:1 – what can we infer from this verse? ________________________________.

Any inferences from 5:2? ________________________________________________.

Whatever “happiness” existed from this situation lasted for how long? Verse 5 - ______________.

Did just one suffer a loss of happiness (verses 7-10)? ___________________.

Going back to the Sermon on the Mount, a key verse is Mt. 6:21 – ______________________________.

Thomas Monaghan sold Domino's Pizza in 1998 for $1 billion at age 61. Raised in an orphanage, Monaghan says he went through an unfulfilling materialistic phase when he became rich. He bought antique cars, yachts and the Detroit Tigers baseball team. He says he is now invested "in helping people get to heaven," mainly through the Ave Maria Foundation that is funded by Monaghan's fortune.