SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, I'm gonna go ahead and start.
SPEAKER_00: I know Pastor goes a little.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go ahead and get going, get you out quicker.
SPEAKER_00: If you're eating, keep eating it.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't care if you get up and get a drink while we do it.
SPEAKER_00: We're just gonna uh have a good time together.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for being here.
SPEAKER_00: Um I uh I do want to uh start with prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Well, thank God for the food, but I do uh today's title is thankfulness, and um I will just say this before I pray that if I'm not careful, I can be going so fast in my own mind, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: I can be so wrapped up in my life and the things that I'm doing that I can quickly fast get into a pity party or a um not such a good place to be in, if you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_00: And so about a month and a half ago, I was listening to something, and a guy was talking about thankfulness, and then he shared with me how thankfulness can heal all the things that I just told you about that is happening in my own life.
SPEAKER_00: And um I got to practice it today.
SPEAKER_00: So this morning I knew what I was gonna be talking about, and um I'm taking my kid to school, and you know, in my mind, I'm thinking this is my time to go through what I was gonna do in here, you know, just to practice.
SPEAKER_00: And so usually he sits there.
SPEAKER_00: This one day he wants to talk the whole way to school.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm getting a little, I don't want to say irritated because that's not the right word, but in my mind, I'm trying to form what I was gonna do here, and then he's just talking to me, and it's like, and I he gets out of the car, he walks in the door, you know, he's growing up, his birthday's Saturday, you know, it's just, and it was just, it took me to what I was like, I'm working on thankfulness, and I need to be thankful for him that he can get out of the car and walk into the deal with his own backpack.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: It changed.
SPEAKER_00: And then the smile came on my face and it's like, Lord, forgive me.
SPEAKER_00: I should have stopped and had conversation, even though I did.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: Then I get here to the church.
SPEAKER_00: Again, I need him to come in, work on the PowerPoint, get everything ready.
SPEAKER_00: And this guy calls me three times.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking, does he realize I'm not I'm I'm I'm so I finally call back, he's asking all these questions, and I'm frustrated again.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, really?
SPEAKER_00: And then the Lord said, as I'm preparing, aren't you thankful that what you're teaching has nothing to do with you and it has everything to do with me?
SPEAKER_00: You talk about humbling.
SPEAKER_00: You see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: And so that's my morning.
SPEAKER_00: And so I just tell you this this is what I've been working on this morning.
SPEAKER_00: I think it's something God's called us all to work on.
SPEAKER_00: So that's what we're gonna get after today.
SPEAKER_00: Let me pray and we're gonna dive into it.
SPEAKER_00: Dear God, thank you so much for your love.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for all that you do.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for these guys.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for just fellowship.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for the food.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the ladies that made the food.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, I'm just grateful that we have a time here to be challenged with your word.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, just help us as we hear your word, realize your word is what changes lives.
SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name I pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: So as we start, I do want, uh we're gonna look in uh Philippians.
SPEAKER_00: And Philippians, we we know that Paul wrote it with many times.
SPEAKER_00: It's called the book of joy, okay?
SPEAKER_00: And he's speaking in that.
SPEAKER_00: So look at this in Philippians 1, 1 through 3.
SPEAKER_00: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and the deacons.
SPEAKER_00: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And then he says, I give thanks to my God every time I remember you.
SPEAKER_00: Think about that.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, can you imagine the encouragement as this letter gets there?
SPEAKER_00: They're reading that.
SPEAKER_00: Not just he, even not that in verse 2 where he says, Grace and peace to you from God our Father, which that would be good too, but to say, when I remember you, I'm thankful that we have a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for who you are and are what we do together.
SPEAKER_00: And just how powerful that is.
SPEAKER_00: And then if we continue, look in Philippians 4, skipping over to 11, it says, I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself in.
SPEAKER_00: And really, honestly, if we look at contentment, that's being thankful, being just grateful for where you're at.
SPEAKER_00: And then it says, and then how powerful is this?
SPEAKER_00: I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot.
SPEAKER_00: In all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content, whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need, I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength.
SPEAKER_00: Now I want to stop for just a second.
SPEAKER_00: I think this verse is a lot of times misquoted.
SPEAKER_00: When an athlete says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, I can get up and hit a home run.
SPEAKER_00: Christ is gonna get.
SPEAKER_00: If we put it in context, what he's saying, Christ is gonna give me strength when I'm what?
SPEAKER_00: When I'm come when I am content with who he made me to be and what the plan he has for me.
SPEAKER_00: Then he's given strength to be used by him.
SPEAKER_00: And so many times, what do we do in life?
SPEAKER_00: We say, you know what, I don't necessarily like where I'm at, you know, that feel-good deal, and I'm gonna look in the mirror and say, I'm gonna do better today.
SPEAKER_00: And then what if we're not careful?
SPEAKER_00: It's all about what?
SPEAKER_00: I want to get better.
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we need to just be, Lord, I'm content with who you made me, and I'm gonna do the best that you made me be.
SPEAKER_00: God doesn't want us to be more than he made us to be.
SPEAKER_00: You understand what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: Because think about the 12 disciples he went to find.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord doesn't need us to be good, to be used by him.
SPEAKER_00: He needs us to be willing to let him make us good.
SPEAKER_00: See the difference?
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so as we look in here, I think there's spiritual benefits of thankfulness.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, the first one here.
SPEAKER_00: First one, I think we can't move on without being thankful of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, we see here in 2 Corinthians 5, he made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
SPEAKER_00: The first thing about thankfulness, I think, is more important than anything, is realizing that I do not deserve what the Lord's given me.
SPEAKER_00: Salvation comes when I realize I am not worthy to be his, and I pray and ask God to forgive me of my sins, and he saves me because of what he did for me.
SPEAKER_00: And that's the first step of being thankful.
SPEAKER_00: If we leave that peace out, thankfulness is just a little bit of just an attitude.
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
SPEAKER_00: So then the next one.
SPEAKER_00: Thankfulness is God's will.
SPEAKER_00: We see in 1 Thessalonians 5.18, give thanks and everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Now think about this.
SPEAKER_00: With all the things that Christ has done for us, why do you think it would be his will for us to be thankful?
SPEAKER_00: Think about that just for a second.
SPEAKER_00: If say it again, who said something?
SPEAKER_00: Because if he's done all this for us and we stop and remember the things that he did for us, we should not be able to help to not be thankful.
SPEAKER_00: You see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: And so it's his will, because when it's his will, we're in his will and we're realizing all the things he's done for us, and it makes us thankful.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I'm thinking of all the things that the Lord's laid out in my life, which honestly it takes me back to what I'm talking about, many times we don't do that because we get going so fast and we're living right now today.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, and we'll get we'll swing it.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, another part of being thankful, it's a form of worship.
SPEAKER_00: Can you imagine if I showed up to church thanking the Lord who he is and what he's done in my life?
SPEAKER_00: Do you think it would change my Sunday morning time in worship?
SPEAKER_00: Think about this.
SPEAKER_00: If I'm thankful for what the Lord's done in my life, do you think it would change my time in the morning when I open up his word?
SPEAKER_00: Instead of open his word to check a box, I'm opening his word because I'm thankful for what he's done in my life.
SPEAKER_00: And so we see this.
SPEAKER_00: What a great song.
SPEAKER_00: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and bless his name.
SPEAKER_00: You know, if I'm not careful, a lot of times when I'm praying, my prayer turns about me.
SPEAKER_00: The things that I want.
SPEAKER_00: And when I stop for a second and just take time to say thank you on one thing, it changes my whole outlook of my prayer, even.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so then it takes us to it brings disciplines to our thoughts.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, in Philippians 4, it says this finally, brothers and sisters, whatever's true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable.
SPEAKER_00: If there is any moral excellence, if there is anything praiseworthy, dwell on these things.
SPEAKER_00: When I'm thankful, it changes what I'm dwelling on.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: When I am thankful, it changes my attitude.
SPEAKER_00: Today, I gave you two examples.
SPEAKER_00: When I thought about, okay, Lord, I'm gonna be thankful, it changed my appearance.
SPEAKER_00: My son goes into the school and all of a sudden I'm driving away, and I'm not smiling because I dropped him off.
SPEAKER_00: I'm smiling because the Lord has given me at the age of 51 a seven-year-old.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: But thank you, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, then it humbles us, it humbles us.
SPEAKER_00: And I will say this is a word that we could probably need to do more of.
SPEAKER_00: Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time.
SPEAKER_00: When I'm putting my eyes on the Lord and thankful for who he is, it can't help but to humble me.
SPEAKER_00: We see this, and I think in our day and age, this is a big one anxiety.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they said depression right now is is out of the roof of in people's lives.
SPEAKER_00: And I still think it takes us back to a lot of our anxiety comes when we're trying to do it by ourselves, for ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: And so look, in Philippians it says, Don't worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.
SPEAKER_00: And then it's a great picture of this.
SPEAKER_00: When I get to the point of presenting my request, being thankful, does you think it changes my the way I request things?
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00: And then when I get to that point of living this out, when I give the request to God, I can sit back and say, What?
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I am so thankful I'm not in charge.
SPEAKER_00: You know, you there's relief in knowing that I'm not in charge.
SPEAKER_00: No, no, no, I want to, I want it in our day and age.
SPEAKER_00: That doesn't mean I don't work hard, I don't try, I'm not trying, but it gives me relief now that I can do what?
SPEAKER_00: Just do the best I can, and I don't have to worry about the rest.
SPEAKER_00: When I was uh when I was in when I was in college, I played baseball and we were just a division two team, and we got we were running out of pitchers, and I pitched a little in high school, and so the coach one time said, Hey, we need, can you pitch some?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, we're running out of arms, you know, and so it's like, can you pitch some?
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, yeah, I'll pitch.
SPEAKER_00: So we so one game I'm pitching.
SPEAKER_00: The catcher gives a sign, and I'm like, nah, I don't like that.
SPEAKER_00: I got a better pitch, you know.
SPEAKER_00: And so he calls the other pitch, I throw the pitch, and it was hit harder that way than it was that I threw at him.
SPEAKER_00: The guy hits it so far, it goes over the fence, and I'm like, golly, and I'm so disappointed.
SPEAKER_00: I'll never forget this.
SPEAKER_00: The coach goes, time out.
SPEAKER_00: He comes walking out to me, and um, I instantly want to defend myself.
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know I'm not a pitcher.
SPEAKER_00: You know I'm defending myself.
SPEAKER_00: You know, you we'll make excuses, right?
SPEAKER_00: And the coach goes, I'll never forget this.
SPEAKER_00: He says, I know you're not a pitcher.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't have to say that to him.
SPEAKER_00: He said that to me.
SPEAKER_00: He said, All I need you to do is throw the pitch we tell you to throw.
SPEAKER_00: And if they hit it over the fence, it's my fault, not your fault.
SPEAKER_00: Now, the picture of that is what I'm saying is, all I did from then on, I have to worry about what pitch to throw.
SPEAKER_00: He gave me a pitch, and what did I do?
SPEAKER_00: Just did my best at throwing that pitch.
SPEAKER_00: Do you see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: The Lord's taking all the pressure off of us.
SPEAKER_00: If I fail today, doing what he's asked me to do, then guess what?
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna get me through it, and tomorrow's gonna be better.
SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of times through my failures, I'm better.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord walks me through some failures.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: He's getting me ready for what?
SPEAKER_00: Something bigger.
SPEAKER_00: Do you see?
SPEAKER_00: And that's the part of being thankful.
SPEAKER_00: When I learn to be thankful, it takes the pressure off of me and puts the, I don't want to say pressure on him, but there's because he has no pressure, but you understand what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: It puts it on him, and now what can I do?
SPEAKER_00: I can just live the life he called me to live.
SPEAKER_00: And I'll say this, we talked about this on Sunday.
SPEAKER_00: There's a verse in Psalms that talks about how how sleep, when when how sleep is so relaxing.
SPEAKER_00: And when does anxiety hit most of the time?
SPEAKER_00: When you're trying to sleep.
SPEAKER_00: And here's the crazy thing is when you got it, you can't sleep.
SPEAKER_00: And isn't good sleep good?
SPEAKER_00: There's something about when I can lay down in my bed and sleep, what?
SPEAKER_00: I get a better day, I'm relaxed the next day.
SPEAKER_00: You see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: And so when I can give it to God, it's just gonna change a lot of things.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, and then it prior, uh I think most importantly, it prioritizes our hearts.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.
SPEAKER_00: And what this is the story of Joshua.
SPEAKER_00: He's with the Israelites, they come up on the Red Sea, and they're thinking, How am I gonna get across the Red Sea?
SPEAKER_00: Actually, I'm not the Red Sea, the Jordan.
SPEAKER_00: The Jordan.
SPEAKER_00: They had already been across the Red Sea, so they should already know God can tag them apart.
SPEAKER_00: But they're coming up to the Jordan, and they're at the Jordan, and Joshua tells them, he gets 12 different tribes, and he says, Pick up a rock that's in the middle, take it to the other side.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, remember, remember the story?
SPEAKER_00: So they're coming across, they get the rock, they come across.
SPEAKER_00: Why did he tell them to get a rock?
SPEAKER_00: Okay, therefore, because when they get to the other side, they have a memorial.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites to do what?
SPEAKER_00: Remember.
SPEAKER_00: Do you know so many times we can get going so fast that we forget to look back on the things God has done in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: And when we, I'll be honest, guys, maybe there's something in your life you need to go put a, I'm not saying an altar.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not even, but maybe you need to put a memorial out to remind you of something the Lord did years ago.
SPEAKER_00: My dad, one Christmas, one Christmas, we were struggling.
SPEAKER_00: My dad's a preacher, and we were struggling.
SPEAKER_00: And normally the church would give him a couple hundred dollars at Christmas for Christmas.
SPEAKER_00: So he was counting on that couple hundred dollars so that we could have Christmas.
SPEAKER_00: And um this particular year, they call him up at Christmas like they normally did, and they usually the guy that you know the deacon that's doing it reaches in and gives him.
SPEAKER_00: I did not know any of this, okay?
SPEAKER_00: So, but this is just later, and because I've always wondered.
SPEAKER_00: So, usually the guy gives him this little envelope, and it's you know, it's Christmas for Christmas, and and he was needing it this year.
SPEAKER_00: And um, the guy's up there, he's about to present something, and he goes, Hey, we got something special for you today.
SPEAKER_00: The ladies in the church have put together and made you a quilt.
SPEAKER_00: And dad's like, and the quilt's beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: Hear my heart.
SPEAKER_00: But dad was thinking, you know, how people, how men do, okay.
SPEAKER_00: I've got this figured out, this is the way I'm gonna do it, right?
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna take this, they're gonna give me this money, we're gonna be good, and all this, and all of a sudden the quilt comes up.
SPEAKER_00: Dad takes the quilt, takes it home, and he said, you know, he's we it's still in our house, and it's in the area in our house because it's a reminder.
SPEAKER_00: And dad went home the next day, you know, he's having his quiet time, and he's like, you know, he, Lord, I'm thankful for this quilt, but I don't know how we're gonna make it now.
SPEAKER_00: He said he was going to work, guy met him at the office, and the guy said, Hey, I I don't I don't even really know you, but the Lord's told me that I need to help you.
SPEAKER_00: And Dad's like, What do you mean I don't need any help?
SPEAKER_00: And he goes, I've got this little thing I want to give you, but if you do this, you can sell it.
SPEAKER_00: You know, you know what I'm saying, type deal.
SPEAKER_00: And I think it was needing about$300, and that's usually what was given.
SPEAKER_00: It was$400, this little deal that took place.
SPEAKER_00: And so it was this.
SPEAKER_00: When we look at the that quilt now, Dad remembers the Christmas that he thought he had it all figured out.
SPEAKER_00: And that Christmas, the Lord said, I got a better plan to show you how big I am.
SPEAKER_00: And so that quilt stays in our house and it doesn't match anything now.
SPEAKER_00: We don't, we're not even allowed to use it.
SPEAKER_00: But it sets right there because why?
SPEAKER_00: It reminds my family, myself included, now, when I see it, how big God is and how thankful I am for the things that He does.
SPEAKER_00: So I want to challenge you today.
SPEAKER_00: If there's something in your life that you just it's a thing you know the Lord did, I'd start putting them out there.
SPEAKER_00: Put them in your, where you read your Bible, start listing them.
SPEAKER_00: So every now and then you need to read that list.
SPEAKER_00: I'll promise you one thing.
SPEAKER_00: When you start doing it, there's gonna be more than you think there is.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's the important part about pride towards prioritizing our heart is this going back and finding those.
SPEAKER_00: Because the Lord is good.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Dear God, thank you so much for your love.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you again for these guys.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I ask you to help us be men that are thankful, that are thankful for who you are, thankful that you are in charge, and thankful that you guide each one of us.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, we always want to offer this if there's someone here today that does not know you and they need to talk to someone, give them the boldness and the courage to talk to the person next to you about just giving their life to you.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you again for all that you do.
SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name I pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, guys.
SPEAKER_00: Have a great rest of the day.