“Happy is a cheap word nowadays, hardly strong enough to describe the realistic, joyful, triumphant Christian life into which David Murray labors to lead us. His book overflows with earthy, deep-rooted biblical wisdom that many miss but all of us need.” J I Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College.

Want to spread some happiness? Here’s a special offer you might want to share with your friends.

If you buy or pre-order The Happy Christian before February 24 you’ll get over $100 of free books and films.

Here’s a quick description of what you’ll get.

Free Study Guide

The Happy Christian Study Guide.
Why not read The Happy Christian in your Bible Study or Small Group and use these questions to help you get the most happiness out of the book and into your heart and life!

Six Free Ebooks (EPUB, MOBI, and PDF)

1000 Happy Quotes: A History of Happiness
1000 quotes from a selection of Christian leaders through the centuries, including Augustine, Martin Luther, Thomas Manton, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, etc., and right up to the present day with a selection from R. C. Sproul, John Macarthur, John Piper, and others.

100 Days of Happiness: A Daily Diet of Nourishing Joy
Put The Happy Christian into practice by snacking on these short and instructive devotionals, and watch as your happiness expands, deepens, and grows into a healthy habit for the rest of your life.

The Happy Leader: Leading for Spiritual Profit
As the happiest Christian leaders model biblical leadership and thereby produce the most spiritual profit for the Christians and churches they lead, here’s a practical study of 14 biblical models of leadership including servant, shepherd, leader, steward, captain, etc.

The Happy Church: Holy, Healthy, Happy Churches
As we cannot be healthy and happy Christians without being in a healthy and happy church, this book explains seven marks of holy, healthy, and happy churches.

The Happy Student: Happiness and Success at School
What makes for student happiness and success? Here are my seven answers after 30+ years of studying, pastoring, professoring, and parenting.

The Happy Family: God’s Guide To Family Flourishing
As God has designed the family for our good, if we want to get the maximum good out of it, we need to obey His instructions for all the different family roles and relationships. This book will help Christian families function more biblically, more happily, and therefore more persuasively in an anti-family age.

Six Free Films

God’s Technology + Study Guide
God’s Technology is a 40 minute film download that many families and churches have used to train their children to use technology in a God-glorifying way.

Christians Get Depressed Too Films + Study Guide
Recognizing that for many Christians it is a tough battle to get to a place of happiness, I wrote Christians Get Depressed Too, to give hope and help to the depressed. We’ve now followed that up with five (35 minute) films for download, featuring five different Christians telling five very different stories of how God gave them hope and help through depression.

Happy App

By the end of January, the Happy Christian App will also be available free of charge in the Apple App Store, Google Play store, and the Kindle Fire app store. This App will deliver daily articles, devotionals, quotes, and news items to generate and maintain Christian joy.

Next Steps

Step 1. Order The Happy Christian from your favorite retailer like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local Christian bookstore before the book releases on February 24.

Step 2. Email your receipt or proof of payment to TheHappyChristianBook@gmail.com

That’s it! You will then immediately receive links to your free downloads in your inbox.

Step 3. Share with your friends and followers.

HappyChristian.net

“Basically, everywhere in the world, giving is associated with being a happier person.” Michael Norton

Can money make you happy?

Short answer, “Yes…if you give your money away!”

Harvard Professor Michael Norton wrote a book about this called Happy Money, the Science of Smarter Spending. In it he presents data to support his regular challenge to audiences: “If you think money doesn’t buy happiness, try giving some away.”

Happy Giving

In the book, Norton and co-author Elizabeth Dunn explain the results of numerous experiments in which Canadian college students, poor Ugandans, and Belgian pharmaceutical salesmen were given money to spend on themselves or others.

In every case, the persons who were told to give their money away were happier than the persons who were told to keep the money for themselves.

Happy Findings

A few of their other findings:

• The most generous givers tend to be at both ends of the wealth spectrum.
• Poor people tend to be more generous the middle class.
• Giving to religious groups, even when compulsory, tends to make people happier.
• Giving to a person you know makes you more happy than giving anonymously.
• Money does not make the average U.S. citizen happier after they reach an income of $75,000 a year. From that point on, most persons claim they would need to triple their current income to be completely happy.

An explanation, illustration, and confirmation of the most neglected beatitude:

“It is more blessed to give than receive.” (Acts 20:35)

“There are many more sinners brought to Christ by happy Christians than by doleful Christians.” Charles Spurgeon

There’s a reason why comedians are popular and draw crowds. People feel happier when they are around happy people. Even memories of our school days remind us that funny kids are popular kids.

Happy Attraction

That’s one reason why the happiest Christians tend to be the best soul-winners. Their attractive cheerfulness draws people rather than repels them. Even non-Christians enjoy their company and gladly choose to spend time with them. You can’t evangelize if people avoid your miserable company and run when they see you coming.

Happy Contrast

Another reason is that genuine happiness is quite rare and people notice it when they come across it. They are intrigued and curious. They watch and study this unusual human specimen. They want to find out what makes such a person tick. They listen when they speak and try to work out what makes this person different.

In contrast, the sad Christian doesn’t stand out at all. He’s just like most everyone else in the world. Nothing special or different about him. No curiosity or puzzle there.

Happy Words

The happy Christian has a positive witness. He’s not always criticizing and condemning the world, but is pointing to Christ and highlighting His benefits. He uses the carrot more than the stick. He motivates by love more than fear. He draws with promises more than drives with threats.

Happy Hope

The happy Christian also wins souls by his optimism. He rejects fatalistic pessimism because he knows that God also loves to win souls, that He delights to save sinners, that He is not only able but willing to do so, and that He will receive any and all who come to Him by Christ.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30

What would you do if you offered a homeless woman a coat and she just yelled at you?

Here’s a video about one young Detroit woman’s remarkable response.

Best Book Deals

The Dude’s Guide to Manhood: Finding True Manliness in a World of Counterfeits by Darrin Patrick $2.99

When Sinners Say “I Do” by Dave Harvey $1.99

God’s Love: How the Infinite God Cares for His Children (Classic Theology) by R C Sproul $3.03

Warfield on the Christian Life: Living in Light of the Gospel by Fred Zaspel $3.99

Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God by Dane Ortlund $3.99

Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were by Leland Ryken $2.99

The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach: Help from Trusted Preachers for Tragic Times $2.99

Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World by Michael Horton $3.99

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters by Al Mohler $2.99

Here are a few other non-theological books at good prices

Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama’s Washington by Sharyl Attkison $7.99

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Levitt & Dubner $4.99

Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One’s Looking) by Christian Rudder $6.99

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday $3.99

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand $4.99

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick $8.59

Best Blogs

Micro, Macro, and Meta Preaching. | Scribblepreach

Stuart Scott and (Not) Responding to Internet Critics | TGC

4 Ways to Win the Battle Against Busyness | TGC | The Gospel Coalition

Productivity: Simple Tricks by R.C. Sproul | Ligonier Ministries Blog

Someone came up with a list of 49 ways we can show love | Urban Faith

12 Things I Learned Without a Laptop. | Scribblepreach

Learning Hebrew with Log os Bible Software | LogosTalk

Some Shortcomings of Modern Views on Gender Identity | Denny Burk

Heaven Will Never Be Boring | Desiring God

7 Reasons Not to Worry | TGC

Making The Church A Safe Place For Mental Illness

A Gentle Reminder | Gentle Reformation

5 Reasons We Eat Together as a Family | Challies Dot Com

Would People Describe You As Joyful?

Apologetics for the Rest of Us | Gentle Reformation

Teaching Outlines – Heidelberg Catechism

Why You Should Read Bavinck | TGC | The Gospel Coalition

Best Videos

Making House Calls To People Without Homes

Josh: Opening Doors And Hearts

How An Airplane Is Made

Grandma Attacked And Shares Her Faith

“Doctrine” is a dirty word to many people today. Many think we don’t need it. Some go further and see it as a negative influence upon personal spirituality, evangelistic witness, and souls being saved.

The Apostle Paul did not see it that way. Quite the reverse. He saw doctrine as inseparably connected with life. In the fourth chapter of his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle demonstrated how doctrine was essential for life. In verse after verse he warns against the baleful effects of false doctrine and the life-giving power of true doctrine (1 Timothy 4: 1-2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16).

Doctrine Is Vital For Spirituality
In the context of these wider calls to doctrinal fidelity, Paul calls Timothy to be an example, a pattern, to other believers (v. 12). He clearly sees that the one leads to the other; doctrine leads to exemplary spirituality and maturity.

He lists three areas of outward spirituality (word, conduct, and love) and three of inward spirituality (spirit, faith, and purity), none of which can be accomplished without doctrinal input. For example, how can you be an example in word, if you don’t first take in God’s Word? How can you be an example in faith, if you don’t know what to believe, and so on.

Doctrine is Vital For Witness
In verses 13-15, Paul urges Timothy to give consant attention to the reading of Scripture, the practical application of Scripture, and the catechetical teaching of Scripture (v. 13). Timothy is to be totally Word-centered, meditating on it and giving himself completely to it.

Why? Why such a focus on the truth?

“That your progress may be evident to all” (v. 15).

Again Paul twins doctrine with life, especially with the power of Timothy’s witness. The word for “progress” here describes a pioneer cutting a swathe through a forest to allow an army to advance behind him. By faithful study and teaching of Christian doctrine, Timothy would blaze a trail for others to follow.

Doctrine Is Vital For Salvation
If you thought the Apostle was overstating his case for doctrine by seeing it as indispensable to spirituality and evangelistic effectiveness, he now goes even further and says to Timothy that if he pays careful and constant attention to doctrine “you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (v. 16).

What?!

Timothy will save himself and others?

Has Paul forgotten he’s a Calvinist?

Not at all. Listen to Calvin on this passage:

It is indeed true that it is God alone who saves and not even the smallest part of His glory can rightly be transferred to men. But God’s glory is in no way diminished by His using the labor of men in bestowing salvation. This our salvation is the gift of God, since it comes from Him alone and is effected only by His power, so that He alone is its Author. But that does not exclude the ministry of men, nor does it deny that ministry may be the means of salvation, for it is that ministry that the welfare of the church depends… As the unfaithfulness of the careless pastor is ruinous to the church, so the cause of salvation is justly ascribed to his faithfulness and diligence.

To put it briefly and bluntly, the salvation of men and women (from sin, error, ignorance, and fads) depends on the faithful devotion of Christian ministers.

No Shortcuts
Although it’s tempting to think that there are quicker and easier ways to spirituality, effective witnessing, and even the saving of souls, the Apostle here erects a large warning sign, “No Shortcuts.” Doctrine doesn’t kill; it gives life.