Thanks and Giving Big Idea of the Series: This three-week Thanksgiving series addresses how we can develop a heart of gratitude to God, which in turn leads to generous giving. Thankfulness is not an occasional act but a lifestyle of intentional and spontaneous appreciation that leads us into the presence of God, empowers us to be grateful in all circumstances, and generates an overflow of generosity. Week 1 Text: Luke 17:11–19 Topic(s): Thankfulness, Ungratefulness, Blessing Big Idea of the Message: Thankfulness leads us into the presence of God, but ungratefulness always leads us away from God. Application Point: We can develop a lifestyle of thankfulness by intentionally expressing our gratitude and practicing spontaneous appreciation throughout our day. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1. As Jesus was traveling toward a Jerusalem, he came across ten men who had leprosy. Leprosy is a “generic term applied to a variety of skin disorders from psoriasis to true leprosy. Its symptoms ranged from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes” (Chad Brand et al., eds., “Leprosy,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary [Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003], 1025). When they saw Jesus, they cried out to him for mercy, but “they stood at a distance” (Luke 17:12). According to the Law, those with leprosy were quarantined from the community and lived as outcasts. They could not interact with others and had to alert anyone who was approaching them.

2. Jesus instructed them to show themselves to the priests. He had not healed them before telling them to go. They followed Jesus’s instructions, and as they went, they were healed. We do not know how far they went before they were healed, but only one of the ten (who was a Samaritan) returned to Jesus. As the healed leaper returned, he was worshiping God with “a loud voice” (v. 15). As he

reached Jesus, he threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him v. 16). A thankful heart brings us close to God.

3. The Scriptures instruct us to give thanks to God with all of our heart: “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 9:1). One of the ways we can express our gratefulness to God is through intentional thanksgiving. That is, we can set aside deliberate times and practices to give thanks to God such as the following: (1) Keep a gratitude journal by writing out five things each day you are thankful for. (2) Set aside time with God exclusively devoted to thanksgiving and praise. (3) When you pray over meals, take time to give thanks to God for things other than the food, such as family, friends, and other blessings of God. (4) Write God a thank-you note for his goodness and lovingkindness.

4. Another way we can develop an attitude of gratitude is through spontaneous thanksgiving. This was the response of the one leper who returned to Jesus. Spontaneous thanksgiving is developing an ongoing practice of giving thanks to God as you go throughout your day. In 1967, at the age of 17, Joni Eareckson Tada was injured in a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, without the use of her hands. During her rehabilitation, Joni spent long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Her high-detail fine art paintings and prints are sought after and collected. To date, she has written over forty books, recorded several musical albums, starred in an autobiographical movie of her life, and is an advocate for people with disabilities. Her life has been hard, but if there is anything Joni personifies, it is joy. She states, “Today, look around you. Surely there are small blessings, little joys, tiny hints of God’s favor, for which you can be grateful. Don’t take things for granted today. Take them with gratitude” [Joni Eareckson Tada, “Gratitude for Granted” Feb. 11, 2015, http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/1-minute/gratitude-granted/].

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you give thanks as you go throughout your day. We have the ability to choose, through the grace and strength of Jesus, a grateful attitude. Chuck Swindoll reminds us how we can choose our attitude in the following video quotation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36y2BPLME2I

2. In our story, Jesus heals all ten lepers. However, only one of them returns to give thanks to Jesus. “Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’” (vv. 17–18). We do not know why the other nine did not return to Jesus to thank him. Maybe they took off to show their families, perhaps they kept going to the priest, or perhaps the nine lepers had other things they wanted to do now that they were healed. But their lives demonstrate how easy it is for us to receive the blessing of God without stopping and offering up thanksgiving to him. Ungratefulness always leads us away from God’s presence (Romans 1:21).

Week 2 Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 Topic: Gratitude, Hardships, Faithfulness Big Idea of the Message: We are not to offer thanks to God only occasionally or only when great things are happening; instead, we are to give thanks in all circumstances. Application Point: Even when we experience trials, we can give thanks for God’s presence, his understanding, and his comfort. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1. In the United States, we set aside the fourth Thursday of November for a day of thanksgiving. Yet, the Scriptures instruct us that we are to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The Greek word for “will” is thelēma, which means, “desire, wish, purpose, will, decision, or intent” (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek New Testament (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997], 2525). In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln decreed a national Thanksgiving Day, but God’s desire for us is to live a lifestyle of thanksgiving. Nancy DeMoss states, "Thanksgiving really should be thanksliving—a way of life—day in, day out, morning, noon, and night—continually, forever giving thanks to the Lord" (Nancy Leigh DeMoss, quoted in Leslie Bennett, “Thanksgiving … or Thanksliving?” Leader Connection Blog, Revive Our Hearts, November 10, 2014, https://www.reviveourhearts.com/leaders/blog/thanksgiving-or-thanksliving/).

2. We are to give thanks in all circumstances. But notice verse 18 does not tells us to give thanks for all circumstances but “in all circumstances.” Evil, injustice, and cruelty exist every day in this world. Scripture never instructs us to give thanks for wicked, immoral, and sinful circumstances but to give thanks in them.

3. Corrie and Betsie ten Boom had to learn to give thanks in all circumstances, including Ravensbrück Concentration Camp during War World II. Their family was arrested by Nazis for hiding Jews and consequently sent to concentration camps. Corrie and Bestie were moved to a new barrack invested with fleas, yet they were able to find a reason to give thanks to God (James Emery White, “Thankful for the Fleas,” Church & Culture [blog], November 26, 2008, http://www.churchandculture.org/Blog.asp?ID=78).

4. As followers of Jesus, we are not immune to the trials, pains, difficulties, and sufferings of life. In fact, life can be very brutal at times. It can be extremely difficult to give thanks to God in such times. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can give thanks in all circumstance for a several reasons. First, God is always with us—even in the darkest times (Deuteronomy 31:6,8). Giving thanks is an act of faith rather than not walking by sight. We have to “see” beyond our circumstances and look to Jesus. Second, Jesus understands what we are going through (Hebrews 4:15). In his life on earth and death on the cross, Jesus went through tremendous pain and suffering, and he understands how we feel. Finally, the Holy Spirit is in us, comforting, encouraging, and strengthening us (2 Corinthians 1:4). The Holy Spirit ministers to us in the midst of loss and pain.

5. The following illustration is from Josh Havens, of the music group The Afters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=wJ6WEmZE6o0). Josh describes how the team had a tough year, but one story of God’s presence and comfort in the midst of pain stands out. From this the band wrote a song called “Battles.” The entire song can be view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=MQJWT017Jwc

6. Joni Eareckson Tada (from week 1) helped contribute to the Beyond Suffering Bible. The study note for Deuteronomy 31:8 states, “Life can be hard, and circumstances can be unflinchingly difficult. But just as God told Joshua, God tells us that we need not despair. God is with us and goes ahead of us in every danger and challenge we face. Nothing can take him by surprise or catch him off guard. What good news to know that God will never abandon those who trust in him alone!” (Beyond Suffering Bible [n.p.: Joni and Friends, 2016]).

Week 3 Text: Exodus 35:4–9; 36:1–7 Topic: Giving, Generosity, Thankfulness, Big Idea of the Message: A thankful heart leads to a giving heart. Application Point: As we cultivate thankful hearts for God’s goodness, provision, and presence, generosity that impacts the world will flow naturally from our lives. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1. Exodus 35:4–9 initiates the fulfillment of what the Lord had previously told Moses: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). (Note: this sanctuary of God is also referred to as the Tabernacle.) Moses begins to instruct the people of Israel to “take an offering for the LORD” (35:5). Moses then provides a list of materials that can be given as an offering to the Tabernacle (35:6–9).

2. Before announcing the list, Moses clarifies the type of contribution that Israel was being asked to participate in. Moses tells them, “Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering” (35:5). The word “willing,” as translated by the NIV, is actual two Hebrew words. The first is nadib, which means “pertaining to being voluntary and uncoerced, implying generosity” (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew Old Testament [Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997], 5618). The second Hebrew word is leb, which is usually translated “heart” and can mean “heart, mind, soul, spirit, self, i.e., the source of life of the inner person” (Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew Old Testament, 4123). Moses is inviting everyone who has a generous heart to give. This offering is not mandated or coerced. The Israelites are to give freely, as moved in their hearts.

3. The following illustration tells the story of how an ordinary encounter on a street corner between two couples turns into an extraordinary story of how the act of giving freely from the heart will impact the lives of others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkyE_Cgru0.

4. The people of God respond to the invitation to give (35:29). In Exodus 36:1–3, the construction of the Tabernacle begins as Moses distributes all the offerings to various skilled workers. However, even though the construction project has already started, the people continue to give freely and generously: “And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning” (36:3). In fact, their willingness to give was so tremendous that the skilled workers stopped their work to find Moses. They said, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done” (36:5). As a result of their continued generosity, Moses gave an order that the people were to stop giving! In fact, the Bible says, “And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work” (36:6–7).

5. Israel’s willingness to give was the overflow of a thankful heart. Israel had witnessed God in powerful ways: God had delivered them from bondage from Egypt and enabled them to cross the Red Sea (Exodus 14). God had provided quail and manna from heaven (Exodus 16) and water from a rock (Exodus 17). God had promised his presence to go with Israel on their journey (Exodus 33). As we cultivate thankful hearts for God’s goodness, provision, and presence, a natural overflow of our lives is generosity. Thankful hearts lead to giving hearts.

6. The following illustration displays how an act of thankfulness led a person to be giving to others, and how it created a chain reaction. Eileen Taylor was in the drive-through line at a Heav’nly Donuts. She was thankful for the kind gesture of a stranger paying for her coffee the day before. Eileen was out of work and short on cash. However, out of thankfulness from the act of kindness the day before, she decided to pay for the family’s donuts in the car behind her, an order which totaled twelve dollars. As a result of her actions, many more people were thankful and became givers themselves. In fact, her act of generosity led to a chain reaction of fifty-five customers paying for the person behind them in line; this lasted two-and-a-half hours! (Damon Beres, “3 Everyday Acts of Generosity That Just Might Melt Your Heart,” Reader’s Digest, accessed July 23, 2018, https://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/everyday-heroes-three-acts-of-generosity/).

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