Joy

Joy

There was once a young boy who went to spend the week with his grandfather on the farm. While walking around he noticed the chickens, they were scratching and playing around. The little boy said, “They ain’t got it”.

Next he saw a colt in the field playing and kicking up its heel’s to which he replied, “He ain’t got it”. After examining all of the animals on his grandfather’s farm and seeing that none of them had “it”, this boy finally found the old donkey in the barn. When he saw the donkey’s long, frowning face and the way that the donkey just stood there he yelled for his grandfather to come quick. “I found it, I found it” the boy kept yelling. When his grandfather asked what he had found he said, “Pawpaw, I found an animal that has the same kind of religion that you have.”

Is that the kind of religion we have? Do people see us as donkeys, with long, sad faces? Or do we come with smiles on our faces to joyfully worship God. We need to remember that God created smiles and He created laughter.

When we are in worship we hear many things. But there are some things that we never hear in church. For example: Hey! It’s my turn to sit in the front row!

I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over! - Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf! - I love it when we sing worship songs I’ve never heard before! – and, SINCE WE’RE ALL HERE, LET’S START THE SERVICE EARLY!

And we not only hear laughter. It can also be seen in the written word. I have some examples of bulletin bloopers that can bring smiles to our faces.

Don’t let worry kill you--let the church help. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and LAY an egg on the altar. Thursday night--Potluck supper. Prayer and MEDICATION to follow. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

"Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Bill’s sermons.

The choir will sing ‘I heard the BILLS on Christmas Day. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday and head to the hills to do some bear hunting. As he rounded the corner on the trail, he and a bear collided, sending him and his rifle tumbling down the mountainside. Before he knew it, his rifle went one way and he went the other, landing on a rock and breaking both legs. That was the good news.

The bad news was the bear charging at him from a distance, and he couldn’t move. "Oh, Lord," the preacher prayed, "I’m so sorry for skipping services today to come out here and hunt. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish . . . please make a Christian out of that bear that’s coming at me. That very instant, the bear skidded to a halt, fell to its knees, clasped its paws together and began to pray aloud right at the preacher’s feet. "Dear God, please bless this food that I am about to receive!"

Three elderly sisters were discussing the travails of getting older. One said, “Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand in front of the refrigerator and can’t remember whether I need to put it away, or start making a sandwich.”

The second sister chimed in, “I know. Sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can’t remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down.”

The third one responded, “Well, I’m glad I don’t have that problem; knock on wood.” “IS THAT THE FRONT DOOR OR THE BACK DOOR?”

IT’S GOOD TO LAUGH, ISN’T IT!?! A child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an adult laughs only 15 times each day. Which makes no sense to me since laughter feels so good and is so good for us! So today I want to share with you about a man who LAUGHED and that’s my JOYFUL JESUS!

That’s right. This is a picture of Jesus laughing. Some 2000 years ago, Jesus came to earth and brought a wonderful change to our lives. He brought hope to a lost and hopeless world. He brought peace which goes deeper than any the world could give.