THREE THINGS TO DO WHEN LIFE IS FULL
Pastor Chad Gilligan
Part of A Season of Gratitude—December 2023
December 17, 2023

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances;.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

THREE THINGS TO DO WHEN LIFE IS FULL

Be Joyful
Be Prayerful
Be Thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always,

1. Be Joyful

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

JOY is based on my salvation and not my situation.

JOY is from the inside out.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

We can find joy in suffering.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

We can find joy in people.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,

2. Be Prayerful

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

To pray continually is to have a recurring, intentional dependence on God in your life.

Luke 11:9-10 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

PRAYER is persistent.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

PRAYER and JOY go together.

Colossians 4:2-3 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

PRAYER and THANKS go together.


WHEN YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN…
Replay the tape
Play the long game
Flip the script

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

3. Be Thankful

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Being THANKFUL leads to peace.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

God wants you to be GRATEFUL.

Let gratitude by your lens.
I am grateful!

Let gratitude be your filter.
Am I grateful?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

I have an attitude of gratitude because of Whose I am.

Ephesians 2:4-10 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I can be joyful, prayerful, and thankful because of Christ Jesus.

Luke 2:9-11 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.


DON’T FORGET TO EMAIL THIS WEEK’S NOTES TO YOUR INBOX! AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PREVIOUS SERMON NOTES, BROWSE OUR SERMON ARCHIVES!