How we experience and express gratitude demonstrates our understanding of God’s grace in our lives. Grateful hearts are joyful hearts, and joyful hearts provide hope for the world. Psalm 118 reminds us to “……give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever.”
This Thanksgiving, I pray that each of you can experience the love of family and friends. Of course, everyone has struggles in life, and for some, the holiday season is especially difficult. The words of the Psalmist are a reminder to all of us to keep the faith in God’s love for us, because this love will endure through every obstacle that we face.
The messages for the next two Sundays will explore how we understand the term “offering”, with an emphasis upon offering our lives to God in Christ as an act of gratitude. As followers of Christ, we see the world and our lives through a lens that emphasizes giving ourselves away and trusting God to meet us in our obedience. As we reflect on God’s faithfulness during past chapters of our lives, we become empowered to face the future.
– Pastor Steve Hart