September 22 2013 The Art Of Gratefulness

THE ART OF GRATEFULNESS

Luke 17:11-19

FOUR TRUTHS ABOUT GRATEFULNESS FROM LUKE 17

1. It’s easy to forget about God during the good times. (v. 17)

2. God blesses the grateful and the ungrateful alike. (v. 14)

3. It matters to Jesus whether or not I say Thank You. (vv.17-18)

4. Grateful words reflect greater faith. (v. 19)

FOUR STEPS TO DEVELOPING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

1. PRAISE God first thing in the morning

Psalm 59:16 ““But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love.”

2. REMOVE all complaints from my life.

Memory Verse: “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.” Philippians 2:14

3. SAY thank you to those who bless me. 

Luke 17:15-16 ““One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God, I'm healed!" fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done.”

4. ENJOY today as if I were on vacation

Ecclesiastes 3:22 “There is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future.”

Psalm 100 (A Psalm of Thanksgiving) Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

May 19 2013 How To Conquer Complaining

How To Conquer Complaining

Philippians 2:14-15 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

I.  Four types of complainers:

1.  The whiner: Wakes up negative.

Psalm 73:13 - (David) Have I been wasting my time?  Why take all the trouble to be pure?  All I get out of it is trouble and woe.

Matthew 21:11-12 - They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.  We put up with a whole day’s work in the hot sun, yet you paid them the same as you paid us.

2.  The martyr: No one appreciates me.

Numbers 11:11 - Moses said to the Lord, why pick on me, to give me the burden of a people like this?  I can’t carry this nation by myself!  If you’re going to treat me like this, please kill me right not, it will be a kindness!  Let me out of this impossible situation.

3.  The cynic: Nothing will ever change.

(Solomon)  Ecclesiastes 1:2-4, 9 - Life is useless, you spend your time working and what do you have to show for it?  The world stays just the same, what has been done before will be done again.

4.  The perfectionist: Is that the best you can do?

Proverbs 27:15 - A nagging wife is like water going drip, drip, drip on a rainy day.

Proverbs 21:19 - Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.

II.  How to conquer complaining:

1.  Admit it’s a problem for you.

Proverbs 28:13 - A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.  But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.

2.  Accept responsibility for our own life.

Proverbs 19:3 - Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid mistakes, and then blame the Lord.

3.  Develop the attitude of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:11 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

4.  Practice speaking positively.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 6:4 - Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful, rather bring them up with loving discipline and Godly advice.

RESULT:  BE A STAR

Philippians 2:15

November 20 2011 The Art Of Gratefulness

The Art Of Gratefulness

Luke 17:11-19 “As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, ‘‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ He looked at them and said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, their leprosy disappeared. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God, I'm healed!’ fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?’ And Jesus said to the man, ‘Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.’”

Four Truths About Gratefulness From Luke 17

1. It’s easy to forget about God during the good times. (v. 17)

2. God blesses the grateful and the ungrateful alike. (v. 14)

3. It matters to Jesus whether or not I say Thank You. (vv.17-18)

4. Grateful words reflect greater faith. (v. 19)

Four Steps To Developing An Attitude of Gratitude

1. PRAISE God first thing in the morning
(Psalm 59:16 ““But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love.”) 

2. REMOVE all complaints from my life.

3. SAY thank you to those who bless me
(Luke 17:15-16““One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God, I'm healed!" fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done.”) 

4. ENJOY today as if I were on vacation
(Ecclesiastes 3:22“There is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future.”)
(Psalm 100““(A Psalm of Thanksgiving) Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”)

November 20 2011 The Art Of Gratefulness

The Art Of Gratefulness

Luke 17:11-19 “As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, ‘‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ He looked at them and said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, their leprosy disappeared. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God, I'm healed!’ fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?’ And Jesus said to the man, ‘Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.’”

Four Truths About Gratefulness From Luke 17

1. It’s easy to forget about God during the good times. (v. 17)

2. God blesses the grateful and the ungrateful alike. (v. 14)

3. It matters to Jesus whether or not I say Thank You. (vv.17-18)

4. Grateful words reflect greater faith. (v. 19)

Four Steps To Developing An Attitude of Gratitude

1. PRAISE God first thing in the morning
(Psalm 59:16 ““But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love.”) 

2. REMOVE all complaints from my life.

3. SAY thank you to those who bless me
(Luke 17:15-16““One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God, I'm healed!" fell face down on the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done.”) 

4. ENJOY today as if I were on vacation
(Ecclesiastes 3:22“There is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future.”)
(Psalm 100““(A Psalm of Thanksgiving) Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”)