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Thinking Right (Gratitude)
by Steve May
Text: Isaiah 12:1-6
Topic: Why we should be grateful
Big Idea: Gratitude is the key to a rewarding life.
Keywords: Attitudes; Grace; Gratitude; Joy; Thankfulness; Thanksgiving
Introduction:
- Illustration: May recalls a Veteran’s Day event, where recent military action had rekindled a sense of enthusiastic gratitude in the high school attendees.
- Big Idea: Gratitude is the key to a rewarding life.
- A sense of entitlement drains the life out of a person.
- Illustration: May demonstrates through the story of two orphan children how the early seeds of kindness and gratitude rewarded the young boy, but a sense of entitlement and lack of gratitude poisoned the young girl.
God comforts you with forgiveness.
- Illustration: May quotes first Bible teacher Steve Brown and then Martin Luther on the difficulty people have accepting God’s grace.
- Many are convinced that God is so angry with them that they can never experience a close relationship with him.
- God wants you to experience the comfort of his forgiveness.
- Isaiah 12:1
- God’s grace is more powerful than sin.
- Because of God’s grace, we can begin every day with a sense of gratitude.
He gives you strength in your weakest moments.
- Isaiah 12:2
- God doesn’t just want to forgive us of our sins, he wants to save us from our sins, and give us strength and courage to live day to day.
- In the face of fear, trust God.
- Mark 5:36
He is never far away.
- Isaiah 12:6
- Matthew 28:20
- Hebrews 13:5
- Illustration: May quotes comedian George Burns, describing a nearness that we can know with God, as Burns knew it with his wife: “She was as close to me as my next breath.”
Conclusion:
- Our response to God’s grace, strength, and closeness should be gratitude.
- Isaiah 12:4
- Illustration: May recalls the “Jesus shouts” of 1970’s Christian rallies, and suggests we need to recapture some of that enthusiastic gratitude.
- Isaiah 12:3
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