Series Summary
Gratitude isn't just something we express when life is good. It's a way of living that flows from recognizing God's goodness and remembering what he has done faithfully throughout our lives and throughout history. Gratitude is a response to his grace.
When we express our thankfulness, we begin to see God's blessings in a new light, and that changes how we respond. Gratitude becomes not just something we express - maybe a little more around the holidays - but a way of life for every day.
In November, we will explore the idea of gratitude. We want to recognize what God has done and respond with a life of thanksgiving. It's a good reminder to count our blessings, but it's also a challenge for us, as a church, to develop a deeper, more lasting attitude of gratitude.
Sermon Summary
Thankfulness is easy, although not always instinctual, when we receive good, easy, and pleasant things. Oh, we might take them for granted and fail to be thankful on a regular basis, but when reminded, we are quick to acknowledge and appreciate the gifts.
Adversity, on the other hand, is not something that any of us excitedly embrace or, for that matter, would even consider a gift at all. Difficulty, however, is guaranteed and unavoidable in life. It comes to us for many reasons and in many forms, but the result is always the same. Struggle.
Thankfully, God’s Word gives us a different perspective on adversity that can not only help us deal with this reality, but to actually come to appreciate hard things. That means we can be thankful for the hills.
