OceanSide church of Christ




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The Key to Happiness
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.              Introduction

a.    Surveys upon surveys show that the most desired thing in this world is happiness

                                          i.    People look for it in all the wrong places

1.    Entertainment, work, money, etc

b.    The Bible is written for our “good always” (Deut 6:24)

                                          i.    Through it alone we find how to be happy

c.    Consider Psalm 1:1-3

II.            Be blessed (Psalm 1:1)

a.    “Blessed” is the word for happy in the Bible

                                          i.    Think of it as meaning full of joy

                                        ii.    The psalmist describes how to be full of joy in the Psalm

b.    Notice we are to avoid the ungodly, sinner, and scoffers

                                          i.    To be happy we must avoid bad influences (1 Cor 15:33)

1.    We must not be deceived into thinking we won’t be negatively affected by these poor examples

                                        ii.    Notice the progression of sin

1.    We walk, stand, and then sit and we are caught

2.    This is how Satan gets us little by little

a.    Fornication begins with a small kiss

b.    Pornography begins with an immodest photo

III.           Delight in the Word (Psalm 1:2)

a.    The psalmist says he would suffer in affliction (depression) of it were not for delighting in the word of God (Psalm 119:92-93)

                                          i.    Looking for joy elsewhere is vain

b.    Is our delight in God’s word?

                                          i.    Have we ever actually read through the Bible?

                                        ii.    Can we really tell others to read and obey it when we haven’t read it?

c.    We must make it our meditation

                                          i.    It should always be on our mind as it was Christ’s

1.    He thought of God’s will when John sais “behold the lamb of God” in John 1

2.    He thought of God’s will when Mary told Him “they need more wine” in John 2

3.    He thought of God’s will when telling Nicodemus about salvation in John 3

a.    Everything reminded Him about God’s will for His life

IV.          A tree planted by water (Psalm 1:3)

a.    A tree planted by water has all the nutrients it needs

                                          i.    God is our source of water and the Word is where we access it

b.    Consider Psalm 92:12-14 as a sister verse

                                          i.    We will grow like the large cedars of Lebanon

c.    Notice we will prosper in all we do

                                          i.    David told Solomon to obey God’s word and he would always prosper (1 Kings 2:1-3)

d.    Like king Midas we sometimes must learn that turning everything into physical gold will not make us happy

                                          i.    Visiting the shut-ins is true gold

                                        ii.    Hospitality is true gold

                                       iii.    Evangelism is true gold

1.    Through the Word we find the power to turn everything to gold spiritually speaking

2.    Only through it can we find true blessedness