ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Originally Published Dec. 2024
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” – John 15:11 (NLT)
What if joy is closer than you think?
We all want to experience joy, but sometimes it can feel just out of reach. Life gets busy, circumstances become difficult, and seasons of anxiety, depression, or disappointment can leave us wondering where our joy has gone. Even when we’re following Jesus, we can find ourselves longing for a joy that seems difficult to experience.
But what if that longing is actually pointing us toward something beautiful?
In this episode of Doable Discipleship, Jason Wieland talks with author and pastor Alistair Sterne about his book Longing for Joy and what it means to recognize, cultivate, and experience the joy of the Lord. Together, they explore why joylessness happens, how our longing for joy draws us toward God, and how the beauty of creation, our relationships, and our everyday experiences can become opportunities to encounter God’s goodness.
They also discuss the surprising connection between joy and the Trinity, why joy doesn’t always look like happiness, and how learning to see other people as occasions for joy can transform our relationships.
In this episode, we explore:
* Why we experience seasons of joylessness and how to recognize what’s contributing to them
* How our longing for joy can draw us into a deeper relationship with God
* What Scripture reveals about the joy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
* How to recognize God’s goodness and experience joy through creation and everyday moments
* Why relationships are essential to cultivating joy and how we can become people who bring joy to others
* Practical habits that help us become more attentive to the joy already present in our lives
Joy is a gift from God, and learning to experience it is part of our ongoing journey of following Jesus. As we become more attentive to God’s presence, more grateful for His gifts, and more intentional in our relationships, we can begin to recognize opportunities for joy all around us.
The invitation is to pay attention, draw near to Jesus, and discover the joy that comes from living in His presence.
Resources Related to This Episode:
https://www.ivpress.com/longing-for-joy
Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuw...)
Intro Music:
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Escape From The Town by SHANTI
https://tunetank.com/track/267-escape...
Outro Music:
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Peace by VictorWayne
https://tunetank.com/track/5040-peace/
