rec0825-112649<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Betsy has a coaster on her night stand that says:<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot direct the wind but we can adjust our sails.\u201d<\/p>\n Your attitude\u201d\u201dyou CAN choose it!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n You cannot choose all of life\u201d\u2122s circumstances\u201d\u201dyou cannot direct the wind.<\/p>\n But the attitude with which you navigate today\u201d\u2122s waves and conditions is completely up to you\u201d\u201dit\u201d\u2122s a decision you make!<\/p>\n Viktor Frankl (survivor of a Nazi concentration camp)<\/strong><\/p>\n Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.<\/p>\n You CAN adjust the sails of your heart\/mind\u201d\u201dyou CAN choose your attitude every day!<\/p>\n Last week we started looking at a challenging verse\u201d\u00a6<\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 5:18<\/strong> (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup>Be thankful in all<\/em><\/strong> circumstances, for this is God\u201d\u2122s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n James MacDonald<\/strong>, author of our churchwide Bible Study, \u201cLord, Change My Attitude\u201d says:<\/p>\n A thankful attitude begins and ends with seeing the goodness of the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n If our hearts are not focused on God\u201d\u2122s goodness, we will not be thankful day in and day out.\u00a0 We will quickly find ourselves ungrateful.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n MacDonald<\/strong><\/p>\n If ingratitude is allowed to become a habit, it will weigh you down with the burdens of life, leading to bitterness, depression, and despair.<\/p>\n Thankfulness for our salvation in Jesus is the foundation of gratitude in all of life!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Then from the foundation of our salvation in Jesus, we\u201d\u2122ll begin to see a multitude of gifts to be thankful for!\u00a0 But it all begins and ends with Jesus!\u00a0 It all begins and ends at this Table that reminds us of the love of God and the gift of salvation in Jesus!<\/p>\n If God never did another thing for us, the eternal gift of love, mercy and grace in Jesus is enough for us to praise Him for all of eternity<\/span>!<\/p>\n So even if we think we have nothing else to be thankful for, God\u201d\u2122s love for us as spelled out through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, is God\u201d\u2122s ultimate and everlasting gift for which we can\/must\/will give thanks to our God<\/em>!<\/p>\n 32\u00a0<\/sup>He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all\u201d\u201dhow will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can you remember when you first learned to count all the way up to 100?\u00a0 It seemed to take forever, but how awesome were YOU when you finally got it right and reached 100?!!<\/p>\n This morning, I\u201d\u2122ve got a counting challenge for all of us\u201d\u201dadults and children alike.\u00a0 And this counting challenge is far more difficult than counting to 100 as a 5 or 6 year old was.\u00a0 But the results are far more rewarding, as well.<\/p>\n 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 136<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup> thank God no matter what happens<\/em>. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.<\/p>\n Because of Jesus and God\u201d\u2122s great grace to us, there is always something to be thankful for\u201d\u201dno matter what happens!<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of my favorite songs growing up was \u201cCount Your Blessings\u201d sung by a group from the mid-70s called \u201cThe Brotherhood\u201d.\u00a0 As life and time pass, I realize more of the depth of truth in that song\u201d\u2122s lyrics.\u00a0 Listen to these words:<\/p>\n Count Your Blessings<\/strong><\/p>\n When upon life\u201d\u2122s billows you are tempest-tossed, Are you ever burdened with a load of care? When you look at others with their lands and gold, So, amid the conflict whether great or small, Do you regularly count your blessings<\/em>?\u00a0 As in, daily?<\/p>\n Counting your blessings WILL change your attitude!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Ann Voskamp wrote a great little book entitled, \u201cOne Thousand Gifts:\u00a0 A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are\u201d.\u00a0 This book was the result of a friend\u201d\u2122s dare to make a list of 1,000 things Ann was thankful for.\u00a0 And in the process of making that list, Mrs. Voskamp\u201d\u2122s life was changed and her heart was healed from bitterness over several tragedies that had long plagued her soul. It\u201d\u2122s worth your time to read it sometime.<\/strong><\/p>\n Voskamp<\/strong><\/p>\n Count blessings and discover Who can be counted on…Count blessings and find out how many of His bridges have already held\u201d\u00a6Remembering is an act of thanksgiving, a way of thanksgiving, this turn of the heart over time\u201d\u2122s shoulder to see all the long way His arms have carried\u201d\u00a6Thanks is what builds trust.<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! 4\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. 10\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. 17\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. 23\u00a0<\/sup>He remembered us in our weakness. Each of God\u201d\u2122s acts on their behalf was seen to be a demonstration of His faithful love that endures forever.<\/p>\n And what was true for Israel is true for us!<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart, as you see how His faithful love has worked in your life over and over and over again.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n To live life \u201cconsciously thankful\u201d (MacDonald) will make you a more joyful person!<\/p>\n In fact, you\u201d\u2122ll begin to discover gifts from God even in the storms of life.<\/p>\n Do you realize that the worst thing that has ever happened in the world resulted in the best thing that has ever happened in the world?<\/em><\/p>\n The crucifixion of Jesus gave grace and forgiveness and righteousness to all who will simply trust Him!<\/p>\n If that is true of the Cross, doesn\u201d\u2122t it make sense that God will ultimately redeem that burden, trial or tragedy you\u201d\u2122re facing right now?<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u201d\u2122s the wrong others do to you\u201d\u201dinjustices and ugliness and betrayal.\u00a0 I think of Joseph and the repeated injustices and pain he suffered all because of his brothers\u201d\u2122 betrayal.\u00a0 But listen to what he said in the end:<\/p>\n Genesis 50:20 (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n 20\u00a0<\/sup>You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.<\/p>\n Other times it is simply what God allows without explanation.\u00a0 I think of Job, from whom God allowed Satan to take everything\u201d\u201dhis children, possessions and his own health.\u00a0 But listen to what Job said:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 15\u00a0<\/sup>Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n And increasingly, you will find a grateful confidence in the Lord in your heart, no matter what is going on, that quiets complaining and frees you from fear and gives you a joy and peace that surpasses understanding!<\/p>\n So\u201d\u00a6before we come to the Table, let\u201d\u2122s get started counting our way up to gratitude.<\/p>\n You\u201d\u2122ll find an insert in your bulletin that says, \u201cGod\u201d\u2122s Gifts to Me\u201d.\u00a0 Write down 5 of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you\u201d\u00a6and feel the gratitude and trust grow in your heart!\u00a0 And then keep that list going this week\u201d\u00a6maybe longer!<\/p>\n Remembering each of God\u201d\u2122s gifts to you will grow gratitude and trust in your heart!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Prayer<\/p>\n Communion Song by \u201cThis Hope\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Praise to the Lord, The Almighty <\/strong><\/p>\n Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! Praise to the Lord Praise to the Lord Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him! Text: Joachim Neander, 1680. Based on Psalm 103 Message by Chad Kelly rec0825-112649 Betsy has a coaster on her night stand that says: \u201cWe cannot direct the wind but we can adjust our sails.\u201d Your attitude\u201d\u201dyou CAN choose it!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You cannot choose all of life\u201d\u2122s circumstances\u201d\u201dyou cannot … Continue reading Romans 8:32 (NIV)<\/h3>\n
Counting Your Way Up to Gratitude<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (MSG)<\/h3>\n
\nWhen you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
\nCount your many blessings, name them one by one,
\nAnd it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
\nRefrain:
\nCount your blessings, name them one by one,
\nCount your blessings, see what God hath done!
\nCount your blessings, name them one by one,
\n*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
\n[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]<\/p>\n
\nDoes the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
\nCount your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
\nAnd you will keep singing as the days go by.<\/p>\n
\nThink that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
\nCount your many blessings\u201d\u201d*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
\nYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.<\/p>\n
\nDo not be discouraged, God is over all;
\nCount your many blessings, angels will attend,
\nHelp and comfort give you to your journey\u201d\u2122s end.<\/p>\nGod\u201d\u2122s Word shows us that counting our blessings by remembering God\u201d\u2122s gifts fits exactly how we\u201d\u2122re wired.<\/h3>\n
Psalm 136 is a song the Israelites would sing to remind themselves of all that God had done for them, which, in turn, reminded them, that no matter what they were facing at the time, God\u201d\u2122s love for them was unquestionable!<\/h3>\n
Psalm 136 (NLT)<\/h3>\n
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to the God of gods.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights\u201d\u201d
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>the sun to rule the day,
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>and the moon and stars to rule the night.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>He brought Israel out of Egypt.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>He led Israel safely through,
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>He killed powerful kings\u201d\u201d
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>Sihon king of the Amorites,
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>and Og king of Bashan.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance\u201d\u201d
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>a special possession to his servant Israel.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>He saved us from our enemies.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>He gives food to every living thing.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em>
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>Give thanks to the God of heaven.
\nHis faithful love endures forever.<\/em><\/p>\nJob 13:15 (NIV)<\/h3>\n
\nO my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
\nAll ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
\nPraise Him in glad adoration.<\/p>\n
\nWho o\u201d\u2122er all things so wondrously reigneth,
\nShelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
\nHast thou not seen how thy desires e\u201d\u2122er have been
\nGranted in what He ordaineth?<\/p>\n
\nWho doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
\nSurely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
\nPonder anew what the Almighty can do
\nIf with His love He befriend thee.<\/p>\n
\nAll that hath life and breath,
\nCome now with praises before Him.
\nLet the Amen sound from His people again,
\nGladly forever adore Him.<\/p>\n
\nTranslated by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
\nTune: LOBE DEN HERREN, Stralsund Gesangbuch, 1665<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"