Why Gratitude Begins—and Grows—in the Local Church

Introduction

Have you ever noticed how gratitude often fades when we feel disconnected? Not just from God—but from people. From purpose. From the place we’re meant to grow.

We live in a world that celebrates independence, but the gospel calls us into interdependence. And yet, many believers quietly carry this ache:

“I don’t really belong here.” “I don’t have much to offer.” “I’ll grow when I find the right church… but I haven’t found it yet.”

That ache is real. And it’s not new. The early church wrestled with the same questions of identity, contribution, and connection. That’s why Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the Ephesians, and the Philippians—not just to teach theology, but to heal disconnection and restore gratitude.

Because here’s the truth:

Gratitude doesn’t grow in isolation. It grows in the soil of the local church—where God places us, grows us, and uses us together for His glory.

That’s the heart of today’s message. It’s the final step in our Rooted in Grace series. And it’s deeply personal—because the greatest threat to enduring gratitude is not hardship. It’s disconnection from the body God gave us to grow in.

So today, we’re going to walk through three Spirit-breathed texts—1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and Philippians 1—and discover this truth:

Gratitude begins and grows in the local church because it’s where God places us, grows us, and uses us—together—for His glory.

Let’s begin where Paul begins: with the body. And with the truth that gratitude begins when we know we belong.

Gratitude Begins When We Know We Belong

📖 1 Corinthians 12:12–20

I am not going to read this entire passage this morning for the sake of time. Instead, let me just lead with this. The Corinthian church had a big problem. They were a divided church. This entire letter addressed that issue. In this chapter, the Holy Spirit teaches them that every member of a local church is valued member. They are essential. In fact, note with 1 Corinthians 12:15

1 Corinthians 12:15 KJV 1900

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

This part of this wonderful analogy of the church being a body addressed any believer who thinks or feels that they are spiritually inferior. Essentially, these are the people who have convinced themselves that they do not matter. They often struggle with thoughts of not being enough, not having a visible gift as other do, or they think if they left no one would miss them. Anyone who entertains these thoughts will lose that battle. In this verses, the Holy Spirit is saying the opposite. You do matter. The body can’t walk unless there are feet. By that same token, the hands are useless if they can’t walk around so they can pick up things. Thinking that you don’t matter, your gifts are not important, or no one would miss you is poisoned soil. It is the poisoned soil of comparison and eventual isolation. It is the very place God’s adversary, Satan, wants to lead you. If he can convince you that you do not belong, you will forsake the one thing that God designed to help your grow spiritually. If God’s Word and Spirit are the means of growth, the local church is the catalyst of exponential growth.

Notice another important verse and statement in this text.

1 Corinthians 12:18 KJV 1900

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Note that “God hath set the members.” If you are around me long enough, you will learn that I firmly believe that it is God who builds each local church. This verse reaffirms this truth. Each of us are here as members of this church by divine placement, not human preference. The Greek verb behind “set” implies intentionality, design, and delight. You might say that same phrase this way - “God hath set the members as it hath please Him.” That is the true essence of this phrase. Therefore, you are here not by accident. You are not interchangeable. No, you are chosen and positioned in this church just God intended. For this reason, I would encourage you to be grateful. By the way, gratitude starts when we stop asking, “Do I fit?” and starts with saying, “God placed me here.”

The entirety of 1 Corinthians 12 is a metaphor which insists upon unity with diversity. That is what makes each local church so amazing. We are one body with many parts. Yet, each part is different and unique. Each person that is part of our church is uniquely gifted by God. Thus, not only are we different, each of us is essential. A body, as you know and experience, doesn’t function at peak performance when there are parts missing. The body thrives when all its parts are connected, healthy, and working together. Here is interesting insight. Belonging is not about sameness - it’s about significance. That is why the Holy Spirit so adamantly speaks against comparing ourselves to others. We are not the same. Yet, we are significant to Him. We are so significant that He purposefully made us all different from each other.

The right response to the local church is to accept that God has placed you here. The wrong response is to believe you don’t matter or don’t belong. This morning, as we enter Thanksgiving week, all of us can be grateful for our church and what God is doing. Gratitude begins when reject comparison and embrace calling. A grateful heart knows that it must stop spectating and start participating. We should thank God for placing us in a body - not just saving us, but joining us. In the end, gratitude is not just personal - its’ relational. Our gratitude grows when we see that we are part of something bigger. We are part of God’s great plan to reach the world for Him.

Now that we know we belong, we begin to grow - and this type of spiritual growth doesn’t happen in isolation. Instead, it happens when we do it God’s way. What is God’s way? God expects each believer to join a local church and serve. The great thing about local churches is this - it is a place where we serve and are served!

Look at our next text.

Gratitude Grows When We Serve and Are Served

Ephesians 4:11–16 KJV 1900

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Let’s start with the problem. Note verse 14 again.

Ephesians 4:14 KJV 1900

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

The Holy Spirit paints us a picture. We should not be “children, tossed to and fro.” The picture is of people who are unstable, easily deceived, and spiritually underdeveloped. This is a big problem in American culture right now. This verse reflects a spiritual and psychological issue prevalent in not just American culture, but in churches today. People want to be fed, entertained, or affirmed. For instance, in churches, it usually shows up this way.

“I’ll grow when I find someone who will teach me, but, so far, I haven’t found that person or church.” What are they truly saying by this statement? They are saying that they want to be spoon fed, they have unmet expectations that are hard to meet, and it will take the perfect teacher and/or environment for them to grow.

Here is another example.

“I don’t have much to offer.” Again, what are they truly saying? They are saying that compared to others God doesn’t care about them. It is safer to make this statement than risk offering something and being rejected.

Again, both of these statements reflect an attitude of consumerism. I want and demand to be fed, entertained, and affirmed. Which, by the way, is contrary to what God expects or desires of us. In the sense of being grateful, gratitude stalls when we become consumers instead of contributors.

Now consider what God has done and what He offers.

Ephesians 4:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Here is what is important to understand about these two verses. God gave theses offices and gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, teachers) not to do all the work, but to equip believers so they can do the work. What is the goal?

Ephesians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

When we do things God’s way, amazing things happen. What happens as a result?

Ephesians 4:16 KJV 1900

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The church grows numerically and spiritually. More importantly, every member finds significance and belonging.

Now watch this.

Ephesians 4:15 KJV 1900

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

It is only in a Spirit-filled, local church that growth is enhanced. It happens because this is the place where you should find honest, grace-filled relationships, not just sermons or programs. This is the reason we launched our small group’s ministry. We want to be this kind of church. A church where growth is happening through Biblical relationships.

If you look again at verse 16, you will find that God expects active participation, not passive attendance.

Are you contributing or consuming?

This morning, our focus is on gratitude. Why be grateful for the local church? It is the place that God created so that you might...

Be equipped under the guidance of spiritual leaders.

Find relationships with others who speak truth in love.

Use your gifts to build something that glorifies God - His body, the local church.

Celebrate the growth that you see in others as we serve and build them in Christ.

Gratitude is not just vertical (to God) - it is also horizontal (toward others who help us grow).

And as we serve and are served, we begin to see something bigger than ourselves - a gospel partnership that God Himself is sustaining. That’s where our gratitude becomes enduring.

Gratitude Endures When We See the Bigger Picture

Philippians 1:3–6 KJV 1900

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The key verse here is verse 6.

Philippians 1:6 KJV 1900

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Something we all face is how quickly our gratitude can fade. How many times have we started strong, but faded over time? We do this in relation to our church. We start off excited and grateful, but we start to fade when our ministry or service feels slow or unnoticed. I must admit that I find myself falling into this trap at times. Leading a church has its challenges. One of the great ones is seeing the church grow numerically. It is easy to become cynical instead of grateful when the church is not growing. Another trap is when relationships get messy within churches. Just like families, churches have their ups and downs relationally. During such times, our gratitude begins to fade. One other trap is when we personally feel that our spiritual growth is stagnant.

What is interesting about Ephesians is the Holy Spirit leads Paul to write this letter as Paul is sitting in prison. Yet, despites his circumstances, he pens these words with joy and thanksgiving. Why? Paul sees and understands the bigger picture. When we lose sight of all God is doing and focus only our own circumstances, our gratitude takes a big hit. However, when we, like Paul, get our eyes on the bigger picture and see God’s work as long-term, our gratitude returns and can endure even through tough times.

Note that Paul’s confidence was not in how the Philippians performed, but was in God’s faithfulness. He wrote, “he (referring to God) which hath begun a good work in you will perform it...” Paul was focused on divine continuity. The verbs “begun” and “perform” frame the Christian life as a Spirit-led process. The Christian life is not a self-driven project. It is all about God’s faithful and continued work in us. If we will see it in this light, then truly our gratitude will deepen. We will see that God is not done with us - or with our church.

Verse 5 helps us understand the bigger picture as well.

Philippians 1:5 KJV 1900

5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

What is the bigger picture? Is it not the proclamation of the gospel? The Holy Spirit reminded Paul about the consistency in community. Paul remembered the very first day when the first believers in Ephesus embraced the gospel. From that moment, a local church was born. In the same way, our gratitude for the gospel and the local church can grow as well. It grows when we remember...

The people who walk with us from the early days until now. As I look around this auditorium, I find myself grateful for each and every one of you. I think back to when I first arrived at this church to serve as your pastor. I am grateful for all of you who were here on that day and have remained. From the first day until now! I am grateful for those who have come since I began. I am grateful for those who have recently joined.

Gratitude grows when we remember the shared mission that still unite us. The years past and the years to come are all about knowing. making known, serving, and connecting with Christ, our Lord, our Savior. It is the mission that we share and work together to accomplish.

Gratitude grows when we remember the promise that God will finish what He has begun in us.

What then is right response? We are to rejoice in the process. We must be grateful not just for what God has done - we must be grateful for what He is doing and will do. Thus, we respond by...

Thanking God for our church’s journey.

Encouraging others who feel stuck.

Trusting God’s timeline - even when it seems slow.

So if gratitude begins when we know we belong, and grow when we serve and are served, it endures when we trust that God is still working - through us, among us, and for His glory.

Conclusion

We’ve seen today that gratitude isn’t just a personal virtue—it’s relational that is divinely ordained. It begins when we know we belong. It grows when we serve and are served. And it endures when we trust that God is still working—through us, among us, and for His glory.

So here’s the final invitation: Don’t wait to feel grateful, join a local church (ours is good one). Don’t wait to be noticed, get involved and start serving. Don’t wait for perfection, be thankful for the process even when it seems slow.

Because the local church is not just where we gather—it’s where grace grows us into gratitude.

You were placed here by God. You are being grown here by God. And you will be used here by God—until the day of Christ.

This week, find someone in your church who helped you grow and thank them. Then ask God how you can help someone else grow. That’s how gratitude multiplies—when grace moves from one member to another.

Gratitude doesn’t grow in isolation. It grows in the body. So stay planted. Stay serving. Stay grateful. Because this is where God is working—and He’s not finished yet.

🙏 Altar Call: “Planted in Grace, Growing in Gratitude”

Today, you’ve heard that gratitude doesn’t grow in isolation—it grows in the local church, the body of Christ. It begins when you know you belong. It grows when you serve and are served. And it endures when you trust that God is still working.

So let me ask you:

Have you been standing on the sidelines, wondering if you really belong?

Have you been holding back your gifts, unsure if they matter?

Have you been weary, wondering if God is still working in you—or through your church?

If that’s you, this is your moment to respond.

Come forward—or respond right where you are—and say to God:

“I accept that this church is the place for me. I commit to grow with Your people. I trust You to finish what You started.”

Whether you’re reconnecting, recommitting, or simply thanking God for the body He’s placed you in—this is a moment to be planted again in grace.

Because the church is not just where we gather—it’s where gratitude grows.