Pastor Rick Warrens Sermon on Thanksgiving @Saddleback Church last 23rd of November 2013 How can you be thankful even in bad times? How do you be thankful when doctor tells you its cancer? How do you be thankful if a person you love walk away and say I dont love you anymore? How do you be thankful when youve been laid off and gone 14 job interviews and theyve all turned you down? How youd be thankful when your dreams collapsed? Or when the economic tsunami has wiped out everything youve earned in your lifetime? How youd be thankful when your child commits suicide? And yet the bible tells us to always be thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. Because even in the darkest times, in the worst periods of desperation, even when my life is totally falling apart. Theres always good things to be grateful for. First, always be thankful for the grace of God. For the air you breathe, for the beat of your heart, for everything that God has given you including your life. God gave them to you even when you dont deserve it. He gave you your mind, he gave you your sight, he gave you your hearing, he gave you your voice…..everything in your life is a GIFT FROM GOD. You have been saved by grace. Second, you can always be thankful for the good plan God has for you. Life is not always good. A lot of things happen on earth are tough, painful and difficult. But Gods plan is always good. There are times that you want to let go of Gods hands but God is not going to let go of yours. Because part of Gods great plan for you is to get you to heaven. Number three, you should be thankful that for whatever problem that comes into your life, God promised to never leave you. There is not a moment in your life that God isnt with you. Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave you. I will never abandon you. Pray that in times when you feel abandoned or alone, that you may find Gods powerful presence in your life. And lastly, be thankful for the changes God is doing in your life. No matter what you go through, God will use it to make you better….to build your character. Romans 5:3-4 ...rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. PRAYER ON THANKSGIVING: Dear God, first I wanna thank you for my ungratefulness. Everything I have is a gift from you but I dont express that gratitude very often. I thank you that you have a good plan in my life. I thank you for your promise to never leave me. I thank you that when people are working against me, you want to work in me. I thank you that there is a hope of heaven in eternity and you are preparing a home that you want me to be a part of. Dear God there is no way that I can get into heaven in my own effort…I need a savior and so I humbly ask you Jesus to forgive all my sins, to show me your grace and to accept me into your family. I want to be your child. And as best as I know how, I want to learn to love you and trust you the rest of my life and I want you to take me safely to heaven.I pray this in your name. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 06:41:14 +0000
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