Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on Happy Thanksgiving Forever - Psalm 107:1, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Hope in Suffering
We have been in the distracted series for quite some time going over first corinthians and it's a little break here we're going to. Be jumping into a little thanksgiving series I don't notice the bulletins have a little turkey on it I don't know they're gonna do.
- This yeah but we're trying to make the bulletins match the personality of the speakers and that's kind of that's kind of what they.
- Gave me I was like this guy little turkey alright that's thank you so been in the distracted series we have thanksgiving break and.
- Then we're gonna come back into a series called love changes everything and it's going to be kind of second part of the first.
- Corinthians series and today's scripture focus is gonna be Psalm 107 Psalm 107 we're not going to read it all today but if you're.
A part of our home groups hopefully you've been already reading this Psalm it's something that we've kind of started lately as far as. How we get into the word together as a church family through our home groups we say hey here's a here's a section of.
Hope in Suffering
Read this scripture together and yeah together surprise Happy Thanksgiving so we're gonna read it together because I want you guys to get it. In green in your hearts just in your soul just like it is in mine so it's Psalm 107 one I'm gonna count to.
- Three and then I'll start so we can all try to do this together all right one two three Oh give thanks to the.
- Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever hey that was really good guys so I'm actually pretty impressed and yeah let's.
- Get that lets get that stuck in our heads so as we go through this section of Scripture there's gonna be a few things.
- That we're gonna see as we go through this time of just being together in God's Word we're gonna see the timing of Thanksgiving.
The reason for Thanksgiving and the invitation to Thanksgiving those are the few things we're gonna look like and if you're at all like. Me Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on you there's been lots going on and then like alright I guess I'm teaching this weekend and.
Family Discipleship
Cut off you can't really see but uh there are some frosted tips under there back in the day anyway my wife is amazing. So we'll have been married for 15 years to day and then as far as our family goes have two amazing kids my daughter.
- Gwyneth is 14 and my son Oliver turns 12 in January that's our kind of picture from last year that's my family so there's.
- A there's a lot to be thankful for just in that but that's not where life stops there's so many other things going on.
- There's so many other things in my life there's other things in your guyses life's and not all of you are at a place.
- Where like you're just like man I can't wait for Thanksgiving I there's so much I just I just like pouring out about God.
And I just want to be thankful for all these things there's this whole other side of Thanksgiving in this time where there's actually. A lot of sorrow there's a lot of pain there's a lot of things that are hard to be thankful for some of you.
Living the Truth in Daily Life
The most casualties of anymore of anywhere we've ever had and it we have more casualties in the civil war than the next top. Four Wars combined so more casualties in our in the Civil War then world war two World War one Vietnam War and the Korean.
- War combined so it wasn't a time of just like man everything is just the best like everything's goods like the turkeys cooked perfectly.
- And like no one's fighting with each other and like everyone's just getting along amazing it was one of the most difficult times in.
- Our nation's history and we're not like in like a civil war right now so to speak we are there's definitely some discordant sand.
- Things that need to get worked out this is literally hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives hundreds of thousands of Americans.
These are these are moms without sons these are husbands who have left their wives these are you know widows and orphans came about. Because of this thing it was a heavy situation but it was in this situation that President Lincoln gave a proclamation as a lady.
Grace and Justification
Except in the theatre of military conflict while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union needful. Diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow the shuttle or.
- The ship the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements and the mines as well of iron and coal as of the precious.
- Metals have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp the siege.
- And the battlefield and the country rejoicing in the consciousness of augments and strength and vigor is permitted to expect continuance of years with.
- Large increase of freedom no human Council hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things they are the gracious gifts.
Of the Most High God who while dealing with us in anger for our sins hath nevertheless remembered mercy it has seemed to me. Fit and proper that they should be solemnly reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with a one heart and one voice by the whole American.
Identity in Christ
Allow and it is trying to make good out of the whole mess that is on this earth you might be saying that's great. For them and that's great for that time and that's great for a president for of a country to write but what about me.
- What about the war that's going on in my life what about the abandonment that I feel or the brokenness that I've experienced what.
- About the hardship that is breaking my heart or the anxiety that is taking my breath away what is what is the good news.
- For that what is what is God doing there and I would tell you if that's where you're at which most of us come.
- To a place of breathlessness or anxiety or sorrow of soul or just deep distress that we have a God who loves us we.
Have a God who is a savior and a king we have a God who is willing to give all his only son to. Give us all life in Him and him alone if you're wondering about you know that it was Jesus who was thinking of you.
Prayer and Dependence
Me with all of your heart and there's an interesting story in my family where we got to see this play out in a. Really just unexpected way it was I don't know about four years ago the pastor's I've been blessed by a family in our church.
- Who have a condo an area in some value like hey you guys can use it get together like spend some time in prayer.
- Getting in God's Word just growing in fellowship and my family and I were on our way to Sun Valley and it wasn't an.
- Evening had been kind of a long day of work there's been a lot of things that were going on or like okay where.
- We're gonna get out we're gonna get away everything gets in prayer and on the way I got a phone call a little work.
Crisis from a guy who doesn't work anymore anyone here anymore lives in Texas name is rich Wilkins he's a good friend rich called. Me is like man there's some stuff going on everything to talk to you and so I got on the phone and talked to.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.