The Sermon Giving Thanks by David McGee
Nov 14, 2010
Giving Thanks (40:27)
Referenced Scriptures: Psalm 116:12; Psalm 103:1-5;
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Psalm 116:12
12) What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me?
Psalm 103:1-5
1) Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!
2) Praise Yahweh, my soul, And don‘t forget all his benefits;
3) Who forgives all your sins; Who heals all your diseases;
4) Who redeems your life from destruction; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5) Who satisfies your desire with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle‘s.
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So this morning were looking at giving thanks, giving thanks. I did not, why, why is be thankful difficult enough that that was the first thing you look at this morning, but let us read in Psalm one sixteen verse twelve it says what shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits towards me. So what if it then I can give to God for all the blessings that he is given to me and Dan and Psalm one oh three on a read from the message Bible. It's verses one through five. It says all my soul blessed God from head to tell. I'll bless his holy name all my soul, bless God. Don't forget a single blessing to forgive your sins. Everyone he heals your diseases. Everyone he regained your from how he saves your life. The crown jewel of love and mercy. If a paradise crown. The ratchet with goodness, beauty eternal a ring that is your you you're always young in his presence so as we look at the things that we really got to say and I I I asked the question why is it, how is it is that we find it difficult to be thankful. Now we live in a would you blame okay with slow start blaming. We can blame our negative culture. We can blame our our news media. We can blame our negative environment we can willingly can blame people around us and all those things our society. But what makes people negative one makes an pessimistic about themselves are these about their jobs about their school. What makes people pessimistic and the answer is, we often focus on what's missing. We often focus on what's missing from our lives. If you think about why were pessimistic. We often think about it in the context of what we don't have what we lack, if I only had in that world. If I got this right so were looking for. We find something that's missing is about this. How can you complete any project. Whenever all the juicy are things that you don't have, you know, I went through this, but I don't have this examiner that I would complete this project in the project person that don't get things done and why is it that we have projects that we don't get the down@ were missing time where missing this were missing hell were missing anything, so we don't get things done because we come up short. We cannot start because of something 's missing. If we just have the time about this one. I will get for all of you who are still in school I will get a hundred percent on every test what your first thought something 's missing rights and the answers are not gone on as my teachers involved or whatever about this when I will have a great day at work. What's your first thought you don't know the people I work with what's missing. While plaintiff had more positive people I thought my whole life is the best all I could ever dream up in your first thought is you don't know my husband yet, although my wife yell go like this where you don't know my parents let me looking at were looking out what is missing so we have we have learned to cancel out hopes and dreams with Katzenberg to cancel out the good things in our life and we wanted off because of what's missing and whatever we do this against ourselves permission to be negative against ourselves permission to cancel out good and to cancel out the optimal blessing that could come into our life. I went to Best Buy, you don't know what's missing something that in the Psalm here says in Psalm one oh three, he says, bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name of the King James version, the message Bible says all my soul, bless God from head to toe. So from my head at the top of my head has a man. Thank you, Heather and from there. Add to the depth of my towels. I am to bless God bless. I will bless his holy name all my soul, bless God. And don't forget a single blessing seek blessings are defined word blessing can be defined as that which we would been the need to know in the royal court days when the king with the stolen blessing on someone that people would bend in the so when the king would bless individuals they would violin beyond the need to receive well. Whenever we think of you know I needed this if you were Noah Berti: thank you. I was high getting smoked clear so whatever we receive a blessing it is it is not what we are the vendors need to. It's like we are receiving something royally into our lives. God is blessing us in many different ways, and he and he is touching our lives in many different ways, and so every good and perfect thing is a gift of our life from God. God blesses his people. God blessed his people. Many the stalls. London gives whether they be temporal or whether they be spiritual. God blesses us, when he gives these things to us and we bless God when we thank him for his blessings that he is put in our lives. So God blesses us by giving us things and we bless God by being thankful for the trouble is we have too many things that are missing, and we start focusing on what we don't have and we don't give God blessings at Thanksgiving for what he does give us. James one seventeen says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, it comes down from your father. Every gift and every perfect gift comes awesome God in on the message Bible says so, my dear friends don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven, every desirable and beneficial gift has been given to us from heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the father of life, so the well things are or were the more I dislike like shining a byline and just as the sun shines upon our lives and more than one. Salted the blessings of God cascade down into why lives, and they're all around us, and there is nothing deceitful in God. So when God gives us something it isn't because he wants something back out of our lives. God wants to give us something so that we can find fullness in our life. So there's nothing deceitful about God. God is not to phase is not fickle. All I gave you something you like and I'm taken aback and think of my toys and going home that he brought us to life by using his word 's workspace to loss and and and still denies the truth and the truth becomes our stability you build your life upon truth upon the rock upon foundations that are based on God 's word and these are principles that we can live with in this life and in the life to come. So let's be clear. Everything is worthy of Thanksgiving day readiness everything is worthy of Thanksgiving and I say that everything is working out Thanksgiving Santa yet everything is worthy of Thanksgiving. Now do you believe in. That's a real challenging statement is the slope worthy of trust, Thanksgiving, now the answer is wild in the turkeys coming, so maybe whatever we get the dirt units. All cards and reading it will say while I was working in our salt it, everything is worthy of Thanksgiving. First Thessalonians five eighteen him thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Our first thought is something is missing. There are things that are not worthy of Thanksgiving there are things that happen in our lives and events that transpired that have, so I can are on our idea of being thankful and we say that something is missing. But stop for a moment and look at this person we want to find what what is the clear intent of this up. This burst of God being the declaration in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. In searching for God. The difficulty for this is the will of God is in Christ Jesus. It is what is missing. It's that was present that I am thankful for in every thing give thanks everything give thanks for what reason for this is the will of God in Christ who is present here in my life. Jesus Christ is present in me, and therefore when Christ is in me, and Christ is it us nothing is missing. That's the content of this verse. Nothing is missing. Nothing is missing. Now, we often do we make it. We make a lot of good excuse. I may not make some really good one. Sometimes bonus. Wonder what they are, but each semester. The idea, but it is not what we had and if not, what's missing what it is, who is present what presence in my life. And when God is present in my life. I have that his grace, his mercy is sufficient for me that when God is present so I am giving thanks for God being present in my life if I go through all things, and God in my life. I am grateful for because his grace, his mercy, his forgiveness is lobbed his strength, his power is compassion nine of those things are lacking because God is with me, God is with me, Jesus is my way. He has my truth is, it is my guess. My very present help in time of trouble you say God is with me, so in Christ. Nothing is missing. God is not the author of all things, but he cannot and will not be separated from you and anything so whenever I am being grateful. I've been grateful that God is with me because in my difficulty. I have a whole. I have peace. I have the strength that there was life, and there is a purpose beyond what I see, God is with me. This is a good, practical optimism that is based upon a divine revelation, a practical optimism, based upon a divine revelation and the divine revelation is what we said in Psalm one oh three, verses three and four and five, he forgives your sins every one of them. He feels sure diseases. Every one of them every danger from hell. He saved your life. He crowns you with love and mercy. It is a paradise crown, irrational, and goodness him that is internal to the Missouri news. You're always young in his presence, and average annual price presence. I am to be giving thanks no matter what things I find myself in because I looking at the God who created the universe and he is in my life. It is touching my life. So, Thanksgiving is a very practical optimism a practical optimism based on a relationship with Jesus Christ and everything in K and ask a question, writing, what are you thankful for know that answer is to have a guide when thankful for raise, raise your hand yet, but she's got your hands is not like that. I simply take over threads and with the development. I am on here than what you thankful for life, knowledge, wisdom, what grateful for peace of mind relationship help God 's presence. Jesus, you see anything. It is a practical wisdom. A practical application that something is not missing someone is present in about that something is not missing someone is present, and who is this someone who has present it is thought God is with me, he will never leave you nor forsake you see what everyone as our attitudes are added to the husband change unless we change it. You see will see you Google liaison, give them a five dollar bill and I got a beautiful black and enough then you got my back now is it is all you need is all you need. Thank you very much, but I wasn't giving any more. I doubt any of my months. Not that got been taken it. Do you really think you will have all run by a designated by now just because I didn't find box doesn't mean his attitude changed, because no matter how much I given me still has the same attitude, your answer doesn't chase because you get more because no matter how much you get if you don't change what's in your heart and your mind. Nothing changes to discuss his same old stock. The always bad with my platform that I got flowers warming on sanity again. We walked up and maybe a library applied by many in our thank you to give my money and not have to so is the idea is that if I said earlier like fervor students, you know, I'm really a hundred percent on my tests, but I would get a higher person my test your highest I used to while my wife could get a hundred percent on every desk. Not this guy but I think while I was not smart enough. I don't have the IQ that somebody else that if I ever say that he was out, but based on the unwanted would think that what I like you, but I was reading I found this little tidbit of information. Intelligence is intelligence is mostly learned your I you account for only ten percent of your success at the very most accounts for ten percent, so it is that how smart you are is not sure I can do is your learned intelligence and yet all that if we don't learn to be thankful. We never change. When you think about this. This is a very practical optimism is that unit out saying if I don't change who I am in my attitude about what is missing in my life and what I have in my life and what I'm thankful for you, see if I am not grateful for what I have, no matter how much I get I will not be grateful for him excitedly thought if I can just have more all be different not happen, I do review really got the people of one big lotteries, yet we always got everything up. I can just yell out the market is when the lottery, I'd be totally different people of one. The big lotteries. I think it's eighty five, ninety five percent of the more bankrupt than five years. Why, because it doesn't, doesn't matter how much you get. If your attitude doesn't change you don't change and you will just get more and put yourself for no one ever because you don't have a change of attitude. And God says in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. If you are not thankful for what you've got, you'll never be thankful for what you get. So, being grateful is a foundational principle of being a different person and out of how does that happen. It begins by not looking for what is missing July people are critical young gossipers. People who gossip and put down other people. When people are critical of other people. What are they talking about their generally talking about what is missing in their life. What somebody else has in their life, and there to run them down for giving gossiping about tearing people apart in the amount of what it's based upon what it people looking at what's missing and then using it again. And as if it's some type of privilege. We had to think God has specific purpose God has a specific purpose for your life and it will never be realized when all they do is declare what is missing attitude is defined as a positive assumption for a specific purpose. A positive assumption. I'm assuming something good about something in my life. Okay I am assuming I am a positive assumption of a similar misogynist, you know what assumptions of I don't care what an assumption I'm assuming that you want to know this, but some assumptions. Hundreds of expectation both a positive assumption for a specific purpose. Okay, a positive assumption and I think positive assumption for a specific purpose and level of say that evangelical long sentence five. I am counting on your IQ here that that hit upon an assumption for a specific purpose, so I'm going to be positive. I am going to be positive about my life. Following are you texting somebody know if I should pick out she lived today, I'm picking on her already. Oh my God please forgive me. I do this. My normal okay, those boys are the back and then on up here today to be picked on. I'm sorry in the once I really like I should pick on, but that guy guys. You guys are there any effect on the amount of the back there, but the idea is that we have a positive assumption about a specific purpose. Being positive about your life means you're not looking for what is missing you're looking for what you've got your looking at what you have, you know you need to be the boss of your brain. I am created is really good. I like the kids in it. I am a possible brain or thank you that the fact that I live also library and I got it when them, and loses it. I am the apostle library thank you have gone out there psyches. And down right now right here. Grades are now ready I am the boss of my brain math that I can so I got me on about the library. Monday May I going to guard my mind and my thoughts. The Bible says guard your hearts and your minds guard the garrison being on a fortress around the because what you think you are what you think you are and if you don't change the way you think you'll never change who you are. That's why the Bible says the guard your hearts and minds. This is that this is about the other advantage. that wasn't about positing in a closet. Thinking that God is in everything give thanks. It is a practical optimism, based upon a divine revelation and the divine revelation is in everything give thanks on this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. Jesus Christ is with me in all things. Therefore, I am grateful for his presence to give me the strength to go through all things, a divine revelation that has a practical optimism. I'm the boss of my brain. I will are my thoughts. I will guide my thinking, saying, then say let's delete that I like this little quota, says it's the ability to think about what you think about. We all have the ability to think about what we think about is not instinct is not hereditary. It's not like the birds flying south in the and and in the wintertime in the fall is not about the migration of animals and the Penguins and all that in the anarchic things about you and I having the ability to think about what were thinking about and making eye a practical decision about what we do so we have to see with new eyes have a clear perspective a clear intent to our vision. What do you want from your attitude and you know this is this is the foundation of Thanksgiving. What do you want from your attitude what you want from your attitude. Where's your attitude. Where is my attitude supposed to take me where is your attitude supposed to take you if you continue taking the attitude that you have right now where you go in and up. What is going to happen to your life if you continue the same attitude. You're not been a change and a generally depicted with generally deteriorates, but if you have a positive attitude. It is that which continues to build, build upon precept upon precept, and you can looking for one thing you looking for what God has given you you're looking for the opportunities that lie around you. So what do I want. Why do I want and why I want to have a positive attitude. Every always goes wrong. Anyhow, you know what I meant. I had a guy once that I was counseled and he he was young he was the most negative person I've ever met. The most the most negative person I've ever met in my life, and last devices don't you get tired of the negative is that while I tried being positive once and then work actually said it didn't work. How many did a bath in the last week. I'm really what about this one of you again, not many. Maybe you can hear the question, how many had a bath in the last week they those of you are setting by someone who didn't raise her and now you know it wasn't smoke that you smell out on a shower, a bath or shower, washed off saltwater now that okay why did you take a bath or shower in the last week to let that Edwards is a forty. After I buy now we talk about renewing our minds why you need to renew your mind urologist just like a bad you got a take it every day. You got to renew your mind about a look at what you have. You've got to look at what life offers us and not what is missing. But what is what is the blessing of your life and we have to do it every day, just like the will another work why, why does the one yesterday now what I need that one today. Why do we need to think positively. Today I thought possibly yesterday, and I don't feel that good today on the days we need to do it every single day renew our mind on when we focus on what's missing. We end up not being able to build anything being negative being ungrateful blaming the missing blaming whatever parents, school South attitude like takes the responsibility out of our hands and we end up saying it's not my fault optimism can be learned. We're grateful to God, Greg Rasul to God is an attitude and invisibly. Optimism is the belief that moves me to action to take an initiative of the initiative lies within us. Now to begin to see God in our life in God 's hand in our life, because God is with me now he is with me now on, what does he want me to know God wants me to learn that he will never leave me nor forsake God wants me to know that in everything. I am giving thanks, because God is with me in the everything and envy everything I have strength because he forgives me have averaged him feel you have every disease retains our life from how he crowns us with love and mercy. He wraps us and goodness he written. They argue it safe when we chose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but being grateful for the abundance of what is present, we experience and an honor. Where are you right now on the thankful factor scale are you more thankful than you can handle or are you barely alive. We live in times that are often difficult. We live in times of change. We live in times that maybe are anxious in life is fragile but fat thankfulness and gratitude. They go hand-in-hand. We are not grateful because we are happy we are happy because were grateful. We are not grateful because we are happy we are happy because we are grateful, so we undertake this is my challenge for us to take five minutes a day to practice being grateful look around and remember how much you have to be thankful for freedom for your faith for friendship for family and don't dismiss one item from it. Your world will begin to see that which is beautiful and what is being blessed be the boss of your mind, find ways to remind yourself just how fortunate you are. Remember what good things we build whatever good things we build end up building us if you go to want on your gratitude your gratitude will go to work on you if your life will never be your life will never be built by what is missing, it can only be built by what you have and what you have. If used correctly will build what is missing in your life is an option that is an opportunity to be the person that God created us to it as an opportunity to find the best in us and bring out the best in others because when we appreciate what other people do we find the relationship existing that is not based upon what I could get out of them. But what I can give, and we were all men to be givers to be givers. Greater love hath no man than this, that he laid down his life for four love one another for God so loved the world he gave. We were meant to be givers and in the giving. We find the blessing and the ability to receive show was that the couple of the fire. All I become okay I have nothing is known by so as we as we look at this attitude of being grateful. I have a house and if you can be seated. Now we know we have a few minutes have set down Frank Samara is that they all were all on the I hear I do I run a few other things that go with this. Have a cheery attitude and will change those around you. Audio change people around you change your be grateful for the relationships you have and you'll find your relationships growing. You will learn that there are some people that are just really ungrateful individuals, and you don't want to be with them. You don't want to be with them because it's easier, but I continued to technical beautiful greater degree rate that I know you can step down. She went here now it's harder for me to pull her up. That is for her to pull me down. Attitudes are like that. If you're always trying to lift somebody up. It's a very difficult pool, but they find it very easy to pull you down. That's why it's important that you choose the attitudes that you want to have in life and in your friends and those around you change your attitude you change your surroundings. Also this this season. I want you to send gratitude cards why gratitude cards you know the end of the drive to send Christmas cards Thanksgiving cards, birthday cards, whatever Bob instead of signing your name sign and something about that person that you appreciate what is there about that person that you like both on what you don't like, July two, because he's not recently. That's not what's missing. It's what's there. Okay, so whenever you're with your friends. Don't get caught up in talking about people and what's missing from your life and they got your act in your you don't like and then you down. Then you got an attitude for Jesse had to forget being a person of integrity and love and have Thanksgiving attitude because it will change you. So write something on the card about the individual showing gratitude will increase your happiness by twenty five percent. I know that showing gratitude will increase your happiness by twenty five percent. Another one is you can hit a target. You can see, see yourself as a happy person. What type of person would you be if you were a happy thankful person and everything you have was already there is not what's missing in your life. It's about being thankful for what you have, there's one other one hour rate. You will never be built. I have read this before you will never be built by what is missing, you will never build things in your life by what is missing, it can only be built by what you have what you have if you correctly will know what is missing in your life if you know you're not grateful for what you have. You never use it properly. This is why God is telling us to be thankful. Why we are to exercise independent and be the boss of our minds, how we think about ourselves. You can. I can't control what other people think. I can only control how I respond, be thankful for who you are the one God has given you these are the blessings at ThanksgivingSo this morning were looking at giving thanks, giving thanks. I did not, why, why is be thankful difficult enough that that was the first thing you look at this morning, but let us read in Psalm one sixteen verse twelve it says what shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits towards me. So what if it then I can give to God for all the blessings that he is given to me and Dan and Psalm one oh three on a read from the message Bible. It's verses one through five. It says all my soul blessed God from head to tell. I'll bless his holy name all my soul, bless God. Don't forget a single blessing to forgive your sins. Everyone he heals your diseases. Everyone he regained your from how he saves your life. The crown jewel of love and mercy. If a paradise crown. The ratchet with goodness, beauty eternal a ring that is your you you're always young in his presence so as we look at the things that we really got to say and I I I asked the question why is it, how is it is that we find it difficult to be thankful. Now we live in a would you blame okay with slow start blaming. We can blame our negative culture. We can blame our our news media. We can blame our negative environment we can willingly can blame people around us and all those things our society. But what makes people negative one makes an pessimistic about themselves are these about their jobs about their school. What makes people pessimistic and the answer is, we often focus on what's missing. We often focus on what's missing from our lives. If you think about why were pessimistic. We often think about it in the context of what we don't have what we lack, if I only had in that world. If I got this right so were looking for. We find something that's missing is about this. How can you complete any project. Whenever all the juicy are things that you don't have, you know, I went through this, but I don't have this examiner that I would complete this project in the project person that don't get things done and why is it that we have projects that we don't get the down@ were missing time where missing this were missing hell were missing anything, so we don't get things done because we come up short. We cannot start because of something 's missing. If we just have the time about this one. I will get for all of you who are still in school I will get a hundred percent on every test what your first thought something 's missing rights and the answers are not gone on as my teachers involved or whatever about this when I will have a great day at work. What's your first thought you don't know the people I work with what's missing. While plaintiff had more positive people I thought my whole life is the best all I could ever dream up in your first thought is you don't know my husband yet, although my wife yell go like this where you don't know my parents let me looking at were looking out what is missing so we have we have learned to cancel out hopes and dreams with Katzenberg to cancel out the good things in our life and we wanted off because of what's missing and whatever we do this against ourselves permission to be negative against ourselves permission to cancel out good and to cancel out the optimal blessing that could come into our life. I went to Best Buy, you don't know what's missing something that in the Psalm here says in Psalm one oh three, he says, bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name of the King James version, the message Bible says all my soul, bless God from head to toe. So from my head at the top of my head has a man. Thank you, Heather and from there. Add to the depth of my towels. I am to bless God bless. I will bless his holy name all my soul, bless God. And don't forget a single blessing seek blessings are defined word blessing can be defined as that which we would been the need to know in the royal court days when the king with the stolen blessing on someone that people would bend in the so when the king would bless individuals they would violin beyond the need to receive well. Whenever we think of you know I needed this if you were Noah Berti: thank you. I was high getting smoked clear so whatever we receive a blessing it is it is not what we are the vendors need to. It's like we are receiving something royally into our lives. God is blessing us in many different ways, and he and he is touching our lives in many different ways, and so every good and perfect thing is a gift of our life from God. God blesses his people. God blessed his people. Many the stalls. London gives whether they be temporal or whether they be spiritual. God blesses us, when he gives these things to us and we bless God when we thank him for his blessings that he is put in our lives. So God blesses us by giving us things and we bless God by being thankful for the trouble is we have too many things that are missing, and we start focusing on what we don't have and we don't give God blessings at Thanksgiving for what he does give us. James one seventeen says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, it comes down from your father. Every gift and every perfect gift comes awesome God in on the message Bible says so, my dear friends don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven, every desirable and beneficial gift has been given to us from heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the father of life, so the well things are or were the more I dislike like shining a byline and just as the sun shines upon our lives and more than one. Salted the blessings of God cascade down into why lives, and they're all around us, and there is nothing deceitful in God. So when God gives us something it isn't because he wants something back out of our lives. God wants to give us something so that we can find fullness in our life. So there's nothing deceitful about God. God is not to phase is not fickle. All I gave you something you like and I'm taken aback and think of my toys and going home that he brought us to life by using his word 's workspace to loss and and and still denies the truth and the truth becomes our stability you build your life upon truth upon the rock upon foundations that are based on God 's word and these are principles that we can live with in this life and in the life to come. So let's be clear. Everything is worthy of Thanksgiving day readiness everything is worthy of Thanksgiving and I say that everything is working out Thanksgiving Santa yet everything is worthy of Thanksgiving. Now do you believe in. That's a real challenging statement is the slope worthy of trust, Thanksgiving, now the answer is wild in the turkeys coming, so maybe whatever we get the dirt units. All cards and reading it will say while I was working in our salt it, everything is worthy of Thanksgiving. First Thessalonians five eighteen him thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Our first thought is something is missing. There are things that are not worthy of Thanksgiving there are things that happen in our lives and events that transpired that have, so I can are on our idea of being thankful and we say that something is missing. But stop for a moment and look at this person we want to find what what is the clear intent of this up. This burst of God being the declaration in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. In searching for God. The difficulty for this is the will of God is in Christ Jesus. It is what is missing. It's that was present that I am thankful for in every thing give thanks everything give thanks for what reason for this is the will of God in Christ who is present here in my life. Jesus Christ is present in me, and therefore when Christ is in me, and Christ is it us nothing is missing. That's the content of this verse. Nothing is missing. Nothing is missing. Now, we often do we make it. We make a lot of good excuse. I may not make some really good one. Sometimes bonus. Wonder what they are, but each semester. The idea, but it is not what we had and if not, what's missing what it is, who is present what presence in my life. And when God is present in my life. I have that his grace, his mercy is sufficient for me that when God is present so I am giving thanks for God being present in my life if I go through all things, and God in my life. I am grateful for because his grace, his mercy, his forgiveness is lobbed his strength, his power is compassion nine of those things are lacking because God is with me, God is with me, Jesus is my way. He has my truth is, it is my guess. My very present help in time of trouble you say God is with me, so in Christ. Nothing is missing. God is not the author of all things, but he cannot and will not be separated from you and anything so whenever I am being grateful. I've been grateful that God is with me because in my difficulty. I have a whole. I have peace. I have the strength that there was life, and there is a purpose beyond what I see, God is with me. This is a good, practical optimism that is based upon a divine revelation, a practical optimism, based upon a divine revelation and the divine revelation is what we said in Psalm one oh three, verses three and four and five, he forgives your sins every one of them. He feels sure diseases. Every one of them every danger from hell. He saved your life. He crowns you with love and mercy. It is a paradise crown, irrational, and goodness him that is internal to the Missouri news. You're always young in his presence, and average annual price presence. I am to be giving thanks no matter what things I find myself in because I looking at the God who created the universe and he is in my life. It is touching my life. So, Thanksgiving is a very practical optimism a practical optimism based on a relationship with Jesus Christ and everything in K and ask a question, writing, what are you thankful for know that answer is to have a guide when thankful for raise, raise your hand yet, but she's got your hands is not like that. I simply take over threads and with the development. I am on here than what you thankful for life, knowledge, wisdom, what grateful for peace of mind relationship help God 's presence. Jesus, you see anything. It is a practical wisdom. A practical application that something is not missing someone is present in about that something is not missing someone is present, and who is this someone who has present it is thought God is with me, he will never leave you nor forsake you see what everyone as our attitudes are added to the husband change unless we change it. You see will see you Google liaison, give them a five dollar bill and I got a beautiful black and enough then you got my back now is it is all you need is all you need. Thank you very much, but I wasn't giving any more. I doubt any of my months. Not that got been taken it. Do you really think you will have all run by a designated by now just because I didn't find box doesn't mean his attitude changed, because no matter how much I given me still has the same attitude, your answer doesn't chase because you get more because no matter how much you get if you don't change what's in your heart and your mind. Nothing changes to discuss his same old stock. The always bad with my platform that I got flowers warming on sanity again. We walked up and maybe a library applied by many in our thank you to give my money and not have to so is the idea is that if I said earlier like fervor students, you know, I'm really a hundred percent on my tests, but I would get a higher person my test your highest I used to while my wife could get a hundred percent on every desk. Not this guy but I think while I was not smart enough. I don't have the IQ that somebody else that if I ever say that he was out, but based on the unwanted would think that what I like you, but I was reading I found this little tidbit of information. Intelligence is intelligence is mostly learned your I you account for only ten percent of your success at the very most accounts for ten percent, so it is that how smart you are is not sure I can do is your learned intelligence and yet all that if we don't learn to be thankful. We never change. When you think about this. This is a very practical optimism is that unit out saying if I don't change who I am in my attitude about what is missing in my life and what I have in my life and what I'm thankful for you, see if I am not grateful for what I have, no matter how much I get I will not be grateful for him excitedly thought if I can just have more all be different not happen, I do review really got the people of one big lotteries, yet we always got everything up. I can just yell out the market is when the lottery, I'd be totally different people of one. The big lotteries. I think it's eighty five, ninety five percent of the more bankrupt than five years. Why, because it doesn't, doesn't matter how much you get. If your attitude doesn't change you don't change and you will just get more and put yourself for no one ever because you don't have a change of attitude. And God says in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. If you are not thankful for what you've got, you'll never be thankful for what you get. So, being grateful is a foundational principle of being a different person and out of how does that happen. It begins by not looking for what is missing July people are critical young gossipers. People who gossip and put down other people. When people are critical of other people. What are they talking about their generally talking about what is missing in their life. What somebody else has in their life, and there to run them down for giving gossiping about tearing people apart in the amount of what it's based upon what it people looking at what's missing and then using it again. And as if it's some type of privilege. We had to think God has specific purpose God has a specific purpose for your life and it will never be realized when all they do is declare what is missing attitude is defined as a positive assumption for a specific purpose. A positive assumption. I'm assuming something good about something in my life. Okay I am assuming I am a positive assumption of a similar misogynist, you know what assumptions of I don't care what an assumption I'm assuming that you want to know this, but some assumptions. Hundreds of expectation both a positive assumption for a specific purpose. Okay, a positive assumption and I think positive assumption for a specific purpose and level of say that evangelical long sentence five. I am counting on your IQ here that that hit upon an assumption for a specific purpose, so I'm going to be positive. I am going to be positive about my life. Following are you texting somebody know if I should pick out she lived today, I'm picking on her already. Oh my God please forgive me. I do this. My normal okay, those boys are the back and then on up here today to be picked on. I'm sorry in the once I really like I should pick on, but that guy guys. You guys are there any effect on the amount of the back there, but the idea is that we have a positive assumption about a specific purpose. Being positive about your life means you're not looking for what is missing you're looking for what you've got your looking at what you have, you know you need to be the boss of your brain. I am created is really good. I like the kids in it. I am a possible brain or thank you that the fact that I live also library and I got it when them, and loses it. I am the apostle library thank you have gone out there psyches. And down right now right here. Grades are now ready I am the boss of my brain math that I can so I got me on about the library. Monday May I going to guard my mind and my thoughts. The Bible says guard your hearts and your minds guard the garrison being on a fortress around the because what you think you are what you think you are and if you don't change the way you think you'll never change who you are. That's why the Bible says the guard your hearts and minds. This is that this is about the other advantage. that wasn't about positing in a closet. Thinking that God is in everything give thanks. It is a practical optimism, based upon a divine revelation and the divine revelation is in everything give thanks on this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. Jesus Christ is with me in all things. Therefore, I am grateful for his presence to give me the strength to go through all things, a divine revelation that has a practical optimism. I'm the boss of my brain. I will are my thoughts. I will guide my thinking, saying, then say let's delete that I like this little quota, says it's the ability to think about what you think about. We all have the ability to think about what we think about is not instinct is not hereditary. It's not like the birds flying south in the and and in the wintertime in the fall is not about the migration of animals and the Penguins and all that in the anarchic things about you and I having the ability to think about what were thinking about and making eye a practical decision about what we do so we have to see with new eyes have a clear perspective a clear intent to our vision. What do you want from your attitude and you know this is this is the foundation of Thanksgiving. What do you want from your attitude what you want from your attitude. Where's your attitude. Where is my attitude supposed to take me where is your attitude supposed to take you if you continue taking the attitude that you have right now where you go in and up. What is going to happen to your life if you continue the same attitude. You're not been a change and a generally depicted with generally deteriorates, but if you have a positive attitude. It is that which continues to build, build upon precept upon precept, and you can looking for one thing you looking for what God has given you you're looking for the opportunities that lie around you. So what do I want. Why do I want and why I want to have a positive attitude. Every always goes wrong. Anyhow, you know what I meant. I had a guy once that I was counseled and he he was young he was the most negative person I've ever met. The most the most negative person I've ever met in my life, and last devices don't you get tired of the negative is that while I tried being positive once and then work actually said it didn't work. How many did a bath in the last week. I'm really what about this one of you again, not many. Maybe you can hear the question, how many had a bath in the last week they those of you are setting by someone who didn't raise her and now you know it wasn't smoke that you smell out on a shower, a bath or shower, washed off saltwater now that okay why did you take a bath or shower in the last week to let that Edwards is a forty. After I buy now we talk about renewing our minds why you need to renew your mind urologist just like a bad you got a take it every day. You got to renew your mind about a look at what you have. You've got to look at what life offers us and not what is missing. But what is what is the blessing of your life and we have to do it every day, just like the will another work why, why does the one yesterday now what I need that one today. Why do we need to think positively. Today I thought possibly yesterday, and I don't feel that good today on the days we need to do it every single day renew our mind on when we focus on what's missing. We end up not being able to build anything being negative being ungrateful blaming the missing blaming whatever parents, school South attitude like takes the responsibility out of our hands and we end up saying it's not my fault optimism can be learned. We're grateful to God, Greg Rasul to God is an attitude and invisibly. Optimism is the belief that moves me to action to take an initiative of the initiative lies within us. Now to begin to see God in our life in God 's hand in our life, because God is with me now he is with me now on, what does he want me to know God wants me to learn that he will never leave me nor forsake God wants me to know that in everything. I am giving thanks, because God is with me in the everything and envy everything I have strength because he forgives me have averaged him feel you have every disease retains our life from how he crowns us with love and mercy. He wraps us and goodness he written. They argue it safe when we chose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but being grateful for the abundance of what is present, we experience and an honor. Where are you right now on the thankful factor scale are you more thankful than you can handle or are you barely alive. We live in times that are often difficult. We live in times of change. We live in times that maybe are anxious in life is fragile but fat thankfulness and gratitude. They go hand-in-hand. We are not grateful because we are happy we are happy because were grateful. We are not grateful because we are happy we are happy because we are grateful, so we undertake this is my challenge for us to take five minutes a day to practice being grateful look around and remember how much you have to be thankful for freedom for your faith for friendship for family and don't dismiss one item from it. Your world will begin to see that which is beautiful and what is being blessed be the boss of your mind, find ways to remind yourself just how fortunate you are. Remember what good things we build whatever good things we build end up building us if you go to want on your gratitude your gratitude will go to work on you if your life will never be your life will never be built by what is missing, it can only be built by what you have and what you have. If used correctly will build what is missing in your life is an option that is an opportunity to be the person that God created us to it as an opportunity to find the best in us and bring out the best in others because when we appreciate what other people do we find the relationship existing that is not based upon what I could get out of them. But what I can give, and we were all men to be givers to be givers. Greater love hath no man than this, that he laid down his life for four love one another for God so loved the world he gave. We were meant to be givers and in the giving. We find the blessing and the ability to receive show was that the couple of the fire. All I become okay I have nothing is known by so as we as we look at this attitude of being grateful. I have a house and if you can be seated. Now we know we have a few minutes have set down Frank Samara is that they all were all on the I hear I do I run a few other things that go with this. Have a cheery attitude and will change those around you. Audio change people around you change your be grateful for the relationships you have and you'll find your relationships growing. You will learn that there are some people that are just really ungrateful individuals, and you don't want to be with them. You don't want to be with them because it's easier, but I continued to technical beautiful greater degree rate that I know you can step down. She went here now it's harder for me to pull her up. That is for her to pull me down. Attitudes are like that. If you're always trying to lift somebody up. It's a very difficult pool, but they find it very easy to pull you down. That's why it's important that you choose the attitudes that you want to have in life and in your friends and those around you change your attitude you change your surroundings. Also this this season. I want you to send gratitude cards why gratitude cards you know the end of the drive to send Christmas cards Thanksgiving cards, birthday cards, whatever Bob instead of signing your name sign and something about that person that you appreciate what is there about that person that you like both on what you don't like, July two, because he's not recently. That's not what's missing. It's what's there. Okay, so whenever you're with your friends. Don't get caught up in talking about people and what's missing from your life and they got your act in your you don't like and then you down. Then you got an attitude for Jesse had to forget being a person of integrity and love and have Thanksgiving attitude because it will change you. So write something on the card about the individual showing gratitude will increase your happiness by twenty five percent. I know that showing gratitude will increase your happiness by twenty five percent. Another one is you can hit a target. You can see, see yourself as a happy person. What type of person would you be if you were a happy thankful person and everything you have was already there is not what's missing in your life. It's about being thankful for what you have, there's one other one hour rate. You will never be built. I have read this before you will never be built by what is missing, you will never build things in your life by what is missing, it can only be built by what you have what you have if you correctly will know what is missing in your life if you know you're not grateful for what you have. You never use it properly. This is why God is telling us to be thankful. Why we are to exercise independent and be the boss of our minds, how we think about ourselves. You can. I can't control what other people think. I can only control how I respond, be thankful for who you are the one God has given you these are the blessings at Thanksgiving