November 30, 2025 - Advent: Week 1: Hope: Luke 17:11-19
Devotional
Day 1: Gratitude springs from a healed heart.
The story of the ten lepers shows that physical healing can happen for many, but true thanksgiving comes when a person’s heart is touched and healed; celebrate the one who returned, falling at Jesus’ feet in praise, and let that example move you to return with loud thanksgiving when God has worked in your life. [33:57]
Luke 17:11–19 (ESV) 11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." 14 When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
Reflection: Today, name one blessing or answered need from the past month; pause, go somewhere quiet, and spend five minutes thanking Jesus aloud for that specific thing, then write down any change in your peace or perspective afterward.
Day 2: Give thanks in all circumstances, God's will.
Giving thanks is commanded even when life is hard; expressing gratitude in pain is an act of obedience that opens the heart to God’s healing and lets His will work in and through difficult circumstances. [36:20]
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Reflection: Take three difficult facts about your current situation and, before the end of today, thank God for one possible good or lesson in each—speak those thanksgivings aloud or write them—then notice and record any change in your emotions or attitudes by bedtime.
Day 3: Recognize and confess personal limitations.
Recognizing limitations breaks pride and creates space for dependence on God and others; admitting what one cannot do removes the illusion of being a self-sufficient superhero and moves a person toward grateful humility and community support. [38:13]
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Reflection: Identify one area where pride keeps you from asking for help (language, finances, parenting, health, etc.); today call or message one trusted person and request one specific, small help from them, and pray a short prayer confessing this limitation to God beforehand.
Day 4: Ask Jesus first and follow His guidance.
Before turning to people, plans, or organizations, bring needs to Jesus first, listen for His direction, and then obey; seeking Him first demonstrates dependence and often opens unexpected doors of provision and faithful friends. [42:24]
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Reflection: Before making any decision today about a pressing need, spend fifteen quiet minutes asking Jesus for guidance, write three concrete next steps you sense He gives you, and commit to act on at least one of those steps before tomorrow evening.
Day 5: Allow Jesus to heal emotional wounds.
True gratitude often requires emotional healing; when bitterness, anger, or grief remain, they block thanksgiving—invite Jesus to heal the places that keep you from praise so that you can truly return and give thanks like the healed Samaritan. [49:06]
Psalm 147:3 (ESV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Reflection: Choose one painful experience you carry; pray specifically asking Jesus to meet you there and to begin healing it, then take one concrete step toward healing today (write about it, call a supportive friend, schedule a counseling appointment, or extend forgiveness) and note how that step changes your heart.
Sermon Summary
I began by reading Luke 17:11–19 and sitting with the surprise that out of ten healed lepers, only one returned to praise God. That moment exposed how rare thankful hearts can be, especially in hard times. I shared how complicated it is to give thanks when life brings detention, sickness, loss, or crushing bills. And yet Scripture calls us: Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). So I walked through three simple but costly steps for growing a thankful life.
Step one: be aware of your limitations. The ten stood at a distance because they knew they were unclean. That honesty is where gratitude begins. Pride tells us we don’t need help. But when we acknowledge limits, we become open to receive—from God and from others—and a grateful posture grows.
Step two: ask Jesus first and obey him. The ten cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us,” and Jesus told them to go to the priests. They were cleansed as they went. I shared how God re-trained my heart before coming here as missionaries: not to ask people first, but to ask him first. He provided friends and partners we didn’t even know. Obedience often happens before we see the evidence.
Step three: ask Jesus for emotional healing. All ten were physically healed, but only one came back to worship. I believe his heart was healed, too. Unhealed hearts—tangled in bitterness, fear, or anger—struggle to say “thank you.” Gratitude is often the fruit of a heart Jesus has touched.
I shared our own story of loss when we miscarried early in our marriage. We chose to give thanks through tears—not because we understood, but because we trusted. God met us with peace and healed our hearts. Today, when I look at our boys, I remember that gratitude in pain is not denial—it is worship. I closed by inviting us to be like the one who returned: to lift our hands, give thanks in every circumstance, and watch God make a way as he heals our hearts.
Key Takeaways
1. Gratitude begins with honest limitations Pride makes us self-sufficient, but the ten lepers stood at a distance because they knew the truth about themselves. Naming our limits opens the door to receive grace and help. Gratitude grows when we recognize we are not our own saviors. Humility tills the soil where thankfulness can take root. [38:33]
2. Ask Jesus first, then obey The lepers cried out to Jesus, and healing met them “as they went.” Going to God first is an act of dependence; obeying before we see results is an act of trust. When our first instinct is petition, not manipulation, we make room for God’s provision. Obedience often becomes the hallway where miracles walk toward us. [44:12]
3. Seek Jesus for emotional healing Physical relief doesn’t always produce worship; a healed heart does. Bitterness and fear numb the capacity to say “thank you,” even when circumstances improve. Ask Jesus to mend the inner wounds that silence praise. Gratitude then becomes more than manners—it becomes love. [45:52]
4. Thank God in painful seasons Giving thanks while grieving is not pretending; it is surrendering our demand to understand. In our miscarriage, we wept and thanked God, and he met us with real peace. Gratitude in pain is often the first step toward inner healing. It becomes a seed that, in time, blooms into joy. [48:47]
Luke 17:11–19 — 11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten men who were lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Observation Questions
What did the ten men do when they saw Jesus, and how did they position themselves physically before him? [33:13]
What command did Jesus give the men, and what happened as they followed that command? [33:57]
How many returned to praise God, and what personal detail does Luke give about the one who returned? [34:28]
The pastor quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:18 as part of the sermon. What does that verse say we are to do, and how did the preacher use it to frame the message? [36:20]
Interpretation Questions
Why might nine of the ten not have returned to give thanks even after they were physically healed? Consider spiritual, emotional, or social reasons behind their absence. [45:25]
What might Luke’s mention that the one who returned was a Samaritan communicate about who is able to worship and give thanks? How does that detail shape the meaning of the story?
The preacher argued that gratitude begins by recognizing limitations. How does the posture of the lepers (standing at a distance, calling for mercy) model that idea, and why would humility open someone to gratitude? [38:13]
Jesus told them to “show yourselves to the priests,” and they were healed “as they went.” What does this teach about obedience before visible results? How does that relate to the preacher’s fundraising example of asking God first? [42:24]
Application Questions
Name one area of your life where pride makes you try to be self-sufficient (work, parenting, finances, relationships). What is one specific way you will acknowledge that limitation this week (who you will tell, what help you will ask for)? [38:33]
When you face a practical need, what is your immediate instinct — ask people first or take the need to Jesus first? This week, pick one current need and take one concrete step to “ask Jesus first” (specific prayer time, a short fast, a written prayer, or asking others to pray with you). [42:24]
Think of a situation that has been “resolved” outwardly but still leaves you angry, bitter, or numb. What is one next step you will take to invite Jesus into that emotional wound (a time of honest prayer, meeting with a pastor or counselor, journaling, a forgiveness exercise)? [45:52]
The preacher described giving thanks through grief after a miscarriage. If you are in a season of grief or unanswered questions, what is one concrete act of thankfulness you can do this week that won’t deny the pain but will express trust (writing a short gratitude note, singing a worship song, offering a spoken “thank you” to God in prayer)? [48:47]
Who in your life needs to hear a verbal thank you from you this week (spouse, friend, neighbor, coworker)? Choose one person and decide the exact day and words you will use to thank them. [53:39]
Build a simple daily habit to cultivate gratitude. Be specific: what time of day will you do it, how long will it take, and what will you do (for example: each morning list three things you’re thankful for and ask Jesus to heal one hard place in your heart)? Start this habit tomorrow and share it with the group next week. [36:20]
Sermon Clips
And you know, when you get some bad news like this, it's not easy to be thankful. It's not easy to say, Thank you, God. But it reminds me, the Word of God, if we can open our Bibles, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18, It says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Give thanks in all circumstances. So, my question was, and I was wondering, how can I be thankful? So, I found in this scripture three steps. And the step number one is, you need to be aware of your limitations.
[00:36:13]
(49 seconds)
#ThanksInAllCircumstances
But when you are not aware of your limitations, so that is the step number one. If you want to be a thankful person, you need to recognize, you need to realize about your own limitations. To say, okay, so I have these limitations, and I need help. So, when we got here, in this country, so, I realized that, okay, we need help. We need help. How can I get involved my kids into the preschool? How can I do this? How can I do that? You know, a lot of things. And I'm so thankful for that.
[00:39:35]
(43 seconds)
#RecognizeYourLimits
But you know what? So, God changed my mind and touched my heart. He told me, you need to ask me first. You need to ask me. And I understood that. And when I understood that, so, I'm so grateful because I don't need to ask people or to ask companies or whatever for money. I understood. God, I need you. And God is faithful. He is showing the path that we need to walk, you know. And he provides friends, families, people who are interested in supporting our ministry. That is amazing. That, for me, it's very impressive how God works for us.
[00:42:07]
(60 seconds)
#GodIsProvider
And sometimes we are tempted to ask for someone, you know. So, what can I do? Okay, so maybe that one can help me. Maybe that company. Maybe that nonprofit. No. You need to ask Jesus first of all. Because you are showing that you depend on him. And he will show you the way that you need to walk. And the third step. Okay. How can I be thankful? So, the first one is, the first step, you need to be aware of your limitations. You can't do everything. You have limitations. I have limitations.
[00:43:59]
(50 seconds)
#AskJesusFirst
And number two, you need to ask Jesus for help. And you need to obey him. And my step number three that I can see in the scripture that we read is, ask Jesus for emotional healing. Because, I wonder why just one of them, of the ten men, came back and gave thanks and praised God. And Jesus asked, where are the rest of the people? Where are the nine? So, but just one came back. And, yeah, maybe we don't see in the scripture that the ten men were asking for emotional healing. But there is the evidence that I can see.
[00:44:48]
(52 seconds)
#SeekEmotionalHealing
Because just one of them came back, praising God and giving thanks. Just one. Because the ten men were healed from leprosy. But just one of them was healed in his emotion. Because when you don't have a heart healed, you won't be able to give thanks. When your heart is angry with bitterness or whatever it is, bad things, bad emotions in you, you won't be able to give thanks. Maybe in the street, maybe in the market or supermarket or whatever, you will find people like this, that they don't really want to be thankful.
[00:45:40]
(48 seconds)
#HealTheHeartFirst
And you start, and God is starting healing your heart. I remember, and I want to tell you another testimony from me and my wife. So when we got married, you know, we had a lot of dreams, expectations, you know. And one of my deepest dreams in me before getting married was to raise children, you know. And when we got married, after a couple of months, my wife got pregnant. And we were so happy, you know, as parents. But after a month, we lost the baby after a month of pregnancy, you know. And maybe you can say it's normal for many couples, but I can say it's not normal, you know.
[00:47:28]
(52 seconds)
#HealingAfterLoss
And we found peace. And now you can see my two handsome boys, you know. So we are so, so grateful for that. But I wonder if we, what if we didn't give thanks to God for what happened. Maybe it was a test from God. I don't know, you know. So what are you going to do with this situation? And we can see in the Bible a lot of the stories when God is testing his people, you know. I remember Abraham, you know, when God asked him, his son, his only son, you know. But when it happened, so I understood.
[00:49:11]
(56 seconds)
#PeaceThroughTrials
But as I told you at the beginning, it's not easy to give thanks. It's not easy. When someone that you love passed away, when you got a bad news about a sickness, you know, a detention, you know. So those kind of things are really hard. But the Bible says we need to give thanks in all circumstances. And let me tell you one more time. If you give thanks, you will be healed. And God deserves all the glory. God deserves that I praise him. So I can tell several testimonies when you decide to give thanks.
[00:50:07]
(54 seconds)
#GratitudeHeals
``But today, just I want to encourage you to be thankful, no matter your circumstances. And you know what? You will see all the miracles God can make for you. I want to ask you to stand up, and you are going to pray. And I want to encourage you to pray giving thanks to God. I don't know what circumstances are you facing. I don't know what bad news you got this week or this year. I don't know. But the only thing that I know is that we can give. We need to give thanks in all circumstances. And God will make a way.
[00:51:01]
(51 seconds)
#ThankfulNoMatterWhat
