Are You Thankful

Video… Forget something

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Prayer

On Thursday each of us will be gathering together with our friends and families.

And hopefully we will remember to do more than just sit down to eat a meal… yell at the T.V. while watching football or make a mad dash for the mall to catch the early sales.

The Thanksgiving Holiday gives each of us the perfect opportunity to help transform lives that are only known for busyness… into lives that are known for thankfulness and compassion.

God wants nothing more than for us to be a people of thanksgiving.

He desires for you to share a much needed story about thankfulness… with a world whose focus is centered on self-driven desire and personal fulfillment.

In…I Thess. 5:18…The Apostle Paul shares with us some important insight that each of us should share at our thanksgiving tables this coming Thursday.

So before we begin to devour our perfectly roasted Turkeys…and hams…we should remember and do what I Thess. 5:18 says.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (How many of you noticed the saying on the Front of you bulletins today?)

Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not the best.

In fact, for some of us…our circumstances may be downright bad, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for!

And if you’re willing look hard enough and long enough…there is ALWAYS something positive you can be thankful for!

Reminds me of an illustration….- One morning after a terrible snowstorm, Susan was outside shoveling her driveway.

As she stopped to wave and say hello to her neighbor…he asked her why her husband wasn’t out there helping her with the shoveling.

She explained that one of them had to stay inside to take care of the children, so they decided to draw straws to see who would go out and shovel.

Her neighbor immediately replied…"Sorry about your bad luck,".

As Susan replied, "No need to be sorry... I won!" (Just have to look hard enough)

Welcome…guests/holy grounds

With the holidays just around the corner…I thought it would be proper this morning to share with you four ….BENEFITS OF HAVING A THANKFUL SPIRIT during the holidays…

One might ask…Why is having a thankful spirit so important during the holidays?

Simply…because thankfulness is good for you.

Not failing to mention that more than likely you will be around friends and family who don’t know about Christ’s transforming power.

I always say that Christians should not be prideful but this is a time it’s OK to brag…when people hear what God has done for (you) their whole aspect on life can change…

The first Benefit of displaying a Thankful Spirit during the holidays is it will:

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INCREASE HAPPINESS.

Most people have been raised thinking that their happiness is somehow dependent on how well things are going for them.

But truth being told… our happiness is determined by our attitude.

It’s really all about how we see things.

Think about the Apostle Paul in (Acts 16:25).

While He was in prison…the bible tells us that he was still able to display happiness by… “Singing Praises to God”

(How was he able to do this?)…

Christ…It changed him forever.

If you’re here this morning and you feel like you’re lacking the happiness that Paul had in his life…you can ask Jesus to help you find it.

The second benefit of displaying a Thankful Spirit during the holidays is it will…

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IMPROVE YOUR WITNESSING FOR CHRIST.

When we are thankful and joyful…we separate ourselves from the world.

(The Cool Part about this is)…The transformation that has happened to us… automatically attracts the lost.

If perhaps you haven’t noticed lately…The world outside of the church… is so dark and ungrateful.

People who don’t know Christ are so discouraged and depressed?

The (world) does not understand that life only gets better when you become a Christian.

(Your testimony holds power)

The world does not like it when you possess something they don’t have…they don’t like feeling left out. This is why your testimony is so important…

1 Peter 2:12 tells us to … "Live such good lives among the pagans that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."

Living a life of thanksgiving will attract the lost…

The third way that displaying a Thankful Spirit during the holidays will benefit you is that it will also…

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ENHANCE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.

Just imagine how much better our church relationships would be if we expressed our thanks for each other more than just on Sundays?

Do you remember how the apostle Paul greeted most of his friends in the Bible?

-To the church in Rome he wrote. “First, I thank my God for all of you.” (Romans 1:8)