Testimony for Thanksgiving Service

What is Testimony?

Many of us have been exposed to “as seen on TV commercials” and laughed, snickered, or perhaps jumped in hook line and sinker to the excersie belt with build in electrical to ‘shock’ the pounds away, the spray paint that covers up your bald spot, or the classic chia pet. No judgement if you own any of those products or are planning to gift one of them to someone this upcoming Christmas.

Each and everyone of them has a spot either on the TV commercial or on their website, where they say “don’t take our word for it…..listen to these satisfied folks and they cut away or have a section where it is person after person shouting the good word of the random product. Take for instance the pumpkin spice three wick scented candle…..here is a review that didn’t go quite right.

A three-wick scented candle

Review:

"I was so excited about this candle because everyone raved about how amazing it smells. I lit it in my living room, and for the first few hours, it was lovely. Then my smoke alarm started going off. Turns out the candle burned so unevenly that the wax started dripping all over the coffee table, and one of the wicks fell over and almost lit my cat’s tail on fire. Now my house smells like ‘Pumpkin Spice Disaster.’ Two stars because it did smell good at first."

We all have been there.

Tonight, we are looking at Testimony. What is a testimony?

A testimony is a declaration of truth or a personal account of God’s work in your life. It is bearing witness to God’s acts, His character, and the gospel.

We are focused on Testimony tonight because there is a world that is desperate for the good news even if they don’t know it. There are people all over the world that are hungry to know what is good and what is a good life? God answers these questions through His Son, His word, His spirit and His people.

His people…you and I shout out in all that we say and do, intentionally and unintentionally a testimony to the character and acts of God.

We will look tonight at God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and loving others as a foundation for our testimony. But I want you to dwell on a few things as we look at testimony.

The first is that is should be personal. Have you had personal experience with what you are talking about? It falls flat to have someone rave about a place to eat only to find out that they have not tasted the food. They haven’t experienced it. When we speak testimony to what the Lord has done, it should be from a personal place.

Psalm 66:16 NIV

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

Another aspect is that the testimony should put God as the hero of the testimony, not you. Sometimes our stories of God’s redemption, of God’s power, can quickly turn into a commercial or paid advertisement for our how great we are. After the story, someone should say “paid for by Scott’s ego… my name is Scott and I approve this story about how good I am”.

Our testimony should begin, follow, and and end with the goodness of God. What was lost. How did God show up? and what was life like after He showed up.

Lastly……we should be honest. The world doesn’t want to hear false testimonials about snake oils....they don’t want to hear spin. Neither does the Lord. Matthew 12:34 reminds us that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Sometimes, we can be so desperate for the Hollywood ending that we try and spin it. Scripture is full of endings that are less than ideal and yet God is still glorious, full of mercy and love and uses all things for His glory and our good. If the story is not finished, than be honest about that. If you still struggle, show how God is still good in the struggle. That honesty goes a long way in telling an unbelieving world that God is who He says He is.

Let us now pray for our evening as we sing songs, hear scripture, discuss in our tables our testimony, and in all of it….declare our love and devotion to God

PRAYER

May the words of our mouths and meditations of our heart be pleasing to you oh God. May the world hear my story, hear our story and know that you are who You say you are. That you are king most High. That you are the one who saved us. May gratitude fill everything within us as we seek to proclaim your goodness that never fails. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

TESTIMONY TO GOD #1

Tonight, I want to reflect on the testimony of God's character and what it means for us as His followers. Our understanding of who God is shapes our faith, our actions, and our interactions with others.

In Psalm 145:8-9, we read, "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." This beautiful passage highlights key attributes of God’s character—His grace, compassion, and goodness. Each of these qualities is a testimony to His nature, revealing a God who is not distant or detached but intimately involved in our lives.

When we share our experiences of God’s character, we bear witness to His faithfulness in our lives. Think about times when you have felt His grace during difficult moments or His compassion when you needed comfort. Each testimony is a reminder that God is always present and actively working for our good.

As we reflect on God’s character, let’s consider how we can embody these attributes in our own lives. How can we show grace and compassion to those around us? Our actions can serve as powerful testimonies, pointing others to the heart of God.

Let’s take a moment to pray:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your character to us through Your Word and our experiences. Help us to reflect Your grace and compassion in our lives, and may our testimonies draw others closer to You. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.