Two weeks ago, we lit the candle of Hope and heard that real hope is an anchor for the soul, something steady we can cling to even when the storm is still raging. Last week, we lit the candle of Peace and discovered that Jesus doesn’t just give us a technique for calm, He gives us Himself, the Prince of Peace, who restores what sin has broken and guards our hearts when we release control to Him. Today, we lit the third candle, Joy. For some of us, the word “joy” lands like warm sunlight on our face. For others of us, joy feels dangerous. If you grew up in chaos, if you’ve been betrayed, abandoned, or repeatedly disappointed, joy can feel like the moment right before the rug gets pulled out again. Joy feels like hope on steroids, and hope has let you down before. You are not broken for feeling that way. You are not “less spiritual.” You are responding exactly the way a wounded heart learns to survive. But here’s the good news: because Jesus has come, joy is no longer a risk; it’s the safest place our hearts can live. That’s what the angel meant when he said this news would bring “great joy for all the people,” even the skeptical, even the wounded, even the ones who are terrified to hope again.

Today, we’re going to explore four key truths about joy: first, that the joy the Bible offers is secure and cannot be taken away; second, that God meets us in our fear before announcing joy; third, that Christian joy is not naïve optimism, but a confident assurance; and finally, that great joy heals by being shared. Let’s discover together how joy becomes the safest place for our hearts because of Jesus.