Thankfullness

Something I found on the internet

Tired of making resolutions year after year that you never keep?

Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish?

Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:

1. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.

2. Stop exercising. Waste of time.

3. Read less. Makes you think.

4. Watch more TV. You’ve been missing some good stuff.

5. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.

6. Stop bringing lunch from home: Eat out more.

7. Get in a whole NEW rut!

8. Spend your summer vacation in Cyberspace.

9. Don’t eat cloned meat.

10. Create loose ends.

11. Get more toys.

12. Get further in debt.

13. Don’t believe politicians.

14. Break at least one traffic law.

15. Avoid airplanes that spontaneously drop 1000 feet.

16. Don’t swim with piranhas or sharks.

17. Associate with even worse business clients.

18. Spread out priorities beyond ability to keep track of them.

19. Wait around for opportunity.

20. Focus on the faults of others.

21. Mope about faults.

22. Never make New Year’s resolutions again.

Thankfulness

Intro: Many people around this time of year make New Years resolutions. They are usually not quite as silly or ludicrous as the ones I just read you. However, they are just as much less likely to be kept than the silly ones. Some think New Years resolutions are bad. But I like Jesus think that things are not intrinsically bad, but the intentions of the heart can defile anything. So as we are at the beginning of the year I want you all to think what were you New Years resolutions this year.

Now that everyone has thought about it for a while how many of you made a resolution to be thankful this year.

Unfortunately the United States of America started out thanking God for our rights and moving to denying there even is a God to thank.

You may be saying why is it so important to be thankful, I am glad you asked. Let us start our journey in Philippians 4.6-7

A letter Paul wrote from Prison. It is a missionary thank you letter for the gift sent to Paul from the Philippians.

It helps us to know that Paul was addressing some specific things in this letter to the Philippians. If you read it closely you can find he is hinting towards selfishness, self interest, conceit, & Pride.

I. In everything prayer, supplication, with Thanksgiving.

A) We enter into the gates of God with Thanksgiving. (Psalm 100.4)

B) What do you think the number 1 turnoff to a non-Christian is?

Besides a hypocrite, An unhappy unthankful Christian.

1) If we know in whom we have believed why do we gripe instead of give

thanks

2) Oh my goodness they are giving me too much work at work

3) I can’t stand having homework from school

4) Mr Jones has a better car than me

5) They just don’t understand the pressure Im under

2. 1 Thess 5. 16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, In everything give thanks

** Christians or Children of God are expected to abound or overflow in gratitude**

Col 2.7, 3.15, 17, 4.2

a) Do I gotta? Yes!

Look at the verse 1 Thess 5 16-18. So many people want to know God’s will in their lives but always seem to bypass the very simple verses that spell it out.

It says It is God’s will for us to give thanks.

You say, Now wait one minute! You mean if my car blows up you want me to give thanks about it.

1) No. Because it says in everything not about everything.

2) If your car blows up Be happy you had a car to explode( some don’t)

3) If you house blows away rejoice you had a house some don’t

4) Little boys and girls if you toys break be glad you had toys to break.

5) men and women if your cars break down be glad you had a car to breakdown.

You see the trend.

Jesus Himself at the Lords Supper gave thanks before they ate!

b) Something that can be gleaned from the 1 Thess, and the Phillipians verse is that A constant attitude of prayer will help you as a Christian keep and attitude of gratitude. Better known as thankfulness.

i)Paul was using thankfulness and prayer as a way to help cure anxiety in Christians.

ii) Carl Barth said “To be anxious means that we ourselves suffer, ourselves groan, ourselves seek to see ahead, Thanksgiving means giving God the glory in everything, making room for Him, casting our cares on Him letting it be His care. The troubles that exercise us cease to be hidden and bottled up. They are so to speak, laid open to God, spread out before Him.