Mid-Year Thanksgiving
Summary
We were reminded that true thanksgiving goes beyond thanking God for the blessings we can see.
Sermon notes
There are prayers God answers before we even pray, dangers He has kept us from without our knowledge, and countless mercies we enjoy daily without even realizing it.
Major points to note from the sermon
WHAT IS THANKSGIVING? Thanksgiving is the deliberate expression of gratitude in response to God’s goodness and His benefits. The measure of our thanksgiving should reflect the greatness of His favour toward us. Not everything God does for us is obvious. We remember the sicknesses He healed us from, but we may never know the ones He prevented us from having. Every good and perfect gift comes from God.(James 1:17)
DON’T FORGET HIS BENEFITS The Psalmist reminds us to bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits.(Psalm 103:2) Many people are thankful, but they forget too quickly. Gratitude should not be momentary—it should become a lifestyle. In Luke 17, ten lepers received healing, but only one returned to give thanks.(Luke 17:15–17) We must intentionally remember God’s faithfulness and continually give Him thanks for all He has done.(Deuteronomy 8:15–18)
THANKSGIVING IS A POSTURE OF FAITH In biblical thanksgiving, we do not wait until after the miracle to praise God. Thanksgiving is not just a response—it is how we lead. Praise and thanksgiving position our hearts in faith for what God is able to do. Always thank forward. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6) Brag about your God because He is greater than every mountain standing before you.
JESUS SHOWED US THE PATTERN Before feeding the multitude, Jesus gave thanks before the miracle happened.(John 6) Standing before Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus thanked the Father before Lazarus came back to life. Thanksgiving should come first, not last.As believers, we must never lose the habit of remembering God’s faithfulness or become overfamiliar with His goodness. Everything we have.
Everything we’ve become. Every open door .Every victory. It is all because of God. As we continue through the rest of the year, may our hearts never lose the wonder of God’s faithfulness. Let thanksgiving become more than words. It should be our lifestyle, our confession, and our posture of faith. Let’s continue to thank forward, trusting that the God who has been faithful will remain faithful.