"The Fruit of Thankfulness"

Big Idea: Gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it produces Christlike actions in our lives.

Colossians 3:12–17 CSB

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

HOOK

Illustration: Imagine a new tree you just planted in your backyard.

You water it, fertilize it, and make sure that it gets PLENTY of sunlight.

Over time, it bears fruit.

Now imagine doing all that work, but the tree never produces anything.

You’d wonder, “What’s wrong with this tree??”

Transition: In the same way, if we claim to be thankful but it never shows in our actions, something is missing.

Gratitude should bear fruit.

Talking Point:

Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday—it’s a lifestyle that transforms how we live every day.

BOOK

Key Observations:

Colossians 3:12 CSB

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…

Identity fuels action (v.12)

We are:

chosen

holy

loved

Knowing your IDENTITY with Jesus is the soil where gratitude grows.

and from that IDENTITY, Gratitude looks like:

Compassion

Someone filled with gratitude will easily have compassion on others

Kindness

Someone filled with gratitude will easily have a nature of KINDNESS

We NEVER have a reason/excuse to NOT be KIND to others…

Humility

Someone filled with gratitude will have a right view of themselves before God and others…and will be growing in humility

Pride is far from humility

Lack fo Gratitude/Thankfulness is Pride and self-centeredness.

a thoughtful “thank you” goes A LONG WAY…

Gentleness

Someone filled with gratitude will be gentle with others and their situations.

There’s no need to be hard on someone, unless their hard-headedness needs to be broken through to.

There’s a time for everything, as Holy Spirit directs.

We need to RESPOND not REACT.

REACTIONS are done in pure EMOTIONS and emotions are flighty and many times not rooted and grounded in truth.

RESPONSES are done after careful consideration of as many factors and facets of a situation that’s observable.

Patience (Long-suffering)

A person of gratitude will have the capacity to have patience with others.

To “suffer long” with folks who are trying to make progress.

We are:

chosen

holy

loved

knowing our IDENTITY in CHRIST, fuels ACTION.

Gratitude shapes relationships (vv.13–14)

Colossians 3:13–14 CSB

13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

if you cannot forgive, the Lord will NOT forgive you…

Consider the people who you are holding things against…

We can’t handle God holding things against us…

IF you cannot forgive…you are NOT FORGIVEN. Period.

Matthew 6:14–15 CSB

14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Love binds everything together.

“above all”

this is MOST IMPORTANT

“agape” is the glue that holds us together as believers.

“God is love.”

1 John 4:7–12 CSB

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.

The one who has a heart of godly gratitude will pour God’s love out through themselves…

Identity fuels action

Gratitude Shapes Relationships…

Thankfulness is central to worship (vv.15–17)

Colossians 3:15–17 CSB

15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

“Be thankful” appears three times

peace, praise, and purpose flow from gratitude.

Peace

Peace of Christ

to which we are called in one body

let this peace of Christ RULE YOUR HEARTS

Praise

Word of God dwelling RICHLY among you…

psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs

singing WITH GRATITUDE in your HEARTS

Purpose

WHATEVER YOU DO

in word or in deed

DO EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus

Giving Thanks to God the Father through Him…

Illustration: Think of gratitude as the roots of a tree.

The deeper the roots, the stronger the fruit

The deeper the roots in Jesus, the stronger the fruit in:

compassion

kindness

humility

LOOK – So What?

Talking Points:

Gratitude changes our attitude:

Instead of complaining, we choose kindness.

Gratitude changes our relationships:

Forgiveness becomes easier when we remember how much we’ve been forgiven.

Truly consider how much you have been forgiven of…

If you don’t think it’s much…you’re not considering long enough.

Gratitude changes our worship:

When we sing, serve, and speak, it’s all done “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Illustration: Picture a family after Thanksgiving dinner.

The table is cleared, but the spirit of gratitude lingers—people helping, laughing, forgiving.

That’s what the church should look like every day.

TOOK – Challenge & Action

Main Challenge: Don’t let gratitude stop at words…let it show in your everyday life.

This week, because you’re thankful for God’s grace, choose one person to bless.

Pray daily:

“Father, give me a heart of thankfulness today. Help my soul to NOT FORGET all your benefits…”

Remember the 10 Lepers

10 lepers cried out to Jesus to give them mercy…

Only one, a Samaritan, returned to thank Jesus…

ALL ten Lepers’ lives were changed, but only 1 had gratitude for what has been done…

You were a LEPER…

Be the ONE who lives with a heart of gratitude for what has been done and for the One who did it…

Closing Illustration: A thankful heart is like a lamp plugged into power—it shines.

When we live a life of gratitude, the world sees Christ through us.