Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day Six
If we’re going to live thanksgiving in the good and the hard, we’ll need to guard against Satan’s continual temptation that we deserve “the other tree”, something other than what we’re experiencing. And we’ll do it by following Job’s example and living in acknowledgement of God’s omnipotent rule over all that concerns us. Without this full eucharisteō in our hearts, we will always fall back
Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day Five
To practice Living Thanksgiving, we’ll have to give up the idea that God owes us something more and learn how to accept whatever comes from His hand. But, Shellie, someone would say, Hebrew 11:6 says we are called to believe that He rewards those who seek Him! That is true. Our problem comes when we lose sight of the fact that His response to us is
Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day Four
We saw yesterday that only one leper turned back to acknowledge the Source of the blessing, and in verse nineteen Jesus said this grateful one displayed faith that made him whole. Some of your translations will say his faith saved him. What about the other nine? Where they only healed physically, not spiritually? The Bible doesn’t say, so neither can we. But it would seem
Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day Three
Because Adam and Eve refused to acknowledge God, to recognize Him as the source of life and all its gifts, and therefore concede obligation to His rule out of grateful hearts, fellowship with their Creator was severed. Shame on ‘em?! Not so fast. If we refuse to acknowledge God by conceding to His rule, our fellowship with Him is severed, too. Summed up our first point
Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day Two
Yesterday we talked about the role of acknowledgement in thanksgiving. Let’s continue to unpack that. By dictionary definition, to acknowledge has a two-fold meaning. To a) recognize the rights, authority or status of and b) to express gratitude or concede obligation. This two-fold definition of acknowledgement, recognition and concession, is all important. The book of Romans teaches that God has left evidence of Himself across creation.
Giving Thanks, a Christmas Adventure – Day One
I realize it's going to sound cheesy to say thanks for subscribing to this study on gratitude, but I can't help myself.. I'm just humbled, and silly excited that you've decided to join me right here at the onset of the biggest season of consumerism on the calendar, to resist a season of grasping in favor of cultivating a grateful heart. So, thank you! And now, let's do this thing