Appreciation

September and October we did a lot of teaching on Doctrine you remember we talked um last month the guys did a fabulous job repentance baptism in Jesus name gift of the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues and then the Christian Life we are here though in November and every year I as you guys know the U as my custom is uh I set out a yearly calendar in the month of November I I usually reflect back to thankfulness and and I I'll spend the next couple of few weeks on that anybody thankful you may thankful um the definition of than can you do something with that you're not thankful at all are we thankful for the baby's cry she it's a there we go all right making that better um thankful and we all understand that word I mean really how many's ever told someone thank you everybody better hands up yeah huh yeah okay and again I'm I'm G I'm gonna lay a little foundation for the next few weeks if you're thankful somehow some way you have had to establish within your mind or or your heart or whatever a position of I know that you have made a choice to do to give to something for me to me with me therefore I generate in my mind a position of I have to show or share or demonstrate with you how much I appreciate that how much I'm thankful for that okay I I don't want to wax really deep here and try to scratch out something that's not there but I think a lot of times I know as a child I learned when my mom and dad were teaching me to say thank you that there were some times that my thank you was real shallow any anybody know what I'm talking about kind of like when you're at a restaurant eating and the service is not so good and they bring your meal and it's late and it's cold you go thank you come on you're all guilty aren't you don't act like you're not you know as my dad used to say I'll say thank you with my tip oo well that 3% sure did let him know um being thankful of course many say it's a choice it's a state of mind if that's the case with your family your friends your neighbors co-workers and you tell them thank you for bringing in Donuts today thank you for helping me change the flat tire thank you for whatever you you are turning something activity function whatever into a place where now listen to me you have pulled it out you have paid it you have given it and now what does that person have to do not so much receive it they simply have to respond is that okay for an example Chick-fil-A thank you what do they say I'm like now wait a minute that's not a you're welcome is it is it depending because by and large Chick-fil-A thank you very much my pleasure ooo well that was pleasurable that's like the guy who gets up here behind this Podium say I'm so happy to be here tonight thrilled aren't you how many can feel that you know you don't believe it at all okay stay with me stay with me the reason that I'm I'm going here in in November of course we we'll we'll begin to get nearer and nearer to Thanksgiving and and and that particular function of getting together and all but over the next several weeks I I want to spend some time that we really understand as humans as individuals what true thankfulness is is there a difference between thankful and grateful it's a question what's the difference between thankful and grateful all right we got young people here get your phone out hey Siri what's the definition of grateful come on we all want to hear grateful means feeling or showing an appreciation of thankful well I could have done that hey Siri what's the definition of thankful thankful means pleased and relieved okay so don't go to the dictionary to find out def definition my point is this if you're thankful for something that was a good example what had dra if you're thankful sorry B I was going to use yours but you're thankful for something you have thought through it you have responded probably out of just habit and if you're grateful for something the meaning of gratefulness is as you realize and recognize somebody has thought that through and they put the effort and energy into it and you're grateful for that now the feeling is the same okay what what you feel when you when you respond to somebody what they do or have done or have given you and as as Christian as an Apostolic as somebody that walks in the word and and understands the spiritual emphasis on everyday living guys if we can't develop a thankful Spirit the world the world is going to notice very quickly that we may say one thing but we definitely demonstrate something else because the fact of the matter is here we go let's go first Thessalonians this is Bible now okay first Thessalonians this is a letter to one of the churches the newly established group of Believers in Chapter 5 Verse 18 you already know this I want you to help me read it out loud you ready everybody together in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you in everything in everything give thanks okay now does that mean suffering sorrow pain hurting how many find that the great challenge somebody's wronged you when you don't feel the appreciation all right everybody's got an index card okay I have 7:26 on the clock I'm going to give you a few minutes listen to me carefully you judge how big or small you write I want you to take the next 3 minutes as many things as you can think of that you are thankful for make a list you can use a front back if you need more cards they're up here no copying on your neighbor all right go I'll watch the clock you WR as many things think about them as many things as you can think of that you are thankful for you might have to share pens so you have to write quicker come on write come on young folk you need to think of all kind of stuff you can do this as many things as you can think of that you're think trying to do background music to help feel the sign you're not writing right you don't have a pen go get a pen come on you know how go go find one go find two don't waste your time right as many as you can fill it up come on fill it up front and back I'm running out of music up here y'all be right I give you about another minute write as many things as you can fill them up front back side edges all right we good finish up that last one and then we'll we'll move along for the sake of the people in back with the kids try to save them okay how many did you come up with count them 25 anybody keep going how many who else what you got 23 25 7 27 43 keep going what else 27 100 21 10 18 anybody else honey you can just write my name real big yeah there you go all right so some of some of us I'm sure didn't write all of them but this this is this is I'm I'm going to use this card so don't don't walk away from it yet um when you have to stop and think about it and and again I could have just asked you to raise your hand and say when you have to stop think right it kind of your brain goes in another Direction you know what I'm saying it's it's a it's common knowledge that writing things down solidifies it gives it a little more ump if you will I I want you to look at get your list however many are on it doesn't matter and and this is this is what I want you to do I want you to go through there how many things that you wrote on your list are about you goad count them up how many things you put on your list that are strictly about you no that's about someone but you I'm thankful that I'm a millionaire I'm thankful that I have all this in a box of Cracker Jack how many on your list are about you don't tell us we just judged you we just did no all right next one how many are about others you know if you put on there for an example I'm thankful for good health I'm thankful that's about you I'm thankful thankful for breath in my body it's about you but how many are about you and how many are about other people thankful for a child for an example uh sister Sherry which child oh okay oh order there in I got you okay how many things did you write about you and how many things did you write about others all right third thing how many things did you write how many things did you write down that are about things car house whatever things how many are about you how many of that list about others how many is about things okay last how many on that list how many are about time so one unless you wrote other things time in vacation or time at work you know and again I could go I could go a hundred directions with this the thing is this the reason you wrote 2725 18 10 3 whatever it is in your mind you had to start somewhere what am I thankful for and you begin to write and and probably by and large most of you started with your family either physical family or church family or something you started there I'm thankful for my family and I'm something may not have and as you kept thinking then you begin to go okay now I got to stretch a little more I'm thankful for my health or I'm thankful for a car to drive I'm thankful for house you know and then because time went on and you already written thankful for my job most of the time I'm thankful for you know and and as you WR in your brain automatically you are engaging a filter of how you categorize the things that you're thankful for does anybody here have a prayer life you pray at home pray on the job anybody come on raise your hand okay when you pray what is the first thing you pray for pray about what is that first thing out any go ahead okay you your spouse yeah that's fair someone else family okay someone else for the day yeah thanks for the day good someone else protection Church body someone else yeah there you have to start somewhere yeah okay so you you got to start somewhere in your prayer now the reason I associate this with with prayer is because if indeed you have developed some type of daily prayer so however that looks because everybody's just different agreed okay when you start your prayer time how many you noticed that it's a lot of time it matches it's kind of the sameish every day now I'm not talking about time in the altar at church when you're SC screaming and crying and snotting I'm talking about just your day now you may cream and scream and cry and snot at home too and your kids wonder why uh might want to explain it to them I'm not mad I'm praying you know um because it sometimes War sounds that way listen to me carefully as you begin to separate things in your prayer time and you develop that connection and communication with God I can almost guarantee you that you have learned in your daily prayer that it always begins with thankfulness huh have you ever started your daily prayer with what God huh how far did that get you how many's ever started your daily prayer with now listen un told you one now it sounds like I'm joking and and I am but listen to me carefully if you're not taking time daily to pray and Institute that thankful Spirit thankful attitude guess what you are doing I indicate by not being thankful that everything is about me that's why I asked you on your list how many of those things are about you because as you begin your prayer daily and you begin to communicate with God and it's it's a gentle it's quiet whatever however it is Lord I Thank you for the day I thank you for my spouse or I thank you for breath or for the cup of coffee that I'm enjoying or I'm thankful for you know I'm thankful that I'm not them no don't say that um then you begin Lord I pray today for my spouse now you've changed Direction and you're including others I pray for my children am I right pray God protection over them am I right can I ask you a question about that attitude of gratitude are you praying for them because if something happens to them it will affect you huh here's here's the thing is anybody else aside from me ever been overcome with fear of a possibility and it's very valid you know my my children will call or text they're adults they're married they're they're doing life and they'll say we're going out of town or whatever well good have fun enjoy you know if they're so kind to oh they dad every once a while I don't I don't get a lot of calls from Tim and I know they're they know how to drive they know how they know where they're going but I don't mind saying there have been moments for whatever reason this horrible crash image to my mind I'm am I am I the only one and I'm sitting there going Lord I they they're oh oh it's my daughter Lord she would do anything she would hang glide she would jump out of an airplane she would climb a m i lying and then I'm like oh Lord Jesus here here here I don't know if I could handle it if something happened to her why all of a sudden did that focus turn to me is I'm the one that has to now decide how thankful I am by something that hasn't even happened but I took that whole scenario went Lord I don't know if I can handle it I just see me now go in the hospital room and all that I'm like and I have to shake my mind and say no come on now now can they yes could it be yes but my gratitude and thankfulness is not determined by how much my involvement is going to be in whatever God chooses a question that I've of I had to say a long time ago and I think that's why that every once in a while this fear comes to me or and I have to back it up no devil Le no Fe mind captivity get your thoughts under captiv pull it back in I'll tell you why cuz years ago when ours was little when I first married I had to establish you know what Lord I have to be 100% assured that if something happens to me to my family to my loved ones to my church to whatever it is you already know about it and it will not surprise you it will not Shock you God you will not stand ringing your hand saying I don't even what I'm going to do now I didn't know they was going to fall and break leg I had to settle that why because in everything what does it say get oh if that's the case then you better settle within yourself and your mind in your situation how thankful you are for all things regardless of what happens in them and if your nature is to be selfish about me me Lord let me have a better job Lord give me more money Lord let me drive a better car Lord let me live live in a bigger house Lord and all those things the Lord sitting there saying you know what you aren't thankful for the house you have why would I give you a bigger one you're not thankful for the job you have why are you asking for another one am I okay the month of November thankfulness as Paul was writing to the church he was writing to them in his day concerning attitudes and actions of those who are settling into this Christian Christlike attitude and the fact of the matter is listen carefully it is very easy to become ungrateful it is very easy for humans to be unthankful it is very easy as humans to live life with all the pleasures and benefits and forget the blessing of Life come on we we we set up our minds and our hearts with certain expectations and when it's not met what happens we're no longer thankful now we're frustrated y'all still with me as humans when Paul was writing this letter what he was doing is he was concerned about the way that people were doing things if you'll notice in this first Thessalonians just chapter 5 there's a whole lot of quips pray without ceasing in everything give thanks okay don't quench the spirit he he was throwing out these these nuggets if you will and according to historians the reason Paul was doing that was because in the letter he was allowing them to grow and prosper because Thessalonians is an incredible letter that church was thriving and doing really well but Paul was trying to help them you're going to have to develop an attitude you're going to have to develop a a spirit of thankfulness why because thankfulness will fuel the spirit of God you know how to quench the spirit that's in 1 Thessalonians 5 you know how to quench the spirit be hateful not grateful fear to God will stop am I okay here's the facts Paul knew that while he was writing he was saying a simple statement can make you Christlike I'm thankful I thank you I appreciate you is there a difference in actions and attitudes what's the difference between an action and an attitude anyone say that one more time but an attitude you can't see first the ball see the hip can you see that attitude just come now I get what you're saying somebody else expound okay somebody else respond what's the difference between the attitude and action if you have a bad attitude it generates an action doesn't it Mom and Dad why you laughing yeah that's what if that's the case when you say you're thankful for something but your attitude doesn't demonstrate the same what are you doing to what you just said Your Action why what happened you're right what happened things happen when the two don't agree now I again I I I'm I only got me to talk about so I will then I'll bring y'all into it I learned a long time ago I was young to tell my mom thank you for food that she prepared but there was no way I was going to walk away from that table without it my dad would have oh Lord hey son thank you Mom for the meal tonight you can go my grandmother's house granny granny call her granny granny thank you for lunch today baby you're welcome you don't have to say thank you I look at my dad he go I said yes me I do was my dad mean what was my father doing what was he doing teaching me what what about if the meal wasn't that good y'all gonna get me sidetracked huh my wife brought supper tonight to the room like every Wednesday night she'll bring something if she can or I'll bring it what did I say when you set it on the table thank you sweetheart for stopping to get this when I got up to leave the table thank you sweee I have watched my grown children come to our house and eat and I've heard them say to their mother mom I appreciate thank you so much for that may not mean a thing to any of you but to me that demonstrates to her and to them the connect stay with me actions and attitudes can demonstrate it can build up it can tear down it can it can establish or it can destroy a witness people can look at you and say you ungrateful thing and then what how do you feel about that person you ever gone out of your I don't get stuck here you ever gone out of your way for buy a gift for somebody their birthday or something and them not say thank you huh TM why you laughing huh don't look at Logan he he's learning what you got an older sister I got you no have you I mean go all out and and and and and think it through and and buy it go pick it up order it whatever all the stuff and then them not thankful for it children are real good at that you know you go way out you want them to have that thing and you wrap it and they did it and they open it and boom drop it and go grab something out I'm like wait a minute you better go say thank you why what are you teaching in everything listen carefully it might seem very small but if you can't learn with each other how to be thankful how are you ever going to get a supernatural God that you can't see and let him know you're thankful CU Hey listen to me there ain't hard I don't know if there's anybody in this room that had to give your life for somebody that would be ungrateful and unth thanful but Jesus took it to the cross and said I'm going to do it for all of you even if you don't thank me for it let's continue give thanks and everything how is that possible that's what he said and everything give thanks how is that possible what about the bad stuff oh wow that's so difficult I mean come on when when when you pull out of the drive-thru line and they forgot the creamer in the cof oh that's so aggravating why you mad I mean he's all it take you longer longer to gather it up than to go ahead and dump it right I think Chick-fil-A is the I'm sorry sorry sorry I understand there's a company that does that not sure the name of it though you know no you're right here's the thing have you ever pulled away and it wasn't what you thought or get home and it was supposed to be chicken salad the chicken was not there they I don't know that's happened to us right go honey chicken salad there's no chicken in I said then we got salad I'm going to call them I'm like oo can I eat my salad first cuz we may find out in a minute there's bad stuff in it I don't want to know that before I'm hungry how is it possible to give thanks in everything even in the bad stuff how is that possible but there's not positive there's not a whole lot positive to me a flat tire on the side of the road in 12 degree weather I am pretty positive it's not going to be a good few minutes what's the worst Logan where the free the sweat got you L okay so if that's the case now that's a good point if we feel like it we'll be thankful Welly if that's the case would it ever would we ever Church in everything give thanks should we be thankful when things are falling apart let me ask you this how thankful should you be in the bad with the flat tire and 110 degree weather how thankful should you be okay what if what if it gets worse you know the van quits working you get out to push it it was an example it was an example well I I didn't even know no huh you have to ask them about that huh what what what about what about when when when you lose your job and then you lose the money in your account and then you lose the the place and then you lose the and all this stuff how much in that bad can you give thanks will that thankfulness pull you out name it is that okay are you breathing while you're miserable is that is that sufficient but in the misery how do you get past that to sit and stand upon the fact that God is still God even when all things are breaking loose and all stuff's falling apart I'm talking about thankfulness but what about in all the junk but what's that got to do with bad days okay so thankful thankfulness that's a time limit okay God you got 12 hours you just got to get through honesty is so good for us right listen carefully I'm I'm watching our clock true you guys realize in this great nation of the United States of America that we this country was established on thank let me let me explain I've I've used this reference multiple times in the past and it's it's still overwhelmingly to me just super cool that people that were thankful that were living their lives decided that's enough and they got rid of what they had they whatever they did they sold it gave it away whatever climbed on a boat took off in a direction that they'd never been in they get to the new world and they established life you realize 40% of those people died on the journey over or than the first six months of getting here hard to be thankful when everything you had gone and then you've lost so much in the journey and now you got to be thankful see what I'm saying but yet this this nation that we appreciate so much every day was established on the premise of we we need to be thankful listen to this by the United States Congress assembled Proclamation it being the indispensable duty of all Nations not only to offer up their supplications to the almighty God The Giver of all good for his gracious assistance in a time of distress but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general and especially for great and signal in interpositions of his Providence in their behalf therefore United States in Congress assembled taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these states in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged stay with me guys the present happy and promising state of public affairs and the events of the war in the course of the year now drawing to a close particularly the harmony of the public councils which is so necessary to the success of the public cause perfect union good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their allies notwithstanding The Artful and unwed attempts of the common enemy to divide them the success of the arms of the United States and those and their allies and the acknowledgement of their independence by another European power whose friendship and commerce must be great lasting advantage to these states do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these states in general to observe and request the several states to interpose their Authority in appointing and commanding the observation of Thursday 28th day of November next as a day of solemn Thanksgiving to God for all his mercies and they do further recommend to all ranks to testify their gratitude to God for his goodness by cheerful obedience to his laws and by promoting each in this station by his influence the practice of true and undefiled religion which is the great Foundation of public prosperity and National happiness done in Congress in Philadelphia the 11th day of October the year of our Lord 1,782 and of the sovereignty and Independence the 7th that was a proclamation that was made in 1782 we all need to be thankful now there was a lot of verbage there you know why because it's Congress um the bottom line though they established in the 1800s we need to take time to be thankful an entire nation now of course it wasn't until later that it was proclaimed that on the fourth Thursday of thank of November would be Thanksgiving but friend a nation that is in the condition in which it is in right now and anybody think of a better time more important time that we as a nation need to be thankful and yet our nation has risen to a position of selfishness greed selfless or or or looking to themselves for everything ignoring and denying the presence of An Almighty God deciding that nature itself doesn't know what it's doing I may have been born this way but I'm want it to be that way or I give you all opportunity to do whatever you want to and if I don't like it I'll stand up and and I'll protest against on and on and on it goes now more than ever before in the midst of all the confusion that this current generation is looking at we as a church need to be thankful and we need to Proclaim that on your job when you're shopping when you're communicating with co-workers be thankful because as many of you have stated tonight in your list of things even in the bad times you can find something to be thankful for it could always be worse so then you have to settle now I'm watching it's a little bit after 8 they proclaimed at that day we're going to take some time and we we recommend that as a nation we spend time giving thanks to allmighty God that put you in a position friend that listen carefully that no matter what comes your way you can have God involved in it in the bad the worst and whatever you can still say God I want to thank you I want to love you I appreciate you God for what you're doing it doesn't always mean that it's going to be easy uh I don't mind saying there have been things that have happened or challenges that have come in my life and I've I I've had to really really find the thankful moment but I too have found out that if I will establish within my mind and my heart that in everything I can be thankful that automatically friend every devil in hell can come against you every Wicked person that you know can come against you and no matter what they throw at you if you're thankful you have the upper hand you have the upper hand the challenge for this whole month I want you to listen to me carefully before we before we leave here tonight this is what I want you to do in the month of November what's today's date see ain't that cool you got this whole month see how I plan that a challenge might want to write it down on your card the challenge is this I will every day verbalize I will say something that I am thankful for daily every day don't think it say it speak it if you get up tomorrow and you're in your prayer time you head out on your day and all all things are going well you need to tell somebody that you come in contact with man I'm thankful for this day if you think it and you don't verbalize it what does that tell somebody nothing cuz you didn't verbalize it okay can you see my brain watch what did I just say can't huh I go to the checkout at well not much anymore cuz it's all self checkout anyway I just took a Sidetrack good people at the waitress or waiter or the person helping at the restaurant I've told y'all this on purpose what's your name John Frank Paul whatever Susan Susan I am so thankful you're here today cuz if you weren't here nobody would feed us oh somebody would no no no this is Providence that you are at my table right now y'all think that's silly I don't come on if God can number the hair of your head God knows who's going to be standing at your table if youve given him that day at the end when I pay the bill I thank you for waiting on you did a great job thank you now I've not been so bold yet to say you know there's a couple things you need to work on listen CU I'm I have to remind myself brother Nathan often that I don't know where they are in life a kind word may send them thank you so much for being kind one time and I'll I'm done at a restaurant what's your name she told me I am so thankful you're here today to help us she's got her little pad she's 100 miles hour she's looking at me thank you for telling me that said you're welcome she said I just had this terrible table I said Thank you taking care of them that's what I said living through that to come over here see you made it okay what you Heaven that's the silliest thing cuz I've been on the end where I've been angry and upset at him too oh there's a hair in my soup an inorder hair soup sure it's available but I get mad upset and frustrated why certainly what what would it do come on you can't blame brother daral oh always pick the restaurants with the bald chefs right excuse me is your Chef back there can I see them oh we're good we're good joking I'm joking joking but I'm like you brother Dar what you just did a second ago you went I'm sure it ought to gross me out and I'm sure I could probably be sick and I could throw up and my whole life just fall apart because of that hair but y'all y'all don't know what I've eaten you have no clue what I've had to eat thankful for it at time we cooked a a lamb on the mission field and the fire went out they barely got heat under it well let's eat it they said Lord Jesus that thing is Bing at me right fact who who brought this lamb my Dad gives me one every year and I thought I would share it with you all you going to tell me that I'm going to tell him I don't want your lamb there ain't no way can I have two pieces I'm not lying Lord you got to be with me in this one y'all that's silly Ain no listen to me in everything give thanks the condition is not where you are the condition is everything you stand with me well is there anybody here that will accept that challenge every day this month you will purposely find a way to verbalize something you're thankful for raise your hand if you'll do it come on it may be a challenge but you can always find something right I'm thankful this is red and not blue or whatever come on would you pray right now Lord today we are gathered here and we're thankful we're thankful forgive me Lord Jesus I pray if I've ever been ungrateful forgive me Lord Jesus if I've ever complained and been unth thankful in everything God I want to have a right attitude I want to be thankful for it God knowing that your hand is on my life and on my family knowing god that you hear my prayer Lord and and you like it God when we talk to you and and you are wrapped up in Lord our spirit God when we we show our gratitude to you and in all situations Lord I plead your blood right now over every heart every family every individual in this church family those online that are watching I plead your blood over them right now help us Lord somehow some way to find a way to be thankful to have and develop that attitude of gratitude of thankfulness Lord in all of life situations in the name of Jesus help us Lord to demonstrate your love and your power and your presence in our lives and all that we do I'm thankful Lord to breathe I'm thankful to Blink I'm thankful Lord that I can feel you I'm thankful Lord for a blessing and a family God that loves me I'm thankful Lord Jesus for all things thankful come on somebody thank him I thank you Lord even when I don't understand I thank you even when it doesn't make sense I thank you I thank you Lord I come on somebody you're in a position right now you've got to make a decision are you going to be thankful for what's going on are you going to be angry or mad come on Lord I I am thankful is your spirit going to become BS are you going to develop an attitude against God and those around you come on I'm thankful Lord that you haven't walked away from me I'm thankful for the breath in my body I'm thankful Lord for church family Lord that I have I thank you for it in the name of Jesus I'm thankful tonight God in everything Lord I am thankful even what I don't understand help me to learn Lord to be thankful what I can't control help me Lord God to be thankful I bless your name tonight Jesus I am so glad Lord that you love me and you forgave me of my sins and you washed me in your blood and you put your name in my life and you filled me with your spirit you evidenced it God by letting me know Lord that you are working in my life Jesus I thank you Lord God for the promises in your word thank you Jesus yeah yeah thankful to know you hallelujah oh it's so good to be in the house of the Lord on Wednesday night so glad you came tonight I thank you for showing up and being here don't forget the challenge put it on make a mark on your phone let it an alarm go off tell somebody you're thankful for them whatever if somebody asks you what's that alarm for tell them none of your business get away from me no don't say that my thankful alarm yeah love y'all J K be friendly don't forget this weekend connect meetings and group sessions and all we're back here for church on Sunday have a great day in the Lord God bless all of you