“GETTING ALONG IN THE FAMILY” ( A Walk Through 1 Thessalonians - Part 12b)

 “14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15) [ESV]

The church is full of problems because it's full of problem people because everybody in it is a sinner, albeit saved by grace but nonetheless with unredeemed human flesh, consequently battling with sin. The church grows in direct proportion spiritually to how well it deals with the sin within it. The process of church growth then is the process of the elimination of transgression, the elimination of iniquity, the elimination of sin. If the church is to move ahead powerfully and be all that God wants it to be, then it has to be dealing with its own internal sin. The world has yet to see what an absolutely pure, holy church would do. The closest thing to it would be the early church. In the fire and the heat in the purity of its birth came an energy that perhaps has been unequalled in the subsequent history. Church growth from the spiritual standpoint, which is the only standpoint God has any concern about, is in direct proportion to how well we deal with the failures in our midst.

Paul wants to help us to do that by giving us these two verses that are referenced above. But if we were to sort of step back and take a look at the church and say, "Well, how could we categorize the problem people in the church?" We might come up with five categories of problem people that inhibit the growth and the power of the church.

Group number one we'll call the wayward. They're never in step. They're always out of sync. They're always out of line. They're never with the program. When everybody else is moving ahead, they're going backwards. When everybody else is filling up the ranks in proper order, they're outside that somewhere, failing to do their duty, not particularly interested in serving, sometimes not at all interested in giving, idle, perhaps even loafing. They're in the way of the progress, disorderly they might be, even AWOL they might be, apathetic they might be, sometimes contentious, sometimes rebellious. And I suppose they fill up the spectrum all the way from apathy to rebellion. They're the wayward, they're just never going the way everybody is going in the proper line. They're at odds with everything.

A second group we might identify that hinder the growth and the life and the power of the church we'll call the worried. This group is basically motivated by fear. These are the people in the church who have no courage, who will articulate, you know, the famous words, "We've never done it that way before." Who can give you ten reasons why you can't do anything you propose to do, they have no sense of adventure. They hate change. They love tradition. They fear the unknown. They want no risk. They worry about everything. All the issues of life are far more than they can bear. They're usually sad, always worried, sometimes in despair, often depressed, discouraged and defeated. They carry none of the zeal, the joy, the thrill, the exuberance that adventure brings.

We could probably identify a third group, we could call them the weak...the weak. They're just spiritually and morally weak. Christians who because of their weak faith, because of the weak disciplines of their life are susceptible to sin and they fall into the same sins over and over and you barely get them up and dust them off and they're back in the same hole again. They find it very hard to do God's will consistently. They embarrass themselves. They embarrass the church. They embarrass the Lord. They take an awful lot of attention. They test how good a church is at church discipline and usually run you all the way to at least step two.

If we were to identify a fourth group, we could call them the wearisome. Another word for that would be frustrating. These are the foot-draggers. They're in line but they're just going at the wrong speed. They never catch up. You keep teaching them and you keep training them and you keep discipling them and you pour all of this energy into them and every time you look around to see how close they might be, they look like they're farther away. Everything distracts them. They have a great difficulty concentrating, great difficulty focusing. They're just very exasperating because you make the maximum effort and you get the minimum return. They don't move and grow at the pace that would be considered normal.

Finally, group five would be the outright wicked...the wicked. They do evil. Christians who do evil. They commit sins against other Christians right in the church. They break up marriages. They defile daughters. They steal. They gossip. They slander. They falsely accuse. They're just wicked.

Now you understand as the church endeavors to grow it's got to deal with these five groups; the wayward, the worried, the weak, the wearisome and the wicked. And no wonder growing healthy flock is such a challenging enterprise because all these folks need healing spiritually. The wayward need to get back in line. The worried need to have a stronger courage and faith and boldness and confidence. The weak need to be more disciplined in the matter of holy living. And the wearisome need to get up to speed. And the wicked need to do righteously. There's a lot of work to do to bring all these in line. Will you help?

*Some excerpts from “Dealing With Problem People” by John McArthur

Discussion Questions:

1. What causes you to “blow a gasket”? Why?
2. From this passage, what people make up the Christian community?
3. What attitudes underline Paul’s various commands here? Which build the church and which hinder the church? Why?
4. What impressions of the Christian life do these commands give you?
5. In dealing with the five groups that John McArthur highlighted, who’s responsibility is it to deal with these? (v. 14)
6. What is your role and responsibility in all this?

“LOVE THAT LASTS A LIFETIME”

“¹ We, who are strong, have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore welcome one another (NLT : “accept each other”) as Christ has welcomed you (“accepted you”), for the glory of God. (Romans 15:1-7) [ESV]

In Genesis 2:18 it says, “Then the Lord said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone.”  Up to this point, you find God saying these words, “... it was very good” as He looked upon each of His completed creations. Once he created Adam, He realized that of all the animals he had created male and female except for man and that’s when he said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” [ESV]

Whether we like it or not, the truth remains that we are made for relationships, and we need them to survive! This has become more and more evident to me as I see my father aging. My mother passed away ten years ago. When I visit with dad, I always ask him how he is doing and, without exception, he always tells me that he is lonely. Why? Because God created us to live in relationships.

I know that sometimes it’s hard to live in community with others. My father-in-law used to have a saying, “The more people I meet, the better I like my dog!”  While this may be true with many people, the truth is we still need each other.

In these verses from the book of Romans, Paul addresses the essence of what it means to live in relationships with others, especially in marriage.  As we take a closer look into the context of this writing, we see Christians criticizing each other over petty Old Testament practices that they were still embracing. So, Paul comes to them with a rebuke and tells them to accept each other and to look to Jesus’ example of self-giving love as our model to imitate.

In Romans 15:1, Paul says, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak.” [ESV] In the New Living Translation [NLT] it says, “We who are strong must be considerate.” The word “must” means more than just “we should.” It actually means we have a debt. The “strong” refers to those who feel free to engage in certain arguable matters, having a debt to carry the weaknesses of those who don’t share our opinions.

Following Christ’s example, the “strong” are not to please themselves, but are to please his neighbor for his good and for his edification. When Paul says in v. 7, “accept each other”, these words mean we are to “keep on accepting or receiving one another.” Just as Jesus receives us, even though we keep sinning and are not perfect, we need to also receive others. Why? To glorify God!

Just like Sierra Vista Community Church, ALL of the New Testament churches were imperfect, made up of imperfect people and lead by imperfect leaders! Does that surprise you? But, in spite of their imperfection, they regularly gathered because of their need for their perfect Savior and Lord and for “one another”.  So even though at times we may “rub each other wrong”, offend each other and even hurt each other... scripture tells us don’t withdraw! Work things out!  This is hard to resist and even harder to practice in a culture like ours when we see relationships as disposable! Just take a look at the national divorce rate. Please, make a commitment today to stick with your marriage, your family, your friendships and with your church. Be there for “one another” as the Lord is there for us!

Think About It:

• How does it make you feel to know that you “have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak”? (v. 1)
• What does “please your neighbor for his good, to build him up” look like for you? (v. 2)
• Read v. 5.  How does “live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Jesus Christ” personally apply to you?
• What does vv. 1-7 have to do with those who are married?
• If these principles were also applied to our marriages, what kind of difference would it make?
• How does “welcome (accept) one another as Christ has welcomed (accepted) you” look like in our lives? (v. 7)
• If we were to live in true “community” (according to Romans 15:1-7), who would notice and who would get the glory?

“LEAVING AND CLEAVING”

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:24-25) [ESV]

The creation account here in Genesis 2:24-25 now focuses on the beginning of human history. Adam is given the responsibility to care for the earth under God’s sovereignty, but not alone. Without female companionship, he would not be able to realize fully his humanity.

Take a moment to read and study these comments from Illumina’s Comprehensive Commentary.

Genesis 2:23 Woman–in Hebrew, the feminine form of the word man (Hebrew ‘ish) is the word for woman (Hebrew ‘ishshah). The creation of woman prompts the man to burst into a song of thanksgiving.

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave . . .” Obviously the first couple did not leave their parents. This verse appears to be a lesson taught by the story itself. Therefore–or “for this reason,” (NIV) or “This is why” (NEB, JB) expresses the words of the writer, who observes from this divine model that marriage has been a God-ordained relationship from the beginning. Christ cited this verse (Matthew 19:3-9) as the basis for his teaching, which upholds monogamy and stands against divorce. Another important paradigm is discernible in 2:24 (Kidner): marriage (“leaving”) leads to “cleaving,” which culminates in the sexual union, being one flesh (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:16). To cleave to God in Deuteronomy 10:20 is descriptive of the ideal relationship between God and man. So, too, it characterizes the closeness between a husband and wife. (End of commentary)

God made Adam a wife.  First, He let Adam name all the animals. It looks like Eve was kind of an afterthought.  But she wasn’t an afterthought.  What Adam was doing was realizing “There is two of everything except me!”  He was realizing “Something is missing in my life!”

In (v. 21) it says, “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.”

(v. 23) “Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”” is one of the classic reactions in Scripture.  Can you imagine?  Adam is here in the Garden of Eden.  He’s never seen a woman before.  All of a sudden coming through the bushes he sees this gorgeous specimen of femininity. Can you imagine Adam saying, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh …” The exact Hebrew description of this word “This at last ...” is an exclamation and literally Adam, when he saw Eve for the very first time said, “Wow!”  Illumina’s Commentary says that Adam jubilantly celebrated and bursted into a song of thanksgiving. I wonder what the song was?

One of the key verses in the Bible is (v. 24) in regards to marriage. God’s blueprint for marriage - 29 words and the foundation for every good marriage is found in this.  God designed marriage.  It was His idea.  The key is found in, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife …”  (v. 24)

In this verse, God says in marriage in order to have a marriage that really works there are some things you have to leave and there are some things you have to cleave to. What would you say that they are?

Think About It

1.     If you could have a picture of just one scene in this story, what would it be?

2.     What does this story say to you about the nature of men and women?

3.     Look at (v. 20) What do you think God meant when He referred to Eve as a “suitable helper?”

4.     What do you think is the key message in this passage? Why?

5.     If married, what are you most grateful for in your marriage and what would you like to focus on for growth?

6.     If single, how does this story make you feel?

7.    On a scale of 1 (totally alone) to 10 (totally connected and supported), how do you feel now?

“LOVING MY WORLD”

“The Lord says to me: ‘It isn’t enough to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead the tribes of your nation (Israel) back to me. I have placed you here as a light for every nation; You must take my saving power to everyone on earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) [CEV]

Most of you reading this live in America, the land of plenty. In America most people can obtain or do anything they think will make them happy. So, why are so many Americans unhappy when we have so much and can do so much? Evidence says that it’s because we have paid a huge price and taken crazy risk for our own benefit, but generally are unwilling to take time to meet the needs of others or even think about     the interest of others.

The Bible clearly tells us that one of the main purposes of life is not about obtaining, but about loving. Look at (Luke 10:25-29) “‘Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?’ Jesus replied, ‘What does the Law of Moses say?’ The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ AND ‘Love your neighbor AS yourself!’  ‘That’s right!’ said Jesus. ‘Do this and you’ll live!’ But the man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘So who is my neighbor?’ Jesus answered by telling a story…” The reality is, that to experience real joy and satisfaction we must give our lives away to something greater than ourselves.

(John 17:18) [Msg.] tells us, (Jesus) “In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” Jesus emphasizes that our significance, value and esteem come from service and from loving others.

Before our Savior, the Servant and the Messiah was born, God had chosen Him to bring the light of the gospel (the message of salvation) to the world (see Acts 13:147). Christ offered salvation to all nations (greek – ethne/ethnos, “ethnics/all nations”), and his apostles began the missionary movement to take this gospel message to the ends of the earth, the nations.

(Isaiah 49:6) [CEV] “The Lord says to me: ‘It isn’t enough to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead the tribes of you nation (Israel) back to be. I have placed you here as a light for every nation; You must take my saving power to everyone on earth.” This verse tells us that our mission is to share our knowledge of God’s love and saving power with “everyone on earth.” This is a huge challenge!

Let’s put this in perspective:

• The Bible says Jesus isn’t coming back until people in every tribe are there.
• Right now there are about thirteen thousand people groups in the world identified, by ethnicity, by language, by culture.
• Fact: There are 3,800 small tribes (unreached people groups) that still do NOT have a Christian church!

Think About It!

1. Have you made friends with someone from a different culture, who is ethnically different and who speaks a different language than you? It no, why not?
2. If you have made friends with someone who is different than you, how has that enriched your life?
3. What have you learned from your friend?
4. Do you suffer with xenophobia (xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange)?
5. What can you do to reach the “nations” from where you live?

“Keeping Christ in Christmas”

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

The number one way to keep Jesus Christ in your Christmas celebrations is to have him present in your daily life. If you're not sure what it means to become a believer in Christ, check out this article on "How to Become a Christian."  If you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and made him the center of your life, keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way you live your life than the things you say—such as "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays"!

Keeping Christ in Christmas means to daily reveal the character, love and spirit of Christ who dwells in you, allowing these traits to shine thru your actions. Here are some simple ways to keep Christ as the central focus of your life during this Christmas season.

1.      Give God one very special gift from you:

Let this gift be something personal that no one else needs to know about, and let it be a sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24 that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing.

Maybe your gift to God will be to forgive someone you've needed to forgive for a long time. You may discover that you've given a gift back to yourself!

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian who survived extreme brutality in a German concentration camp after rescuing many Jews from certain death during the Nazi Holocaust, was later able to say, "Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you."

Perhaps your gift will be to commit to spending some time with God daily. Or maybe there is something God has asked you to give up. Make this your most important gift of the season!

2.      Set aside a special time to read and discuss the Christmas story (Luke 1:5-5

    6:2:1-20) with your family or friends.

3.      Set up a Nativity scene in your home:

If you don't have a Nativity, this year may be a good year to introduce one. Gather your kids or grandkids around and explain the characters in it.

4.      Plan a “good will” project this Christmas

Do you know of an elderly neighbor or family member in need of home repairs or yard work? Find someone with a genuine need, then involve your family or friends to help you meet that need and watch how happy you can make someone this Christmas!

I know of one of our LIFE Groups that is going out on Christmas Eve day to hand out practical hygiene items to the homeless such as lotion, soap, combs, etc. along with giving some love and good conversation!  God bless you guys!

(Our Blanket/Coat and Children’s Book drives have been promoted for this purpose, as well.)

5.      Gather a group to go Christmas caroling at a nursing home, hospital or a shelter:

Another one of our LIFE Groups (including the children) already went caroling at a senior home. The LIFE Group’s joy of serving was exuberant!

6.      Give a surprise gift of service to each member of your family or to a friend:

Jesus taught us to serve others by washing the disciples feet. He also taught us that it is "more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) The idea of giving an unexpected gift of service to someone is to demonstrate Christ-like love and service. You might consider running an errand, cleaning out a closet or making a favorite dish. Just make it personal and meaningful and watch the blessing multiply!

7.      Send hand written Christmas cards that convey a spiritual message:

This is an easy way to share your personal faith at Christmas time. If you've already bought the reindeer or snowmen cards—no problem! Just write a special Bible verse and include a personal message with each card! 

8.      Attend our Christmas Eve Celebration service together with your family or friends:

If you are alone this Christmas or don't have any family living near you, invite a friend or a neighbor to join you at this beautiful service.

9.      Set aside time for prayer and devotions on Christmas morning:

Before opening the gifts, take just a few minutes to gather together in prayer and devotions. Read a few Bible verses and discuss the true meaning of Christmas.

10.  Give an end-of-year monetary gift to your church or one of their missionaries.

This idea is dear to my heart because Gayla and I spent three years as “home missionaries” raising our own support. Receiving a Christmas card with a monetary gift always felt like opening a priceless gift on Christmas morning, no matter what day it was! Many missionaries are unable to travel home for the holidays, so it can be a very lonely time for them. Along with a monetary gift include a special note, thanking them for giving their life in service to the Lord. Trust me—it’s a gift that’ll mean more than you can ever imagine!

Portions excerpted from: 10 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide

“Come Home To The Father”

Matthew, Tara & Nathan

This week we continue our series titled, “Coming Home For Christmas” as we take a closer look at Luke 15:11-31. This weeks message will truly be a blessing to those who need to come home to the Father. Plan on bringing that person who needs encouragement or may be far from Him and needs a challenge about returning home to God.

READ: Luke 15:11-32

When I come to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, I am both humbled and excited...humbled because there has been so much great preaching on this passage that I have nothing unique to add. But excited because I have an opportunity with you to study in greater detail one of the most loved parables that Jesus ever taught.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son follows two shorter parables in which something that was lost is searched for and found, followed by celebrating. Each of them is intended to illustrate that “There is rejoicing in the presence of God over one sinner who repents” (15:10). The Pharisees had grumbled about Jesus’ attention to the “sinners” and tax collectors; Jesus’ response is that God is delighted when these lost ones repents and turns to him.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son makes the same point -- God’s joy at the repentance of a lost and wayward son. Too often we look only at the first part of the parable that focuses on the younger, wayward son, who represents the “sinners” and tax collectors. The second part of the parable focuses on the older son’s reaction -- one of anger and jealousy --representing the Pharisees’ own reaction to Jesus seeking the sinners.

Now that we’ve looked at the overall context, let’s examine the details of the first part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The father, of course, represents God, the Father. The Prodigal Son represents those who have rebelled against God, who repent, and return to God. Here’s what we learn from this parable:
God does not prevent us from sinning and rebelling. We have freedom in our choice to do so.

Repentance is necessary for us to return to God. Without repentance we act as if we have a right to something. Repentance recognizes and confesses our moral bankruptcy and changes our direction. Repentance is a strong theme here, since Jesus mentions it in each of these three parables (15:7, 10, 17-19).

Even though he loves us immensely, God waits patiently until we “come to our senses.” We can’t talk, pursue, or persuade people into repenting. It is a conviction one must come to by them- self with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Of course, the Holy Spirit can work strongly through anointed preaching and witnessing, but without the Holy Spirit’s work, such preaching can come across as judgmental.

The sinner is morally bankrupt and has absolutely no claim on the Father, only the Father’s love.

God, our Father is ready to show us his abundant mercy. The son deserves nothing, but the father lavishes on him the adornment of sonship. It’s not due to merit but to mercy. Part of the charm of this story is the utter graciousness of the father contrasted with the stinginess and jealousy of the older son.

If this is the way my heavenly Father feels towards the wayward and sinful -- full of compassion and mercy -- so must I nurture his attitude toward the lost around me. As a disciple others, I must not be proud or self-righteous, but boast only of the grace of God. It’s not a matter of fairness toward sinners, but of love.

Parts have been excerpted from  Jesus Walk, by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

OPEN:

What person or incident illustrates for you an exemplary fatherly love?

EXPLORE:

• What series of decisions did the younger son make after receiving his inheritance? (15:13-20)
• What did the father do in response to his son’s return? (15:20-24)
• What was the older son’s perspective on his father’s mercy? (15:28-30)
• How did the father defend his actions? (15:31-32)

GET IT:

• Why do you think we tend to become obsessed with fairness?
• When have you personally experienced God’s unmerited favor and blessing?
• How can every day be a celebration for those who are seeking to follow God and have returned home?
• In what way was the love extended by the father really the same for both brothers?

APPLY:

• Who do you know that is living a prodigal life in relationship to God? What can you do this Christmas season to help them “come home” to the Father? What step will you begin to take to help them move towards God?

Some questions excerpted from illumina

"Three Tips For A More Biblical Thanksgiving"

"... he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

(Proverbs 11: 25)

Happy Thanksgiving!

In my personal studies I came across this article that I just had to pass on to you just the way it was written. I trust that it will speak to you as it spoke to me as it is very well written.

No U.S. holiday is as distinctive as Thanksgiving. In our busy, deadline-fixated age, expressing gratitude to our heavenly Father is too easily squeezed out of our lives, but it is important. First, I think human beings are "hardwired" to do this. Even atheists seem to have unsettling moments when they feel an irresistible urge to thank someone "up there." One of the problems with atheism occurs when pain is avoided or pleasure gained—having no one to give thanks to leaves you with an itch you cannot scratch.

But there is more than a primeval urge to justify thanking God. On almost every page of the Bible, we see this as a theme. The Old Testament reverberates with the sound of people praising God; Israel’s history is full of thanksgiving to God for showing them mercy and delivering them from disaster.



The New Testament is no less full of thanksgiving. Jesus himself offers up thanks to God the Father, most importantly at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-27), where the word used for thanksgiving is Eucharist, still used in many churches for communion. Paul not only regularly gives thanks; he actually commands it of others.



This gives us some guidelines for "biblical" thanksgiving:

First, biblical thanksgiving is innocent.

In giving thanks to God, there should be no motive other than pure gratitude. Thanksgiving is giving thanks and that alone. Of all the different types of prayer, this is least likely to be contaminated by our own conscious or subconscious desire to manipulate God.

Second, biblical thanksgiving is intelligent.

It involves looking back over the past—whether the last week or an entire life—and identifying things for which we are grateful. Thanksgiving is neglected today partly because modern Western culture is so obsessed with the future. But to give thanks to God is to look backward, not forward, and to express gratitude for the good things that have come our way.

Third, thanksgiving should be inclusive.

It's easy just to say, "Thank you, God" for the health and wealth we have. But do we also give God thanks for friends, family, housing, holidays, or a hundred other lesser things? Let's give him thanks for all the little things in life, too.

Giving God thanks should be a theme running through our lives. At least five blessings result from this:

The first is that thankfulness forces us to focus on what we have had rather than what we want. In our materialistic culture, we can succumb to a consumerism of the soul that reduces our prayers to shopping lists. Thankfulness looks outward, not inward. It realigns our lives so that they revolve around God instead of trying to make God revolve around us.

The second is that thankfulness highlights grace. To give thanks is to admit that you are dependent, to say, "I couldn't have done this on my own, but you helped me." Thanksgiving removes the temptation to boast and strengthens the only basis on which we can relate to God: that of accepting our own unworthiness and God’s free grace in Jesus Christ.

The third is that thankfulness encourages a positive attitude. It forces us to think about what is right with our lives rather than what is wrong. This is important in an age when many feel depressed. Thanking God is a proven way of piercing the gloomiest of clouds.

A fourth is that thankfulness develops hope for the future. Looking backward to the past with thanksgiving actually helps us to look toward the future with anticipation

A fifth is that to practice thankfulness regularly ensures that gratitude will spill over into every area of our lives. We cannot thank God for difficult colleagues, relatives, or neighbors for long before finding that we express a positive attitude toward them. Grumpiness and irritability do not grow well in a climate of gratitude. Those who regularly give thanks to God find they are ready to give to others. Gratitude and generosity go hand in hand.

Whether or not we celebrate Thanksgiving, we all need to be reminded to practice thanksgiving on a daily basis. That "attitude of gratitude" is not just a duty to be fulfilled but something that will bless us and others. It's typical of God’s graciousness that the best gift we can give ourselves and others is to say thanks for what we have already received.

by J. John, Philo Trust.com

Reflection Questions 

• Why is Thanksgiving so special to you?
• What part of Thanksgiving do you look most forward to?
• Honestly, what, if anything, are you dreading about Thanksgiving? Stop and ask God to help you with this.
• Would you take a moment Thanksgiving day and get away by yourself for just a few moments to reflect on what are you are thankful for? Write these down as a reminder to you for the future.
• What have you taken for granted and even treated with an entitlement attitude? Would you confess it to God? How will you change that attitude in the future?
• Make it a point to share how blessed you are with someone other than family this week.