Why I Am Thankful

INTRODUCTION

SLIDE #1

Signs You¡¦ve Eaten Too Much at Thanksgiving:

The Gravy Boat your wife set out is a actual 12¡¦ boat.

On Friday, you set off three seismographs on your morning jog.

Pricking your finger for a blood test only yields gravy

That rash on your stomach turns out to be steering wheel burn

Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame have called twice. (www.sermoncentral.com)

A mother turkey was disappointed to hear that her teenage son had gotten into trouble and had been locked in jail. She fumed all the way to bail him out. When she finally saw her son, she gave him a terrible lecture. "If your father knew what you had just done, he would roll over in his gravy." (www.sermoncentral.com)

„X Life can sometimes deal us a hand that can make it hard for us to have a thankful attitude.

„X Talk about not feeling to thankful.

„X Talk about going back to some of the basics to find an attitude of thanksgiving. We have to look past all the material things that we tend to thank God for and look at a deeper level for reasons to be thankful.

SERMON

I am thankful because¡K¡K.. (SLIDE #2)

I. GOD IS MY GUIDE. PROVERBS 3:5-6

„X How many people do you know who live their lives with no direction?

„X When you belong to Jesus, we have a great promise of guidance from God. SLIDE #3 READ PROVERBS 3:5-6

„X Trust- Lie helpless face-down. Putting all your weight on God.

„X Lean not on you own understanding. DO not hold your self up with your own knowledge and wisdom.

„X In all your Ways. (EVERYTHING YOU DO BEFORE YOU DO IT!

„X Acknowledge- Not just verbal thing. We think about the consequences of our actions on God¡¦s kingdom, we think about what God¡¦s would want us to do; we consider what is spiritually best for others.

„X Paths straight. This only happens when our eyes are fixed on Jesus! SLIDE # 4

„X READ PSALMS 37:1-6

„X The snow covered the ground where three lads were playing. A man came along and said to them, "Would you like to try a race and the winner receive a prize?"

„X The boys agreed and the man told them that his race was to be different. "I will go to the other side of the field," he said, "and when I give you the signal, you will start to run. The one whose footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the winner."

„X The race commenced and the first boy kept looking at his feet to see if his steps were straight.

„X The second lad kept looking at his companions to see what they were doing; but the third boy just ran on with his eyes steadfastly fixed on the man on the other side of the field.

„X The third lad was the winner, for his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of him.

I am thankful because¡K¡K.. SLIDE #5

II. GOD IS MY GUARDIAN. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

„X Isn¡¦t it nice to know someone is watching out for you? Isn¡¦t it nice to know someone is looking out for your best interests? SLIDE #6

„X 1CORINTHIANS 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

„X Temptation is not sin, following through with it is. We are not helpless. We have a God who is our guardian! SLIDE #7

„X 2 THESSALONIANS 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

„X God does not hang us out to dry!

„X It is so good to know that God is the one who watches over me, the one who will make sure I am not in a situation where I HAVE to compromise my faithfulness to Him. (CLICK ON #7 AGAIN)

„X 1PE 2:25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

„X We were not saved by God¡¦s grace so that we could fall prey to the devil and his schemes.

I am thankful because¡K¡K (SLIDE #8)

III. GOD IS THE GIVER. JOHN 16:24

SLIDE #9

„X JOHN 16:24 "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

„X We tend to be thankful to people who give us things. God is the GREAT giver!

„X What can man give you? What can a parent give you? What can a spouse give you? What can your friends give you? God can give you eternal life through Jesus.