Living Thanksgiving: Gratitude as Action, Worship, and Healing

Devotional

Day 1: Living Thanksgiving—Gratitude as Action

Gratitude is more than a feeling; it is a choice to turn around, pause, and actively express thanks to God and others, even when it would be easier to simply move on with our lives. The story of the ten lepers reminds us that while all may feel grateful, only one returned to Jesus to give thanks, and that act of returning made all the difference. Expressing gratitude requires us to swim against the tide of complaint and negativity that often surrounds us, choosing instead to let our thankfulness overflow in words and deeds. This week, consider how you can make a U-turn from silent gratitude to active thanksgiving, both to God and to those around you. [37:40]

Luke 17:11-19 (ESV)
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Reflection: Who is one person you can thank today—through a note, a call, or a conversation—for something specific they have done for you?

Day 2: Gratitude as Worship

True gratitude leads us into worship, engaging our whole selves—heart, soul, mind, and strength—in adoration of God. Worship is not limited to singing on Sunday mornings; it is a posture of recognizing God’s goodness and responding with praise in every circumstance, whether in joy or in sorrow. The healed man’s act of falling at Jesus’ feet is a model for us, showing that gratitude and worship are inseparable. Let your gratitude today become worship, not just in song, but in every action and attitude, as you acknowledge God as the giver of every good gift. [40:14]

Psalm 100 (The Message)
On your feet now—applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn’t make him.
We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.

Reflection: In what ordinary moment today can you pause and turn your heart toward God in worshipful gratitude, even if it’s just a whispered “thank you”?

Day 3: Gratitude as Testimony

Gratitude is a powerful testimony, especially when expressed in the midst of hardship or suffering. When we give thanks to God even in our darkest moments, our lives become a witness to His sustaining love and power. Like the healed Samaritan who returned to Jesus, or Paul and Silas singing in prison, our gratitude can inspire faith in others and point them to the hope we have in Christ. Consider how your own story of thanksgiving—especially in difficult times—can encourage those around you and bring glory to God. [45:31]

Acts 16:25-26 (ESV)
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

Reflection: What is one challenge or hardship you are facing where you can choose to give thanks and share that testimony with someone else this week?

Day 4: Gratitude as Healing

Practicing gratitude brings healing—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Jesus’ words to the healed leper, “Your faith has healed you,” point to a deeper restoration that comes when we align our hearts with God in thankfulness. Modern research confirms what Scripture teaches: gratitude can lower stress, lift hopelessness, and even rewire our brains for greater joy and resilience. Whether you are in need of physical healing, emotional renewal, or spiritual restoration, begin with the simple prayer, “Thank you, God,” and let gratitude open the door to God’s healing work in your life. [51:46]

Colossians 3:15 (ESV)
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you long for healing? How might intentionally practicing gratitude in that area help you experience God’s peace and restoration?

Day 5: Living Thanksgiving Every Day

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday or a fleeting feeling—it is a way of life that transforms us and those around us. When we cultivate a habit of gratitude, we become more aware of God’s presence, more resilient in trials, and more generous in love. Let this week be a launch pad for a daily practice of thanksgiving that extends far beyond the table, filling your heart and home with joy and hope. As you look for God’s blessings in the small and simple things, may your life overflow with authentic gratitude that draws others to Him. [53:55]

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: What is one small, everyday blessing you can notice and thank God for today, and how can you make this a daily habit moving forward?

Sermon Summary

Gratitude is not just a feeling, but a way of living that transforms our hearts, our relationships, and our witness to the world. As we approach Thanksgiving, we are invited to move beyond silent or internal gratitude and instead cultivate a life of “Living Thanksgiving”—a posture that is as natural and constant as breathing. Drawing from the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17, we see that while all ten experienced healing, only one returned to Jesus to express his thanks. This act of turning back, of pausing in the midst of joy and restoration to acknowledge the source of blessing, is at the heart of true gratitude.

The lepers’ story challenges us to consider whether unexpressed gratitude is truly gratitude at all. Jesus’ response to the one who returned shows us that gratitude must be expressed, not just felt. It is an action—something we do, not just something we feel. This outward expression of thanks, whether to God or to others, is a powerful antidote to the culture of complaint and division that so often surrounds us. Even simple acts, like writing a thank you note, can reorient our hearts and bring measurable joy.

Gratitude is also worship. The healed man’s posture—falling at Jesus’ feet in praise—reminds us that worship is more than singing; it is a whole-life response to God’s goodness. Every act of thanksgiving, every moment of recognizing God’s gifts, becomes an act of worship that shapes our souls and our communities.

Furthermore, gratitude becomes our testimony. When we give thanks in the midst of suffering or uncertainty, we bear witness to the power and presence of God. The stories of Paul and Silas singing in prison, or Jesus giving thanks before the cross, show us that thanksgiving in dark times is a miracle in itself—a testimony that can change lives.

Finally, gratitude is healing. Scientific studies now confirm what Jesus demonstrated: practicing gratitude brings emotional, physical, and spiritual restoration. When we express thanks, we participate in the abundant life Jesus offers—a life marked by wholeness, peace, and deep joy.

May this Thanksgiving be more than a holiday. May it be a launch pad for a life of gratitude that overflows in action, worship, testimony, and healing, transforming us and those around us.

Key Takeaways

1. Gratitude Requires Action, Not Just Feeling True gratitude is not silent or internal; it must be expressed. The leper who returned to Jesus models the importance of turning our feelings into words and actions. Expressing thanks, whether to God or others, is a spiritual discipline that shapes our hearts and blesses those around us. [36:17]
2. Gratitude as Worship Transforms Our Lives Worship is more than music or Sunday gatherings; it is a posture of the heart that acknowledges God’s goodness in every circumstance. When we live with gratitude, every moment becomes an act of worship, drawing us closer to God and aligning our lives with His purposes. [40:14]
3. Gratitude as Testimony in Difficult Times Giving thanks in the midst of suffering is a powerful testimony to God’s sustaining presence. When we choose gratitude even in pain, we bear witness to a hope that transcends circumstances, encouraging others and glorifying God in the process. [45:31]
4. Gratitude Brings Deep and Lasting Healing Practicing gratitude leads to emotional, physical, and spiritual healing. Jesus’ words to the healed leper—“Your faith has healed you”—point to a restoration that goes beyond the physical. Gratitude rewires our hearts and minds, opening us to the fullness of life God intends. [49:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:53] - Blessing Over the Children
[18:17] - Rejoice Always, Pray Continually
[21:45] - Introduction to Thanksgiving
[22:45] - Thanksgiving Around the World
[24:31] - Gratitude: A Personal Confession
[25:25] - Living Thanksgiving: A Way of Life
[26:12] - The Ten Lepers: Luke 17
[28:56] - The Despair of Leprosy
[31:55] - Outrageous Hope and Obedience
[33:49] - The Anatomy of Gratitude
[36:17] - Gratitude as Action
[40:14] - Gratitude as Worship
[44:47] - Gratitude as Testimony
[49:27] - Gratitude as Healing
[53:35] - Practicing Authentic Thanksgiving
[55:50] - Prayer of Thanksgiving
[56:28] - Blessing and Sending Forth
[60:29] - Challenge: Put Gratitude Into Action
[65:15] - Final Blessing and Farewell

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Living Thanksgiving

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### Bible Reading

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.”

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### Observation Questions

What did Jesus tell the ten lepers to do after they called out to him for mercy?
What was different about the response of the one leper who returned compared to the other nine?
According to the story, what did the healed man do when he came back to Jesus?
What does Jesus say to the man who returned, and how is it different from what happened to the other nine? [49:05]

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### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think only one of the ten lepers returned to thank Jesus, even though all were healed? What might have been going on in the hearts of the other nine? [34:52]
The sermon says, “Is unexpressed gratitude actually gratitude?” Do you agree? Why or why not? [36:17]
How does the healed man’s act of falling at Jesus’ feet show that gratitude is more than just saying “thank you”? What does this teach us about worship? [40:14]
The sermon mentions that gratitude can be a testimony, especially in hard times. How does giving thanks in suffering show others something about God? [45:31]

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### Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to put gratitude into action, not just feel it. What is one specific way you can express thanks to someone this week—maybe with a note, a call, or a conversation? [39:29]
Think about a time when you received something good but forgot to thank the person or God. What kept you from expressing your gratitude? How can you make a habit of turning back, like the healed leper, to say thank you? [35:17]
The sermon says that gratitude is a form of worship, not just something we do on Sundays. What are some everyday moments where you can turn your attention to God in thanks, even if it’s just for small things? [42:09]
Our culture often focuses on complaining and negativity. What is one area of your life where you tend to grumble? How could you intentionally replace that with gratitude this week? [38:29]
The story of the leper shows that gratitude can be a testimony to others, especially in hard times. Is there a difficult situation you’re facing right now where you could choose to give thanks? How might that impact people around you? [45:31]
The sermon shared that practicing gratitude can bring emotional and even physical healing. Have you ever experienced a change in your mood or outlook after expressing thanks? Would you consider starting a gratitude journal or another practice to help you notice God’s gifts? [50:19]
The pastor gave a challenge to write a thank you card this week. Who is one person you could thank, and what would you say to them? [01:00:29]

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Sermon Clips

Imagine the loneliness, the ostracism, the despair that these ten men calling out to Jesus must have experienced for years. That's quite a setup for our message on gratitude, right? Sorry about that. They call out to Jesus in their despair, perhaps in their outrageous, unlikely hope, because they are calling him by name, which means they had heard about him. Maybe they had heard about the time when he visited Simon the leper in his home and ate with him, unthinkable. [00:31:12] (43 seconds) #ThankfulWorship

I wonder if I would have had the initial faith that it required to take off away from Jesus, away from the healer, before I'd been healed. Wouldn't I have wanted some reassurance that something good was going to happen to me before I started off on that strenuous journey? See, for all their later faults, those ten men exhibited great faith to leave the presence of Jesus in obedience to his instructions, even before they were healed. [00:33:51] (38 seconds) #GratitudeAsTestimony

All ten of the men were feeling overwhelming gratitude, but only one took action on that feeling. And in Jesus' eyes, that makes all the difference. So that begs the question, Is unexpressed gratitude actually gratitude? The author Gertrude Stein wrote that silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. And Jesus also seems to be saying that all the feelings in the world don't really matter unless they transfer into action. [00:36:07] (37 seconds) #ThanksgivingTransforms

Gratitude is an action. Verse 15. The leper comes back. Praise God, he shouted. He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This posture brings us to our second characteristic function of gratitude, and that is gratitude as worship. The healed man bows down to Jesus. He throws himself at his feet in worship, saying, praise God. In this posture, he recognizes his position in relationship to Jesus, and he affirms that Jesus is God. [00:39:47] (43 seconds) #ThankYouGod

But worship is much more than only music. It's how we work with heart, mind, soul, and strength, gratefully focused on God's blessings, His goodness. It's how we live in our families and with our neighbors, expressing our gratitude through every interaction, every high and low, every joy and every grief, every disappointment. Gratitude as worship permeates everything we do. [00:42:21] (34 seconds) #GratitudeBeyondThanksgiving

I think this reveals the possibility of gratitude as testimony. The opportunity to testify about what we've experienced. And this includes supernatural gratitude even in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances. Places where the very existence of gratitude is a miracle straight from God. I've seen this kind of miraculous gratitude in many of you as you've gone through really hard times. As you've testified to the goodness of God even in the midst of pain and suffering. [00:45:10] (44 seconds)

How we live our lives with gratitude, even in the midst of dark, difficult times, is a testimony of the love and power of God to those around us. Finally, Jesus' last words to the healed man are these, Your faith has healed you. This is so interesting. Because the man was already healed, right? On the road with the other nine, they were completely healed. His leprosy is gone. Maybe his body is even renewed and regrown. But now Jesus says, Your faith has healed you. [00:48:41] (47 seconds)

That's how powerful actually practicing Thanksgiving is. Gratitude as healing. Jesus may have been talking about the former leper's physical healing. He may have been talking about the emotional healing from the trauma of having been outcast and ostracized for so many years. But it seems certain to me that when Jesus says, your faith has healed you, he's talking about ultimate healing. He's talking about total restoration of a life aligned with the Creator. [00:51:40] (40 seconds)

He's talking about sins forgiven. He's talking about the abundant life, eternal life, here and now and forever. When we express our gratitude to God, we enter into that complete healing, the kind of healing we long for, the kind only Jesus offers. Meister Eckhart, the 13th century German theologian, said, if the only prayer you ever offer is thank you, that will be enough. Thank you is our central response to God, the God who has given us everything. [00:52:20] (43 seconds)

Thank you is the obedient response that Jesus waits for. Thank you is action, not just an attitude of gratitude. Thank you as worship. Thank you as testimony. And thank you as healing. If you find yourself in need of healing today, I encourage you to pray that simplest of all prayers. Thank you, God. If you find yourself in a place of darkness, of suffering, of pain today, then I wonder if we can say that all together. Thank you, God. [00:53:02] (42 seconds)

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