Thankful For Our Churches

THEME VERSE:

Colossians 3:15-1715Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We are thankful for:

Our Time in sharing together.
Psalm 100:3-53 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

QUESTION: When this verse talks about entering His gates with thanksgiving and His court with praise, what have been some of your most enjoyable thoughts when we come here every Sunday Morning? Let's be honest... Have there ever been other times when we just didn't want to show up for Church?!! (Laugh) What have been some of the most memorable times that we have shared together with the people at Church? Do we feel these times shared together are truly an expression of entering His gates with thanksgiving and that we are most certainly entering His courts with praise?

Our Hands in helping others.

2 Corinthians 9:11, 1211You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

QUESTION: This has to be one of my favorite verses! We see so many people give of their Time,Talent, and Treasure in the life of ministry. And why do God's people give? Why do you and I give Sunday after Sunday? Because our giving is an overflowing expression of our thanks to God - mainly for what He has done in our lives through His Son Jesus! A church that gives in ministry is a church filled with gratitude. You can tell how thankful a ministry has become in their relationship with Jesus Christ by HOW they give! Tell us about a few occasions when the people your church gave beyond their means in ministry.

Our Anticipation in believing the vision.

Daniel 2:22-2422 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, O God... You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream..."

QUESTION: Wow! What an awesome verse! You know, during Daniel's time, Daniel was the only one in the region who could interpret vision! What an undaunting task! Everyone was waiting on Daniel... think of that kind of pressure! You and I know how challenging it is to cast a clear, compelling, and concise vision before a congregation. At the same time, it's not all about us and what we SEE. We want vision to be shared among the people who attend our churches. We also desire our congregations to have a sense of ownership related to anticipating and believing the vision. If we could elaborate for a moment, as we prayerfully lead our churches - what are the 2-3 non-negotiables that we grapple with in relation to the vision we know God is directing our ministry towards. What is the vision for the people of our churches? How do we see ministry unfold in the next 2-3 years?

Our Name in remembering the past.

Psalm 42:1-4
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

QUESTION:When I read this verse I think back to the moments where ministy brought me a great source of joy... Oh how I am thankful for being able to remember the past. In the opening video clip, we may have noticed the hand on door knobs opening and closing doors... We have established our churches as a viable ministry in the community. God has blessed tremendously - no doubt we are thankful for our name in remembering the past in how our churches have gotten started and recognizing the growth in where we are today. Some of us may still want to live in the day of "ministry past" but you and I know time doesn't stand still. We have to move forward. God rarely repeats the exact same miracle or spiritual movement in the life of a ministry twice. God desires to move afresh in a ministry - to prepare us for something new. Sometimes for new ministry doors to open, we have to close other doors. In remembering our name in the past... what have been a couple of pivotal doors that were opened that have brought us to where we are today? Are there any doors that have been stayed - kept opened way too long that we need to close? How would you encourage this church and other churches to open new doors in ministry?

Our Kindness in praying for others.

Philippians 4:5
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

QUESTION: This is another powerful verse! How many times have we all been anxious for something to happen in ministry? When there is this assurance that our Lord is near to us, this realization has a calming effect. We can operate out of gentleness. Keeping this truth in mind, how can we better our prayers related to the ministry of our churches? If I were to ask you how you and the people of your church have been praying this past year for the ministry direction of this church - be real with us this today - how would you summarize this and define this in a few words or statements?

Our Faithfulness in knowing Jesus.

Ephesians 1:15-17
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Our Understanding in giving.

1 Corinthians 15:57, 5857...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58Therefore,... stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Question: We all know how emotionally draining it can be to ask a congregation to give of their Time, Talent, and Treasure - especially in our economic conditions today. Example: What was it like to encourage a congregation to give during a past building campaign? What were some of the struggles? What were some of the joys? Did we ever feel like some of the churches' efforts were done in vain? Once a goal in giving has been met, how do we celebrate and get geared up in our giving towards a new ministry venture?

Our Love in reaching the community.

Corinthians 4:14, 1514...because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.