"Love one another" 1John 4:7 Last week in chapel we discovered the meaning of joy and how it can pop up at any time, even when we don't expect it. Our story came from John 21:1-14. After Jesus's crucifixion, the disciples, overcome with loss and sadness, were out on the lake dropping their fishing nets into the water and coming up empty time and time again. A stranger standing on the shore called out to them with some friendly advice, "Why don't you cast your net on the other side of the boat?" he suggested. Although it didn't make sense, the disciples tried it. Sure enough, the haul was so bountiful that the net was overflowing with fish. The stranger turned out to be Jesus. This was the first time His friends had seen Him since His resurrection. Peter was so filled with joy that instead of waiting for the men to row the boat ashore, he jumped in the water and swam to Jesus as fast as he could. As with the disciples, the joy we feel today from the fruit of the Spirit is not based on our circumstances, our paycheck or our mindset; rather, on our relationship with Jesus Christ - and our living in Him. In this way, our joy can never be taken away or meddled with by the world. This joy is found WITHIN the Holy Spirit. For our game, the kids get to sit in a rubber raft and throw fish into a net. The songs we sang and danced to were "Happy" and "Praise the Lord Every Day." Next week: Peace!
