Embracing Gratitude: Transforming Our Lives Through Thankfulness
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound concept of gratitude and its transformative power in our lives. We began by acknowledging that God is in charge, not necessarily in control of every detail, allowing us the free will to choose Him and cultivate a relationship with Him. This relationship is the core of our existence, as we were created to know and be known by God. The essence of our message is that gratitude is a form of humility that brings grace into our lives. Even in trials, being thankful can shift our perspective and bring us closer to God.
We reflected on the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, where only one returned to thank Jesus after being healed. This act of gratitude not only cleansed him physically but also healed his heart, showing that gratitude can lead to holistic healing. We discussed how ingratitude can poison the soul, leading to dissatisfaction and a lack of appreciation for God's blessings. Conversely, a thankful heart can bring life and healing, aligning us with God's will and enabling us to love others as He loves us.
We also touched on the importance of being okay with ourselves and our circumstances, understanding that God's love for us is unconditional and not based on our actions. This acceptance allows us to live freely and joyfully, knowing that we are the apple of His eye. Finally, we emphasized that our gratitude should extend to every aspect of our lives, from the smallest blessings to the greatest miracles, fostering a spirit of thankfulness that permeates our entire being.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Sovereignty and Our Free Will: God is in charge, overseeing His creation, but He allows us the free will to choose Him. This freedom is essential for genuine love and relationship with God. Our purpose is to know Him and be known by Him, and this relationship is the foundation of our existence. [00:45]
2. The Transformative Power of Gratitude: Gratitude is a form of humility that brings grace into our lives. Even in the midst of trials, being thankful can shift our perspective and draw us closer to God. This attitude of gratitude can lead to holistic healing, as seen in the story of the ten lepers, where only one returned to thank Jesus and was made whole. [02:36]
3. Ingratitude as Poison to the Soul: Ingratitude can lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of appreciation for God's blessings. It acts like a poison, corrupting our soul and distancing us from God. Conversely, a thankful heart brings life and healing, aligning us with God's will and enabling us to love others as He loves us. [09:31]
4. Unconditional Love and Acceptance: God's love for us is unconditional and not based on our actions. Understanding this allows us to be okay with ourselves and our circumstances, living freely and joyfully. We are the apple of His eye, and His love moves heaven and earth to be with us. [12:20]
5. Gratitude in All Circumstances: We are called to be thankful in all situations, recognizing that gratitude is not just for God's benefit but for our own. It brings life and healing to our souls, fostering a spirit of thankfulness that permeates our entire being. This attitude aligns us with God's will and brings peace and joy into our lives. [38:53]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - God's Sovereignty and Our Free Will
[02:36] - The Power of Gratitude
[09:31] - Ingratitude as Poison to the Soul
[12:20] - Unconditional Love and Acceptance
[38:53] - Gratitude in All Circumstances
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- Luke 17:11-19
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Colossians 2:6-7
### Observation Questions
1. In the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, what did Jesus instruct the lepers to do after they asked for mercy? How did their actions lead to their healing?
2. According to the sermon, what is the difference between God being "in charge" and God being "in control"? [00:45]
3. What does 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instruct believers to do in all circumstances?
4. How does the pastor describe the impact of ingratitude on the soul? [09:31]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think only one of the ten lepers returned to thank Jesus, and what does this tell us about the nature of gratitude?
2. How does understanding that God’s love is unconditional (not based on our actions) change the way we view our relationship with Him? [12:20]
3. What does it mean to be thankful in all circumstances, and how can this attitude bring life and healing to our souls? [38:53]
4. How can ingratitude act as a poison to the soul, and what are some ways to combat this in our daily lives? [09:31]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent trial or difficult situation in your life. How can you find something to be thankful for in that situation? [03:15]
2. Think about a time when you felt distant from God. How did ingratitude play a role in that feeling, and what steps can you take to cultivate a thankful heart? [09:31]
3. How can you remind yourself daily of God’s unconditional love for you, especially when you feel unworthy or inadequate? [12:20]
4. Identify one small blessing in your life that you often overlook. How can you make a habit of expressing gratitude for it regularly? [07:38]
5. How can you practice gratitude in your relationships with others, especially when you feel frustrated or disappointed with them? [07:04]
6. What are some practical ways you can incorporate thankfulness into your daily routine, even when you don’t feel like it? [39:22]
7. Think of a person who has impacted your life positively. How can you express your gratitude to them this week in a meaningful way? [35:06]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Sovereignty and Our Free Will
God is in charge, overseeing His creation, but He allows us the free will to choose Him. This freedom is essential for genuine love and relationship with God. Our purpose is to know Him and be known by Him, and this relationship is the foundation of our existence. Understanding that God is sovereign yet grants us free will can be both comforting and challenging. It means that while God has a grand plan, He respects our choices and desires a genuine relationship with us. This relationship is not forced but chosen, making it deeply personal and meaningful. Reflecting on this can help us appreciate the depth of God's love and the importance of our choices in aligning with His will. [00:45]
Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV): "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Reflection: How can you actively seek to know God more deeply today, recognizing that He desires a genuine relationship with you?
Day 2: The Transformative Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is a form of humility that brings grace into our lives. Even in the midst of trials, being thankful can shift our perspective and draw us closer to God. This attitude of gratitude can lead to holistic healing, as seen in the story of the ten lepers, where only one returned to thank Jesus and was made whole. Gratitude transforms our hearts and minds, allowing us to see God's hand in every situation. It helps us to focus on His goodness rather than our circumstances, fostering a deeper connection with Him and bringing peace and healing to our souls. [02:36]
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Reflection: In what specific area of your life can you practice gratitude today, even if it seems challenging?
Day 3: Ingratitude as Poison to the Soul
Ingratitude can lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of appreciation for God's blessings. It acts like a poison, corrupting our soul and distancing us from God. Conversely, a thankful heart brings life and healing, aligning us with God's will and enabling us to love others as He loves us. Recognizing the dangers of ingratitude can help us to be more mindful of our attitudes and responses. By cultivating a heart of thankfulness, we can experience a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment, and our relationships with God and others can flourish. [09:31]
Hebrews 12:15 (ESV): "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no 'root of bitterness' springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where ingratitude has taken root? How can you begin to replace it with thankfulness today?
Day 4: Unconditional Love and Acceptance
God's love for us is unconditional and not based on our actions. Understanding this allows us to be okay with ourselves and our circumstances, living freely and joyfully. We are the apple of His eye, and His love moves heaven and earth to be with us. This profound truth can liberate us from the pressures of performance and perfectionism. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally by God gives us the freedom to embrace our identity in Him and to live out our faith with confidence and joy. [12:20]
Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV): "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Reflection: How does understanding God's unconditional love for you change the way you view yourself and your circumstances today?
Day 5: Gratitude in All Circumstances
We are called to be thankful in all situations, recognizing that gratitude is not just for God's benefit but for our own. It brings life and healing to our souls, fostering a spirit of thankfulness that permeates our entire being. This attitude aligns us with God's will and brings peace and joy into our lives. Embracing gratitude in every aspect of our lives, from the smallest blessings to the greatest miracles, can transform our outlook and deepen our relationship with God. [38:53]
Colossians 3:15-17 (ESV): "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Reflection: What are three specific things you can thank God for today, and how can you express that gratitude in your actions?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The message that I'm bringing today is one about gratitude, and I've entitled it today, The Power of Gratitude. It's a powerful thing to be thankful, because what happens when you're thankful, it's almost like a form of humility. There's a grace that comes with humility. There's a grace that comes with being thankful and grateful for even the smallest of things. Have you ever done that? Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and just, thank God for the things that he's done and the things that he's doing, even if you're in the middle of a trial right now, to be thankful that you're alive to go through a trial, that you're alive to even face the harshness of this life, that there are some people that did not wake up today and they wish they would have had another day." [02:36] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Church, can I say this, that we should be the most living people on the face of this planet. That not just the joy, the inexpressible joy because of our salvation, but just that God redeemed us. And he saved us from the curse of the law. That it's not about what we're doing and what we're not doing, that there's grace and there's mercy and there's love. Now, because we're saved, we should be doing, and that's why I'll always be pushing you. I'll always be challenging you. I'll always be prodding you. But church, my heart for you today is that you would be okay with God. That you would be okay with yourself. That you don't have to work for his love. That you are the apple of his eye. That he has given us everything to live and to enjoy freely." [04:22] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Can I say this, church? Because you are redeemed, that God is not angry with you, that God is not disappointed with you. Disappointment comes from unmet expectation. What expectations does God have when he chose you? That God knew all the good, the bad, and the ugly. And he still said, I want you. I want you. I want you. I want you. I died for you. I rose for you. I was buried for you. I want you. This love that we carry in the bosom of our whole soul, our whole soul, this love that we have, is what people are waiting, your family members are waiting." [06:26] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "If you need healing in your soul, begin to be thankful for everything that you have right now. Even the things that you're going through right now. Be thankful. Be grateful that you have another day. I wonder how many people wish they had the trials that you have right now. Some people are suffering great trials. Some people, our brothers and sisters in other countries, are suffering for their faith right now. Persecution. And we choose whether we want to go to church or not. Whether we feel like it or not. What am I going to get out of it?" [26:19] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Can I tell you, church, that the meetings are for the saints? Do you understand that? The meetings are for the saints. Now, the Bible says, according to Corinthians, if an unbeliever comes in, if an unbeliever comes in, but these meetings are for the believers. And if an unbeliever comes in, is he going to hear the Word of God being preached? Is he going to see the power of God being demonstrated through the preaching and teaching of His Word, through the altar calls, laying on the hands? Are they going to see and witness the power of God? Are they going to feel something different?" [27:24] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "And for us, I think when we say that God is in control, what we really mean is that God is in charge. He's over his creation. He's over everything that he's made. He's the king. He's the ruler. So God is in charge. It's not so much that he's in control like we say because if God was in control, this place would look unnoticed. This place would look a lot different. This world that we live in would be a lot different. And so what's happening right now is God is looking at us with our own free will. With our own free will, we've come to praise him. With our own free will, we've come to know him because there was something that we heard that drew us an affection from God that drew us close to him." [00:45] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The thing that I just can't wrap my mind around is that God would come in the form of a man. What humility is that? That he even had to be hungry. He had to find shelter from the weather. He had to use the restroom. What humility is that? That God... God would come for you and I because we messed everything up. And even in our messes, God still comes to us. Church, I cannot tell you how many times God has come and he's cleaned my messes. I have wept over the messes that I have made. And I knew that it was God coming and cleaning it up. Not bringing accusation. That's okay, David. I still love you. That's okay, David. I'll take care of this. What humility and what grace is that? Church, he is worthy of all praise and adoration." [14:15] (75 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God. Now he's got his voice back. Now he's glorifying God. And he fell down on his face, at his feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. The other ones were Jews. One Samaritan out of the whole bunch. One Gentile out of the whole bunch. So Jesus answered and said, this is God. Always caring. It's not about numbers, but it's about numbers. Because the Bible says he'll leave the 99 to go and find the one. Why give a number if it's not about the numbers? God's all about numbers, but not for the sake of numbers that were about numbers. Pastors about numbers, filling their churches, filling their chairs, just so that they can get an audience." [20:44] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God says, love me you'll obey me but even in that we're not able to obey him unless we love him and as we're loving him we're able to obey him it's not it's not like this thing like obey me obey me if you don't obey me don't love me it's like love me so that you can obey me does that make sense how are you going to obey God if you don't love him that's religion that's a form of religion and Christ has come to to break the curse of the law of religion off of us." [32:28] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And we are to make the best of it. We are to love them in spite of themselves. We are to love ourselves in spite of us. And we are to love God with all of our hearts. Can I get an amen? Amen. Lord, we love you this morning. The power of gratitude. The power of gratitude. And I want to turn your attention to Luke chapter 17 beginning with verse 11. Luke chapter 17 beginning with verse 11. Luke chapter 17 verse 11. Now it happened as he, Jesus, went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as he entered a certain village, there met him ten men who were lepers who stood afar. they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." [15:42] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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