1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,040 Welcome to the Islands Christian Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,760 Subscribe to hear a new episode every week. 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:12,680 Thanks for joining us. So we have been in a series over 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,480 the past few weeks, a series that we have called Enough is 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,920 Enough, and we've been talking a lot about contentment. 6 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:21,600 You guys remember this. You've been around for a few 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:22,880 weeks. You remember, You remember this 8 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,280 in week 1:00, we, we said this, that that Paul showed us that 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,200 godliness leads to contentment, that when God becomes our 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,040 treasurer, when he's first in our life, then we find peace. 11 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,040 And then Week 2, we taught that that commitment is learned. 12 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,040 Paul taught us this from Philippians. 13 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,480 Commitment is learned. It's independent of 14 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:46,680 circumstances and contentment is rooted in dependence on Christ. 15 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,760 And so today we're asking the next natural question in this 16 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,320 series. And here it is if you're a note 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,280 taker. How do we grow and protect 18 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,240 contentment? How do we grow and protect 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,680 contentment? So if we if we if we gain it by 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,000 godliness by putting God first leads us to contentment. 21 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:10,000 If we have to learn it and it's independent of our circumstances 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,680 and it's through dependence on Christ that leads to 23 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,400 contentment. OK, well, how do we grow and how 24 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,720 do we protect contentment? And Psalm 100 is where we're 25 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,320 going to be today. So if you have your Bibles, go 26 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,160 to Psalm 100 and here's what I want you to hear me say. 27 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:24,920 This is kind of the bottom line of the whole sermon. 28 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,840 So if you want to hear this and then check out or something, 29 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,320 that's OK You ready? Here's the whole bottom line of 30 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:31,000 the whole sermon. Here's the thesis, if you will. 31 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,880 Here's the main point. Thanksgiving is the practice 32 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,720 that nurtures contentment. Thanksgiving, giving thanks, is 33 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,240 the practice that nurtures contentment. 34 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:47,000 Now, Thanksgiving is not something we do after we feel 35 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,000 content. It's a habit that we do which 36 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,600 forms contentment in our heart. So let me say it super clearly, 37 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,360 If you want to be a content person, if you want to be a 38 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,440 content person, like if this is something you're like, man, I've 39 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,360 got a lot of discontent. I'm not content in my life. 40 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,200 I want to be a more content person. 41 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,320 If you want to be a content person, you ready become a 42 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:11,160 thankful person. It's just that simple, super 43 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,240 easy. That's what grows and protects 44 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,080 contentment. Thanksgiving, the practice of 45 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:18,880 giving thanks, nurtures contentment. 46 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,800 So Psalm 100 shows us why Thanksgiving is such a powerful 47 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,160 spiritual habit for shaping our hearts toward contentment. 48 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,320 So we're going to read Psalm 100 and we're going to walk through 49 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:29,560 it a few. We're going to walk through the 50 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,560 verses together and learn what it teaches us. 51 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,600 Psalm 100 verses one through 5. You ready? 52 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,240 The psalmist says shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 53 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,200 Worship the Lord of the gladness. 54 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,040 Come before him with joyful songs. 55 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,640 Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are 56 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:48,920 His. We are His people, and the sheep 57 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:52,480 of His pasture enter his gates with Thanksgiving and His courts 58 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,160 with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise 59 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,320 His name for the Lord is good, and His love endures forever. 60 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,440 His faithfulness continues through all generations. 61 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,360 Now there are three clear commands in Psalm 100. 62 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,040 Do you see the three clear commands? 63 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,560 There's verse 2, worship the Lord. 64 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,040 You could say shout for joy as well, but that's encompassed and 65 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:15,880 worship the Lord. Verse two. 66 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,400 Number one is worship the Lord #2 which is verse 3 #2 which is 67 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,720 verse 3, Know who God is and who you are. 68 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,120 That's the clear command. Know who God is and know who you 69 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:28,560 are. And then there's a third clear 70 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,320 command, which is verse four and five, Give thanks. 71 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:33,960 So those are the three clear commands. 72 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,360 Worship the Lord, know who God is and who we are, and give 73 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,680 thanks. Now if you practice those 3 74 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,880 commands, you will arrive to a content heart. 75 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,680 That's what happens. That's where contentment 76 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,000 naturally grows and it thrives. Now for you note takers, let me 77 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,800 say it super simply for you. You ready? 78 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,000 This is how we're going to walk through this passage today. 79 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,080 You ready. Content people worship. 80 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,960 Content people know who and whose they are. 81 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,720 Content people worship, content people know who and whose they 82 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:08,240 are, and #3 content people give things, content people give 83 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:09,800 things. So content people worship, 84 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,800 Content people know who and whose they are, and content 85 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,560 people give things. Now, what I'm not saying today 86 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,040 is that you have to be content before you can worship. 87 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,040 I'm not saying that you have to be content before you can know 88 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,360 your identity. I'm not saying you have to be 89 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,160 content before you can give things. 90 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,280 I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying, to be very 91 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:31,640 clear, is this. Doing these three things 92 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:36,080 consistently, worshipping, knowing who you are and whose 93 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,440 you are, and giving thanks to God. 94 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,600 Doing those three things consistently is what forms 95 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,560 contentment in you. Those three things fuel 96 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,000 contentment. They grow contentment. 97 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,800 They protect contentment. So first of all #1 content 98 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,320 people worship. Worship is our response to God. 99 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,680 It's our response to God. It's it's how God forms 100 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,680 contentment in US. It's through you worshiping. 101 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,040 Worship is what naturally comes out of you when you consider the 102 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,960 goodness and the glory of God. It's the most powerful way that 103 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:16,320 we express our thanks to Him. So when we gather and we sing 104 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,000 and we worship, or when you're by yourself and you're playing 105 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,640 worship music and you're singing to God. 106 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,600 Or to think about what John said this morning. 107 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,720 When you wake up in the morning and the first thing that comes 108 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,520 off your mouth is, wow, God, you are good. 109 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:32,760 I thank you for being good. That act of worshiping God that 110 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,440 forms contentment in your heart. Listen to verses 1 and 2 again. 111 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,360 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 112 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,680 Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful 113 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,440 songs. And the psalmist isn't just 114 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,640 using poetic language. The psalmist is commanding us 115 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,720 shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. 116 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,760 Have you ever been in nature and you heard all the critters 117 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,360 singing and making noise and, and you're just kind of like the 118 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,080 birds and the crickets? And are you guys ever heard this 119 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:03,400 before you got them out in nature? 120 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,560 I remind myself when I'm in nature and I'm hearing those 121 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:08,920 critters make all that noise that you know what? 122 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,360 The frogs and the whatever else that these are the this is the 123 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,920 earth crying out to God. This is the earth shouting that 124 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,200 all things worship the Lord, all things praise God. 125 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,840 And God has invited you to join with all of nature and to 126 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,640 worship him. And here's the thing, you are 127 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,800 commanded to come before God with joy, gladness, and song. 128 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,160 This is what the text says. You're commanded to come before 129 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,320 God with joy, gladness, and song. 130 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,680 Why? Because when we worship and when 131 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,680 we come to God with worship and joy and gladness, follow me 132 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,800 here. That only happens when our heart 133 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,560 is satisfied with God in God. So what I mean is if I come 134 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,200 before God with joy and gladness and I worship him, then I'm my 135 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,160 heart's acknowledging that my God is worthy of this worship, 136 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,720 that my God is enough, that my God has given me joy, my God has 137 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,400 given me gladness. Now you could say, well, what if 138 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:06,760 I don't have that joy and gladness? 139 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:08,320 Well, here's the beautiful thing about worship. 140 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,200 It works in the inverse as well. If I come before God and I don't 141 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,280 have the joy and gladness, but I obey the command to worship him, 142 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,440 then what happens? Come on, somebody say this is 143 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,760 true, right? Then what happens is I worship 144 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,040 Him anyway out of obedience. Then God begins to do a work in 145 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,760 my heart, and He brings to my heart joy and gladness. 146 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,800 This is how worship works. I bring to God my joy and 147 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,000 gladness and worship Him. And if I don't have joy and 148 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,600 gladness, I worship Him out of obedience, out of obligation. 149 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,560 And I know we don't like obligation when it comes to our 150 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:39,600 faith. We're like, oh, I should just 151 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,680 feel it. No, sometimes you don't feel it. 152 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,760 Sometimes you just do it because the Lord has commanded you to do 153 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,400 it. And so you worship him and you 154 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,520 sing to Him. And what we receive is joy, 155 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,440 gladness, because our heart is reminded that we only find 156 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:59,600 satisfaction in God alone, that He has given us Himself, that He 157 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,320 has given us everything we truly need. 158 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,520 And that what happens is when you worship Him, even if you're 159 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,080 not sure if you believe that or not, your heart begins to be 160 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,600 trained to believe that. Does this make sense? 161 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,840 Am I making sense at all? Worship produces an inner 162 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,560 satisfaction inside of you. And if there is an inner 163 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,520 satisfaction already inside of you that produces worship. 164 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,600 You see how it's circular. It's circular worship. 165 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,080 When you worship God, when you sing to God, when you praise 166 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,880 God, it lifts your eyes off of what you wish you had, what you 167 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,320 wish were different, what you, what you wish would happen. 168 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,600 It lifts your eyes off of that and it turns your eyes toward 169 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,280 God, who is already giving you, giving you everything you need 170 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:49,360 ultimately in Him. And This is why I worship and 171 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,880 singing to God is so powerful because it not only generates 172 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,320 contentment, but it also preserves contentment. 173 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,560 This is why the discipline of worship is so important, because 174 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:00,840 if I don't have contentment, it will help bring about 175 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,240 contentment. And if I do have contentment, it 176 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:04,840 will help preserve that contentment. 177 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,960 When you worship, even when life is painful or uncertain, you are 178 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,440 reminding your heart, this is it. 179 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,440 God is enough. I can trust Him. 180 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,240 He has me. He's got me in his hands. 181 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,800 And you say, well, Stephen, what if I don't feel it? 182 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:23,760 I have people tell me this all the time. 183 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,880 I just don't feel God. I just, I don't feel content. 184 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,280 I don't feel happy. What if your heart is unsettled 185 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,000 or anxious and you find yourself in a worship setting? 186 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,480 This is exactly, in my opinion, when worship becomes even more 187 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,760 important because as the psalmist has said, and as I've 188 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,800 said to you, worship is commanded to you, which means 189 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,480 sometimes we worship before we feel it. 190 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,360 We choose obedience before emotion. 191 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,680 Your emotions will always follow your will. 192 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:58,560 If you didn't write that down, you missed it. 193 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,080 That was a good one. Your emotions. 194 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,200 We don't believe that. We usually write that down. 195 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,800 So you don't believe it. You think you have to feel 196 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:06,800 something in order to do something. 197 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,320 You don't. You have to decide something to 198 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,120 do something. You decide to do it and then 199 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,640 your emotions follow that. So people say well I fell out of 200 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,640 love with her, I fell out of love with him. 201 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:29,920 No, just decide to be in love. Act and and and function as if 202 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,360 you are still in love with them. If you make that decision, guess 203 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:34,920 what will happen to your emotions? 204 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:41,040 Emotions always follow will. Emotions always follow will. 205 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:48,000 When you worship, you are making a decision to choose obedience 206 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,680 before emotion, and when you do, something beautiful happens. 207 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,920 Worship recenters our hearts. Worship awakens trust in God. 208 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,960 Worship creates the joy and the gladness that the psalmist 209 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:03,800 promises. So sometimes we don't always 210 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,240 have the joy and gladness. Sometimes we get the joy and 211 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,400 gladness through worship. And listen to this. 212 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,200 Worship trains your heart toward contentment. 213 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,520 Worship can generate contentment. 214 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:18,320 I'm telling you, friend, if you will literally play worship 215 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,840 music throughout your day and sing, and even if you don't, 216 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,800 you're not a singer, maybe you just listen to it. 217 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,360 If you just let it saturate in your heart throughout your day, 218 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,280 you will generate more contentment in your heart. 219 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,240 And a contented heart is not a quiet heart. 220 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,680 It's a worshipping heart. It sings, it rejoices, it 221 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:39,040 celebrates God, God's goodness, not because your life is 222 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,680 perfect, not because everything is worked out for you, but 223 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,440 because you know God is worthy of worship. 224 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:46,760 He's faithful. You can trust him. 225 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,840 Content people worship. That's what the psalmist says. 226 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:55,440 But #2 in addition, content people know who and whose they 227 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,320 are. Content people know know who and 228 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,000 whose they are. Last Sunday after worship, a 229 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,200 friend of mine stopped me right at the door. 230 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,760 And he said, Stephen, I've been thinking a lot this week about 231 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:13,560 not only who God is, but whose I am, that that I'm, I'm possessed 232 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:16,440 by God, that he owns me. And he says, I've been 233 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,360 reflecting all week on this identity of, of God claiming me 234 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,160 as his own. It's not about who I am, it's 235 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,240 about whose I am. And you know, he was absolutely 236 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,240 right. He was absolutely right. 237 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,440 And this is exactly what Psalm 100 teaches. 238 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,640 Look at verse 3 again. Know that the Lord is good. 239 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,320 It is he who made us, and we are his. 240 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,640 We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 241 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,400 Here's the deal, guys. The foundation of contentment is 242 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:46,920 this simple truth. You ready? 243 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:54,720 Here's the foundation. God is God, God is good. 244 00:12:55,120 --> 00:13:01,800 God is God, and God is good. And because he is God, and 245 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,040 because he has made you, you belong to him. 246 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,760 So God, God exists. You ready? 247 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,200 There's a God. If you don't believe in a God, 248 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,400 that's OK. Like we can work. 249 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,480 We'll work with you, we'll hang out with you, we'll talk with 250 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:14,600 you. But if you're sitting here today 251 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,040 and you're like, I believe a God exists, then what that means if 252 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,280 they're a God that exists, then that means you are created. 253 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:24,520 That means you belong to him. That means you are his idea that 254 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,280 he came up with you, that there is a God that's the foundation 255 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:30,880 and that you belong to him that he made you. 256 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,160 And so identity, your identity. And when I use the word 257 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,160 identity, what I mean especially think about if you're young, 258 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,920 please get this, please get this. 259 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,280 This is the probably one of the most single important things you 260 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,560 can understand about moving through your life. 261 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,440 When I use the word identity, what I mean is yourself regard 262 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,000 how you view yourself, all right, and how you how you 263 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,000 regard yourself. So when I say your identity, 264 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,160 what I mean is when you think about yourself, what do you 265 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,080 think about? So identity or self regard 266 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,840 begins with knowing who God is. That's what it starts with. 267 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,360 It starts with you knowing who God is. 268 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,040 This is why verse 3 of the psalmist says know that the Lord 269 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,200 is God. In other words, know that there 270 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,560 is a God. All right, so your identity 271 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,520 starts with I'm not an accident. I didn't just crawl out of the 272 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,280 primordial mud some millions and millions of years ago. 273 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,080 No, I had was thought of. God thought of me. 274 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:24,880 He dreamt me up. He made me. 275 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,120 I'm unique and you know all these details, but let me just 276 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,120 tell you for the sake of maybe you don't know. 277 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,800 Your iris in your eye is unique. None. 278 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:33,800 No one has ever been born with your iris. 279 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,520 No one will ever be born with your iris. 280 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:37,600 The fingerprints on your hands are unique. 281 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,320 No one's ever been born with your fingerprints. 282 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,240 No one will ever be born with your fingerprints. 283 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,240 You are unique. You are a unique creation, 284 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,360 thought of, dreamt up by God, made by Him and loved by Him. 285 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,440 You, that is yourself regard, that is your identity. 286 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,600 You have to get that first. I am loved by God. 287 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,200 Identity begins with knowing who God is. 288 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,600 Today people say things like, well, I'm trying to find myself. 289 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,440 Have you ever had a friend say that to you before? 290 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,600 Have you maybe ever said that I'm trying to find myself? 291 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,120 Here's what you can tell your friend. 292 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,320 You can say, listen friend, I love you and I want you to find 293 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:12,880 yourself because here's the deal. 294 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:20,360 You can never truly know who you are until you know there was a 295 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,360 God who made you and who loves you. 296 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:30,640 That's where this starts. You must know that first, the 297 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,120 one who made you. And when you know this God who 298 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,600 made you, you learn some stuff that's life changing. 299 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,920 You are His, you belong to Him. So he didn't just make you, but 300 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,640 He, He, you belong to Him. You were created by him. 301 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,280 You were careful by Him. You are claimed by Him. 302 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,000 In other words, he claims you as his own. 303 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,680 This is what the text says. We are his people. 304 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:54,800 That's what it says. We are his. 305 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,120 It is he who made us and we are his. 306 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,880 We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 307 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,600 This, this idea that OK, well who am I man? 308 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:09,440 Who am I? I am owned, loved and possessed 309 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,320 by God. That's my identity. 310 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,080 That's myself regard. We are his people. 311 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,480 We have an identity. The sheep of his pasture. 312 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,000 What does it mean to be the sheep of his pasture? 313 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,880 What that means you have a security and belonging. 314 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,400 You have safety, you're secure, you're safe. 315 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,120 Like this is the reality of your life. 316 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,160 And those three things, identity, security and 317 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,280 belonging, they are the foundation or the soil that 318 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,560 contentment grows up in. In other words, if I know that 319 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:44,360 I'm not just an accident, that I have an identity that God made 320 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:50,040 me and loves me, and I know that that I'm safe, that this guy who 321 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:51,800 made me and who loves me, he's got a plan for me. 322 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,600 He's working things out for my good, that I'm safe. 323 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,720 And if I know that I'm in this pasture that I'm secure, that 324 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,360 whatever comes my way, I can be safe and secure. 325 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,200 If I know these things, that's like, that's like the soil being 326 00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:07,560 broken up and being tended and the soil being fertilized and 327 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,119 being watered and the seed of contentment being planted in 328 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:11,960 that. And my heart will develop 329 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,319 contentment when I believe these things are true. 330 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,160 Listen to how Jesus said this in John 10, John chapter 10. 331 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,040 I'm going to read verses 14 and 15, and then I'm going to read 332 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,440 27 and 30. This is beautiful. 333 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,040 These are the words of our Savior Jesus. 334 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,520 Listen to what he said. Jesus said I am the Good 335 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,280 Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep 336 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,600 know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. 337 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,400 Stop right there for a second. This, this is so beautiful to 338 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,640 me. Go back to verse 14 real quick. 339 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,760 I know my sheep and my sheep know me. 340 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,240 I know my sheep and my sheep know me. 341 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:56,960 Hyphen verse 15, just as the Father knows me and I know the 342 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:03,640 Father. Whoa, how does the Father and 343 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,240 Jesus know each other? Well, the scripture says they're 344 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:10,960 one, they're one. They are bound together in one 345 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:16,040 being. And what Jesus is saying is I 346 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:17,800 know my sheep and my sheep know me. 347 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,920 Just we have the relationship, my sheep and me. 348 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,240 We have the type of relationship that my father and I have. 349 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,760 I mean, I'm unioned with them. The rest of verse 15 Just as the 350 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,440 Father knows me and I know the Father hyphen, and I laid down 351 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:44,080 my life for the sheep. Jump to verse 27. 352 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,720 It says my sheep listen to my voice. 353 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:55,880 I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and 354 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:02,040 they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of 355 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,560 my hand. My Father who has given them to 356 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:10,320 me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my 357 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,560 Father's hand. I and the Father are one. 358 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:21,480 When you're held by Christ, you're safe, when you belong to 359 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:26,720 Him you are secure, and when He is your shepherd, your life is 360 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,520 guaranteed. What did Jesus say? 361 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:34,960 He said You, they us shall never perish. 362 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,440 Everybody say perish, perish. You shall never perish. 363 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,480 It just means never wrought, never be done away with it never 364 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,760 disappear. This is a promise right from 365 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,760 Jesus to you. When Jesus is your shepherd, 366 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,000 your life is guaranteed. Here's the beautiful truth of 367 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,320 this. You can't live in God's pastures 368 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,560 and fear starvation. You just can't. 369 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,680 You can't belong to the shepherd and live with a scarcity 370 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,840 mindset. You just can't. 371 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:17,000 So reflecting on this truth, who God is, I'm made by him. 372 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,400 That's my identity, myself. Regard who we are. 373 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,600 When you reflect on this man, who God is and whose we are, I 374 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,560 belong to him. When you reflect on this, it 375 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,600 nurtures and it protects contentment. 376 00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:35,000 My friend from last week, he was right. 377 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,400 It has a way of growing contentment in your heart when 378 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,360 you reflect on these two truths. There is a God and you belong to 379 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:46,520 Him. It's who and whose you are. 380 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,440 Content people know who and whose they are. 381 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,040 And lastly #3 content people give things. 382 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,320 Content people give things. Look at verses four and five 383 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:00,000 again. It says, enter his gates with 384 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,040 Thanksgiving and his course of praise. 385 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:05,680 Give thanks to Him and praise His name for the Lord is good 386 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,720 and his love endures forever. His faithfulness continues 387 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,800 through all generations. Now, Thanksgiving is not just 388 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:16,080 something we do when we feel like life is going well again. 389 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,960 Like He commands us to worship. He commands us to know God. 390 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,640 This other command is He commands us to give thanks even 391 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,360 if we don't feel like giving thanks, even if things in our 392 00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:31,160 lives are not going particularly well. 393 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,520 The psalmist gives us 3 reasons to give thanks. 394 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,000 If you just look at the text, they're right out of the text. 395 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,040 Here are the three reasons the psalmist gives us to give 396 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:46,840 things. Number one, God is good #2 is 397 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:52,480 love endures and #3 it's faithfulness never ends. 398 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,440 Now, those aren't just general statements. 399 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,800 Those aren't just like, Oh yeah, God is good and you know, he's, 400 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,200 he's faithful to the end and his love endures no matter what. 401 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,720 Those aren't just like, you know, you say that and you're 402 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,040 like, OK, that's kind of nice. God, whatever. 403 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,560 Those aren't just general things we say. 404 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,080 Listen to me carefully. Those are hard truths about the 405 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:23,880 character of God that are proven as reality through the gospel 406 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:28,960 message of Jesus Christ. In other words, when we say, oh, 407 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,400 God is good, his love endures, he's faithful to the end. 408 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:38,000 OK, what does that mean? That means the gospel. 409 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,240 They find their truth, their clearest expression in the 410 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,920 gospel. Because there are times in your 411 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:47,920 life when you will doubt God's goodness. 412 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,240 There are, there have been in my life. 413 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,080 There are times when you will doubt God's faithfulness. 414 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,280 There are times when you will doubt that his love endures. 415 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,840 And if you ever are wondering, is God faithful? 416 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,200 Is he? Does he actually love? 417 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,560 Does he actually endure? Is he actually good? 418 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,760 That's when you stop and you look at the cross of Jesus 419 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:26,600 Christ because the clearest and proof, the clearest expression 420 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,680 and the proof of these three ideas that God is good, that is 421 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,000 love endures forever and that is faithfulness to all generation 422 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,680 endures. The clearest proof of that is 423 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,440 the cross of Jesus Christ, the gospel message. 424 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,320 At the cross we see the greatest demonstration of God's goodness 425 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,160 toward his people. At the cross we see a love that 426 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,320 endured. So we see the greatest 427 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:55,320 demonstration of his goodness. We see a love that endured all 428 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,200 the way to the point of death. It's what Philippians tells us 429 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,680 that he endured even to the point of death, death on a 430 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,960 cross. So we see God's goodness at the 431 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,840 cross. We see God's love that endured 432 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:14,520 all the way to the death. And listen to this at the cross. 433 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,080 When you look at the cross, you see that God's faithfulness has 434 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,200 spanned across, expands across generations. 435 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,560 Why? Because Christ died 2000 years 436 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,680 ago. And yet the blood of that cross, 437 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:31,120 the blood of Christ shed on that cross has allowed you into the 438 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:33,840 family of God. He was faithful even to this 439 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:38,720 generation. Romans 58 says it so plainly. 440 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,720 You ready? But God demonstrates His own 441 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,800 love for us, and you could say His own faithfulness and His own 442 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,520 goodness in that whole sentence. But God demonstrates His own 443 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,280 love, his own faithfulness, his own goodness for us in this 444 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,960 colon you ready while we were still sinners, Christ did what 445 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,120 for us. Christ died for us. 446 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:03,840 I mean so so when you're wondering when the psalmist says 447 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,720 God is faithful and God is good and God is his love endures to 448 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,360 the end. When you when you read that it's 449 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:12,560 not just general statements that finds its truth and clearest 450 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,960 expression in the gospel message of the cross that God put on 451 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:21,520 display the proof of his love for you that while we were still 452 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:26,240 his enemies, Christ died for us. So what that means is our 453 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,480 greatest need. Our greatest need is not to 454 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:32,360 overcome the illness you're currently facing. 455 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,800 Our greatest need is not the financial troubles we're walking 456 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,840 through right now. Our greatest need is not the 457 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,360 health crisis we're dealing with right now. 458 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,720 Our greatest need is not the loss that we've endured. 459 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:48,520 No, our greatest need is to have our sins removed from us and to 460 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,840 be righteous before God, standing completely innocent 461 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:53,760 before Him. That is our greatest need. 462 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,880 And the cross of Jesus Christ through the bloodshed on that 463 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:01,160 cross, removes our sin guilt from us and makes us righteous 464 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,440 before God. That is your greatest need, and 465 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:08,000 that is my greatest need, our need for forgiveness. 466 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,200 I need to have my sins forgiven. That is the greatest need I 467 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,480 have, and that need has been met. 468 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,720 My deepest fear and your deepest fear. 469 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:29,520 Dying in our sins, having to answer for our sins, that has 470 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,400 been defeated. Our biggest problem, separation 471 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,920 from God, that has been solved forever on the cross. 472 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,120 And This is why, as a Christian, you can give thanks to God in 473 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:45,920 any and all circumstances. Because even when life is hard, 474 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:49,760 even when the circumstances are painful, God still has not 475 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,680 failed you. He still has not failed me. 476 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,320 Why? Because he's proven his 477 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,160 goodness. He's proven his love. 478 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:01,800 He's proven his faithfulness in the most decisive way possible. 479 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:08,560 By giving his Son for you on the cross, He's proved it. 480 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,800 That's why Thanksgiving nurtures contentment, because every time 481 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,480 you give thanks, you're reminding your heart of this 482 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,360 truth. You know what? 483 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:23,160 Give thanks to God. His love endures forever, His 484 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,120 faithfulness to all generations. God is good heart. 485 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:30,600 Remember that He proved it on the cross, that He met your 486 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,400 greatest need, that He paid for your sins, that God has been 487 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:36,520 faithful to you. My sins are forgiven. 488 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,040 My eternity is secure. And whatever happens next, I 489 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,080 belong to him. Do you see how that attitude and 490 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,760 that belief might stir in you? A content heart, a peaceful 491 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:51,040 heart, a confident heart that all is well, All is well. 492 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,640 Thanksgiving deepens contentment, and contentment 493 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,880 strengthens Thanksgiving. They feed on each other. 494 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:02,520 They circle with each other. The more thankful you are, the 495 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,240 more content you are. The more content you are, the 496 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:08,040 more thankful you are. And around and around and around 497 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,120 it goes. And if you sitting here today 498 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:13,680 and you're not content, start this way. 499 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,640 Start with a bang. The command to be thankful, give 500 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,600 thanks because that starts the process towards contentment. 501 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,680 It's funny to me because the Bible doesn't just teach this, 502 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:31,720 but modern psychologist and therapist had discovered this 503 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:37,320 truth that being a grateful and thankful person leads to better 504 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:43,120 mental health outcomes. They're working hard to discover 505 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,040 all the things that God has already given us. 506 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:51,840 Gratitude. Content. 507 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,640 People give things not because life is perfect, but because 508 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,480 they remember the cross and they know that in the cross God has 509 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:04,160 proven His goodness, His love, and His faithfulness. 510 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,480 So giving thanks, it's one of the ways that God grows and 511 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:14,640 protects your contentment. It's one of the ways it turns 512 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,520 our attention away from what we lack and back to what we can 513 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,840 never lose. God's love, God's goodness, His 514 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,840 enduring love, His unfailing faithfulness. 515 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,440 So let's zoom out. Let's look at the whole picture 516 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,600 of this whole series so far. Contentment begins when we 517 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,280 desire God above all else. That was the first week. 518 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,240 The second week was contentment grows as we depend on Christ's 519 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,320 strength. And this week contentment 520 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,440 becomes a way of life as you practice Thanksgiving to 521 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,160 practice it. So here's your challenge this 522 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:57,200 week. Every day, I want you to take 523 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:03,680 John's advice to wake up and let your first words uttered be 524 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:08,680 thank you. That's the first challenge. 525 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:10,760 Let the first words this week out of your mouth. 526 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,760 Well, it's Thanksgiving week. This shouldn't be hard to 527 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:17,440 remember. This week, every when you wake 528 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:22,000 up, if you need to put a big sign on your lamp or night stand 529 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,600 or something, say, say thank you. 530 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:30,400 Thank you, Lord. And then when you get your head 531 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:34,400 together, however many cups of coffee you have to have, I want 532 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,800 you to write three things that day that you're grateful for. 533 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,200 And it could be the cross, could be #1 every day this week, the 534 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:42,760 cross. And then two other things. 535 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,200 But I want you to write three things you're grateful for. 536 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,600 I want you to make this a habit. This week, it's Thanksgiving. 537 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,080 It'll be easy to remember. It could be friends, it could be 538 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,920 health, it could be family. Three things. 539 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,600 Just jot it down. Three things you're thankful for 540 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,480 every day. Name three things that you 541 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:03,320 genuinely, genuinely want to thank God for. 542 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:08,560 Because here's the thing. Your circumstances will not 543 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,840 change by you being thankful they won't. 544 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,320 Your circumstances will continue to be what they are. 545 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:20,840 But you know what will change? Your perspective of those 546 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:25,040 circumstances? Your heart towards those 547 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,400 circumstances. As you give things, you will 548 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:33,400 remember that you belong to God, that He has called you His own, 549 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,840 that your greatest need has already been met in Jesus, that 550 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,840 your shepherd holds your hand securely, and that you have a 551 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:47,680 home for all eternity in his pasture. 552 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,440 So be thankful, my brothers and sisters. 553 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,800 Thanksgiving is one of God's greatest gifts for nurturing and 554 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:01,280 protecting a content heart. Will you stand with me? 555 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:02,760 I'm going to say a benediction over us. 556 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,760 That you receive these words is my prayer for you. 557 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:17,220 You ready? May the Lord teach your heart to 558 00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:21,740 give thanks in all things. As you practice Thanksgiving, 559 00:32:22,740 --> 00:32:26,260 may the Spirit deepen your contentment, lift your eyes to 560 00:32:26,260 --> 00:32:30,700 God's goodness, and remind you every day of His love shone for 561 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:35,720 you on the cross of Calvary. May His faithfulness steady you, 562 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,760 His grace carry you, and the joy of belonging to Him fill your 563 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,520 days with peace. So now, my brothers and sisters, 564 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:52,000 go in strength, the strength of Christ, who is always enough. 565 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,120 I love you, Amen. See you back here next week. 566 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,320 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe to 567 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,720 hear a new episode every week. You can also worship with us in 568 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,480 person in Savannah, GA or watch our live stream on Facebook and 569 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:11,680 YouTube every Sunday at 9:15 AM. Have a great week.