It is Good to Give Thanks

🕊️ Home Group Exhortation Outline

“Thanksgiving” – Psalm 92:1–4

Psalm 92:1–4 (ESV)

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

THANKSGIVING = FAST APPROACHING... GOOD TOPIC

Key Thought: IT’S ALWAYS a GOOD TIME to GIVE THANKS—FOR GOD is ALWAYS GOOD...

NEVERTHELESS… WE SET ASIDE THIS TIME…

--------------------------------------------------

1. The Forgotten Holiday of Thanksgiving

Problem: In AMERICA—THANKSGIVING = OFTEN OVERLOOKED.

from 🎃 Halloween ➡️ Christmas, barely pausing to give thanks.

MIGHT PIT-STOP BETWEEN THEM for BLACK-FRIDAY!

WE PROBABLY ALL LOVE STUFF…

-------------------------

Confession: I enjoy the thrill of the UPS truck arriving 📦

DON’T BELIEVE in SANTA—BUT UPS FEELS CLOSE…

Problem: QUICKLY MOVING ON to NEXT THING…

Takeaway: STUFF ISN’T SINFUL—PROBLEM COMES WHEN STUFF HAS YOU!

************

Transition: TURNING to PSALM 92… EXHORTED to GIVE THANKS…

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

2. The Goodness of Giving Thanks

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord...”

Two Aspects:

Morning: declaring God’s steadfast love (ḥesed) — His covenant-keeping love. ❤️

Night: declaring God’s faithfulness — His unchanging reliability. 🌙

THANKSGIVING is an ALL-DAY,, ALL-LIFE ACTIVITY…

Routine: MORNING & EVENING PRAYERS = HELPFUL

THANKSGIVING = GOOD…EVERY GOOD GIFT = FROM GOD:

James 1:17 (ESV)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

-------------------------

3. The Source of Our Gladness

(V4) PSALMIST PRAISES— FOR/BECAUSE — GOD has MADE HIM GLAD BY HIS WORK…

Scriptural Ideas of God’s Work:

a. Creation

TESTIFIES to CREATOR

(V1) GOD MOST HIGH—ELYON— THE ALL-POWERFUL, SOVEREIGN!

“VERY GOOD”

THOUGH TARNISHED BY the FALL—WE SHOULD STILL BE DRAWN to its BEAUTY & WORSHIP GOD.

-------------------------

b. Providence ⚙️

Exhort: GOD DIDN’T TAKE HIS HAND OFF the WHEEL…

Eph. 1:11— WORKS ALL THINGS ACCORDING to the COUNSEL of HIS WILL...

FROM CHRIST’S UPHOLDING of the UNIVERSE...

… to the LITTLE DETAILS of OUR LIVES—GOD is @ WORK!

-------------------------

c. Redemption ✝️

BEST of ALL—WE CAN KNOW GOD…

HE HAS MADE a WAY FOR us TO BE RECONCILED—DESPITE OUR SINS…

PETER—JOY “INEXPRESSIBLE”

************

Transition: CONSIDERING GOD’S MIGHTY WORKS, WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS:

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

4. The Call to Worship and Gratitude

We were made to worship —

WORSHIP/THANKSGIVING = ONE THING that DISTINGUISHES US AS IMAGE-BEARERS!

Ill.: WE WOULDN’T FORGET to THANK SOMEONE @ CHRISTMAS TIME—EVEN IF WE DIDN’T LIKE the GIFT...

EACH DAY—GOD LAVISHES US WITH GIFTS…

💨 Breath in our lungs

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and community

🍞 Food on the table

💵 Daily provision

🕊️ Salvation through Christ

… ARE WE QUICK to THANK HIM?

Main Idea: IT’S ALWAYS a GOOD TIME to THANK GOD…BECAUSE HE is ALWAYS GOOD.

-------------------------

CHALLENGE: THANK GOD MORNING & NIGHT—

— FOR HIS MANY KINDNESSES TOWARDS YOU…

SPECIFICALLY—I’VE RECENTLY TAKEN UP PRACTICE of “GRATITUDE JOURNAL”

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS MAKES OUR PROBLEMS SEEM SMALLER…

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

5. Invitation to Share

“Considering that it is good to give thanks, and that we were made to worship… I’d love to hear from you: What are you thankful for tonight?”

************

Personal Example:

TESTIMONY: MENTAL HEALTH, HANDLING STRESS BETTER...

OFF HEART MEDICINE & DOING GOOD…

-------

Practical Challenge:

What is one tangible way you can express thankfulness this week — to God or to others?

Close in Prayer