Delight 101: The Imperative of Joy

King David writes in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Fronted by an imperative, what we see in this passage—and across Scripture—is an imperative of joy. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” We must ask ourselves, have we taken this business seriously? Have we grasped the joy that is ours in Christ? Has it changed where we derive our highest delight? Delight 101: The Imperative of Joy sets out to answer these questions and to propose that no delight compares to that which is found in Christ. Jesus concerns himself with our Joy (John 15:11; 16:24; 17:13), revealing to us that the Christian undertaking doesn’t merely seek to reform your thoughts but to reform your delights. We can find our pleasure most acutely satisfied in God. We need only ask him.

All of the lessons and the corresponding notes can be found below.

Delight 101, Part 1 - Designed for Delight: Christian Hedonism

We’ve all been designed with an inherent need to seek our own happiness. For many, this need has been corrupted. But in Christ, we find that this need was an intentional design meant to be most fully satisfied in God. Part 1 of our series introduces John Piper’s concept of Christian Hedonism by showing that God is not opposed to our desire for joy, but calls us to find our deepest and fullest satisfaction in Him. Drawing from Scripture, it argues that a hope-filled life in Christ is meant to be a joy-filled life, because God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.

Delight 101, Part 2 - The Discipline of Delight: Scripture and Prayer

We cannot truly delight in God unless we know Him. In this lesson, we will learn that Scripture and prayer are the primary means by which we come to know God, and through these disciplines, our joy in Christ is deepened and sustained. Drawing from John 15–16 and the Psalms, it shows how God’s Word reshapes our affections and how prayer cultivates intimacy with Christ, making spiritual disciplines not a burden, but the pathway to lasting delight.

Delight 101, Part 3 - The Dangerous Duty of Delight

True joy in Christ is both commanded and costly: it reshapes our inner desires and often brings conflict with the world around us. Drawing from John 15, the story of Marius Victorinus, and the witness of suffering saints, lesson 3 in our series argues that delight in God is not comfortable self-indulgence but a deep, sustaining pleasure that carries believers through pruning, hardship, and opposition.

Delight 101, Part 4 - When I Don’t Desire God

This concluding lesson of our series discusses what believers should do when delight in God feels absent. It teaches that the “fight for joy” is ultimately a fight to see Christ more clearly through the gospel, grounding weary Christians in grace, justification, and the hope of Christ’s presence even in seasons of sorrow. It also calls the church to come alongside struggling believers with truth, compassion, and practical care as they seek restored joy in God.