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Thanking Through It
Thankfulness… Gratitude is a learned behavior… Today, we’ll spend a little time talking about how Gratitude and Thanks are always Responses.
The Bible commands us to give thanks all throughout…
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. —NLT Psalm 136:1
At times, it’s difficult to give thanks…
- Circumstances discourage us
- Fear of rejection
Expressing Thankfulness is always in response.
We love because he first loved us —NIV 1 John 4:19
Two keys to living a life of thanks and gratitude toward God:
1. Give Thanks in response to an event or act
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” —NLT Luke 17:11–19
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. —NLT James 1:17
“These are the instructions regarding the different kinds of peace offerings that may be presented to the LORD. If you present your peace offering as an expression of thanksgiving, the usual animal sacrifice must be accompanied by various kinds of bread made without yeast—thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of choice flour mixed with olive oil. This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. It will then belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the peace offering against the altar. The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning. —NLT Leviticus 7:11–15
OT … 5 types of Sacrifices & Offerings
1. Burnt offering
2. Grain offering
3. Peace offering
4. Sin offering
5. Trespass offering
2. Giving thanks in advance… based on the character of God, not the outcome.
Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” —NLT John 6:8–14
This belief… this expression of thanks and gratitude… this posture of our heart toward God… is to be spoken on our lips, but evident through our lives and daily living toward God and others…
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. —NIV Hebrews 13:15–16
Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. —ESV Hosea 14:2–3
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