Sermon Info
Summary
Over the past several weeks, we have learned so much from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica. This church was a joyful, prayerful, and thankful church. And, this is God’s desire for each of us. God wants us to enjoy life always, to grow in our prayer life, and to develop an attitude of gratitude. This Thanksgiving we all have so much for which to be thankful. Take time this week to truly express your gratitude to God as well as to the family, friends, and church family God has put around you. Let’s be joyful, prayerful, and thankful every day.
Content
Telling our Stories of Thanksgiving
Do you remember when you were a kid, and almost every story that you heard would amaze you? You'd listen in while your dad, your grandparent, or your older sibling read from a book or told you this amazing story of heroes, incredible events, and mysterious situations. Those stories left impressions on us. Some of them may even stick with you to this day.
That's the power of storytelling. It's the retelling of an event or life change that occurred – and it's through the retelling that not only the listener is impacted but the storyteller himself, too, is deeply affected, as they're reminded of the significance of what had happened.
And that's what this season of giving thanks is all about: recognizing the ways in which God has moved in our lives and telling those stories to others, so that they can celebrate our Father with us and so that we can remember God's goodness and faithfulness. As we tell our Stories of Thanksgiving this year and in the years to come, we hope you’ll be challenged to look back and see the ways God has come through and proved Himself to be constant in our lives.
Let's tell our Stories of Thanksgiving together.
What the Bible Says in 1 Thessalonians 5
In this series, we’ve walked through 1 Thessalonians. Throughout this book, we’ve seen Paul highlight the fact that the church in Thessalonica was a joyful, prayerful, and thankful church. Their church lived in celebration and joy, consistently praising God for His work in their church and their lives. That’s how God calls us to live.
So, what’s God’s will for our lives? Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). To rejoice always is to find joy in any and all things, whether it’s a season of plenty or a season of want. Joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirit; it’s one of the core attributes that Christ-followers are called to exemplify. It’s important, and it’s an action and attitude we are to have always. Always means “all the time,” not just when it’s convenient or when we feel like it.
Pray continually. Our church’s heart is one filled with and founded upon prayer. We believe fully that prayer changes things, and prayer changes us. It’s through prayer that we humbly come before God, inviting in His Presence and power into whatever situation we may be walking through. It’s essential for our relationship with God to continue to grow.
Give thanks in all circumstances. This doesn’t mean being happy all the time or putting on a “brave face” when our world may be crashing down around us. It means thanking and praising God in all circumstances – not necessarily for the circumstance. It’s about our perspective and our attitude. It’s about trusting that God still holds us in the palm of His hand, even when our situation may seem discouraging or dismal. Thankfulness changes our whole outlook and way of thinking, and it changes who we are as individuals when we cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
What can you be thankful for?
Thankfulness is a word that’s thrown around a lot this time of year – so much so, that, at times, it can feel overused, or even overlooked. But, let’s look at thankfulness in a new way this year. Rather than quickly breezing through our “things we’re thankful for” list at the Thanksgiving dinner table or getting wrapped up in holiday or Black Friday shopping, let’s look at thankfulness as something that has the power to impact us this year.
Because, friends, it does.
When we rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), our hearts are changed. They may not change in a single instant, but when we take time to thank God each and every day – not just this holiday season or in the seasons of plenty but in all times – a shift begins to take place.
We become selfless instead of selfish.
We become kinder instead of more cynical.
We become more relational instead of more isolated.
And, we become more like Christ instead of becoming more like the world around us.
So, what are you really thankful for this Thanksgiving? And are you allowing gratitude, and our Lord Jesus, to do its work in your heart?
