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      • How God Blesses Grateful Hearts

      Resource Details

      How God Blesses Grateful Hearts

      Rick Warren | November 21, 2021

      In the Bible, there are over 400 passages that mention thanksgiving or gratitude. Through these passages, we learn that God wants gratitude to be the primary motivation behind everything we do, say, and think. In this message, Pastor Rick will teach us God’s three favorite ways for us to express gratitude.

      Message Action Plan

      Talk It Over

      Diving Deeper

      Message Action Plan

      "If you fully obey the Lord your God, and IF you carefully follow all his
      commands, all of these blessings will be yours: The Lord will bless you in the city and in the country. He will bless your children, as well as blessing your crops and livestock. The Lord will bless your harvest and the food you prepare. The Lord will bless you wherever you go. The Lord will even defeat your enemies when they attack you . . . Yes, the Lord will send his blessing on all you put your hand to and bless everything you do."         Deuteronomy 28:1-8
       
      "Always be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you."  1 Thes. 5:18 (NLT)

      ACTION PLAN: During your Thanksgiving Holiday, use your phone or digital assistant to set an alarm every 15 minutes.  When the alarm goes off, thank God for a different blessing than the time before.  In this way, train yourself to have a more constant mindset of thanksgiving. 

      BOTH SCRIPTURE & SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SHOW HAVING
      A MINDSET OF GRATITUDE YIELDS GREAT BLESSINGS

      • Gratitude improves your brain and physical health
      • Gratitude creates happiness
      • Gratitude helps you sleep better
      • Gratitude is the antidote to toxic emotions
      • Gratitude improves relationships
      • Gratitude opens the door to people and opportunities
      • Gratitude is the evidence of maturity
      • Gratitude pleases God and brings his blessing

      A STARTER LIST FOR THANKING GOD THIS THANKSGIVING

      "You created and formed me in my mother's body. So I thank you
        because you made me."                                  Psalm 139:13-14 (NCV)

      "Be grateful for every year you live."                  Eccl. 11:8 (TEV)

      "My heart is happy because you saved me!"      Psalm 13:5 (NCV)

      "I give you thanks because you are good."         Psalm 54:6 (TEV)

      "I praise the Lord for answering my prayers."    Psalm 118:21 (CEV)

      "I praise the Lord, because he guides me."         Psalm 16:7 (TEV)

      "Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and alwaysmerciful."    Psalm 118:1 (CEV)

      "Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love."              Psalm 107:8 (NIV)

      GOD'S 3 FAVORITE WAYS FOR ME TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE

      1ST HABIT OF GRATITUDE:Singing to God
      "Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God." Psalm 147:7 (LB)

      "Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs, singing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts."         
      Colossians 3:16 (TEV)

      2ND HABIT OF GRATITUDE: Giving Back to God
      "I will offer a sacrificial offering as a special gift to thank you Lord, because you are so good."                                        Psalm 54:6 (NCV)

      "Celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you . . . Do this at the Place of Worship."  Deut. 16:10-11 (TEV)

      "I will sacrifice a thanksgiving offering to you."  Psalm 116:17 (NIV)

      "Those people who truly honor me are those who bring me offerings
       to show thanks. And I, God, save those who do that." Psalm 50:23 (NCV)

      "Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns and barrels to overflow with more than you store." Proverbs 3:9-10

      "Bring your tithe to the Lord . . . the first of all you earn. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your lives." Deut. 14:23 (LB)

      "'Bring your whole tithe to the storehouse,' says the Lord, 'so there will be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will
      not have room enough for it!'"                          Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

      ACTION PLAN: Give back to God to express your thanks. Visit saddleback.com/give .

      ACTION PLAN: Once you've given to God, find some other way to be generous. For example, join the grateful members of Celebrate Recovery who are hosting an Angel Tree event where you can sponsor a child of incarcerated parents by providing requested gifts in time for the Christmas holiday.  For more information, email angeltree@saddleback.com. 

      3RD HABIT OF GRATITUDE: Communion with God

      See 1 Corinthians 11:23-27

      "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"                                         1 Corinthians 10:16 (NIV)

      "How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!"                                        1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT)

      "So now, everything you do or say should be done in the name of our Lord Jesus with thanksgiving to God the Father."            Colossians 3:17

      "Thank the Lord! Praise his name! And tell the world what he has done!"
      Isaiah 12:4 (NLT)

      "The grace that is reaching more and more people will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God!"                   2 Corinthians 4:15 (NIV)

      ACTION PLAN: Plan a meal for your friends and neighbors for the week after Thanksgiving.   Make it simple and intimate.  Have questions prepared in advance to get people talking about their lives
      More from this series

      Talk It Over

      Discussion Guide

      Additional Resources

      The Importance of Thankfulness

      Dive Deeper this week by listening to Saddleback's Doable Discipleship podcast talk about thankfulness.

      Download
      Download

      More from this series

      Strategies for Stressful Times
      August 15 - December 5, 2021
      • The Case For Christmas
        December 5, 2021
      • Using Your Pain to Help Others
        November 28, 2021
      • How God Blesses Grateful Hearts
        November 21, 2021
      • Shelter in the Storm
        October 31, 2021
      • Triumph Over Stressful Times
        October 24, 2021
      • Faith to Get You Through
        October 17, 2021
      • God’s Plan For a New You
        October 10, 2021
      • Weakness Is the Way
        October 3, 2021
      • Jesus’ Secrets of Resilience
        September 26, 2021
      • Store It or Pour It
        September 19, 2021
      • The Cost of Going Off
        September 12, 2021
      • How to Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty
        September 5, 2021
      • How to Trust God When You Don’t Like the Changes in Your Life
        August 29, 2021
      • How to Be Happy No Matter What Happens
        August 22, 2021
      • Finding the Strength to Keep Going When I’m Emotionally Worn Out
        August 15, 2021
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