In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of applying the message of God's word to our lives. He encourages families to gather together and discuss the points that stood out to them from the sermon. The speaker highlights the significance of having the Bible in our hearts and souls, as it has the power to bless, feed, quench, burn, lead, chasten, and encourage. He reminds the audience that Christian joy is both a duty and a privilege, and that it is a gift from God. The sermon concludes with a call to prayer and the invitation to apply the message in order to create a more peaceful and happier home.

planes a few years back and we left our children for the first time we've never been away from our children for overnight we flew down to Fort Worth Texas to this family get-together conference I guess you'd call it we walked in and they had these questionnaires for spouses and for singles and for children and one of the questions on the children's questionnaire went like this how would you describe your home very happy happy not so happy or miserable they were the choices they took these questions these questionnaires collated the results and the gentleman got up one night and kind of gave a little feedback on the analysis of these questionnaires and we got to the children's questionnaire he talked about that question how would you describe your home very happy happy not so happy or miserable of all the I don't know couple hundred children in the church perhaps for some reason only two of those children described their homes on the questionnaire as a very very happy place I was shocked I was stunned this is a family conference for crying out loud you're gonna get the best crowd here anyway well I didn't have any rest until I got home and quoted my children one by one and I said look if somebody came up to you and asked you this question how would you describe our home very happy happy not so happy or miserable what would you say and here they come with these analytical well if you're talking about this or if you mean that I said boys cut to the chase man give me an answer what would you say I was desperate to know because I want our children to have a happy home I met Vance Abner before he died and he was in the nursing home at this point in life and he said he asked me two questions the first time I ever met him within the first two minutes of our conversation he said that he said this to me he said son what is your greatest fear and then he asked this what is your greatest joy what is your greatest joy perceptive questions you know as we travel from church to church it's one thing that becomes very obvious and very apparent that there's a lot of churches in America suffering from a drastic lack of Christian joy some congregations are oppressed some seem depressed suppressed repressed there are congregations that seem sour cynical and some even seem hateful you go to some congregations there's no liberty at all you think the whole crowd's been vaccinated with dill pickle juice or they've got I've been hooked up on an IV with lemon juice concentrator you know they said out there they look like they swallowed a curtain rod I mean they're just out there brother they're just out there Sunday morning more in looks like Sunday morning mo you are in in some places some congregations look like they're look like a crowd in mourning rather than a congregation celebrating a victory dear people the people that can come to church can scream like Comanches at the Little League game but said like a bunch of wooden Indians in the house of God there are some churches that began in the fire but now they're living in the smoke but the New Testament New Testament starts out with an angel chorus and it ends with rejoicing around the throne I believe that revival deals with those things that keeps us from enjoying God in the fullness of the Holy Spirit the revival deals with those things that keep us from enjoying God in the fullness of the Holy Spirit I want you to take your Bible and turn there tonight to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 while you're turning I want to read you a verse from 1st Peter the Bible says likewise ye husbands dwell with your wives according to knowledge giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel as being heirs together of the grace of life I want to lift that phrase out as being heirs together of the grace of life you know what I think that means heirs together together of the grace of life I believe of all other things that things that it means it means that our home should be joyful places castles best bastions if you will of joy notice these positive commands in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 you know not all commandments are negative there are some positive commands in the Bible and here's four great ones 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 16 they're very brief imperatives but notice notice them rejoice evermore rejoice evermore pray without ceasing and everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you quench not the Spirit you know the only way not to violate verse 19 is to practice verses 16 17 and 18 brother if we if we are to not quench the Spirit of God then we have to learn a lifestyle of rejoicing of praying and of thanking God I believe that prayer is a characteristic of saved people I believe that thanking God is a trait of saved people I believe that rejoicing is a trait of saved people Augustine said the Christian should be a walking hallelujah from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head somebody said God lives in two places God dwells in two places he has two dwelling places in heaven and also in a grateful heart do you understand tonight you cannot approach God apart from gratitude you cannot approach God apart from gratitude that's why the Bible says enter into his gates with Thanksgiving coming to his courts with praise you want to approach God you want to approach deity brother you'd better come in to his gates with Thanksgiving my son Michael preaches a message on Thanksgiving and he makes this statement this quote Thanksgiving is good thanks living is better Thanksgiving is good but thanks living is better I want to tell you dear people that they had joy in the early church you cannot read the book of Acts and come away with any other conclusion but that they had joy unspeakable and full of glory and I say a chapter 56 God says these words to the outcast and the eunuchs he says even then even then will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer even then will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer I'll tell you the more you pray the more you want to pray the more you want to pray the more you realize you need to pray and the more you need to pray the more you enjoy pray I think we ought to be enjoying God dear people I think his burdens are not grievance and our Christian life should not be one of drudgery and sheer duty all the time sure there's responsibilities and sure there's there's there's things along that line but brother it should be a should be a life of holy joy that should be the overriding characteristic the Bible says let the children of Zion be joyful in their team one time there was a man that had a church building that would seat 700 people and he only had 17 I don't know if you've ever been in one like that but it's a tough it's a tough go and this man was discouraged and he talked to this very old or wise pastor and he said what in the world would you do brother if you had a auditorium seat in 700 but you only had 17 showing up and that older pastor said I would work with those 17 people until they got joyfully happy in God and he said brother I believe that building would begin to fill up automatically I believe of all the people alive on planet Earth today we should not be wringing our hands and worrying about the future and worrying about the end of the world and worrying about this and worrying about that I believe of all the people in the world we should have the joy of God in these latter days unparalleled to the rest of our society CS Lewis said these words joy is the serious business of heaven he said joy is the serious business of heaven for in thy presence there is fullness of joy and brother if joy is the head serious business of heaven maybe we ought to make it our serious business on earth the early church had joy Acts chapter 2 verse 46 they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart Acts chapter 2 verse 41 they did gladly received his word were baptized like here this morning the Bible says in Acts 3 there was a lame man that was healed and we got healed he was walking leaping and pardon me and praising God that guy got something Oh dear people I want to tell you when David came back after the ark had returned he danced before the Lord which I'm not sure what all that means but he was into it brother and his wife despised him and she was smitten with barrenness can I say something to you tonight you don't measure your spirituality by the length of your face and a good dose of holy joy would do us all well and I'm not talking about silly putty religion here brother I'm talking about something that comes but from being rightly related to God and being in the presence of God you remember in Acts chapter 12 Oh Peter was in jail for preaching the gospel when there be a blessing to see preachers in jail for preaching instead of cheating and stealing and lying and every other kind of thing at least they were in jail for the right reason back in those days and the Bible says that the Church of God went made prayer without ceasing for this man and all of a sudden God sent an angel in response to the prayers of the people and opened up the prison put the whole crowd to sleep and the chains fell off in the bars open up he thought he was dreaming he didn't know what was going on a notable miracle underway here he comes out in the street and comes to his senses this is real I'm free so he goes over to the prayer meeting house and Rhoda comes to the door and she's so excited she saw him and couldn't believe it and the Bible says she opened not the door for gladness she was so overwhelmed with unspeakable joy she couldn't even open the door and she went back in but brother there there they had tremendous joy in the early church acts 13 Paul was sent to the Gentiles and the Bible says when the Gentiles heard of it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord they were glad it says in Acts 1352 that the Word of God was published in the whole region and Paul and Barnabas were persecuted by the Jews and you know what the Bible says they filed a petition of complaint with a Roman pagan government to straighten this thing out and plead for justice is that what happened they boycotted Walmart is that what they did no what did they do here they are persecuted by the Jews the Word of God's going out the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost they weren't complaining and griping about not being fairly treated and the very fact that evangelical America thinks that we ought to have a fair a fair shake is because they don't understand the doctrine of depravity of man and if we expect lost people to act like saved people and we're going to implement that morality on them we got another thing coming Oh Moody was preaching over in England and not much was happening it's good to know that some of those guys had those kind of meetings too I'll tell you that not much was happening and the song leader came up and he said brother Moody it's kind of slow it did not it is kind of slow here the brother which was another way of saying man what seems to be the problem and DL Moody very wisely looked at him and said brother before we can have a big fire we get to have a little fire then they used to look for a big blaze until we get those heart fires burning in the hearts of the people of God in the church I'll tell you joy is the key to generous giving it's the key to generous giving it says in the book of Corinthians that through their great trial of affliction and the abundance of their joy now notice the combination great trial of affliction abundance of joy and their deep poverty and those where they had going for him here they had deep poverty they had a great trial of affliction yet they had abundance of joy that abounded to the riches of their liberality you understand that God loves a cheerful giver I was in a church one time and they were trying to get this point of being a cheerful giver over so whenever they ushers came with the offering plates everybody started clapping as a sign we're gonna we're gonna enjoy and celebrate this opportunity to give so they don't now I'm not advocating clapping in church there but that was their expression and their way of going about being cheerful givers I'll tell you joy is the key to a proper attitude in life and brethren we are all gonna face all kinds of trials and struggles my brethren counted it all joy James 1 to when you fall into diverse temptations all kinds of problems counted in all joy when you fall into all kinds of difficulty second Corinthians Paul said I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations man I meet people that can't be exceeding joyful in all their blessings in it amazing to hear in America where we've got so much with some of the most miserable people on planet Earth the pastor's wife said to me the other day she said why what one of them said that the women are depressed most of the time that's what one of them told me and then another one told me said well most most most of the ladies in our church are on Prozac I didn't even know what Prozac was and I said excuse me what are you talking about and then she told me a little bit about that and let me say this dear people when we get to a point is the people of God and I'm not saying you're not going to go throw some downtimes in life but brother when that's the common thread there's something wrong with our Christianity in America brother there's something wrong here I'll tell you something my son and I went over to India he feels like God wants to be even be a missionary there and idols on every corner idols in every house Hindu temples all over the place you know they have these idolatrous processions where they'll take these big juggernauts these big wagons these chariots load them down with all these idols and pull these idolatrous juggernauts through the community and the people will come out and bow down before these wagon loads of idols some of these worshippers are so intent and so caught up in the whole frenzy of the thing they throw themselves under these giant wagons and they're crushed to death others hop on board and they catch a ride farther on down the way and problems and difficulties and temptations are kind of like that if you're on top you can advance farther down the road but if you get underneath them they will crush you to death kind of like somebody said a mattress if you're on top you rest in comfort if you get underneath you get smothered I was talking to somebody the other day and listening to a conversation and the brother said well brother how have you been doing you know how he responded he says well I've been worse I've been worse boy that's really greeting the brethren with a holy kiss and exhorting one another daily as we go on we need an attitude adjustment every now and then Harold Vaughn needs an attitude adjustment every day not every hour have to get a new one counted in all joy when you fall into divers divers temptations you know before that can be joy in the church there's got to be joy in the home the Bible says we're heirs together of the grace of life you know what I think that means I think you ought to have a good time I think you ought to laugh a lot I believe we ought to have a good time I think that home ought to be the most joyful place listen to Ecclesiastes 9 9 live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life live joyfully live it up man celebrate we celebrate every week God we look for excuses just for something to celebrate I think we ought to go out tonight and celebrate and brother we just do a lot of celebrating well live joyfully with the wife of thy youth well you know what you know your people we're going to go through the journey anyhow so we might as well enjoy the ride home can be heaven on earth home can be hell on earth but it can be heaven on earth Charles Spurgeon said these words when when the home is ruled according to God's Word angels might be asked to stay with us and they would not find themselves out of their element I'd like to have a home where angels unawares could be entertained feel at home would you like to have a home where God could be at home somebody said that marriages are made in heaven but unfortunately we had to live them out on earth I don't like that quote right there I don't like that quote the Bible says Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows oh I know he's the man of sorrows unacquainted with grief grief sure but he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows Martin Luther said the Christian is supposed to love his neighbor and since his wife is his closest neighbor she should be his deepest love one man said a successful marriage demands a divorce a successful marriage demands a divorce a divorce from our own self-love amen oh no the problem's not a lack of self-love the problem is we're loaded up with self-love and pride and we need some self-denial joy in the home you know John said in his epistle I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth he was talking about his spiritual children how much more true that is of our physical children no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth dear parents it's our job to feed and lead our children and a bad example negates good instruction I believe that more is caught than is taught and I'm all for teaching by the way one time an older Christian man was asked this question he said they said they said to him sir when you were growing up why didn't you rebel and get with the wrong crowd when you were growing up and that man without hesitation said he said I had such a good time with my father when I was growing up I never thought about rebelling and getting with the wrong crowd I like that I like that and I know that you people here have such a emphasis and a high esteem on the home and I just commend you for that tonight dear ones and let me say this I think our homes ought to be the kind of place where brother they want to come back after they go out and start their own homes and brother they're looking forward to get back I hope that's the way it is I know that's what you're shooting for all we can have joy in the home the Bible says let them that love thy name be joyful indeed you love his name tonight oh yeah you're gonna do some enduring to the end but how about a little enjoying to the end to go along with it what about that you know happy fathers and happy mothers are more likely to produce happy children the reason that the psychologist of places are filled up today is because the home has fallen apart and one reason is because there's a lack of happiness in the home it's not healthy the Bible says my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation is your soul joyful tonight in the Lord dear one are you rejoicing evermore are you learning that you know there's 550 references to joy somebody counted in the Word of God 550 references to joy sounds like to me that God's very interested in his people having the joy of their salvation you know what the great sin the great joy robbery is don't you sin and self the joy robber it robs us of this joy that's why revival deals with those things that keep us from enjoying God through the Holy Spirit the Bible says in Proverbs 13 10 only by pride cometh contention only by pride cometh contention conflict between spouses only by pride cometh contention contention between parents and children only by pride cometh contention strife between siblings only by pride cometh contention all dear people before they can be joy in the home there's got to be joy in our hearts there's got to be joy in our hearts Billy Sunday said if you've lost the cup of joy in your religion there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere Mary said my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior can I say something to you tonight dear people and I thank God for the diligence and the discipline that you all are implementing and instilling in your children but let me say something to you there's got to be a note of holy joy to go along with that there's nothing wrong with getting your soul happy in God like old Mueller used to say that's the first thing he did every day was to seek and get his soul happy in God my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior you ever just uh there's no fields to get around in and smirk this is the by the way you need to move the church a bit north about eight hours where I can go to it all right so you need to move the church and get out get out of the Sodom down here and come up a little farther north but anyhow anyhow oh how I got off on that now there's joy in the heart Paul said that he wanted to finish his course with hand-wringing and wondering what's going to happen and oh Lord help us and Lord what's gonna brother get over that stuff get over those six six six books you've been reading man God will take you take care of the sparrows he'll take care of you just relax in Jesus for a little bit and rejoice tonight in your Savior John said these things right we under you that your joy may be full that's why I wrote the whole epistle that your joy might be full you have confidence in God Romans says the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy and the Holy Ghost what does this mean joy unspeakable and full of glory you know that's that's the fruit of revival it's the fruit of the Holy Spirit the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love and joy I mean brother such a celebrating joyful heart all joy is the serious business of heaven you recall in the New Testament at the crucifixion how that Peter warmed at the enemy's fire you know here he was after all those promises and here he goes over here in the shadows warming at the enemy's fire but after Pentecost you never find him warming at anybody else's fire because after Pentecost he had a fire of his own in his own heart all people joy is the key to strength the Bible says in Nehemiah the joy of the Lord is your strength weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning so in tears reaping joy it's not all a picnic it's not all a it's not all a hallelujah shouting match I know that friend but when you sow in tears you reap in joy and joy comes in the morning and we listen listen if you're full of the Spirit of God you have a note of holy joy I have met some people going through the most difficult tragedies in life and yet they were joyful a friend of mine had a brain tumor he's 43 years old they just had their fifth child and he diagnosed with this brain tumor so I went up to try to comfort and console and I don't know what to say and I felt real bad and he looked at me with the just the total peace of a total freedom and he said Harold if living glorifies God praise the Lord if death would glorify God the quicker the better and he went out in victory the worst you could say about him is that he died in faith that's the worst thing you could say about I marvel at some of these people you know I rebuked my own heart because here I am all stirred up and bothered and burdened down and murmuring about insignificant trivial matter they don't matter you'll be you know fact of the matter is nothing's gonna make it a lot of difference in about 60 years for most of us and they didn't gonna make a lot of difference then it ought not to make too much difference now let's quit ourselves like and act like men and act like women of God in these days well the source of joy let's talk about it for a moment did you know the Bible says that there's joy in heaven over one soul that repents you understand conversion is so rare it's so rare the angels throw a party over one sinner that repents I'll tell you it's wonderful to see people born of God is it not I'll tell you another thing that's joy brings joy is the Word of God thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart Jeremiah 15 this word this book right here it's a sword to cut us it's a fire to burn us this book is water water to quench its bread to feed it's a rod to chasten it's a lamp to lighten it's a staff to lead and it's the source of joy thy word was found and I did eat it it was the joy and rejoicing in my heart can I give you a shocking statement tonight this book right here this book I hold in my hand right here this book will do you absolutely no good at all this book will do you absolutely no good at all but this book ah this book this book can bless can feed can quench can burn can lead can chase and can encourage this book this book this book brother we need to get this book in our hearts and in our souls you know Christian joy is both a duty and a privilege it's a duty rejoice evermore and thank God it's a privilege you know Christian joy is a gift it's a choice it's a discipline and it's an art some of you heard brother Mark's testimony this morning how that he was over in China and here he discovered here he was depressed and on down in the dumps and all this kind of stuff and how that God convicted him of a lack of rejoicing so he made up his mind he was going to start giving thanks and rejoicing even when he didn't feel like it and how that through years and months and years of thanking God and praising God that depression and that fog lifted and he came out and now he's one of the happiest guys I know I'm glad I met him after he came back from China amen brother I'll tell you that right now I'm too much like the other way joy is not created by possessions joy is not created by positions joy is created by a person even the Lord Jesus Christ you know the Lord rebuked emphasis because they had done what they left their first love when you leave your first love you lose your first joy I want you to notice something they didn't lose their first love they left their first love a mother in a busy department store momentarily accidentally loses contact with her child it's an accident a whole lot different from a mother in the old days before they aborted their babies would leave the baby on a pastor's doorstep she didn't she didn't lose she left she left it wasn't accidental it was intentional dear people the Bible doesn't say that they had lost the joy of their salvation the Bible says they had left their first love they had left their first love backsliding spiritual backsliding is not an experience that we've lost it's a person that we've left you remember Joseph and Mary in the scriptures how they left Jerusalem and had gone about a day's journey and the Bible says they supposing Jesus was with them they presumed he was along and they got to looking around and there's no Jesus and they had to go back where they left him they didn't lose him they left him he was he was wearing in the temple talking to those people where they had left him and in life dear child of God is it not true that we can get so caught up and distracted in the affairs of this life and the cares of this world that we can lose we can leave we can leave Jesus and we can go through life supposing he's with us and all of a sudden we begin to look around and do it taking a little inventory and we find we've left him back down the road well the Bible says the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord I want you to notice something it doesn't say they were glad when they saw themselves the Bible says Job saw the Lord and he abhorred himself Daniel saw the Lord and his comeliness was turned into him and to corruption Isaiah saw himself and he saw the Lord and then he saw himself and he said woe is me the Bible doesn't say they were glad when they saw themselves and I know we're in a feel-good consumer religion mentality in America brother but then I know you're not you're not going that way but it doesn't say that they were glad when they saw themselves the Bible doesn't say that they were glad when they saw each other I mean if you travel around very much and you have to be careful about asking this question how is brother so-and-so doing oh hadn't you heard oh man I'm sorry to ask I'm so shy to ask this question pastor called me the other day he said I don't know if I'm getting old or what but he said all the news I'm getting is bad I keep getting these bad reports we keep getting these news you know our friends are dying off there they must be getting old or something you know maybe it's just an age thing I don't know what it is the Bible doesn't say they were glad when they saw each other the Bible doesn't say they were glad when they saw them circumstance their circumstances hardships trials difficulties disappointments heartbreaks somebody said life is full of opportunities cleverly disguised as insoluble problems life is full of opportunities cleverly disguised as insoluble problems the Bible says they were glad when they saw the Lord Jesus said be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven be of good cheer it is I be not afraid be of good cheer I have overcome the world three cheers from Jesus three cheers from Jesus what does he say to his people today be of good cheer be of good cheer the Bible says Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him brother can't you and I learn to endure for the joy that set before us Jesus said don't rejoice about these temporal things he said rejoice your names are written in heaven enduring why for the joy Christians have every reason to be a joyful people Jesus said your your heart shall rejoice and no man taketh it from you I want to tell you something friend no man can take your joy unless you let him man can't take your joy the devil can't take your joy problems can't take your joy but you can't lose your joy if you let these robbers come along and rob you of your joy Leonard Ravenhill said how to enjoy this indestructible joy listen to these these suggestions on how to enjoy indestructible joy number one do whatever God commands however difficult do whatever God commands however difficult when God speaks to your heart and puts a word in your soul don't pray about it for a week on in go ahead and move on it immediately obedience is instantly doing all God tells me to do with a right heart attitude do whatever God commands however difficult number two endure whatever God permits however severe endure whatever God permits however severe you know nothing touches you as a child of God except what's filtered through the hand and will of God endure whatever God permits however severe number three obtain whatever God promises however seemingly unobtainable obtain whatever God promises however seemingly unobtainable you know the one thing I got one thing I got out of the prayer advance this week was the idea that you can live a holy life the possibilities of grace are manifold and and limitless obtain whatever God promises number four die daily however costly the crucifixion die daily however costly the crucifixion number five love your enemies no matter how misunderstood well that's second mild Christianity is it not love your enemies no matter how misunderstood and I'll give you three more pray without ceasing rejoice evermore and in everything give thanks this is the will of God listen dear people we rejoice first and let the feelings catch up with us when they get around to it you choose to rejoice you don't get up in the morning and take a poll and see how your soul is doing you say this is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it now listen happy hearts make a happy home and happy homes make a happy church and I'm not talking about light fluffy frivolous ridiculous carryings on you know I'm not talking about that at all but I am talking about the reality of a joy-filled heart five kinds of families in every church number one strong families with solid wholesome relationships number two weak families with neglected relationships number three troubled families where problems are ignored or avoided number four failing families when there's a communication breakdown and disintegrating relationships and then number five unhappily broken families that are destroyed because of this destroyed relationships now relation our concentration for these next three nights is going to be on building and developing strong families through spirit-filled lives revival deals with those things that keep us from enjoying the fullness of God through his Holy Spirit well there many joy robbers we could talk about but you know what Paul said the Galatians he said where is that blessedness you want speak of he said to that crowd that it got back on the rules and regulations he said where is that blessedness what has happened who's bewitched you what's going on they had left their first love sin is the great joy robber can I just read you a couple of verses in the interest of time just listen to these verses here's what a man that came to himself prayed after he confessed and acknowledged his sin of adultery here's what he said make me to hear joy and gladness how to man this week come to me and tell me that he had been guilty of this very same thing and he wept his soul out before God such a grief of heart such a grief of heart such a guilt such a load he had to come clean listen to this make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice hide thy face from my sins and blot out my all my iniquities created me to clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me restore unto me the joy of thy salvation listen to this and uphold me with thy free spirit then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee make me to hear joy and gladness he said it's been a long time since I had any peace from God brother I want to tell you when sin comes in grieves away the Spirit of God it's a grief to a child of God seniors you know and that's why we got to get it under the blood and we can have a restoration of joy restoring to me the joy of thy salvation there are positive commands and scriptures I think we ought to hone in on these not to leave the other undone of course but brother concentrate on this right here rejoice evermore pray without ceasing and everything give thanks Philippians 4 8 says that there's any virtue any praise anything lovely if there's any good report if there's anything positive think dwell on these things friends you can't control how you feel you cannot control how you feel but you can control how you think and if you think right long enough your feelings are going to catch up to you somewhere down the way I talk to myself all the time along these lines now I know you're depressed today and you're out of it and you're out of shape and all these kind of things but never mind all of that go ahead and rejoice in the Lord and get out the brother I live out in the country where I can get out in the woods and pray out loud I really like it like that you know but you can do that you can do that where you're at to Oh dear one to restore joy in our homes we've got to restore the joy in our heart what do we need to do we need to confess our prayerlessness as seeing them in the prayer meeting tonight we heard those kind of confessions those kind of confessions we need to confess all known sin number two we need to confess we need to confess a lack of rejoicing and the thing it is that's kept us from rejoicing and then start rejoicing and we need to confess a lack of gratitude and we need to start thanking God you know dear people if the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy if I don't have any joy in my heart maybe it's cause I don't have the Holy Spirit of God controlling my life and I need to repent and I need to come back I need to put off the old and put on the new rejoice evermore pray without ceasing and everything give thanks this is only applicable to a child of God this is impossible for anybody else if somebody came to your children tonight or your spouse or even you and took that survey question how would you describe your home very happy happy not so happy or miserable how would you how would you answer that question how would your maid answer that question how would your children answer that question how would you describe your home very happy happy not so happy or miserable I'm recommending that we work toward making our homes the most joyful place on earth and they'll never be joyful homes until we have joyful hearts and when our hearts and homes are in order the church will have a contagion about it that will be irresistible irresistible because it'll be so unique now we're going to apply the message tonight in a unique way so you've got the little hand out there fathers if you're their mother and you're the leader of your home here or if you're the older sibling and you're here or perhaps you even here by yourself you've got one of these little handouts now what we're going to do right now I want you to huddle your family around you tonight men heads of homes get your family around you and some of you have thank God larger families you're going to have to get out of that pew to get a huddle going but find a room back here geared an altar somewhere here up in the choir and we're going to let you close the message tonight by we're not going to sing we're just going to let you close out the message by bringing the message home note the questions on that little love little handout for discussion what points did God bring to my attention today perhaps this morning perhaps through testimonies perhaps through this thought tonight on the joy-filled home number two how do these points apply to my family in marriage lead that discussion heads of homes then number three ask this question and let everybody respond what can be done to make our home a more peaceful and happier place talk about it and then close in prayer however God would lead you to close and when you're finished working through this and praying then you're free to quietly leave the auditorium while others keep on dialogue and having a little holy huddle there and applying this message tonight so men heads of homes if you kind of gather your family around if you're here without your your parents or your family then perhaps you could just deal with this in your own heart in your seat or with a person that maybe is in the same shape but most of us have our families here tonight I just encourage you to apply this pray through it and when you're finished you can quietly quietly exit the auditorium and we'll see you back tomorrow night for prayer time God bless you as you apply this message tonight gather your families together if you would please