Monday NIght @ First B NOv 21at

In one paragraph

This was a Thanksgiving-season service built around gratitude, not just for what God gives, but for God himself as the giver. Drawing from James 1:17 as a starting point, the message worked through five things to be genuinely thankful for: God's love, his faithfulness, his peace, his presence, and his provision. Scripture, song, and open sharing from the congregation all wove together through the...

Read together

1. James 1:17 every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the father of heavenly lights
2. Romans 8 nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love revealed in Christ
3. 2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, God remains faithful for he cannot disown himself
4. Philippians 4 peace that passes understanding
5. John 14 Jesus leaving his disciples the gift of peace of mind and heart that the world cannot give
6. Psalm 139 I can never escape from your spirit or get away from your presence
7. Psalm 23 even through the darkest valley, fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and staff comfort me
8. Matthew 6 your heavenly father already knows all your needs; seek the kingdom first and he will give you everything you need
9. Psalm 27:10 even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close

Talk about it

1. The message opened with James 1:17 and the idea of focusing not just on the gifts we are thankful for but on the giver behind them. How does shifting your attention from the gift to the giver change the way you experience gratitude?
2. Romans 8 was read to say that nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love. Is there something in your own life, a fear, a failure, a circumstance, that has at times made God's love feel distant, and what does that passage say to that feeling?
3. Second Timothy was quoted: 'If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.' Several people in the room shared moments where they felt God was still holding on to them even when they were not holding on well. What does God's faithfulness look like in a season when your own faith is thin?
4. The pastor described a simple exercise someone walked him through: close your eyes, think of a good moment from your day, and ask how God was present in it. If you tried that exercise with a moment from this past week, what would you land on, and what does it tell you about God's presence in ordinary life?
5. Matthew 6 was brought in on the topic of provision, with the instruction to seek God's kingdom first and trust that He already knows your needs. Several people in the room then shared specific, personal answers to that kind of trust. What is one need you are carrying right now, and what would it look like practically to seek God's will around it before seeking the solution?