A Godly Quest for Pleasure
Article by David F. MaasIs a Christian denied a pleasurable life? Are we relegated to lives of drab monotony and duty? On the contrary, we are created to experience pleasure.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughJoy is more than just happiness. There is a joy that God gives, through the action of His Spirit in us, that far exceeds mere human cheerfulness.
On The Value of Joy
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that joy is enumerated second in the order of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22, speculates upon the possibility that God intended a pre-determined order for these spiritual gifts, perhaps from the most important to lesser degrees of importance. If this is the case, Joy occupies a …
Wisdom for the Young (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughSolomon already lived the wild side, considered it deeply over, and reported on it. If we will listen to what he says, we can avoid all kinds of heartache.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Three): Cultivating Joy
Sermon by David F. MaasStrategies for cultivating joy include developing contentment and gratitude, giving rather than getting, finding pleasure in work, and valuing God's law.
Joy: What Is It?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughRichard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the difficulties in translation from Greek and Hebrew to English, as well as comprehending spiritual truths with a fleshly mind, maintains that it is only through God's Holy Spirit we can comprehend those truths at all. Even with God's Holy Spirit, we have difficulty. Our minds are too finite, …
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Fourteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reflecting on Solomon's ruminations about life being seemingly futile and purposeless, reiterates that a relationship with God is the only factor which prevents life from becoming useless. As many celebrities and public figures withdraw to spend more time with families, so must we withdraw from the rat race of …
Joy in the Lord
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughRichard Ritenbaugh, reflecting that Americans relish their equality and their rights, including the right to pursue happiness, suggests that some Americans feel that gay marriage and homosexuality would be among the ways to pursue happiness. Thomas Jefferson would not have approved that willful and presumptuous interpretation of …
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Sixteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reminding us that Ecclesiastes chapters 1-6 contains a sub-theme of materialism—specifically an indictment of the supposed satisfaction one receives from it suggests that materialism contains no lasting fulfillment. According to some studies, the higher a person is on the economic scale, the less …
Wisdom for the Young (Part Four)
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThe young often lack the wisdom to distinguish mere fun from real joy. Sometimes such wisdom has to come from the hard knocks that result from bad decisions.
The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength!
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMartin Collins marvels that despite the continuous dramatic increase of material wealth in Modern Israel, this affluence or prosperity has not remotely led to joy. Clinical depression, requiring professional help (usually consisting of a host of powerful anti-depressant drugs) is almost pandemic in North America, with one in …
Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod emphasizes Ecclesiastes during the Feast of Tabernacles to show the result of doing whatever our human heart leads us to do. The physical cannot satisfy.
The Unleavened Life Is a Happy Life!
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh observes that some misguided individuals have denigrated the practice of putting out leaven as childish and something to be outgrown. The fruits of their lives indicate that they never learned the subtle lessons these customs or practices were supposed to teach. The annual rehearsal of these practices is …
Intimacy with Christ (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh emphasizes that the ordinary cares of life- making a living and being concerned with our security- have the tendency to deflect us from our real purpose- seeking God's Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) Becoming overburdened with devotion to wealth or surfeiting will cause us to lose our mobility or ability to stand, …
Achieving the Desires of Our Hearts
Sermonette by David F. MaasDavid Maas reminds God's people that His promise to give them the desires of their heart (Psalm 37:4-6) is contingent upon delighting themselves in the Lord—that is, transforming their hearts (from carnal to spiritual) to be in alignment with His attributes. Because God is the author of desire (both physical and …
