Extravagant Thankfulness

Devotional

Day 1: Thanksgiving is the root of extravagant worship.

When the church gathers, worship begins by recognizing who God is and thanking Him for what He has done; coming into His presence with gratitude opens the door to genuine praise and joyful noise. Worship is not first about the person next to you or a polished performance, but about locking eyes with the Lord and letting thanksgiving overflow into adoration. Practice coming to worship focused on Jesus and let gratitude lead your voice. [08:59]

Psalm 95:1-2 (ESV)
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Reflection: When you come to Sunday worship this week, what single distraction will you intentionally set aside so you can make a joyful noise directly to God, and how will you do that practically?

Day 2: Salvation is a gift received by faith.

Salvation is presented as a gift from God, received through faith and not as the result of human effort or religious checklist; grace is the foundation of the relationship with Christ. Remember that faith is a response to what Jesus has already done—rest in that gift rather than trying to earn it. Let gratitude for grace shape how you live and worship. [30:24]

Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Reflection: What is one way you’ve tried to earn God’s favor instead of resting in His gift, and what simple, specific step will you take this week to turn that striving into trust in Christ’s grace?

Day 3: Belief and acceptance make you God's child.

Becoming a child of God is more than knowing the story—it's receiving Jesus, believing in His name, and inviting Him into your life; that crossing-the-line moment matters. If you haven’t personally invited Christ in, this is the moment to understand that God waits politely at the door of your heart and you must open it. Celebrate the new identity and take the next step in community. [32:38]

John 1:12 (ESV)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Reflection: Do you have a clear memory of when you personally crossed the line into relationship with Christ? If not, what step will you take this week to move toward that decision or to reaffirm it openly?

Day 4: God uses everything to shape us into Christ.

Not every season brings visible blessing, but God promises to work all things for good for those who love Him, shaping believers into the image of Jesus. Even in desert seasons—when the fig tree does not bud and the olive crop fails—one can choose to rejoice in the Lord because He is using the hardship to refine character and prepare testimony. Trust that pain can be turned into ministry when surrendered to Him. [26:50]

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Reflection: Name a painful season you are in or recently left; how might God be using that season to shape your character or to prepare you to serve someone else?

Day 5: Scripture is God's inspired, profitable guide.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and is useful—not merely as information but as the living word that teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains in righteousness; it’s meant to be spent time in, not speed-read. Stop treating the Bible like a textbook to finish and begin treating it like a love letter to read slowly, respond to, and let shape daily life. Let the Word lead you into deeper gratitude and worship. [05:40]

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Reflection: What simple change will you make this week to treat the Bible as a love letter rather than a textbook, and when during your day will you practice that change?

Sermon Summary

I invited us to close out Thanksgiving by stepping into extravagant worship—the kind that doesn’t whisper but overflows from a grateful heart. We gather not to check a religious box but to come into His presence, to sing to the Lord and make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Worship isn’t about the people around us; it’s about Jesus in the room. We recognize who God is, we acknowledge what He’s done, and that recognition births gratitude, which naturally expresses itself in adoration—our awe meeting our affection.

I challenged us to stop reading the Bible like a textbook and start meeting the Living Word in the Word. Slow down. Lock eyes with God. Let the Scriptures become a place of encounter where doctrine becomes doxology and truth becomes praise. When gratitude fills the heart, worship flows—and thanksgiving is worship in its purest form.

We also looked at what it means to “extol” the Lord: to praise Him enthusiastically and publicly. We won’t be ashamed of Jesus. If we can shout for a band or a ball team, we can certainly get loud for the Lamb. Yet I know not every season is easy. Habakkuk reminds us there are barren stretches—no figs, no fruit, no flocks—yet we will rejoice in the Lord. Even when life lands a punch, God is with us, and in Christ, we win. God works all things for good to shape us into the likeness of Jesus and use our story for His glory.

Finally, I made it clear where it all starts: not with religion, but with a Savior. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. Jesus died and rose so we could be forgiven and become children of God. Believe, receive, and begin. From that first step, a life of worship and thanksgiving begins to grow, one step at a time, for the glory of God.

Key Takeaways

1. Thanksgiving fuels extravagant worship Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday posture; it’s a worship posture. Gratitude turns recognition of God’s character and works into living, breathing adoration. When we thank Him, our focus shifts from lack to blessing and from self to Savior, and worship becomes the natural overflow. [11:51]
2. Recognize who God is; acknowledge His works We become worshipers by seeing God as He is and naming what He has done. Recognition humbles us, not puffs us up, because grace reframes everything. When we remember mercy, patience, forgiveness, and faithfulness, praise stops being forced and starts being free. [08:59]
3. Open the Bible to meet Jesus Don’t rush the Scriptures; receive them. Read slowly enough to meet the Living Word in the written Word, turning doctrine into dialogue with God. This is how gratitude grows roots and worship gains weight in the soul. [14:42]
4. Extol Him—refuse to whisper Extolling means praising God enthusiastically and publicly. We’re unashamed because He is worthy, not because we feel loud. If we can cheer elsewhere, we can lift our voice for the Lamb who saved us. [23:19]
5. Rejoice even in barren seasons Faith doesn’t deny emptiness; it declares “yet” in it. Even when the fields are empty, joy in the Lord remains because His presence is our portion and His purpose is at work. He uses hard chapters to shape Christ in us and write a story for His glory. [26:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:33] - Celebrating our church family
[05:40] - Why we open the Bible
[08:59] - Worship and thanksgiving inseparable
[11:51] - Thanksgiving as worship’s purest form
[14:42] - Stop reading; meet the Living Word
[17:32] - Adoration: awe and affection
[20:45] - Shout to the Rock of salvation
[23:19] - What it means to extol
[26:50] - “Yet I will rejoice”
[30:24] - Saved by grace through faith
[32:38] - Becoming children of God
[35:29] - Prayer and invitation to respond

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
- Psalm 95:1–2
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Observation questions (look closely at the text and the sermon ideas)

What images or actions does Psalm 95 use to describe corporate worship (singing, joyful noise, coming into his presence)? How do those images shape your picture of worship? [08:59]
Psalm 95 calls God the “Rock of our salvation.” From the passage, what does calling God “rock” suggest about his character and our response? [08:59]
The text links “coming into his presence” with “thanksgiving.” What difference does the passage make between merely being present in a building and entering God’s presence with thanksgiving? [11:51]
The sermon contrasted reading the Bible like a textbook versus meeting the Living Word in Scripture. What specific behaviors in reading Scripture reflect each approach? [14:42]

Interpretation questions (seek to understand meaning and implications)

How does recognizing who God is (his character) and acknowledging what he has done logically lead to gratitude, and how does that gratitude naturally turn into praise? [08:59]
What is meant by “meeting the Living Word in the written Word”? How would encountering Jesus in a passage change the way someone applies that passage in daily life? [14:42]
The idea of extolling God is defined as praising enthusiastically and publicly. How should a church discern the balance between enthusiastic public praise and sensitivity to people who are in quiet or broken seasons? [23:19]
The confession “yet I will rejoice in the Lord” appears in a context of loss and drought. What does this “yet” reveal about the relationship between faith and present circumstances? How does that shape expectations of what worship looks like in hard seasons? [26:50]

Application questions (practical next steps you can try this week)

Make a short list of three specific things about God’s character or acts of grace you can name aloud this week. How will naming them change your posture when you gather for worship? [08:59]
Pick one Scripture passage you usually read quickly. For the next seven days, slow your reading: read it aloud, pause after each verse, and ask, “What is Jesus saying to me here?” What differences do you notice after a week? [14:42]
Identify a way you can “extol” God publicly in the next month (singing boldly in a gathering, sharing a brief testimony, inviting someone to church, etc.). What’s the first, small step you will take toward that? [23:19]
Think of a current “dry” or difficult situation in your life. In one sentence, write a “yet” statement (for example: “The crops failed, yet I will rejoice in the Lord because ________”). How might rehearsing that “yet” help you worship through the season? [26:50]
If you have not personally asked Jesus to be your Savior, consider the invitation to believe and receive him (trusting by faith, not by works). What would taking that step look like for you this week (who would you tell, what practical step would you take)? [32:38]
Choose one way this week to turn ordinary thankfulness into an act of worship—for example, write a short prayer of thanksgiving and read it aloud during family mealtime, or thank God in song when you drive to work. When will you do it and who will hold you accountable? [11:51]

Sermon Clips

we're in we're in a series talking about extravagant worship i know all of you are online and here in the room because you love jesus somebody say amen i get that all of us are at different places with the lord but all of us man thank god we're not where we used to be we knowwhat we're not where we want to be but we are committed to taking little steps moving forward to do what well as jesus said love the lord your god with all your mind heart soul and strength [00:04:20] (28 seconds) #LoveGodWholeHeart

what i want to do today is this i want to close out thanksgiving week and talk abouthow thanksgiving and becoming an extravagant worshiper are connected because if we're going to become the lovers of god that we want to become and we want to become the worshipers of god that we want to become you need to understand it is rooted in this thing called thanksgiving [00:05:01] (23 seconds) #ThanksgivingRootsWorship

psalm 95 verse 2 the bible somebody say the bible the bible because at granny united here's what we do we open up the bible because we want to know what does the bible say where does the bible say it in proper biblicalcontext and then we wrestle with this all the time what are you going to do what are you going to do about it [00:05:25] (21 seconds) #OpenTheBibleWrestle

we know that the bible is not a book written from by man about god they are the holyscriptures given to man from god amen so that's why we want to know what the bible says and i want to challenge you no matter where you are in your relationship with god get into the word of god start studying the bible anyway [00:06:03] (23 seconds) #StudyTheWordDaily

and so what do we do it's great that we get to come hang out with some of the coolest people in new england at granted amen i love hanging out with my church family a lot but we're not here just simply for each other we are here first and foremost to come into his presence that's why we gather today [00:08:35] (18 seconds) #GatherForHisPresence

let's go back to night of worship for those of you that were able to be there and i know not everybody could be there i'm not hating on you first chronicle 16 we talked about it a couple weeks ago and where god said this if you're going to become the worshiper i want you to becomeyou better recognize and then he repeat it you better recognize so on the count of three do me a favor look at somebody around you point a finger at them don't poke them in the eye and i need you to say to them you better recognize with a real sarcastic voice ready one two three you better recognize okay [00:09:42] (36 seconds) #YouBetterRecognize

because here's what the bible says the only way we become the worshiper that god wants us to become is that when we come into his presence we begin recognizing who he is we recognize the the lord and then here's the second thing we not only recognize who god is but we acknowledge what he has done if jesus christ is radically redeemed and restored your life by his amazing grace and mercy would you put your hands together and thank him right now thank you jesus amen [00:10:18] (32 seconds) #RecognizeAndThankJesus

i think it's important to understand that this that extravagant worship flows from it flows from don't miss this extravagant gratitude when we realize who god is when we acknowledge what god has done it doesn't puff us up it humbles usand we become so grateful how can we not offer to him praise and glory because he's a good good father amen man [00:10:51] (40 seconds) #ExtravagantGratitude

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