14 December 2025 - Peter van Breda - Jesus Son of Man

We paused to thank God for this day. Today isn’t an accident or an interruption; it’s a gift placed in our hands. So we celebrate Him right here, in the present moment, not waiting for better circumstances or a different season. Gratitude turns our eyes from scarcity to grace, from what we fear to the One who is faithful.

We keep singing because praise is more than sound—it’s a way of seeing. When we name His goodness out loud, we refuse the quiet creep of cynicism. Song trains the soul to remember, especially when feelings are thin and answers are slow. We don’t pretend pain isn’t real; we bring it into the song. Lament and doxology can share the same breath, and that kind of praise is honest enough to carry us.

Celebration is not escape. It is an act of courage. We honor God by telling the truth about who He is in the middle of our ordinary day—at the sink, in traffic, at work, in the hospital room. Every breath becomes a small altar. Every thank you becomes a seed of trust that grows into endurance.

This is how faith stays awake: by returning again and again to praise. Our singing isn’t about performance but formation. We are being shaped into a people who notice grace, who bless instead of curse, who keep a tender heart in a harsh world. When we lift our voices together, we carry one another. When one can’t sing, another can. And the chorus keeps moving us forward.

So let’s not stop. Let this day be thick with gratitude. Let celebration interrupt complaint. Let praise have the last word in our homes, our conversations, our thoughts. And with simple, steady faith, let’s answer with a clear Amen.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Today is a gift to receive Receiving today as a gift reshapes how we show up in small moments. Gratitude anchors us in the present instead of in nostalgia or worry. When we say “thank you,” we practice trust rather than control. That posture opens room for joy to visit even ordinary tasks. [00:00]
• 2. Celebrate God beyond changing circumstances Celebration is not denial; it’s defiance of despair’s narrative. Naming God’s goodness in the middle of uncertainty trains our hearts to recognize His steady presence. We bring our pain into praise and refuse to let circumstances tell the whole story. This is how hope becomes more than a feeling. [00:00]
• 3. Singing forms our hearts and habits Songs don’t just express faith; they shape it. Repeated praise rewires our memory so that truth is closer at hand than fear. When voices join, burdens redistribute, and a community learns to carry one another. In that sound, resilience is born. [00:00]
• 4. Praise becomes witness in ordinary places Gratitude spoken aloud reclaims the common spaces of life. At home, at work, and on the street, blessing interrupts the cycle of complaint. Over time, that witness softens hard edges—first in us, then around us. The world hears a truer story through our everyday doxology. [00:00]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:10] - Call to Gratitude for Today
• [05:00] - Celebrate God’s Presence Now
• [08:15] - Why We Keep Singing
• [11:40] - Praise in Hard and Good Times
• [15:05] - Turning Anxiety into Adoration
• [18:30] - Let Worship Shape Our Week
• [22:00] - Blessing the Ordinary Moments
• [25:10] - Community Voices Lifted Together
• [28:45] - A Practice for the Long Road
• [32:00] - Final Call: Keep Praising
• [34:30] - Closing Prayer and Amen

1. In Psalm 118:24, what belongs to the Lord, and what response is invited?
2. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, list the three commands. Which one feels most surprising when life is hard?
3. In Hebrews 13:15, what is called a “sacrifice,” and what does “the fruit of lips” mean in plain terms?
4. Across these passages, what words point to frequency or consistency (like “always,” “continually,” “in all circumstances”)? What does that suggest?

1. If this day is the Lord’s (Psalm 118:24), how could receiving today as a gift change the way a person approaches ordinary tasks like dishes, emails, or traffic?
2. Giving thanks “in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) is not the same as pretending everything is fine. What might it look like to tell the truth about pain and still practice gratitude?
3. Why would praise be called a “sacrifice” (Hebrews 13:15)? When does praise actually cost something, and why might that kind of praise shape a heart more deeply?
4. What changes in a community when gratitude and praise are practiced out loud and together? How might that help carry someone who feels too tired to sing?

1. Today as a gift: Pick one ordinary moment in your day (the sink, the commute, the inbox). How will you say a simple “thank you” to God in that exact place this week? What reminder could you set so you don’t miss it?
2. Gratitude in hard things: Name one unresolved situation in your life. Write a one-sentence prayer that holds both honesty and hope (for example, “This is heavy, yet I will trust You”). Where will you pray that sentence each day?
3. Let celebration interrupt complaint: Where do complaints tend to spill out most—home, work, or online? What would a 24-hour “complaint fast” look like for you, replacing each complaint with one specific blessing?
4. Singing that forms the heart: What song, hymn, or psalm helps you remember God when feelings are thin? How could you build a simple habit with it (play it during dishes, sing it at bedtime, hum it on the walk)?
5. Carrying one another: Who in your circle might not be able to sing right now? What is one gentle way you could lend them your voice this week (voice text of a verse, praying a psalm over them, inviting them to sit with you in worship)?
6. Praise as witness in ordinary places: Choose one common space (kitchen table, car, desk) to become a “small altar.” What brief practice will you put there—a sticky note prayer, a verse card, a 60-second thank-you before you start?
7. Let praise have the last word: What is one end-of-day practice you can adopt so praise, not worry, is your last word—journaling three gratitudes, sharing a “God-sighting” with a roommate or spouse, or a short bedtime doxology?