Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Saturday, November 25, 2023
THANKSGIVING: Give thanks with a grateful heart 11-26-23
THANKSGIVING: Give thanks with a grateful heart 11-26-23
INTRODUCTION
Thanksgiving
“Thanksgiving is about family, food,
and football.”
What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
Back in 1988, a Polish railway worker
named Jan Grzebski was hit by a train. He lived ... but only barely. For the
next 19 years (until the year 2007), Grzebski was in a coma.
He awoke in 2007 to a whole new world.
Nineteen years earlier, Poland was a communist state. Grzebski noted that back
then meat was rationed and there were huge lines at nearly every gas station.
And, "there was only tea and vinegar in the shops."
But 19 years later, he awoke to a free
nation where he said there were "people on the streets with cell phones
and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin."
But something puzzled him. "What
amazes me is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones and yet
they never stop moaning."
These people had freedom, and food and
wealth greater than Poland had had for decades ... and yet Grzebski woke from
his coma to find that ALL they seemed to want to do was grumble!
If you don’t get into the habit of
thanking God for what you DO have, you’ll soon become ungrateful because of
what you DON’T have.
Jeff
Strite
In the 18th-century classic, A
Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law made the following
statement:
“Would you know who is the greatest
saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who
gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it
is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who
receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always
ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do
more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches
into happiness.”
“What shall I return to the Lord for
all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his
people.”
Psalms 116:12-14 NIV
I. RECOGNIZE GOD’S GOODNESS
TO YOU
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalms 34:8 NIV
“Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.”
1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
A.
Count your blessings
B.
How has God been good to you?
C.
Contemplate your curses
Several churches in North Dakota were
being served by a clever old preacher. The people were always amazed, for no
matter what the circumstances, the preacher could always find something to give
thanks for. As he made his rounds one cold December morning, he was late in
getting to worship because of excessive snow drifts. As he began the service
with prayer, the parishioners were eager to see what the old preacher could
come up with to be thankful for on this dismal and frigid morning.
"Gracious Lord," his prayer
began, "we thank you that all days are not like today."
Sean
Harder
D.
How has God been with you during the difficult times?
Matthew Henry, the famous Bible
scholar, was once accosted by thieves and robbed of his billfold. He wrote
these memorable words in his diary:
"Let me be thankful, first,
because I have never been robbed before; second, although they took my
billfold, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all,
it was not that much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not
someone else."
Dr.
Larry Petton
II. DEMONSTRATE GRATITUDE FOR
GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU
When asked to list what he was
thankful for, one little boy wrote, "My glasses!"
"That's good," said the
teacher, "they help you see better".
"No," responded the child,
"I’m thankful for my glasses because they keep the other boys from hitting
and fighting with me and the girls from kissing me."
This little guy clearly understood the
meaning of gratitude.
Offered
by William Akehurst
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good; his love endures forever.”
Psalms 118:1 NIV
1 Chronicles 16:8 and 34, Psalm 7:1,
Psalm 9:1, Psalm 50:14, Psalm 69:30, Psalm 100:1-5, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 136:1,
Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:15-17, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:18,
A.
Consider God’s goodness to you
B.
Express the inner reality
C.
Tell of His wonders
John Wesley was about 21 years of age
when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was
gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish
and sarcastic.
One night, however, something happened
that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart. While speaking with a porter, he
discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such
impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually
happy person, filled with gratitude to God.
Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly
joked about the man's misfortunes. "And what else do you thank God
for?" he said with a touch of sarcasm.
The porter smiled, and in the spirit
of meekness replied with joy, "I thank Him that He has given me my life
and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve
Him!"
Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that
this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.
Donnie
Martin
“Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell
of all his wonderful acts.”
Psalms 105:2 NIV
III. RESPOND THANKFULLY FOR
GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU
“What shall I return to the Lord for
all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name
of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his
people.”
Psalms 116:12-14 NIV
A.
Lift up the cup of salvation
“I will sacrifice a thank offering to
you and call on the name of the Lord.”
Psalms 116:17 NIV
1. Demonstrate thanks
B.
Call on the name of the Lord
1. Proclaim thanks
C.
Fulfilling your vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people
“I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in
the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your
midst, Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.”
Psalms 116:18-19 NIV
1. Live out your
commitments
2. Live out your
commitments in the presence of all His people
CONCLUSION
Do something that shows you are
thankful!
Say something that shows you are
thankful!
Follow through with something you
promised God you would do that shows you are thankful!
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an
"invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want
to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want
to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).
Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to
God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood
Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in
your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be
honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your
life.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Saturday, November 18, 2023
EVANGELISM: What is their story? 11-19-23
EVANGELISM: What is their story? 11-19-23
INTRODUCTION
More to this
life
Identity
Integrity
Intentionality
Evangelism
to Seniors
Evangelism
as story telling
God’s story
Your story
The other’s
story
God’s story
Your story
“Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
1
Peter 3:15b NIV
“According to data collected by
Promise Keepers and Baptist Press, . . . If a father does go regularly,
regardless of what the mother does, between two-thirds and three-quarters
of their children will attend church as adults.”
Nick
Cady, nickcady.org, “The impact on kid’s of father’s faith and church
attendance”, June 20, 2016.
Their story
I. STORIES
The Guest
Author
Unknown
A few months
before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee
town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and
soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and
was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.
As I grew
up, I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the Word
of God. Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He
could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were
daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each
evening.
He was like
a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major
league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies, and he
even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. The stranger was
an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind but sometimes Mom would quietly
get up—while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway
places—and go to her room and read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever
prayed that the stranger would leave. My Dad ruled our household with certain
moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them.
Profanity
was not allowed in our house—not from us, our friends, or adults. Our longtime
visitor, however, used occasional four-letter words that burned my ears and
made Dad squirm. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. Dad didn’t
permit alcohol in his home. But the stranger enlightened us to other ways of
life. He often offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages. He made
cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.
He talked
freely about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive,
and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man/woman
relationship were influenced by the stranger.
I believe it
was only by the grace of God the stranger did not influence us even more. Time
after time he opposed my parents’ values. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never
asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in
with the young family on Morningside Drive.
But if I
were to walk into my parents’ home today, I would still see him sitting over in
a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his
pictures. His name? We always called him TV.
James
Chandler shared at sermoncentral.com
A. Storytelling
“Storytelling
is among the oldest forms of communication. Storytelling
is the commonality of all human beings, in all places, in all times.”
Rives
Collins
“Stories are
memory aids, instruction manuals, and moral compasses.”
Alex’s
Krotoski
“The stories
we tell literally make the world. If you want
to change the world, you need to change your story. This truth
applies both to individuals and institutions.”
Michael
Margolis
“Sometimes
reality is too complex. Stories give
it form.”
Jean Luc
Godard
“Those who
tell the stories rule the world.”
Hopi
American Indian proverb
B. The power of
story
When the
great American storyteller Mark Twain was asked, “Who do you think is the best
storyteller every lived?” Mark Twain answered, “Jesus Christ.” “Then which
story is the greatest story every told?” He replied, “The Story of the Prodigal
Son.”
C. The
importance of story
“Devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that
God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of
Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I
should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:2-6 NIV
II. LISTENING TO
THEIR STORIES
Admittedly
we all have trouble listening.
Maybe we are
watching our favourite TV program, and our husband or wife is talking to us
about something that is important to them.
As they
talk, we may mumble, “Hmm”, “Yeah”, and “Uh Huh”.
Until they
finally give up, saying with annoyance in their voice, “You are not listening
to a word I’m saying.”
Alistair
Wairring
A. Active
listening
Instead, we
should practice what counsellors call active listening. That’s listening with
empathy. You do it by maintaining eye contact with the other; leaning toward
the person; asking questions; and repeating answers back for clarity. Try to
maintain a state of prayer and a learning posture to unwrap the gifts in
others.
Mike Frost,
Mikefrost.net, “Evangelism as Storytelling: Learning All Three Stories”, July
25, 2023.
“My dear
brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and slow to become angry,”
James 1:19 NIV
Writer
Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days.
He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our
children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those
unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress
Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the
patter of my hurry-up style. It was become unbearable.
"I
distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger
daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened
to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, ’Daddy, I wanna tell you
somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast.’ "Suddenly realizing her
frustration, I answered,’ Honey, you can tell me -- and you don’t have to tell
me really fast. Say it slowly." "I’ll never forget her answer: ’Then
listen slowly.’"
Bits &
Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 13-14.
B. Telling
their story
1. Hearing
2. Understanding
3. Re-telling
4. Valuing
III. CONNECTING
THEIR STORY TO YOUR STORY AND TO GOD’S STORY
A. The stories
1. God’s story
a. Jesus came
into the world.
b. Jesus died.
c. Jesus came
back from the dead.
D. Jesus sent
the Holy Spirit.
E. Jesus is
coming back.
2. Your story
“Instead, we
were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her
children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted
to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
1
Thessalonians 2:7-8 NIV
3. Their story
B. Connecting
the dots
1. Various
reasons to accept Jesus.
a. Needing love
b. Dealing with
shame
c. Desiring
heaven
d. Struggling
with sin
e. Abundant
life
f. Eternal life
2. Their story
may connect differently than yours.
3. Finding what
they need.
4. Bringing
together the 3 stories.
C. Relying on
the Spirit
“For we
know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our
gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy
Spirit and deep conviction.”
1
Thessalonians 1:4-5a NIV
D. Helping them
find Jesus in their story
“Three Story
Evangelism” by Bill Muir
Stories, not
steps
Honesty, not
perfection
Questions,
not answers
Contributing,
not controlling
Hope, not
judgment
Them, not us
Holy Spirit,
not program
Non-linear,
not linear
Process, not
product
Life, not
words
INVITATION
It is our
custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want
to follow Jesus. You may want
to proclaim your faith. You may want
to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you
want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if
you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to
become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have
been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come
forward now. If you would
like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God
is doing in your life.
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