Everyone wants to be happy, and we all pursue happiness in different ways. Some people are thrill-seekers; others are homebodies. Some people are loners; others love big families or communities. Some people express things creatively; others consume what is created. Some sing; others listen to music. Whatever we find happiness in, we are united by our desire for work that matters and relationships that fulfil.

As Christians, we often fall into the trap of basing our hopes on earthly things, even when we know they only make us happy for a short time. But how are we to experience happiness in this life? How do we avoid expecting too much of earthly things and being disappointed, or expecting too little and becoming cynics?

In this book, recovering cynic Barnabas Piper helps us to throw off both the unrealistic expectations that end in disappointment andthe guilty sense that Christians are not meant to have fun. He shows how having a clear view of the reality of the fall and the promise of redemption frees us to live a life that's grounded, hopeful and genuinely happy.

160 pages

Contents

• 1. The American Dream
• 2. Expecting Too Little, Too Much, and Just Right
• 3. Hanging Happiness on the Right Hooks
• 4. We Live Cursed
• 5. Deal in Reality
• 6. Every Good and Perfect (and Fun) Gift
• 7. In This Life There Will Be Trouble
• 8. Don't Fear the Reaper
• 9. Pleasures Now and Forevermore
• 10. Happiness vs Holiness
• 11. The Pleasure of the Promise
• 12. Grounded Happiness
• 13. Finding Happiness