Embracing Gratitude: Celebrating Life's Sweet Moments
Summary
The sermon begins with the introduction of a new series titled "Thanksgiving Pie," which focuses on practicing gratitude in different life situations. The pastor uses the analogy of a Marsh Landings peanut butter chocolate pie to represent the sweet moments in life. He acknowledges that life can be challenging, but emphasizes the importance of having someone to support us during these times. The pastor invites the congregation to come forward for prayer, reminding them that God's presence and guidance are the sweetest things in life.
The pastor then emphasizes the importance of celebrating every victory, no matter how small or different it may be from what we expected. He encourages the congregation to have gratitude for every good thing in their lives, even when they may not feel like celebrating. He reminds the listeners that God promises to provide sweet things in their lives, both in this life and the life to come. He urges the congregation to be mature enough to recognize these blessings, even when they are frustrated or unable to identify them.
The pastor shares personal experiences of how God has blessed him with a loving spouse, children, and the opportunity to serve as a pastor. He encourages the congregation to practice gratitude and acknowledge God's hand in their lives, even in the midst of challenges. He also highlights the need to celebrate every victory, big or small, as a way of participating in what God is doing. He uses the analogy of making cookies with children to illustrate the joy and appreciation that comes from actively engaging in God's work.
The pastor discusses the importance of giving thanks and practicing gratitude, even in difficult circumstances. He uses examples such as the people in Uganda who give thanks for rain and a doctor who visits once a year, contrasting it with the complaints and frustrations of everyday life in more privileged societies. He shares personal anecdotes, including a humorous incident with a power outage during a previous service and a story about their child accidentally starting a fire in the house. Through these stories, he encourages the congregation to appreciate the small blessings and not take them for granted.
The pastor concludes the sermon by reflecting on the importance of gratitude and giving credit to God for the blessings in our lives. He shares a personal anecdote about his grandmother who would send him a birthday gift and expect a thank you card in return. This experience taught him the value of acknowledging where blessings come from and expressing gratitude. He emphasizes that gratitude must have a recipient and that even atheists can struggle with this concept. He encourages the audience to recognize the good things in their lives that they cannot take credit for and to give God the credit through worship, prayer, and a constant state of gratitude.
Key Takeaways:
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of recognizing and celebrating every victory, no matter how small or different it may be from what we expected. He encourages us to have gratitude for every good thing in our lives, even when we may not feel like celebrating. This is a reminder that God promises to provide sweet things in our lives, both in this life and the life to come. [52:03]
- The pastor shares personal experiences of how God has blessed him with a loving spouse, children, and the opportunity to serve as a pastor. He encourages us to practice gratitude and acknowledge God's hand in our lives, even in the midst of challenges. This is a reminder to celebrate every victory, big or small, as a way of participating in what God is doing. [49:13]
- The pastor discusses the importance of giving thanks and practicing gratitude, even in difficult circumstances. He uses examples such as the people in Uganda who give thanks for rain and a doctor who visits once a year, contrasting it with the complaints and frustrations of everyday life in more privileged societies. This is a reminder to appreciate the small blessings and not take them for granted. [32:48]
- The pastor reflects on the importance of gratitude and giving credit to God for the blessings in our lives. He shares a personal anecdote about his grandmother who would send him a birthday gift and expect a thank you card in return. This experience taught him the value of acknowledging where blessings come from and expressing gratitude. This is a reminder that gratitude must have a recipient and that even atheists can struggle with this concept. [45:45]
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of gratitude and appreciating the good things that God has brought into our lives. He uses the analogy of a chocolate peanut butter pie on a plate, suggesting that even though it is a delicious treat, some people fail to appreciate it and instead focus on negative aspects or other things they desire. This is a reminder to eliminate negativity from our lives and resist the temptation to cling to things instead of practicing gratitude. [42:19]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
2. Hebrews 13:5: "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"
3. James 1:17: "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instruct us to do in all circumstances?
2. According to Hebrews 13:5, what promise does God make to us that can help us resist negativity?
3. In the sermon, what analogy does the pastor use to describe the sweet moments in life? [30:46]
4. How does the pastor suggest we should respond to small victories in our lives? [52:03]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might it be challenging to be thankful in all circumstances, as instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18?
2. How can the promise in Hebrews 13:5 help someone who is struggling with negativity in their life? [37:20]
3. What does the pastor mean when he says that gratitude must have a recipient, and how does this relate to James 1:17? [47:09]
4. How does celebrating every victory, no matter how small, help us participate in what God is doing in our lives? [51:19]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent small victory in your life. How did you celebrate it, and how can you make a habit of celebrating such moments more often? [52:03]
2. Think about a time when you struggled to find something to be thankful for. How can the promise that God will never abandon you (Hebrews 13:5) change your perspective in similar situations? [37:20]
3. The pastor shared personal stories of gratitude even in challenging times. Can you share a personal story where you found it difficult to be grateful but managed to see God's hand in it? [49:13]
4. Identify one area in your life where negativity tends to creep in. What practical steps can you take to resist this negativity and focus on gratitude instead? [36:45]
5. The pastor mentioned that even atheists struggle with the concept of gratitude needing a recipient. How can you ensure that your gratitude is directed towards God in your daily life? [47:09]
6. The pastor used the analogy of making cookies with children to illustrate participating in God's work. What is one way you can actively engage in what God is doing in your life or community this week? [51:19]
7. Reflect on the analogy of the chocolate peanut butter pie. What are some "sweet things" in your life that you may have overlooked or taken for granted? How can you start appreciating them more? [42:19]
Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing and Celebrating God's Blessings
God's blessings come in all shapes and sizes, and it's important to recognize and celebrate them, no matter how small or different they may be from what we expected. Even when we don't feel like celebrating, we should remember that God promises to provide sweet things in our lives, both in this life and the life to come. [52:03]
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: What is one small victory or blessing you've experienced recently that you haven't fully acknowledged or celebrated? How can you express gratitude for this today?
Day 2: Acknowledging God's Hand in Our Lives
God's hand is at work in our lives, even in the midst of challenges. We should practice gratitude and acknowledge His blessings, whether they come in the form of a loving spouse, children, or the opportunity to serve others. [49:13]
Psalm 103:2 - "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
Reflection: What is one way you've seen God's hand at work in your life recently, especially amidst challenges? How can you express your gratitude for His presence and guidance?
Day 3: Appreciating Small Blessings
Even in difficult circumstances, we should practice gratitude and give thanks. We should appreciate the small blessings in our lives, contrasting our situations with those who have less and still find reasons to be thankful. [32:48]
Colossians 3:15 - "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Reflection: What is one small blessing you've taken for granted recently? How can you show your appreciation for it today?
Day 4: Expressing Gratitude to God
It's important to express gratitude to God for the blessings in our lives. We should acknowledge where these blessings come from and give God the credit through worship, prayer, and a constant state of gratitude. [45:45]
James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Reflection: What is one blessing in your life that you can't take credit for? How can you give God the credit for this blessing today?
Day 5: Eliminating Negativity and Practicing Gratitude
We should eliminate negativity from our lives and resist the temptation to focus on what we don't have. Instead, we should appreciate the good things that God has brought into our lives and practice gratitude. [42:19]
Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Reflection: What is one negative thought or attitude you've been holding onto recently? How can you replace it with gratitude and appreciation for God's blessings today?
Quotes
"Celebrate every Victory celebrate Victory even when you got the smallest slice celebrate Victory even when you would prefer a different flavor celebrate Victory when you don't even have an appetite to consume what is in front of you celebrate with gratitude every good thing and your joy will be full your joy will increase your therapy bill will decrease right you know your sense of fulfillment will" [52:03]
"Celebrate Victory because God actually promises that everyone who believes will be served sweet things in their life in this life and the life to come that's a promise that is made to us that he he he's always there's going to be a a constant flow of good things coming from God we have to be mature enough to recognize them" [52:41]
"God gave me the sweet thing of getting to be able to be the pastor of this church and getting to see be on the front row of seeing God's hand at work seeing lives changed and people decide to follow Jesus and people you know addictions you know break marriages resurrected people far from God coming near and even in the midst of that like I was preaching a month or two ago." [49:58]
"I am a better person today because of that because she wanted to make sure I knew where it came from and that I gave thanks to the person who gave it." [45:45]
"Gratitude must have a recipient...you have to decide who was it that did these good things for me because there if it hasn't happened yet it will or you're just not ready yet to see it." [47:09]
"We have to learn to give God the credit...we have to learn to send a thank you...we do that through worship, we do that through prayer thanking him." [47:48]
"The chocolate peanut butter pie is on your plate but you can't take your eyes off the beets or you decide I don't even want chocolate peanut butter pie and so our entire perspective can be skewed and we don't even appreciate the good things that God has brought to the table." [42:19]
"We look at things in our life and we can be tempted to think we orchestrated this right...and get distracted from the fact that God's involvement was with an apron on serving up every slice of pie you've ever received because all good things come from him." [45:03]
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