Express Gratitude

Welcome - Ros

Take this time to welcome everyone, introduce new students, learn names, and thank everyone for coming. Your friendliness here can create a comfort level that encourages student participation later.

Announcements - Ros

Bonfire at Liz’s on the 23rd

QUESTION OF THE WEEK - Drew

What’s something you’ve received you were very grateful for?

Introduction

How grateful a person is can tell us a lot about them. Perhaps you gave someone a gift, and they never thanked you. Or maybe you’ve seen someone express a great deal of gratitude for something that didn’t seem like a big deal. Why is it that some people seem to live life grateful for the small things they have, while others seem ungrateful even for really big things?

Today we’ll look at an encounter that took place when Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem—the place where He would later give His life on the Cross. Jesus didn’t allow His future suffering to blind Him to others’ needs. He is a Savior who cares deeply for us. In the Bible story, we’ll focus on how Jesus viewed gratitude.

Ten Men Encountered Jesus

Luke 17:11–13 NIV

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

In Bible times, people infected with what they called leprosy weren’t allowed to be near others for fear of giving them the disease. Lepers had to shout, “Unclean,” anytime they came close to another person. This gave the other person a chance to get away.

Living as a leper was very isolating. These men had been separated from their families, friends, and communities. People may have called them names, thrown things at them to keep them away, or simply ignored them to stay healthy. In spite of the way others may have reacted, this group was willing to accept the risk of calling out to Jesus.

Because people with leprosy weren’t allowed near healthy people, the emotional pain and loneliness may have been more severe than physical pain. We all need others in our life, especially when we are facing difficult things.

Have you ever desperately cried out to Jesus for a need in your life? Tell us about it.

You may want to have a personal story ready to share about a time you felt this way.

Life can be hard at times. We all experience physical suffering and times of loneliness. In this story, Jesus showed us that He was willing to enter people’s worlds of hurt and pain. He did this even when others thought He should avoid them. He cares when we are sick, lonely, or bullied. Maybe we’ve felt far away from our friends or family. Jesus wants to be present during these times in our life and bring us healing, too.

One Man Returned to Thank Jesus

Luke 17:14–16 NIV

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Sometimes the Bible doesn’t give us exact details, so we don’t know for sure. It might not have happened immediately, and they might not have been near Jesus anymore. So, it’s possible that the one who returned did so after the group was some distance from Jesus.

Sometimes we get discouraged if our prayers aren’t answered right away. And when time has passed between our request for healing and the healing itself, we may forget to thank Jesus for it.

He returned to Jesus, shouted praises, fell at Jesus’ feet, and then thanked Him. He really demonstrated being grateful! His praises to God also clue us in that he knew exactly the Source of the good thing that had happened to him.

Most Samaritans and Jews didn’t like each other. And many went as far as acting racist toward each other. The writer, Luke, likely points out the grateful man’s race for two reasons. First, it shows that Jesus was not racist and was willing to help those who called out to Him regardless of their background. Second, it connects to Jesus’ next statement of disappointment. Let’s read what He said.

Jesus Asked Three Questions

Luke 17:17–19 NIV

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

How sad that the other nine men didn’t come back to give thanks! Most likely, we’ve all been guilty of this at times. The good news? Although only one man returned to give thanks, all ten were healed. In other words, their healing was not dependent on giving thanks. But how wonderful it is when we can express the joy of giving thanks to our God.

Ending - Call up Katie

Just like the one man who returned to Jesus, there are times when we should express gratitude. Salvation, being empowered with the Holy Spirit, receiving healing, or some other need being met are just a few of the many reasons we have to be grateful to God. Our expressions of thanks are truly worship to God, and they let Him know we are extremely grateful for all He has done.

Today, I want us to activate our faith by being grateful. First, I want each of us to take a moment to thank God for who He is and what He has done in our life. It may be for salvation, answering a prayer, or just being present in our life.

Second, I want to challenge each one of you to show your gratefulness to someone who has helped you in some way. The person may be a parent or other family member, a teacher, coach, or pastor. Take time to specifically thank them for something they did to help you.

Like many Bible stories, we can see ourself in this one and learn to live differently from what we read. Expressing gratitude is clearly important to Jesus. Living with a thankful heart is one way to express worship to Jesus. A grateful heart also shows us who we are and the growth taking place in our life. Just like the one man who returned to give thanks, we should take time to thank Jesus often for big things and small things. This includes being grateful for everything—from the breath we take to the salvation Jesus provided for us through His death.

Salvation Opportunity

The first step in living a life of gratitude is understanding what Jesus did for us on the Cross. He gave His life so we could experience eternal life with Him.

Is anyone here that we can pray for who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus or wants to renew their relationship with Him?

Prayer

Thank You, Heavenly Father. You have given us life and walk with us each day. Help us to grow in our walk with You and learn to be grateful. Just as we read about the one leper who returned shouting praise to You, help us to shout our praise, too. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.