Happiness Basics
Meeting Start
The numbered paragraphs below will direct the content of the conversation during the meeting. The Chairperson will read their own parts marked in bold italics font, and the meeting participants will read their parts marked in Bold Arial font.
1 – Chairperson: Welcome everyone to the Victory Tips Recovery Group! My name is ____(Chairperson name)____, and I will be the Chairperson for our meeting. Before we start, please turn the ringer off on your cell phone. Also, please try to limit background noise during the call. Use the Mute feature if need be.
2 – Chairperson: Do we have any visitors? [If so, kindly acknowledge and thank them for joining in, and ask who wants to participate or just listen in.] Our meetings have two main sections: The Happiness Basics, and the Happiness Tips. As we go through the program, I will read from the bold italics text marked ‘Chairperson’, and I will call on others who wish to have Speaker Roles by reading from the Bold Arial font text. Please keep your comments to about thirty seconds so everyone has a chance to speak. The last fifteen minutes are reserved for Prayer Requests and members praying for each other. We should finish in 90 min.
3 – Chairperson: So, let’s get started! [Chairperson or attendee reads the Recovery Prayer below].
Recovery Prayer
“Dear God, thank you for giving us your Word to heal us. We joyfully dedicate this time to renew our minds to the truths in your Word. With your help we will use your Word to bring down strongholds of fear and deception. We agree that your Word is a light to our path and it leads us to a place of peace, confidence and happiness. We thank you in advance for everything you have done for us, and will do in our lives. You have made our future bright, and we praise you for this. In Jesus’s name. Amen.”
4 – Chairperson: This program promotes confidentiality. We teach its importance so those unfamiliar with it can learn about it and begin abiding by it. Whatever is said in the group stays in the group. Here to read our Confidentiality Commitment is _____(Speaker name)_____.
5 – Confidentiality Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)_____.
We value your confidentiality. Whatever we hear you say at a group or in private conversation we promise not to repeat to anyone. This includes your contact information. We will never share any information about you without your permission. Back to you ____(Chairperson name)_____.
6 – Chairperson: Thank you, _____(Speaker name)_____. We will now ask participants for any praise reports. [Chairperson now asks each person who wants to participate if they have any Praise Reports.]
7 – Chairperson: We will now give a quick overview of how to achieve happiness by using the Happiness Basics. We will be using (The Regular Version of the Happiness Basics or the Quick Version of the Happiness Basics using the numbered paragraphs marked with an “a”). God wants us to be Happy. To talk more about this, is our Happiness Speaker, _(Speaker name)_.
8 – Happiness Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)___. Indeed, God wants us to enjoy our journey in life, as seen in the following verses. I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to God wanting us to be happy. The verse I choose is _____.
(8a – Happiness Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)___. Indeed. The List 1 verses below show us that God wants us to be happy. The List 2 verses show us how we can be happy even when we have problems in our lives. I will choose verse _____ from List _____, and speak briefly on how it applies to God wanting us to be happy.)
(8b – List 1 Verses – God Wants Us To Be Happy)
1) Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
2) Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.”
3) Psalm 30:11,12 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
4) Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”
5) Psalm 64:10 “The righteous man will be glad in the Lord and will take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory.”
6) Psalm 89:16 “In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted.”
7) Psalm 97:11 “Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.”
8) Ecclesiastes 2:26 “For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy,”
9) Ecclesiastes. 5:19 “Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.”
10) Ecclesiastes. 11:8 “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all…”
11) Luke 10:20 (Jesus speaking) “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
12) John 10:10 “(Jesus speaking) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
13) John 15:11 “(Jesus speaking) “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
14) Acts 2:25, 26 “For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;”
15) Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
16) 1 Corinthians 15:57 “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
17) 2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ…”
18) Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”,
19) Philippians 1:25 “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,”
20) Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.”
21) 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always;”
22) 1 John 1:4 “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”
23) 2 John 1:12 “Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full.”
9 – Happiness Speaker: So, God wants us to be happy. We can even be happy when we have problems in our lives. From the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to us being happy even when we have problems in our lives. The verse I choose is _____.
(9a – List 2 Verses – God Wants Us Happy Even With Problems)
1) Psalm 27:6 “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
2) Psalm 119:143 “Trouble and anguish have come upon me, Yet Your commandments are my delight.”
3) Luke 6:22,23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”
4) John 16:33 (Jesus speaking) “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
5) Romans 5:3-5a “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint,”
6) Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
7) Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
8) 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,”
9) 2 Corinthians 7:4 “Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.”
10) 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 (In this passage, Paul was troubled by a ‘thorn in his flesh.’) “And He (Jesus) has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 10 Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
11) Colossians 1:11 “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously.”
12) James 1:2 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,”
13) 1 Peter 1:6 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,”
14) 1 Peter 3:14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”
15) 1 Peter 4:12,13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;. 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
16) 1 Peter 4:14 “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
10 – Happiness Speaker: So even in troubles, we can be happy! Back to you, _(Chairperson_name)_.
(10a – Happiness Speaker: So, we can be happy! Back to you, _(Chairperson_name)_.)
11 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. So, it is God’s will that we be happy, but it goes deeper than that. God wants us to be strong in our spirit. Here to tell us more on that is our Strong Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
12 – Strong Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)_____. Indeed, God wants people to be strong in spirit, and from the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to us being strong in our spirit. The verse I choose is _____.
(12a – Strong Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)_____. Indeed. The List 1 verses below show us that God wants people to be strong in spirit. The List 2 verses show us that God also wants us to stand firm and steadfast, and be bold, established, and confident. I will choose verse _____ from List _____, and speak briefly on how it applies to God wanting us to be strong (or stand firm and steadfast, or be bold, established and confident).)
1) Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”
2) Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.”
3) Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
4) 2 Samuel 22:33 “God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way.”
5) 2 Samuel 22:40 “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”
6) Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.”
7) Proverbs 24:5 “A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.”
8) Romans 8:37 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
9) 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
10) Ephesians 1:19 “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might”
11) Ephesians 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”
12) Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”
13) Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
14) Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
15) Colossians 1:10-11 “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously…”
16) 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
17) 2 Timothy 2:1 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
18) 1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
13 – Strong Speaker: So, God wants us to be strong emotionally, but it goes deeper than that. God wants us to stand firm and steadfast, and be bold, established, and confident! From the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, then share briefly on how it ties in to God wanting us to be steadfast, bold, established and confident. The verse I choose is _____.
(13a – List 2 Verses – God Wants Us to Stand Firm and Steadfast, and be Bold, Established, and Confident!)
1) Psalm 20:8 “They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright.”
2) Psalm 138:3 “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.”
3) Proverbs 10:25 “When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”
4) 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
5) 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
6) 2 Corinthians 5:6,8 “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
7) 2 Corinthians 7:4 “Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.”
8) Ephesians 3:12 “In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”
9) Ephesians 3:13 “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”
10) Ephesians 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”
11) Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
12) Ephesians. 6:19 “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,”
13) Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
14) Philippians 1:20 “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”
15) Philippians 1:27 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”
16) Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”
17) Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
18) Colossians 2:7 “having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
19) 1 Thessalonians 3:8 “or now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”
20) 1 Thessalonians. 3:13 “ so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
21) 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”
22) 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
23) 2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”
24) James 5:8 “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
14 – Strong Speaker: So, God wants us to stand firm and steadfast, and be bold, established and confident. Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)____.
(14a – Strong Speaker: So, God wants us strong. Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)____.)
15 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. If God’s will is for us to be happy and strong, what do you think gets in the way of us experiencing these attributes in our lives? Hosea 4:6 gives us a clue: It says, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” Knowledge is powerful. Here to help us understand the importance of gathering knowledge is our Knowledge Speaker, __(Speaker name)___.
16 (16A) – Knowledge Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)___. God urges us to gain knowledge, and from the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and then speak briefly on how it applies to the importance of gathering knowledge. The verse I choose is _____.
1) King Solomon prayed to God for wisdom and knowledge when he was crowned king.
2 Chronicles 1:9-12 “Now, O Lord God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11 God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.”
2) Proverbs 2:3-5 “For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.”
3) Proverbs 3:13,14 “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.”
4) Proverbs 3:20-22 “By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.”
5) Proverbs 4:1“Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding,”
6) Proverbs 4:5-7 “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
7) Proverbs 4:13 “Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.”
8) Proverbs 8:5 “O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.”
9) Proverbs 8:10 “Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.”
10) Proverbs 16:16 “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.”
11) Proverbs 18:15 “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge”
12) Proverbs 23:23 “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.”
13) Proverbs 24:3-5 “By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.”
14) Proverbs 24:14 “Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.”
17 – Knowledge Speaker: So knowledge is valuable and vital for healing from anxiety and depression. Back to you, ___(Chairperson name)___.
18 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. This program places a great emphasis on God’s Word as our way toward peace and happiness. Here to help us understand the importance of God’s Word is our Word Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
19 – Word Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. God’s Word is very important, and from the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to the importance of God’s Word. The verse I choose is _____.
(19a – Word Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. Indeed. The List 1 verses below show us that God’s Word is very important. The List 2 verses show us the importance of building God’s Word into our hearts. The List 3 verses show us that God’s Word helps us stay away from sin, which causes heart-ache. I will choose verse _____ from List _____, and speak briefly on how it applies to the importance of God’s Word.)
1) Psalm 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.”
2) The longest psalm in the Bible is Psalm 119. It has 176 verses! It is 2 ½ times longer than the next longest Psalm. The whole psalm talks about God’s Word, how the writer loves God’s Word. Do you think God is trying to teach us something about the importance of His Word?
3) Psalm 138:2 “I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”
4) Proverbs 4:4 “Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;”
5) Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.’”
6) Luke 6:47-48 “(Jesus speaking) Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
7) John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
8) John 8:37 Jesus told us how important God’s Word is in John 8:37, saying, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.”
9) John 15:7 Jesus told us how important God’s Word is in John 15:7, saying, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
10) John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (God’s Word is truth. And we know that the truth sets us free!)
11) Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (You have to know the Word before you can use it!)
20 – Word Speaker: God’s Word is important. But, building God’s Word into our hearts, is equally important. From the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to the importance of building God’s Word into our hearts. I choose verse ____.
(20a – List 2 Verses – Building God’s Word into Our Hearts)
1) Exodus 13:9 “And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.”
2) Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
3) Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
4) Psalm 1:2-3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
5) Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” (Memorizing scripture can help us live “sin-free”.)
6) Proverbs 2:1 “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.”
7) Proverbs 4:4 “Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words Keep my commandments and live;” (Memorize scripture “and live.”)
8) Proverbs 4:20,21 “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart.”
9) Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.”
10) Luke 4:1-4 Jesus used God’s Word to defend himself when he was tempted by the devil: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
11) Luke 4:5-8 “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
12) Luke 4:9-13 “And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”
13) Luke 6:43-45 “or there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
14) Luke 6:49 “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
15) John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
16) John 8:31,32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
17) Romans 10:8 “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,”
18) Colossians 3:16 “Let the word Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
19) James 1:21 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
21 – Word Speaker: One cause of emotional pain can be sin. God’s Word has an answer for that. From the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak briefly on how it applies to God having an answer for sin. The verse I choose is number _____.
(21a – List 3 Verses – God’s Word Prevents Emotional Pain From Sin)
1) Psalm 119:2,3 “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. They also do no unrighteousness They walk in His ways.”
2) Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”
3) Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. (When we memorize God’s Word, we are able to recite God’s Word throughout our day. By doing so, we are less apt to fall into temptation to sin.)
4) Psalm 119:127,128 “Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.”
22 (22a) – Word Speaker: Since God’s Word is so important, we should ask ourselves: 1) How much time do I spend each day reading and meditating on God’s Word? 2) Could it be that my struggles are tied to: a) a lack of interest in God’s Word, or b) a lack of understanding of what it teaches about victorious living. Consider praying this prayer: “God, please give me a hunger for your Word.” Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)_____.
23 (23a) – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. Three personal attributes we recommend you develop in your life are: Faith, Truth, and Love. Here to help us understand the importance of Faith, is our Faith Speaker, ___(Speaker name)____.
24 (24a) – Faith Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. The attribute of Faith is an amazing tool. It enables us to roll our problems over to God, thus freeing us up to enjoy life while we wait for God to move on our behalf. The following are Biblical principles that can help us live in Faith, and keep us in a state of constant peace. From the principles below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak, briefly, on how it helps us live by Faith. I choose Principle ____.
The Principles Of Faith
1) Based on Hebrews Chapter 11, we see that God places a strong emphasis on a person’s faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
2) Based on Galatians 5:6, faith works along side of love. Galatians 5:6 says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”
3) Based on James 2:26, faith must be demonstrated. (Belief + Action = Faith) James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:22 says, “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.”
4) Based on Hebrews 10:35,36, faith must be patient. Hebrews 10:35,36 says, “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Hebrews 6:12 says, “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
5) Based on 2 Corinthians 5:7, we do not judge a problem’s solvability by how impossible it looks or how bad we feel. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:”
6) Based on Mark 11:24, we believe we have received the thing we have asked for, even before we actually have it. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”In Mark 11:22 He says, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
7) Based on James 5:15, we see that faith can heal a sick body. James 5:15 says, “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”
8) Based on 1 Timothy 6:12 & Ephesians Chapter 6, we understand that the life of faith is a fight. But based on Romans 8:37, we believe we are more than able to win this fight. 1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Romans 8:37 says, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
9) Based on James 1:6-8, we see that people who waiver in their faith shouldn’t expect to receive anything from God. James 1:6-8 says, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
10) Based on Romans 10:17, faith must be developed. It does not come naturally. It comes from reading and speaking God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
25 (25a) – Faith Speaker: This principle helps us with _______. Back to you, ___(Chairperson name)___.
26 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. Here to help us understand the importance of Truth, is our Truth Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
27 (27a) – Truth Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)____. The key verses for the Truth Speaker are John 8:31-32, in which Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Indeed, the Truth can set us free! Circumstances take place in our lives that cause us to believe lies. These lies tell us that problems will never change, habits cannot be broken, loved ones will never change, and so on. The antidote to these lies is Truth. For every problem in our lives there is a Truth that can set us free emotionally from the problem. The problem may still be there, but the anxiety related to it is gone. Below are some common lies we sometimes believe. From the lies below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak, briefly, on how it hinders our happiness, and how the truth can set us free. I will choose lie number ____.
1) God doesn’t love me.
2) I could never get married.
3) I could never forgive that person.
4) I could never be healed physically.
5) I could never be happy with my spouse.
6) Nobody would want to be my friend.
7) I need to have a spouse to be happy.
8) I could never be happy in my job.
9) I need money or things to be happy.
10) I’ll never progress past this level of success.
11) I need to be loved and accepted to be happy.
12) I could never break free from my addiction.
13) I’ll never have what it takes to be gainfully employed.
14) My worrying about problems shows that I am responsible.
15) My past is so bad, I’ll never recover from my emotional wounds.
16) I could never be happy without this person.
(e.g. A loved one who passes away)
17) I need to change my bodily features to be happy and accepted. (e.g. weight changes or cosmetic surgery.)
18) I need to act a certain way to be happy and accepted. (e.g. “I need to be the life of the party.)”
28 (28a) – Truth Speaker: By seeing these lies for what they are, and using the Truth of God’s Word to renew our minds, we can be set free from these lies! Back to you, ___(Chairperson name)___.
29 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. Here to help us understand the importance of Love, is our Love Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
30 (30a) – Love Speaker: Thank you, ___(Chairperson name)___. Love helps us respond properly to life’s challenges. We may know what we should do, but it is Love that allows us to do it willfully and cheerfully. Love is not based on feelings, but on our commitments. Love is a decision we make each day and is proven by our actions. From the verses below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak, briefly, on how it applies to the importance of Love. I will choose verse ____.
1) Romans 13:8 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”
2) Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
3) 1 Corinthians 13:3 “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
4) 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,”
5) 1 Corinthians 13:5 “(Love) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,”
6) 1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;”
7) 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
8) 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.”
9) 1 Corinthians 13:13 “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
10) Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
11) Galatians 5:14 “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
12) Galatians 5:22,23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
13) Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,”
14) 1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart:”
15) 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
16) 1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
17) 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
31 (31a) – Love Speaker: So Love is vital to living a happy fruitful life! Back to you, ___(Chairperson name)___.
32 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. Affirmations are designed to be spoken out loud, enabling us to use our own self-help resource, our tongue. Here to help us understand the importance of affirmations is our Affirmations Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
33 (33a) – Affirmations Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. As we hear truth spoken by our own mouth, our belief system begins to change. Positive beliefs spawn positive thoughts, and positive thoughts create and maintain happiness. This program offers both generic and Bible-based affirmations. We can even create our own affirmations, customized for situations we come up against. I will pick a Generic Affirmation to read, and share, briefly, how it helps us. The affirmation I choose is ____.
Generic Affirmations
1) “I can start again.”
2) “I play to win.”
3) “I don’t enable”
4) “My job is easy.”
5) “I love a challenge.”
6) “My job is to believe.”
7) “I am bigger than fear.”
8) “I bounce back easily.”
9) “I live my life effortlessly.”
10) “I handle change easily.”
11) “Knowledge empowers.”
12) “Every days a good day.”
13) “Say it till you believe it.”
14) “Respond rather than react.”
15) “I always see a silver lining.”
16) “God is bigger than the facts.”
17) “I live by faith, not by sight.”
18) “When I’m in a battle, I fight.”
19) “Self-discipline is my strong point.”
20) “Faith is a lifestyle I can learn.”
21) “My best defense is a strong offence.”
22) “Am I angry? I may be judging.”
23) I stop running and start confronting.”
24) “I see myself as a peaceful, loving person.”
25) “You can’t upset me. (I won’t let you.)”
26) “I see myself as a winner before I see my victory.”
27) “It’s not my problem, it’s God’s problem.”
28) “I don’t make their problem, my problem.”
29) “My positive believing produces positive thinking.”
30) “God can bring good out of any of my mistakes.”
31) “God responds to faith, not always to need.”
32) “My problems are my opportunities to see God move.”
33) “There’s a stress-cancelling response to my problem.”
34) “Problems are inevitable, stress is optional.”
35) “I forgive everybody immediately after they
hurt me.”
36) I don’t focus on what I’ve lost, I focus on what I’ve gained.”
37) “I see my prayers getting answered before I see the actual answer to my prayers.”
38) “I see myself as healed in my body before I see and feel the changes I desire.”
34 (34a) – Affirmations Speaker: I will now choose one of the Bible-based Affirmations below, in which we will all read 3 statements from. The Affirmation I choose is number _____.
Bible-Based Affirmations
1) “I Do Not Fear” Affirmation (Page 173)
2) “I Am Strong” Affirmation (Page 176)
3) “I Flow in Harmony and Love” Affirmation (Page 179)
4) “I Only Speak Right Words” Affirmation (Page 181)
5) “I Only Think Right Thoughts” Affirmation (Page 183)
6) “I Am Happy Because…” Affirmation (Page 186)
35 (35a) – Affirmation Speaker: Positive affirmations spoken boldly, define what we believe is true. Doing so positions us to receive more from God and from life! So speak boldly! Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)____.
36 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. There’s an easy way to keep our thinking in check. Here to tell us more on that is our Beliefs Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
37 (37a) – Beliefs Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. Our thinking is influenced by our beliefs. Positive beliefs help us keep our responses to life’s problems positive. We recommend adopting the following six Core Beliefs. The idea is to make these Core Beliefs the final word in our lives. No matter what our feelings say or what the circumstances try to tell us, these foundational beliefs are what we will use when thinking about ourselves, and when making decisions in our lives. For any belief that feels untrue, we simply say the scriptures associated with that belief over and over until the belief feels true. I will choose a Core Belief to read 3 verses from. The core belief I pick is number ____.
Core Beliefs
1) “I Believe God loves me, and that I am valuable.” (Pg 195)
2) “I Believe Christ’s crucifixion paid for my sin.” (Pg 199)
3) “I Believe God wants me to live in perfect peace.” (Pg 204)
4) “I Believe I have an enemy – Satan.” (Pg 208)
5) “I Believe I have another enemy – my fleshly appetites.” (Pg 216)
6) “I Believe God wants me to enjoy good physical health.” (Pg 218)
38 (38a) – Beliefs Speaker: So, adopting and developing this Core Belief will help us with _______. Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)____.
39 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)____. Our unhappiness can sometimes be easily diagnosed by pinpointing what the hindrance is. Here to talk to us about hindrances to happiness is our Hindrance Speaker, ____(Speaker name)____.
40 (40a) – Hindrance Speaker: Thank you, ____(Chairperson name)____. There are many hindrances to happiness. From the hindrances below, I will pick one randomly to read, and speak, briefly, on how it affects our happiness. The Hindrance I choose is number ____.
Hindrances
1) Self-pity “If only…”
2) Having an unthankful heart
3) Ostracized by community
4) Double-mindedness
5) Lack of purpose
6) Believing lies
7) Guilt (real or imagined)
8) Entitlement mentality
9) Sin, or sinful thinking
10) Unforgiveness
11) Debt
12) Shame
13) Anger
14) Isolation
15) Perfectionism
16) Lack of patience
17) Physical tiredness
18) Doubt and Unbelief
19) A Rebellious Heart
20) Mourning a loss
21) Pouting “I want it my way!”
22) Having an unthankful heart
23) Leaning on your own intellect
24) Being judgmental toward people.
25) Enabling abusive or poor behavior
41 (41a) – Hindrance Speaker: Let’s live free of hindrances so we can brightly shine God’s love in everything we do! Back to you, ____(Chairperson name)____.
42 – Chairperson: Thank you, ____(Speaker name)_____. We’ll now work with one of the Happiness Tips. The place we left off last time was Page #____. [If the place isn’t known, the Chairperson may choose any Tip, and when finished, bring the group back here.]
(After working a Tip.)
43 (43a) – Gospel Speaker: We believe it is important to have a relationship with God, and that this relationship can help us find healing in our emotions. Let’s take turns reading the following statements in the order we’ve been using. [Chairperson prompts speakers in the existing order.]
1) The main purpose of the Bible is to show mankind their need of Jesus Christ.
2) God wants to fellowship with mankind, but He can’t until the issue of their sin has been dealt with.
3) Throughout the Bible there are prophecies about Jesus, and there are stories about Jesus.
4) All of these are there to show us the importance of Jesus.
5) Because of our tendency to sin, we need someone who would pay the penalty of our sin. And that was Jesus.
6) John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
7) Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
8) Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
9) Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
10) Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to show us how to live, and to pay the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross.
11) Once we personally receive forgiveness for our sin, and ask Jesus to guide our lives, we find New Life! And we become part of God’s family.
12) John 3:3 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
13) So, we must be born again. Is there anyone here who would like to become born again? And find New Life! And find forgiveness for their sins and become a part of God’s family?
44 – Chairperson: Please read along as I say the invitational prayer below.
“Dear God, I see the sins that I have committed. I believe Jesus paid the penalty for my sin by His crucifixion. I receive your forgiveness for my sin. And I ask you to come into my life, and help me to live the rest of my life in a way that pleases you. Amen.”
45 – Congratulations! If you’ve prayed this prayer sincerely, you are now born again. You are now a part of God’s family! And we, as a group, will help you learn how to live a happy, fruitful life in Christ. Welcome to God’s family!