#4 - I am Grateful for . . .

• The Louisiana State Police had gotten wind that illegal cock fights were becoming big in the rural areas around Lafayette. They decided to send in Boudreaux, their best undercover detective. Boudreaux spent several weeks doing surveillance and came back to headquarters to report the results of his investigation. Boudreaux say, "Der is tree main group in dis cock fightin' bisness." "Who are dey?", his Sergeant asked. Boudreaux replies, "De Aggies, De Cajuns, an de Mafia." "How you know?", asked the sargeant? "Well," says Boudreaux, "I done seen da cock fight, Cher. I knowed da Aggies was involve when a duck was entered in de cock fight." "What about the others?" questioned the Sergeant. "Well, I knowed da Cajuns was involve when sumbody bet on da duck. You know dem Cajuns, dey drink too much an say 'Aw, what da hell?', an dey'll do anyting dats kinda crazy." "Mais, Boudreaux," axed the Sergeant, "How you know da Mafia's involve too?" Boudreaux say, "Dat's de easyiest part. De damn duck won !!"

Message Opening

• Pray

• Last of Gratitude series

• Here’s the text we based it on:

Colossians 2:6–7 NASB95

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Review

• What it is and why it should be fundamental

• What kills it - the Grumble

• its benefits - the siphon - flow from God

What Flows from God

• Our God is all we need

• Everything is wrapped up in Him - as Father, as Son/Redeemer, and as Spirit

• For those who believe

• Those who have giving their lives to him, there are untold numbers of things to be grateful for, but I would like to highlight 5 today.

•

Redemption

• Could have said salvation, but redemption says it better to me.

• Salvation is a part of redemption - must be saved to be redeemed

• But redemption is what puts us back where God intended for us to be

• Redemption says that Jesus paid the price for me

• Isaiah says to remember the rock from which you were cut

• The pit from which you were dug

Redemption

• That applies to me - to you

• Remember where He’s brought you from - where you were when the journey started

• Redemption takes me from my path and puts me on His

• Redemption lifts me out of the pit I was in and sets my feet on higher ground

• My heart is filled with gratitude for redemption - for where I am today as opposed to where I was headed

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

• Paid the price, picked me up, wrapped me in His arms

Healing

• Not just sickness or bodily injury

• From hurt, from pain

• From wrongs

Exodus 15:26 NLT

26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

• Doesn’t just heal - he protects

• Healing here is more than bodily - the Hebrew word means mind, body, soul, spirit

• They were slaves, beaten, pressed down, abused, worth nothing

• To become who they were meant to be: God’s own children, they had to be healed

• They had to see themselves as children of a loving father

• Who would keep His promises

• Who would do what He said He would do

• Someone who could restore trust

• to make fresh

• wounds being restored

Power

• As I am healed

• As I begin to see victory over the enemies that held me before, I begin to gain POWER

• Let me give you a scripture and then lets look at this word:

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

• “Power” - dunamis - manly strength as opposed to cowardice

• The things that once terrified me no longer have that power

• Now I have the power over them

• Dunamis is God’s power lent to you in the form of His Spirit

•

Providence

• We all look to God to provide something for us

• Whether one time . . .

• But Providence is so much more

• Providence is God’s provision combined with His love (agape) and His eternity

• Because He is already in our future, and loves us, He is already working out the provision necessary for our future

Philippians 4:19 NIrV

19 My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.

• Say “all” - that’s what he supplies

• Not just some, but all

Peace

• To me, this may be the greatest

• Many meanings to this, but perhaps the greatest:

• At odds • Constantly eats at you • Keeps you disturbed, up at night

• Something in you that longs to connect with God

• Before He went back to the Father, Jesus told his followers this:

John 14:27 NLT

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

• No one, nothing, can give the peace that only He can give

• Because no one else can reconnect you with the life source that your soul longs for

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NLT

23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Related Media

Related Sermons