Remember To Say Thank You

As a thankful people, would you continue offering your appreciation? Thank you, Jesus, for the blood that you so freely gave for us. We are so grateful. Amen. We of course are in the month of November now and it holds the holiday of Thanksgiving, but I believe one of the hallmarks of a Christian is we're just not thankful one day a year, but it's a lifestyle. And of the many, many things for which we have to be grateful, I think I'm with people who would agree, the blood has to be near the top of the list. what Jesus did for you on Calvary.

What Jesus did for you to wash away your sins and make it possible for you to stand here redeemed today. That ought to let a crescendo of thanksgiving and gratitude and appreciation roll out of your spirit right where you're standing. Blessed be the Lord. We thank you Christ Jesus for what you are doing for us. We lift you up and glorify you this day. Amen. Thank God for the blood. One old song says, "It washes white as snow." And another one asked the question, "What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood." And I'm thankful that we have that experience today of knowing the washing, cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. Amen. And then the subject of thanksgiving, I'm going to, I guess, sort of get the ball rolling for this month with this morning's message. Do want to take a moment and welcome all of our guests. and we have a number of you with us. Thank you for coming today. If you're a first-time guest and haven't met our pastor, I apologize that you missed him and I hope that'll be an incentive for you to come back and meet him.

Uh he is in for the church family that knows Brady Wright. Uh he is in North Carolina along with uh the youth pastor Peter Wright and along with brother Willilifford, our bishop. So that's why I'm here today. Uh they're all in North Carolina for the wedding which is tomorrow, but the rehearsal is tonight. So they had to travel of course and be out there. But if you haven't met our pastor, we're proud of him. We want you to come back and meet him and hear him preach the word of the Lord just as soon as you can. I guess the substance and style of this message uh might depict my season in life.

I don't know. But I'm going to read from my text a verse written by the Apostle Peter when he was near the end of his ministry. Uh second Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 13. I'm sorry verse 13. Second Peter chapter 1 verse 13. Peter writes to the church, I think it right, as long as I'm in this body to stir you up by way of reminder. Now, I'm not going to examine this second letter of the Apostle Peter, its background and theme and all of that. I'm just using this verse as a launching pad, but clearly the Apostle Peter wanted his readers to remember some things.

And in a similar way, I'm going to, I guess, embrace my elder status. Some would say old man, I know. and uh just offer a little reminder to you today. And I'm calling it this. Remember to say thank you. Remember to say thank you. And presumably that's something we are taught when we are quite young because we do have to learn it being self-centered creatures that we are. But uh I just want to offer that reminder. Remember to say thank you. And if you would stretch a hand toward heaven, let's ask God to help us hear well his word today.

Jesus, we appreciate so much your goodness and mercy to us. Thank you for this church service, the opportunity to be together with your people. And we're asking in the name of the Lord that our hearts would be open that we would receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save our souls. And I pray your anointing upon me as the messenger and I know your word already is. Let it have its intended effect today in Jesus name. And everyone said amen. Amen. You can be seated. Thanksgiving, at least in my mind, has a couple of parts or aspects to it.

Uh for starters, it is an act, something we do. We offer specific expressions of thanks for favors, uh gifts that are given to us, maybe services that are rendered. Uh William Arthur Ward said this, feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. So if you feel gratitude, the point is you ought to express it. If you're thankful, you ought to say so to whatever the person or group it is. And I know we don't always feel grateful. And sometimes you kind of have to work at it, don't you?

Maybe we've all been in a position where we were given a gift of some sort and uh we had to say something to this effect. You know, I've always wanted one of these. Jog my memory. What's it called again? Or we might say something like, "Well, well, well, now that is a gift." Even when we must work to find a reason to be grateful, I think you'll agree it's worth it for all concerned. It's worth it to put forth the effort. But not only is it an act, something we do, but it's also, at least to me, an attitude or a spirit, a state of mind, an outlook that we can have.

Now, this is not a behavioral science lecture. uh for one I'm not even qualified to give it but uh the scripture does say that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and the brain that we've been given God created it it's capable of conscious and subconscious thought and this is where I mean it's not a behavioral uh science lecture but just for a few moments humor me our consciousness or conscious thoughts are are focused thoughts that you control you have an awareness of what you're doing and what you are thinking and in the context of remembering to be grateful.

Uh it involves a deliberate choice to hold thoughts of thankfulness. I I'm consciously being thankful. I'm consciously thinking of gratitude. And uh there was in the Old Testament an example of this in my mind at least uh when Daniel was a prisoner in the Meo Persia Empire. Uh there was a decree given 30 days. No one could petition uh any higher power, any god uh except for the king. And it was specifically designed to criminalize Daniel's devotion to the one God, Jehovah, because they knew that he faithfully prayed three times a day.

And they thought if we criminalize this uh make it against the law, then we can find reason to imprison him. And the scripture says in Daniel 6:10, "When Daniel learned of that decree that had been published, you can't talk to anyone or or worship anyone or ask favors of anyone but the king for a month." He went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day, so he didn't make any secret of it. He did it like he always had. Three times a day, got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God just as he had done before. So he he did that.

But tucked away in that verse, I I've grown up in church, attended Sunday school all my life, and I've heard that story of Daniel and uh how he opened the window and prayed three times a day. But notice, if you will, tucked in that verse, it specifically says gave thanks to God. Daniel, of course, was praying, but he was very careful three times a day to give thanks to his God. So, I'll say it this way. Daniel made it a habit. It was conscious thought. He made it a way of life.

And I think doing so kind of helps us offset or battle taking things for granted in our life when we consciously choose to express thanksgiving. But then the the subconscious of our brain uh here's where the brain stores things that we don't need to think about all the time like I don't know how to walk, how to ride a bike if you've learned that our brain has already learned to do these things and and the information is just stored in our subconscious. It's there and we have a limit. We have limited no direct control over these thoughts.

Uh these thoughts can be emotional, intuitive, uh less bound by traditional logic. But certainly our subconscious influences habits and learn behaviors, the automatic processes of our lives daytoday. And uh just for a little bit of extra credit homework, here's what I'll ask you to do. Uh just maybe think about it or discuss it, I don't know, or do a little reading. Uh can we learn to be grateful similar to learning any other skill? The scripture says in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

So is it something that we can learn so that the brain I don't know I'm getting out here a little bit. The brain can kind of store a thankful mindset. You don't have to always be consciously thinking of it but subconsciously there is a spirit of gratitude. And and if we do that uh here's your extra credit. Do we enjoy that benefit of thankfulness and and subconsciously exude it? You know, just kind of show gratitude without really thinking about it. You know, you just just kind of appear to be a grateful person.

And does gratitude then spring up when we need it into our conscious thinking just because it's kind of back there in our subconscious there because we've learned. I don't have the technical answer, but I'll just say this. I do believe we can possess a spirit of thanksgiving. I I I think it's possible for us uh to have a grateful perspective that just sort of permeates from us or from our lives or permeates our lives and then just sort of seeps out and helps define us as a grateful person. And I think there's tremendous in fact I know there's tremendous value in doing that.

So today I just want to offer a reminder to say thank you for a few things and this is no set order but I definitely have saved the best for the last and a little disclaimer that I'll offer before getting into this list. I know not everyone will experience these things that I'll list or if you do, it's not to the same degree. I'm aware of that. But my prayer is that you will adapt this message to your life and go home with this main point today. Be thankful. Be conscious of blessings. Remember to say thank you. Remember to express your appreciation.

Whatever your circumstances, I'm just humbly suggesting today, look for the good. Look for the good in the circumstances. Take inventory. Albert Mhler said this. Think deeply, widely, carefully, faithfully about the countless reasons for our thankfulness to God. Make it something you do on purpose. And I would suggest this to help you with a thankful spirit. Focus on what you have and not what you don't have. Focus on what you possess and not what you don't possess. I love this little quote from Asop of the the famed Asop fables. So, I know this isn't scripture, but I like it.

He said, "Gratitude turns what we have into enough." Gratitude turns what we have into enough. And if you'll focus on the gifts God has given you, the things he has blessed you with, that'll be an antidote to envy, to resentment, to regret, and other negative states of mind if you'll just purposely be grateful. I I don't read him many more, but when I was younger, I used to come across the uh cartoon I'm really not in the scripture now. Am I peanuts? Uh, and there the cartoon character Charlie Brown asked this question. What if today we were just thankful for everything?

And I would paraphrase that coupled with 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and just ask, what if in our lifetime we were just thankful in everything? What if throughout the course of our lives we were thankful in everything? And so here is today's list. Here are some specifics for you to consider. Just remember to say thank you. And one of them is your home country and your heritage. Be thankful for it. Now, I know that when we're born of water and spirit, when we experience a new birth in Jesus Christ, we become citizens of a heavenly country. I'm well aware of that.

And we are brought into a whole different culture than what's in this world in which we're living today. So don't misunderstand. I recognize that. But I think there's value in in being appreciative of our home country and our heritage where we've come from. No nation and its system of government is perfect. In fact, if you'll think about it, in the book of Acts, the first century church didn't enjoy ideal circumstances under Roman rule. If you don't believe that, just do some reading of the emperor Nero and you'll understand what I mean.

But yet, you'll find in the book of Acts this theme of thankfulness in the body of Christ, in the family of God all through that book. And while it is an imperfect nation, I'm grateful for America and I want to remember to say thank you every now and again. I appreciate our freedom of speech. It allows me to do what I'm doing right now. I appreciate our freedom of assembly. It allows you to do what you're doing right now. And we don't have any worry of the government interfering with us. I'm thankful for freedom of the press.

It affects whether or not uh things are reported and I think even to an extent whether we have Bibles in print. So, I'm thankful for all of these freedoms in the United States of America, especially as they relate to religion and the worship of God. And I want to remember to say thank you. I know it's not something we talk about in every church service, but every now and again, it's okay to reflect, I think, and it doesn't just have to be Fourth of July. Reflect on the blessings we have living in this nation and the freedoms that we enjoy. Remember to say thank you.

Remember to say thank you also regarding your health. Now, like our nation, I know that our health isn't perfect, but we can be grateful that at least in God, we live and move and have our being. Amen. If you're upright today, you've got reason to be thankful. And I know we enjoy uh some days better than other days. We feel better some days than other days. But every day is a gift. Every breath we take is a blessing. Uh Stanley Chambers, who was one of the uh influential ministers in my life, once said this, "Every day is a good day." And if you don't believe that, just try skipping one.

Every day is a good day. Here's what the psalmist said. This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Whatever this day is for you, whatever it holds for you, whatever it looks like for you, whatever the circumstances of it, it's what you have. And so, you'd be wise just to make the conscious choice today. I am going to rejoice and I am going to be glad in it. Perfect, maybe not. everything I want. Maybe not, but I choose to rejoice. I choose to be glad in this day that the Lord has made. Amen.

Remember to say thank you for health, being upright, and in him you're moving and living and having your being. Remember also to say thank you for provisions that we have. Amen. We in America are especially blessed.

uh you know every one of us to some level and again I know this varies but to some level we've got income we've got shelter food clothing some means of transportation getting around uh there just so much to be thankful for and if you need to be convinced I'll just suggest that you think of the people in war torn Gaza or Ukraine and you'll realize pretty quick you're you're living in a blessed nation a blessed life and it's okay to say thank you for these things not in a hotty or condescending way but just to remember to say thank you and not take it for granted.

The Apostle Paul taught the outlook that we should have toward material blessings. This is in Philippians. He was writing to the church and by the way writing from a prison. He said, "I have learned." So, this wasn't automatic. Didn't come naturally. But he said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

He said, I've learned this process of whatever I am experiencing in life at present, I can express contentment or be content in those circumstances. And that's the implication today. Just be thankful whatever your state. And I know uh that's hard to do in certain circumstances, but Paul also gave us the secret. Not for everything, but in everything. Amen. In everything we can be grateful. I read, this was some years ago, but I read a little uh story about a a minister, Dr. Alexander White, WHY, uh from centuries ago.

And apparently he was kind of well known for his opening prayers of thankfulness in a church service. And one particular Sunday, it was just a dreary day. Uh gray outside, rain pouring down, uh just just a day that no one really appreciated. And one member nudged the other and said, "I wonder what Dr. White's going to be thankful for today." And he opened his prayer saying, "Lord, we thank thee that not every day is like this day." So if you want, you can find reason to be grateful. If you want, you can learn contentment in whatever the circumstances.

And then remember to say thank you for family and friends. Remember to say thank you for family and friends. Another great influence on my life was Paul Mooney. He recently passed away. Uh he's done a lot of things in the United Pentecostal Church, but I guess he's best known for being the pastor of Calvary Tabernacle in Indianapolis. And uh I I once attended a seminar. Uh he was probably in his early 50s teaching it. I was in my early 20s. uh it was a a class to our age group and uh his topic was things I wish I had known.

So he as a a man in his 50s was talking to us in our 20s saying I wish I had known these things when I was your age or at least appreciated them. And he gave us I believe a list of 10 things but one of them that I I wrote all this down. One of them that stayed with me was that we should remember the importance of being close to family. Remember the importance of being close to family. As he got older, he realized the value of it. And I'm aware we live in a world where the family ideal found in scripture uh doesn't exist for everybody. I know that.

In fact, uh that word family might even be a trigger for some people. I hope not. That's not what I'm wanting to do at all. But in difficult family relationships, I believe Paul's teaching in Romans 12:18 comes into play. He said, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." I remember growing up, especially as a teenager, reading that verse, Romans 12, the 12th chapter, fascinated me. And I even committed most of it to memory back when I was a teenager. And I I always thought of that verse as, you know, that's that's everybody out there.

You know, people I pass in the grocery aisle or or, you know, neighbor down the block. I I just as much as lies within me, I'm to live at peace. But, you know, that applies to family just as much as anyone else. As much as depends on you live at peace with everyone. And Pastor Mooney's point was that staying close to family was important because more than likely, and I know it's not true in every circumstance, but more than likely, he said, it's family members that are going to show up in the tough times. It's family members that are going to be with you at the end of life.

He said, a lot of people aren't going to show up at your bedside when you're getting ready to pass off this scene, but family will be there. And I love the the characteristic about families. You know, families can fuss and fight with each other all day long. Would you let an outsider come against them? In fact, I was talking to one of our members just last Sunday. I didn't get his permission to uh use his name, so I won't, but he he grew up with four siblings, him being one of them.

He said, "Man, we could fuss and fight and be at each other's throats all day long." He said, "Will you let somebody else pick on one of us?" And all of a sudden, we four are united. You You know, and I think of it this way. I've got a little brother uh out in Baltimore. You know, I can pick on him because he's my brother, but you can't pick on him because he's my brother. You know how that go. And I love that characteristic about family.

And that's all that Brother Mooney was saying that recognizing the value as you age of of staying close to family because there there's something about blood that we're going to be there for each other. We're going to stand with each other. So, the key is whatever the composition of your family, your friends is to you, don't alienate them. Stay close to them. Remember to say thank you. That's one of the best ways to stay close is just to express your thanks and intentionally communicate your appreciation because you know sometimes those closest to us are the ones we take for granted.

Oh man, you know, I see you all the time. You'll always be there. But let's not have that outlook but intentionally communicate our appreciation. And then in a larger context, I want to say this. Remember to say thank you for your church family. Remember to say thank you for your church family. Now, I know that we are not a a perfect church, APC. But I also know we're not a bunch of low down, no account, good for nothing Sidewinders either. That sounded like Roy Rogers, didn't it? Just kidding.

Some of you know the inside joke there, but I once asked prayer for Roy Rogers in a Sunday night service. That's those of you that don't know, it's supposed to be Roy Richardson, but I I don't know where Royers came from, but out it came. But I'm I'm having a little fun. But I know we're not a perfect church, but we're not a bunch of losers, are we? I know we're not. And one of the blessings of our church family, according to Ephesians 4:11, is that God has given us the gift of a pastor. And that's vital in a church family. And today here at APC, I'm just talking to the home crowd right now.

We can be grateful for a pastor who's sincere. He's trying his best. I assure you, I work with him on a near daily basis. He's not trying to deceive or trick anyone, but his goal is to get us in good conscience to heaven. I know that for a fact. That's that's what he wants. He wants us all to make heaven our home. And in good conscious, he's trying to lead us there. And last week, I'm so proud of this congregation. We honored uh brother Dong and his family uh here in the service and then out in the foyer as people were leaving. So, we can be grateful for a pastor.

And then we can also remember to say thank you to one another as fellow church members because we are the family of God. Uh we belong to a good church family. We belong to a a good caring family. We belong to a fun church family. I think we belong to a talented church family. And I know there's a wide range of personalities and that just keeps things interesting to me. Wouldn't it be boring if we were all saying the same thing, doing the same thing, acting the same way? Uh it wouldn't be fun. There's all kinds of personalities in a congregation and I'm glad for it.

The church is filled with warm, compassionate human beings who visit the sick. We donate to charity. We provide meals for the less fortunate. Give liberally to missions. We teach Bible studies because we believe the gospel works. We just in short serve the Lord with gladness. And I want to remember to say thank you for the body of Christ. Thankful for the family of the Lord. And I hope that you will also. And then remember to say thank you for the word of God, the Bible, the truth of it. Uh on a practical level, I've been doing this for years.

I I know we can be grateful that God has preserved his word, but he he promised he would do that. And so I I don't guess I have any doubt that it's ever never going away. It's forever settled and and that. But on a practical level, I try to regularly thank God that I have a copy of the Bible in my own language so I can read it. I can study it. And I'm not depending on anybody interpreting it to me. But I'm able now if I need help. I've got leaders in the church. I've got people that can help me interpret and understand better. But I'm glad I can at least read it.

And so I'm grateful on a practical level that I've got a Bible and I've got one in English, which is my native language. And I'm so grateful for that. And of course, spiritually, David said this that the word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It's a guide. It's a a help to us. It's a strength. It's an encouragement. On and on the list goes. And its primary purpose is to reveal God's salvation. And that is the most important thing that we need to remember to say thank you for the salvation that we have in God. Remember to say thank you for your salvation.

Remember to say thanks for his word, but remember to say thanks for the salvation that it reveals to us. And the longer that you have been saved, I might insert this. I think it becomes more more important to remember because sometimes again you can take your experience for granted. So the longer you've served him, the more conscious effort you ought to put forth to say, "Thank you, Lord, that you redeemed me. Thank you, Lord, that you set me free. Thank you, Lord, that I have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ." Here's what Titus 2:1 says.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. I'm so thankful that I can preach today that salvation is for everyone. Doesn't matter your age or your gender, your social standing. Doesn't matter your level of education, your level of talent. None of these things matter. Whosoever will can be saved. Whosoever will can be redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I'm glad the grace of God appears to all people, bringing salvation. After Adam's disobedience, God could have ended everything. You know, just forgot the idea of a human race.

But in his grace, he issued a promise of reconciliation. He said, "Adam, Eve, you've disobeyed me. I I've got to dysfellowship you." But he issued a promise of reconciliation, a redeemer. And the Bible describes our spiritual standing because of sin as hopeless. We are having no hope and without God in the world. kind of a bleak depiction, but that's the way it is when we come into this world. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And we're told the wages of sin is death.

So, we all deserve condemnation and punishment because of our sinful nature. But God who is rich in mercy. But God who is rich in mercy. When the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son made of a woman. I'm glad we're going to celebrate that a whole lot here upcoming. But I'm glad that Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The angel said, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." And at age 33, Jesus went to a cross and paid the penalty not for his own sin, but for all of our sins.

Even before we were alive to commit sin, even before we were alive to have a sinful nature, he paid the penalty of sin on Calvary. He knew no sin. He was innocent. Didn't deserve it. But he became sin for us. Well, I want to remember to say thank you today. I want to remember to say thank you for what Jesus did. He's the atonement for our sins, church. He's the atonement for us today. And in Jesus, we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. You won't find that anywhere else except in Jesus Christ. For he alone can save us. Neither is there salvation in any other.

For there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. Only Jesus Christ can save us. And if you've not experienced this glorious salvation, I want you to know it's for everybody. If you'll just put your faith in him, your faith in Jesus and what he did for you on the cross. And on the basis of that faith, repent of sin. Admit to God that you're a sinner. Admit to God that you need salvation. The Bible says on that basis, you're instructed to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission or forgiveness of sins.

Paul described it in Romans 6 as us being buried with Christ in baptism. We go down into the water and we are buried with him. But then he says we rise to walk in newness of life because when you come out of that water, you are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are, he said, the promise is unto you, your children, unto all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. It's a promise that each and every one of us can have on the basis of our faith. And it's all made possible by his grace. Hey, if you want to analyze it, that's fine.

If you want to ask why or why not, or if you want to try to figure it out, that's your business. But I'm just remembering to say thank you today. Thank God for his grace. Thank God for his mercy. Thank God for his c salvation. The Bible says that we are gra by grace we are saved. And that through faith that through faith, not not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. By grace you are saved and thank God for his grace. Unmmerited favor. And every one of us here today can be grateful for the grace of God.

Every one of us can be grateful because it abounds to us all great measure and doesn't run out and it is sufficient. In closing uh this message today, I want to mention an account in the gospels. Jesus was entering a certain village and 10 lepers saw him and called out to Jesus wanting his help. Have mercy on us, I believe was the phrase they used. And uh Jesus when he saw them uh he in his miraculous power cleansed them and he said, "Go show yourselves to the priest." And that was an Old Testament custom.

If you had leprosy back then, you had to separate yourself and call out that you were unclean. And then if you were healed, you had to show yourself to the priest to verify that. I'm so glad we don't do that anymore because as a minister, you know, that would be my job around here, right? Pastor Brad would say, "Reaver, go check the lepers." Okay. Okay. You know that. But we had he so he said, "Go show yourselves to the priest." And all of them were healed. All 10. But one seemed to have a little different mindset about it all.

He was conscious of of the benefit that he had just received to the point that he was going to express his gratitude. He his thankful attitude kind of drove him back. He said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I've got to go back. I've got to turn back to this man. I've got to tell him thank you." And imagine just for a moment how you feel when you're thanked by someone. You've given a gift or you you've done a nice deed or or rendered some kind of service. Just just think for a moment how you feel when someone takes the time to thank.

And if you get a thank you note in the mail in this day and time, you're, you know, they're picking you up off the floor, right? It's just not done anymore. But just imagine how you feel when you're thanked. And that might give you a little insight to how Jesus felt when this healed leper returned to thank him. In fact, his remark was one of surprise. It it was one that implied that that he was really impressed. He said, "Whoa, weren't there 10 cleansed? Where are the nine?" And this one has come back to say thank you.

He he was just really seeing this as significant that this one leper came back to say thank you for what he had done to him. And the Hebrew word for thanksgiving it means to confess not in the sense of confessing sin but to confess uh or acknowledge benefits to give thanks to praise to celebrate and literally in fact car you mentioned this the other night it literally means to throw out your hands when you say thank you and you worship with extended hands to throw them out and give thanks to God. And this is the meaning that is found in Psalm 107:8. Oh, that men would give thanks.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men. You You may or may not throw out your hands. That's not a requirement, but if you want to, you certainly can. But I wonder today, I hope you can remember just to say thank you for his wonderful works, his creation, the the seasons that are changing, life itself. So many things go on down the list today. How about it? Would you be willing to say thank you to him today? Would you be willing to express your gratitude to him this day?

Would you be willing to COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING? I'm going to invite everyone to stand today. And once you've done that, I I want you just to take a few moments right where you are to give your appreciation, your thanksgiving. You've got your own list, I know. But would you offer praise and thanksgiving and worship to him? Confessing that he is good. Confessing that he is the one that supplies our needs. Confessing that he is the one that helps us dayto day. That's it. Come before his presence with thanksgiving. Confessing and demonstrating your appreciation. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And it's all right if you want to do it quietly, just in your spirit, whatever you want to do. I'm just saying remember to say thank you. Remember to say thank you. And I know that this message today has to be lived out more than what we're doing right here, but I want to give you an opportunity just to come and thank the Lord consciously today. I know not everyone because of of health or mobility can get up near the front. But if you're able, I want to invite you up around this front and uh just spend a little time worshiping and thanking.

And again, whether you throw out your hands, that's immaterial, but the important thing is to use your words and offer your thanksgiving. How about it today? Are are you thankful? Are you thankful? Anybody thankful to be in the United States of America? I know that may not be real spiritual, but there's some blessing to it. Are you thankful for your citizenship in this nation? Are you thankful that you're alive and in health today, able to come to church? Are you thankful for family? Come on, express that appreciation today. Express that to him. Are you thankful for your church family?

Your church family. Lift up those hands if you would and offer thanks for the church family, the Bible, and your salvation. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on. He's done so much for us from the moment that I wake up until I lay my head. I will sing of the goodness of God. Oh, take time to say thank you like that leopard. All my life. Come on back to the feet of Jesus. Come on back and say thanks. All my life you have. Maybe you've been hurrying through life. Maybe you've been rushing through life and you just forgot to say thanks for some things he's done.

This is your chance. This is your moment. God, I thank you. I will sing. of the goodness. I will express the goodness of God. Hallelujah. All my life. You have been faithful. All my life. Hallelujah. All my life. You have been so so good. Oh yes. Thank him. Thank him. Thank him. Every breath I am fable. I will sing of the goodness. Come on. A godly people. Godly people are thankful. Spiritual people are thankful. Faithful people are thankful for your mercy. Hallelujah. We're remembering to say thank you today, Jesus. I've been held in. We're remembering to say thank you.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I lay my head for your great salvation. Thank you for redeeming me. Thank you for getting my attention early in life, giving me a chance to say yes to you. All my life you have been faithful. Oh yes. Oh yes. All my life you have been so good. That's right. Christians are thankful. Loving people are thankful. People of good character are thankful of the good news. We're going to thank it. We're going to thank him. Remember today, all my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so so good. So, so good.

With every breath that I am able, every breath I will sing of the goodness of God. Your goodness is running after. It's running after me. Your goodness is running after. is running up. That's it. Let a wellspring of gratitude life down. I give you everything. Hallelujah. Your goodness is running after. It's running after me. All my life you have made. All my life. All my life you have been so strong. Every breath that I have made, Lord, I will sing of the goodness of God. Would you now just in a few words of your own express appreciation, let him know you're grateful.

Remember to do it today and in days to come. Be like that one leper. I'm coming back, Jesus. I'm coming back to remember. Carrie Wilson said in an article that we can be thankful amid chaos. In other words, things don't have to be perfect in order to be a thankful person. And she also said we can be thankful regardless of our age, social status, demographics, culture, the level of difficulty with problems or or whatever in our life.

Uh despite all those things, it they don't affect our ability to be thankful if we'll make the choice if we'll make the choice to consciously be grateful because gratitude is a choice. David said this Psalm 103, you can read it later. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits. And if you want to read it, David has a list of his own. He goes down five or six things that he specifically notes that he is grateful for. He says, I don't want to forget, but I want to remember to say thank you. And it's a choice he made.

It's a choice you can make. You're doing it here. You can do it in time to come as the Lord carries his coming. But bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Would you stretch your hands heavenward in a collective prayer now and just offer thanks and appreciation for who he is and what he's done and your heart in life. Thank the Lord of heaven. Thank the Lord of heaven. Thank the Lord of heaven for his benefits unto us. Amen. I uh can tell I did a little bit of reading in another article by Michael Enzy who uh was one time the general youth president of the UPC.

He he mentioned this at the end of an article and I just wanted to throw it out to you today. We're getting ready to have a baptism and I hope that you'll stay. [name redacted] is going to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in just a few moments and then brother Buoie is going to come back. He has a few announcements for you. So we're going to get right up. I I don't want to offer this little challenge to you and that is to to write five thank you notes. Uhoh. Five thank you notes to people who have been a blessing in your life and just express your gratitude.

Now I know some of the young people you don't do you even write anymore. Do you cursive? Okay, I'm teasing. So I'll let you out. You can do a text. You can do an email. Whatever. But just think of five people. You don't have to do this all at once. Just as they come to you, but just just make it a point. Maybe I'll say between now and the end of the year, five people that you can write a note of appreciation to who have blessed your life in some way. I think that would be a tremendous thing. And and those folks getting the notes, they might have to spend the night in the hospital from shock.

I don't know. No, I'm teasing. But you get the idea. Remember to say thank you. Remember to say thank you.