Thanksgiving Thoughts Sunday, October 12, 2014

Meister Eckhart “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”

Thomas Merton “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer “In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.”

Brené Brown “What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”

N.T. Wright “When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves--that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience.”

Nancy Leigh-DeMoss “I have learned that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways: I can whine or I can worship! And I can't worship without giving thanks. It just isn't possible. When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.”

Alphonse Karr “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 . . . in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian John 12:31-33 Don’t Be that Christian

31 Now is the judgment of this world 31 Now is the judgment of this world! Now the prince of this world will be driven out! 32 And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die.

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian John 3:14-15 Don’t Be that Christian

14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert , so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life!

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian Revelation 12:10 Don’t Be that Christian

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One, for the accuser of our brethren—the one who accuses them before our God day and night —has been thrown out.”

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian 1 Corinthians 2:10 Don’t Be that Christian

8 None of the rulers of this age understood it—for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 Don’t Be that Christian

3 But to me it matters very little to be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me.

5 Therefore do not judge anything before the time—wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the things hidden in darkness and also make clear the motives of the hearts. Then the praise for each one will come from God.

Don’t Be that Christian

Don’t Be that Christian Luke 9:51-55 Don’t Be that Christian

14 When the days were approaching for Him to be taken up, Yeshua was determined to go up to Jerusalem. 15 He sent messengers before Him, and they went and entered a Samaritan village to make His arrangements.

53 But they did not receive Him, because He was focused on going up to Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples Jacob and John saw this, they said, "Master, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?

55 But Yeshua turned and rebuked them

Don’t Be that Christian

Zechariah 9:12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Today I declare that I will restore twice as much to you.

Don’t Be that Christian