Being Grateful - HRM Drolor Bosso Adamtey

Aug 25, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Foreigner’s Unexpected Thanksgiving

When ten lepers cried for mercy, only the Samaritan—a double outsider—returned to thank Jesus. Gratitude thrives where entitlement dies. This foreigner’s loud praise disrupted cultural hierarchies, proving thankfulness transcends status or tradition. True healing begins not with physical restoration but with a heart that recognizes grace. Those society labels “unworthy” often model worship that reshapes eternity. [14:29]

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:15-16, NKJV)

Reflection: Where has God’s grace surprised you through someone you initially dismissed? How might thanking them today deepen your worship?

Day 2: Seeing the Priest When No One Sees You

The lepers obeyed Jesus’ illogical command to show themselves to priests who’d rejected them. Gratitude flourishes when we trust God’s unseen process over human validation. Their healing came not during the asking but in the act of faithful movement. To thank God for future breakthroughs now is to walk already whole. [27:15]

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV)

Reflection: What unanswered prayer still requires your trust? How can you thank God today for what He’s orchestrating behind the scenes?

Day 3: Legacy Beyond Entitlement

Sixty years of ministry revealed this truth: legacy dies when we claim rights rather than receive gifts. The nine Jewish lepers forgot their healing was mercy, not merit. Entitlement blinds us to the 70% of purpose still ahead. Gratitude fuels legacy by keeping our hands open to both give and receive. [08:31]

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6, NKJV)

Reflection: Where has a sense of “deserving” quietly poisoned your relationships? What forgotten blessing can you name aloud as pure gift today?

Day 4: The Fivefold Path of Gratitude

The Samaritan’s thankfulness moved through five verbs: saw, returned, glorified, worshiped, thanked. Gratitude is not a feeling but a chain reaction—noticing God’s hand, turning from distraction, shouting His worth, bowing in awe, and giving language to grace. Each action dismantles pride’s barriers. [34:59]

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:15-17, NKJV)

Reflection: Which of the five gratitude verbs feels most unnatural to you? Practice it deliberately with someone you’ve taken for granted.

Day 5: Bridges Built by Small Thanks

Gratitude rebuilds what entitlement burns. A simple “thank you” to parents, pastors, or neighbors becomes mortar for unexpected connections. Like the Samaritan’s return to Jesus, small thanks create relational bridges no achievement can construct. Honor given freely becomes honor received. [36:48]

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV)

Reflection: Who needs to hear “I see how you’ve loved me” from you this week? What old resentment might dissolve if replaced with specific thanks?

Sermon Summary

Gratitude stands at the center of life because a person who forgets why he lives and whose grace keeps him alive has already stepped into ungratefulness. Sixty years of ministry becomes a living witness that nothing should be taken for granted, not health, not strength, not family, not church, not another morning to finish the assignment God has given. Entitlement says, “I deserve this,” but gratitude says, “God has been good, and people have been kind.”

Luke 17 brings that truth into focus through the ten lepers who met Jesus from far off. The lepers had no place among the healthy, no welcome in the synagogue, and no honor in society. Leprosy marked them as cursed, pushed out, and untouchable. Yet Jesus went through the place where the rejected lived, because God will go through any circumstance and any group to redeem people.

The cry of the lepers was simple and powerful: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus saw them when others avoided them. Jesus sent them to show themselves to the priests, the very people who had no room for them. As they went, they were cleansed. Obedience moved before the evidence was complete, and healing met them on the road.

The one Samaritan returned when he saw that he was healed. The nine went on, but the foreigner came back with a loud voice, glorified God, fell on his face, worshiped, and gave thanks. Gratitude saw, returned, acknowledged, honored, and thanked. Jesus noticed the one who came back, asking, “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”

Gratitude is not culture, race, status, or personality. Gratitude is the heart seeing clearly. A grateful person does not take parents for granted, does not dump old relationships because of one wrong, and does not burn bridges built through years of kindness. Gratitude pays back with honor, mercy, positive affirmation, and action.

The grateful life opens unexpected relationships and opportunities. Attitude can keep a qualified person from promotion, while humility and thankfulness can carry a person a long way. The greatness of a king is not arrogance, but humility and humanity. Gratitude says thanks for small things, for thin places, for one bread and water, because God still supplies every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Gratitude refuses the entitlement spirit. Entitlement makes every blessing feel like a debt that somebody owed. Gratitude remembers that life, breath, family, and opportunity are not small things, and they are not automatic things. A thankful heart can honor people without reducing God, because the favor of God often comes through human hands. [11:15]
2. Jesus sees the pushed-out people. The lepers stood far off because society had already placed them outside the circle of acceptance. Jesus saw them there, answered them there, and sent them toward restoration from there. God’s mercy does not wait for rejected people to become respectable before His eyes turn toward them. [27:15]
3. True gratitude always returns. The Samaritan did not only enjoy the healing and move on with life. Gratitude made him turn around, glorify God with a loud voice, fall down, worship, and give thanks. The grateful heart does not merely receive from God, it comes back to honor the One who gave the mercy. [34:37]
4. Honor protects old relationships. Gratitude remembers years of kindness and refuses to throw people away because of one failure. A grateful person does not burn bridges, because life is not a straight course and humility may need the very people pride once dismissed. Mercy toward others becomes a mark of someone who truly remembers mercy received. [40:01]
5. Small things reveal great humility. Gratitude grows deeper when a person learns to be touched by small things. Status, titles, and greatness do not have to make the heart hard or proud. The greatness of a person is seen in humility, humanity, and the ability to value people without acting better than them. [41:26]
## [41:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:12] - Giving God Glory
[02:32] - Sixty Years of Ministry
[06:12] - The Call to Be Grateful
[10:51] - Refusing Entitlement
[14:09] - Ten Lepers Cry for Mercy
[18:15] - Jews, Samaritans, and Lepers
[20:53] - Jesus Demystifies Worship
[27:15] - Go Show Yourselves
[30:36] - The One Who Returned
[34:37] - Five Marks of Gratitude
[36:31] - Gratitude Opens Relationships
[40:01] - Do Not Burn Bridges
[42:04] - Grateful in Thin Places

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 17:11-19
“Now it happened as He 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 off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’” [14:19]

Philippians 4:19
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” [42:32]

John 4:23-24
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” [20:53]

Genesis 50:20
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” [14:05]

Observation questions

In Luke 17, what do the ten lepers call Jesus, and what do they ask Him to do for them?
What happened as the lepers went to show themselves to the priests, and what did only one of them do after he saw he was healed? [34:37]
In the account of the ten lepers, what detail is given about the one who returned, and what question did Jesus ask about the others? [30:36]
What are some of the concrete ways gratitude was described: toward parents, old relationships, and even small daily provisions? [40:01]

Interpretation questions

The lepers obeyed before they saw the full result. What does that suggest about the relationship between obedience and trust when God’s answer is not visible yet? [27:15]
Jesus noticed the one who came back. What does that reveal about how seriously heaven takes thanksgiving and honor? [36:05]
The one who returned was a Samaritan, a foreigner. What does that add to the meaning of this story, especially in light of the truth that gratitude is not about status, culture, or background? [33:40]
“God shall supply all your need” was connected not only to abundance but also to thin places. How does that shape the meaning of gratitude when life feels small, tight, or uncertain? [42:04]

Application questions

Where has entitlement quietly crept into life recently? Has the heart been saying, “I deserve this,” in a relationship, at work, in church, or even before God? What would gratitude look like there instead? [11:15]
Jesus sees people who feel pushed out, overlooked, or marked by shame. Where has that been true personally, and how might remembering that Jesus sees clearly change the response this week? [28:02]
Gratitude returns. Who has shown mercy, patience, help, or faithfulness over the years, but has not been properly thanked? What would it look like to go back and honor that person in a real and specific way? [35:05]
Gratitude does not throw people away over one wrong. Is there an old relationship that has been cut off too quickly? What would mercy, humility, and honest gratitude look like in that situation? [40:07]
Gratitude toward parents was treated as a serious matter. If there is hurt, disappointment, or resentment toward a parent, how has that been shaping the heart? What would it mean to begin moving toward honor without pretending the pain was not real? [29:16]
Small things reveal the heart. What small provisions have been easy to overlook lately—health, daily bread, a friend, a place to worship, one more day, one open door? Which one needs to be named and thanked for out loud? [41:11]
Attitude can close doors that gifting alone cannot open. In what setting might humility, thankfulness, and a better spirit need to grow right now—at home, on the job, in leadership, or among friends? [38:11]

Sermon Clips

40s

#PurposeNotEntitlement

“So if I live alive and I forget why I live and whose purpose and grace extends to me for which I live, then I am ungrateful person. I don't take anything for granted. I don't take anything for granted, and I hope you don't take anything for granted. you don't have to live a life of entitlement thinking that you deserve everything. I deserve this. And if you have that lifestyle, it will affect you. That is the reason why the bible tells us that in the ending of time, men shall be ungrateful.”

54s

#KindOnTheWayUp

“Be grateful. They've been there for you when nobody was there for you. They took care of you. They were they stood with you. They cried with you. They prayed with you. They toiled with you. And today because of one mistake, you cut them off. I've learned in life that be kind to people you meet on your way to the top because chances are on your way down, you might see them and you may need them. Be kind to people because life is not a straight course. Anything can happen. You can have a strong body today, and tomorrow you can be weak. No matter how much faith you have, anything can happen.”

44s

#GratitudeBuildsConnections

“Let me remind you of this point. Being grateful will lead you to unexpected and unbelievable relationships. When you learn to be grateful, people come into your life that you don't even know how they came, and they didn't come because you prayed. They came because of your gratitude. you are grateful, people don't forget you. When you show gratitude, people don't forget you. It'll be nice for you, those of you young people here, and I see so many young people here who are attached by this ministry to go to your leaders and say, I'm grateful that you have been used of God to keep me out of trouble.”

53s

#GratitudeKeepsBridges

“Be grateful. Be grateful. Be grateful. Because, you know, when you show gratitude, people see how respectful you are. People know that you're an honorable person. And don't forget to do good to people. Don't forget to show mercy to people. Don't forget to be a blessing in people's lives. Don't forget. And when you're a grateful person, you always want to pay back with kindness. You want to pay back with positive affirmations. You want to pay back in action. And if you're a person who is grateful, you don't burn bridges. The fact that somebody has done you good for so many years and one day they've gone wrong, don't use the one wrong to cast them out. Be grateful.”

37s

#ThankYouForTheDetour

“Some of you have to be grateful to the people who fired you on your last job because some of you have overstayed your welcome, and God is trying to take you from one state to another. So instead of being bitter and angry, be grateful. Isn't it what it what Joseph said to his brethren? You thought you were doing this for evil. I'm grateful. God meant for good. Be grateful. And that's what life require of us to do. Be grateful.”

53s

#HumbleGratitude

“You have to be grateful. Lord, I'm grateful for the small things you do in my life. I'm grateful for the lie the friends you you sent my way. I'm grateful for the church you have blessed me with. I am grateful. I'm grateful. I'm grateful. I'm grateful. I'm grateful. I'm grateful. From time to time, people will say to me, but you're the king. I say, yes. I'm the king. But the greatness of the king is not his arrogance. The greatness of the king is his humility and humanity. When people know that you are human, and they know you are humble, and they know you are they know you are real, and they know that things don't get into your head, and that you value people, and you're not better than anybody else, and everybody's important, your life will go according to God's plan. Be grateful.”

73s

#GodSeesYouAlways

“He saw them, and he said to them, go and show yourself to the priests, The very priest who will not even allow you in the synagogue. But not just one, they are priests. Go to them. All you have to do is just get out there and just show yourself. Don't ask them to touch you because they will not. By tradition, they won't touch you. They're not even gonna allow you in the synagogue. Just go out there and show yourself. Let them see you Because what happened? When they saw Jesus, they raised their voice and they cried out to him. When Jesus saw them, he responded. So they have to go and see the priest. So the priest will also, what, see them. God sees you when nobody sees you. And because he's seeing you, he will make sure that you are redeemed. And when you know that God have seen you in the things you've been through, then you have to be grateful and say, am not left alone. I've got the greater one who's watching over me.”

54s

#CountTheSmallBlessings

“Do you know the things God saves us from? Many times we specialize and we think of the negatives in our lives, but let's focus for once on the most important things. The small things God has been doing in our lives is greater and so gratitude. They show themselves to the priests, and they got well. But nine of them went back. And the nine who went back, they were all Jews. They took it for granted, and that's what many times we do. You may have people that you, I mean, you serve or you assist. They may take you for granted. And they have a sense of entitlement. You're supposed to do this for me. You're supposed to do that. Yes. Yeah. You're supposed to do this. Listen, you got to be grateful. Show gratitude.”

36s

#HonorAgingParents

“I'm grateful to you, mom. I'm grateful to you, dad. I'm grateful when your mind was normal, when you were you you didn't have dementia. You were the best of the mothers, the best of the fathers. But the fact that things have come and happened and changes have taken place, I will not disown you. I am grateful to you. I'm grateful to you. I'm grateful the for the fact that you really put pressure on me for me to become the man that I am today or the woman I am today. I'm grateful to you.”

50s

#StopEntitlementStartGratitude

“In fact, it is very true that you have children who can be very ungrateful. They don't show any gratitude. It's my mommy's right. It's my daddy's right to do this for me. You've got to do this for me. And there are husbands who feel the same way, and there are wives also who feel the same way. And there are individuals in society who takes things for granted. There's a sense of entitlement. You better do this for me. That's your right. Who do you think you are? It's the blessings and favor. Don't take things for granted. And if you take things for granted, you realize the people that you're supposed to honor, respect, and appreciate, you consider them as nothing. You have to be grateful.”

35s

#GratefulToBeAlive

“Grateful for the fact that you are alive because gratitude is necessity. It takes you places. You have to be grateful. Grateful to be alive, grateful to be breathing, grateful to for the fact that you have a great church like this with amazing pastor and pastoral staff, great vision, with interest, and making sure that everyone feels comfortable when they come to the house of God. You have to be grateful. Be very, very grateful.”

29s

#BreakTheStigma

“But it was believed in those days that if you have leprosy, it means you are cursed. So if you are cursed, then you have to be ostracized. You don't have to be amongst people. And there are so many people who may consider you cursed. You may not have physical leprosy, but they'll have a mark on you that will make them believe that you don't deserve to be in their company.”

55s

#BlessedByCommunity

“I'm grateful to be alive, grateful to be here in Faith Church because I have been blessed with a family that I couldn't buy in any store. To be associated with pastor Frank, this church, I consider myself fortunate, and I don't take it for granted. When you live a life of gratitude, you don't take anyone for granted. You don't take anyone for granted. Your approach to them is cordial. You become sensitive at times or even you don't mean it. And it's not sensitivity for negativity. You are sensitive of appreciation. When a person is appreciative, words like I thank you is common. I bless you is common. Be grateful in life.”

46s

#ForgiveAndBeGrateful

“Show gratitude. Show gratitude to your parents. Let me just emphasize. I don't know why I'm emphasizing that. Show gratitude to your parents. Some of you are so bitter with your parents. You are so angry with your parents. You felt they should have done some things they didn't do for you. So as a result of it, you're taking anger on them, and your life is not going well. The reason your life is not going well is that God will not forgive you if you're acting as a hypocrite. How do you want him to forgive you when you hold anger and bitterness against somebody else? Don't you know that if you not forgive, your heavenly father will not forgive you. You are angry with your parents.”

38s

#ThankYourNeighbors

“So if you have to start telling your sisters and your brothers, I'm grateful to you, brother. Grateful to you, sister. Grateful to you, neighbor. Grateful to you, friend. I'm grateful to you. I remember when my pipe busted. You, as my next door neighbor, you made sure I could get some water to take my bath, water to cook my meals. I'm grateful to you. I won't let the little squamps of our children interrupt my gratitude towards you. You've learned so much for me. I can't thank you for all, but at least I'm back to tell you thank you.”

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