Joy of Living is based on the idea that each person needs to open their Bible and let God speak to them by His Holy Spirit , to interpret the Scripture's message in relation to that person's needs and opportunities, in their family, church, job, community, and the world at large. Only a Bible is needed for this study series. While commentaries may be helpful, it is not recommended that people consult them as they study. It is most important to let the Holy Spirit lead a person through the Bible passage and apply it to his or her heart and life. In the first lesson of a series, the student receives an Introduction to the Bible book, plus the first week's daily study questions.
Some questions are simple, and some are deeper for the more advanced student.
The person works through the Bible passages each day, praying and asking God's guidance in applying the truth to their own life. After the daily personal study of the passage, the students then go to a small group where they pray together and discuss what they have written in response to the questions about the passage, clarifying problem areas and getting more insight into the passage. The small group leader helps the group focus on the Bible's truth, and not just on discussing their own problems. After groups meet for discussion and prayer, they often go to a large group meeting where a teacher gives a brief lecture covering the essential teaching of the Bible passage which was studied during the prior week and discussed in the small groups. The teacher may clarify the passage and challenge class members to live a more committed daily life.