Traits of Thanksgiving
Learn the characteristics of true thanksgiving. Seek these specific things of God that accompany gratitude with all your heart.
Welcome To Worship
Sermon Preview for Sunday, November 16, 2025
What we have learned over these last few weeks looking at all the things that characterize thanksgiving is that there is much more at stake in being thankful than we may realize. Thanksgiving is tied to our praise and exaltation of God, it is tied to our faithfulness and uprightness before God, and it is tied to our trust in Him. More than what is obvious to us sometimes, the ability to be thankful in the midst of our daily life is the battleground of Spiritual health for each of us. It is a very wise idea for a group of people, indeed even a Nation, to set aside a regular time each year to force ourselves to slow down a bit and consider all that we have to be thankful for. A time to intentionally look deeply inside our lives and be honest about how thankful we are for the many blessings poured into our lives is great for the human soul. It reminds us we are dependent on the actions of our Creator, it reminds us how faithful that same Creator has been to us over the years, and the next logical step is this; it motivates us to place further trust in Him as we face greater and more challenging struggles in our lives. The Psalmist showed his gratitude toward God this way, “for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” The more we are thankful for the very specific things God has done the more we learn to trust him as the safe refuge He is.
Sermon Preview for Sunday, November 9, 2025
It is the will of the one who has received to bless and praise the one who that person is thankful for. When we know it is God who has given to us and therefore, it is God we are thankful to, it makes it even more essential that we praise, exalt, and worship Him. By doing so we put Him into the proper place and all other things follow suit. Along with praise, faithfulness accompanies thanksgiving in the heart of the one who is truly grateful. Indeed, from our heart of gratitude to the one who has worked on our behalf we have a deep desire to be found faithful in His eyes. This is not the same thing as trying to earn what we have been given, this pursuit is a waste of time because it is impossible from the beginning, but it is the motivation within our heart to honor and glorify the one who has given us our life through practicing the things that please Him. In light of all that we have received, how could we not be filled with the desire to be found faithful in the eyes of our Creator? As the Psalmist says, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High”. A characteristic of our Thanksgiving to the Lord is to be faithful in performing the vows we have made to Him. Furthermore, a characteristic of our worship and praise of God is performing the vows we have made to Him. If we are truly thankful to God this morning then let us all come before Him seeking to do faithfully all he commands, not as a way to earn anything God has given us, but out of a heart of thanksgiving and appreciation for what he has done for us that we could never repay Him for.