Thanksgiving Top Ten | Pastor Jeff

good morning First Assembly let's stand up we are ready to worship this morning as we close this Thanksgiving weekend and prepare for the song of the Christmas season chapter 26 verse 7 The writing of David and he says I wash my hands and innocence why does he do it because when we come to the house of the Lord when we come to the presence of God we need to do it with clean hands and a pure heart this morning he said I wash my hands and innocence and I walk by your altar Lord and he says proclaiming allowed your praise and telling of all your wonderful works so that this morning we can begin to loudly proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and the works and the miraculous works of Jesus Christ, come on, let us worship him this morning God, we worship you, we honor you, we give you thank you.

God you are king and you are Lord we lift up your name this morning Lord Jesus we thank you and it is in your name God we pray amen let us worship him please foreigner yes he was a foreigner you will not be foundations he said again okay he is ready for us he was built, I will make sure Let the king of my heart hear the mountains let the king of my heart hear the shadow where I hide your hands let the king of my heart be the wind inside me thank you let the king of my heart be the foreign flowers I never know that you will never disappoint me you will never love her the foreign Lord oh you are good you are good you are good you are good you are good foreign spirit I need a fresh wind from heaven for your spirit for your spiritual eyes what we pray foreigners Spirit us a little very rough science we can hear them hear them for your spirit out your spirit out of your presence we can hear the way it grows blowing science sons and daughters press the power of your presence by your spirit outside by your spirit outside foreigner foreigner I keep remembering the encounter Elijah had with God while he was fleeing from Jezebel and he had many questions about God God, where are you all these things?

And then Elijah said: go ahead, highlight the mountain because I am it. about to see Elijah I heard God in dramatic ways I heard God in the fire I heard he got into the wind I heard an earthquake and if you read the story if you read that narrative you hear it when it arrived there was nothing The fire came and there was no nothing and then came a soft whisper. I believe this morning that God wants to meet each and every one of us in this place today and God is about to pass us by.

My question for me. My question for us is: are we? bowed, are we ready to listen to the little voice that God would not like to speak to us this morning because it has a message for each and every one of us, an encouragement, a challenge for each and every one of us and it is so important to put us in a posture in which you say yes Lord, I am here, I am listening just as he spoke to little Samuel in the temple when no one else could hear the voice of the Lord, we are living in a culture where there is a There are many people who do not care to listen the voice of the Lord and are simply on their own agenda.

God is looking for a church that wants them, among other things, to experience God's presence and hear his voice, so this morning I want to encourage us. just to put ourselves in a posture where we say God we are listening we are ready Jesus this morning we come we meet and we know God are you ready to come are you here this morning right now your presence is here is whether Sorry or not, you are a foreigner. You're listening this morning, so God, whether it's dramatic or whatever, we want to lean our ears to hear what you're telling us this morning because you have something to say.

You are saying something. we choose to listen to it or you are not saying it you are moving in our hearts if we choose to surrender to it you are still moving so God I just ask that you open our hearts this morning God would you put us in a position where we hear your voice and understand What you are doing. Thank you Jesus. I encourage you to welcome him this morning just to invite him into his voice and into your hearts this morning God we are listening God we want to hear you God we want to experience your presence God we want to experience your power and we want to know how we want to be renewed this morning thank you God we worship you we sing we need a freshman yes we do the power of your presence heaven for your spirit for your spirit eyes the fragrance of heaven for your spirit for your spirit the power of your presence for your spirit you are here and we enter into this place you were already here when we woke up this morning you were there there is no place we can go and hide David said hide us from your presence so God this morning I only ask that you would meet us that we would meet you today we would leave with a word yours today we would be refreshed we would be invigorated this morning with your presence you are doing something in our hearts you are doing something new because we don't want something you did in our hearts yesterday we want something new something fresh today God help us we want to surrender to it this tomorrow so open our eyes to your word, what you're saying to your people, we pray, that's in the name of Jesus, we prayed and everyone said, hey man, can we just praise God this morning, thank you God, you're so worthy, You are so worthy, hey before? you are already seated I want to encourage you to take five or six or seven people and welcome them this morning let them know that you are glad to see them in the house of God good morning good morning First Assembly I am very glad that you are here today This is your first Once again, we just want to welcome you and you wouldn't mind taking a moment.

There is a connection card in front of you. You can fill it out and take it to the welcome center after the service. We have a gift for you. many of you had your fill of pumpkin pie and turkey this week, okay, some of you, I don't know, we had our shares, so, but hey, it's the end of Thanksgiving weekend and we're getting closer to Christmas, and how many of you know that we just need? to have the right hearts going into Christmas and that's just my prayer for our church family, even in these next few weeks, that we allow God to prepare our hearts to make room for Him in this Christmas season and so, one of The way What we're going to do is that all the ladies will get together for our Sisterhood Christmas night.

Our ladies' Christmas night, yes, Tuesday, December 6, and it's coming up fast. I'm like, wow, it just happens so fast. to get your ticket stop by the Welcome Center let me come and pick you up don't wait too long but hey we're going to have a great time so all ladies are invited this is an amazing time to invite friends so than all young people. people please come we love we love young people yes and they bring life so come and it will be a great time but we will get ready to give this morning our ushers will come or you can text first to 77977 .or there are offering boxes everywhere but let's just pray Lord we thank you and we honor you this morning God you are faithful and you are good and uh we just come with hearts full of

thanksgiving

today God that you are good.

It can be trusted and we simply return the tithe to you. God gives beyond that to the Kingdom Builders to reach this city, this world for you. Lord, we believe that you will come again. That's why we get together, we think we encourage each other even more. The day is coming that you will come and God this morning we just pray that your presence will be with us this morning and it is in the name of Jesus we pray amen amen I'm so excited to finish this Thanksgiving weekend um my wife and I We're I'm going to preach together this morning, I'm just going to say, you never know what you're going to get, yeah, I mean, really, when we're together, you never know what you're going to get, and I find it that way. appropriate this morning that we preach together because if there is anyone who says thanks Joy Thanksgiving could I just say it's my wife Rochelle um yeah, you can, you can clap your hands because I'm telling you what this woman, um, she, she's a strong woman, she's a cheerful Woman, that's why I can hear her laugh before I see her, um, that's why I'm excited this morning.

It's going to be a joyful morning of preaching, preaching together, we'll see how it goes and go. to kind of make a top 10 of the things we're grateful for uh in the last year because when we think about maybe maybe this is just for the non-spiritual group uh maybe but when you think about when you start to think about what You're grateful for some of the first things that come to mind, well I know why I'm not grateful, that's okay, because when we think about what we are grateful for for each person here, we have unwanted circumstances that have occurred to us. throughout the past year and many times when we think, okay, God, what am I grateful for?

This is what, as followers of Christ, we objectively know that we have much to be grateful for. I'm telling you what we should be more full of joy. I'm very excited because we have a lot to be grateful for, but also as human people who live in a real world, there are things that happen to us and we think I have to get through this before I get to what I know. I'm thankful. Because because there are unwanted circumstances that we all have, this morning we come with some unwanted circumstances, there may be some people here who said yes, I had this job change that was not really a good job change and, this is a unwanted exchange rate. circumstance there are people here this morning that maybe there is something and nothing reminds them of this like the holidays, but maybe there is some family tension and of course no one admits it in church, why would we admit it?

Because then there is something wrong with it, but there is something. Family tension we might see Say: I know I'm not grateful for that. There are difficulties that have happened to you through no fault of your own. You're thinking I'm not grateful for that. Maybe you have some kind of health diagnosis. experienced and you are like I am this has happened I am definitely not maybe there is just a general feeling of God what are you doing in my life what are you doing in the world and why we would love especially at this time of year to make a nice bow to the end of the calendar and have this feeling of Thanksgiving and be grateful that each of us has to go through some events in our lives that have occurred that are unwelcome and that we would rather forget this morning. but we know we're grateful yeah so here's the deal before you think I'm crazy and I have a fever like last week but now I'm actually better but in every circumstance we find ourselves in we can choose to be grateful it's a choice uh we don't choose to just be grateful when things are going well that's just cause and effect certain something happens that's good and then I respond with gratitude that's normal but we're Christians we're abnormal and then when things maybe don't seem to go the way we intended or when we get punched in the gut maybe some of you have been there this year we get the challenge we get to be thankful because guess what real Thanksgiving is when it precedes that miracle it's real Thanksgiving when it happens not the other way around that is just normal but we are abnormal people see something when something good happens it usually just triggers that positive effect but what happens when something doesn't seem to go right? how we want it what is our response that is an indicator of what is happening look here is the agreement Thanksgiving will precede it I think about this the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and they ate the Passover food and gave thanks for their liberation from Egypt before had been liberated I don't know maybe I'm just preaching to myself but sometimes I need to give Thanksgiving before watching the release recognizing that the Sabbath is here today putting God first on our calendar is recognizing that we are waiting for God to be with us the next six days, see, it is the above, before we see it, we simply pray for the tithe and the offering, and that is not just a ritual, it is a real life opportunity to say God, I trust you with my finances.

I'm going to give. thank you before seeing how you are going to pay all those bills and this is what anchors our soul Thanksgiving Day anchors our soul and a reality that God has yet to provide for us knowing that he will provide knowing who he is so if we look Seeing Him From that perspective, we have never been in a better position to give thanks than today, we have never been in a better position, so I want to challenge us this morning as we look at the top 10 reasons. I mean, there are many reasons. to be grateful and maybe you want to create your own, but the 10 that we came up with this morning I want to challenge you that your peace will rise to the level of your Thanksgiving, look, we want peace in this season, right? peace in our homes we want peace in our hearts Can I challenge you?

Your peace will rise to your Thanksgiving level, so if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to Philippians chapter four, we're going to be kind of uh. goingso I mean it's going to be yes what you're going to see on the screen is the paraphrased message um but before I jump I have to give you a mental image and when I'm done maybe you'll say no I don't want that mental image, but this is what that occurred to me so the last few summers our girls have been doing that in the summer um, swimming lessons and of course we are there as parents to make sure they don't drown.

I mean, you know, we're there and I never, uh, ever, when I was a kid, I never had swimming lessons. I just uh I just thrash around um and somehow, but anyway I pray, I don't think you know that it's ugly to watch me swim, you just don't want to do it, but I was very surprised by the fact that you can float. in the water I know some of you think you don't know this, so the swimming instructor said, "Okay girls, I want you to know that I'm going to teach you how to float on your back and when I was looking." I have to know this because I never learned this.

Still I have problems with this. I'm just what you would call a nervous swimmer. You know, I have to stay awake, but the swimming instructor said, "If you ex. You know, even yourself in the water, you know, breathe, uh, normal, not like me, normal, lift your chin, guess what you can float?" face up on the surface of the water because your density is going to be less than the water. and I tried it and for a couple of seconds I was fine until I started drowning, but when I just wasn't Joe, I'm kidding, but when I was a not calm as he should be, he was on top of the water can.

I tell you that this is how the peace of God is, it always remains above the circumstances of life, this is the piece, so I want us to understand this, but such Maybe I should have done it, don't get the idea of ​​me floating in the water, but um, we, what we have to do is increase the level of peace in our lives, you know what we have to do to achieve it, we have to fill our lungs with Thanksgiving if we are going to increase. the level of peace in our lives that we need to fill our lungs let's just not be scared by life's circumstances but rest in the fact that God is the creator of the world, he created it before we were here, he still does it.

It will sustain and we just need to rest in it this is what the apostle Paul says in Philippians chapter 4 verse 4 when he says this is in the message paraphrase celebrate God all day every day I mean delight in him make it as clear as you can to everyone you know that you are on their side working with them and not against them help them see that the master is about to arrive he could appear at any time this is powerful we are grateful that he can appear at any time I think it is powerful here the first thing we have to be grateful for our people look around you at the people maybe you are sitting with the people you came with your church family we need to be grateful for the people that God has put in our lives I am grateful for the people that God has put in my life because of what that scripture says help them see that the teacher is about to arrive think about the people who encourage you in faith think about the people who tell you not to give up God is about to arrive the scene Matthew 18 20 says where two or three gather Gather in my name there I am with them Gathering God is manifesting himself in our relationships and in the people around us this year we must remember that we are grateful for the people God has placed around us and what to do to encourage us to be with each other, think about all the dynamic relationships that existed in the Scriptures, you have Adam and Eve, it was not good for them to be alone, he put them together, Moses. and Aaron, there are some interesting dynamics there, okay, Elijah and Elisha Abraham and Sarah Priscilla and Aquila Paul and Silas I think about who are the people who are with you, are the people who encourage you in faith Proverbs 27 17 says it like iron with iron it is sharpened. one person sharpens another we simply cannot be effective as God has planned for us on our own we need other people and we should be grateful for the people God has put in our life because they encourage us because they sharpen us if they have not been around me at some point, if you've ever heard me speak in a youth group and I'm sorry young man, you're going to hear it again, it's just a life message from me, guess what, show me your friends, I'll show you your future, it's just how life works your life is and this is not mine this is Jim but it's the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with so who are the five people you spend the most time with and that is your future?

If you are spending time with people who encourage you and have the attitude that God can do anything the teacher is about to show up at any moment, guess what impact it will have on your future and some of you say what happened? all my day with little ones running around, guess what better people to be with than those who have faith like a child, the people around us will determine our future. Choose wisely and we should be grateful for those people in our lives. When I look at that list, I'd rather be and I look at my marriage.

I'd rather be Priscilla and Aquila than Ananias and Sapphira, okay, I didn't put them there on purpose, no, I'm serious. I want to be around people who encourage and challenge me, not lie for me or cover up such powerful things. Personal relationships number two. You know why I'm grateful. I am grateful for followers of Christ. who exhibit consistency in character yeah you know what I'm here this is what consistency may sound like a boring word well at least I'm consistent I tell you what but as we are seeing in our world consistency and character have never always been important. but we are seeing that it is more important because not everyone remains consistent, not everyone has a character that has been tested in the fire and it is so important that we live in a time where people often try to get by with charisma that they neglect. cultivate your character inside.

I am grateful for those in the body of Christ who not only look good on the outside, yes, but have taken the time to clean the inside of the cup. Jesus said this, we believe Jesus was just a good guy. a nice guy but look what he said to the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 23 woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites, you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence, Pharisee blind! First clean the inside of the cup and plate and then the outside will also be clean.

I appreciate some people who say they know what I'm going to take care of the outside of the inside of the outside of the inside of the cup so that the outside is clean. I am grateful for people who follow a lifestyle of Holiness. I am so grateful for people who maintain joy in some of the most difficult circumstances. I see people. I watch people struggle with a cancer diagnosis. struggle with marital problems and this is what I am very grateful for the people in the midst of that who maintain their character, who do not lose it.

I am so grateful for people who do not let life's difficulties derail them, who not only hear the word of God but live the Word of God. word I love that when I see people living the word of God I am very grateful for the people who have substance in their lives we are living in the end times we no longer need to surround ourselves with superficial people we no longer need to surround ourselves with important people who guess what we are going to fight against fight we know that we are going to fight for them they are going to fight for us because we are fighting for the king of kings and he is leading us into battle we have to cultivate such character in such substance in our lives paying more attention to what is within cups.

I am grateful for people who show consistency and develop character in their lives. Sorry, I'm grateful number three. that's why she's here it's like again just follow the notes follow the notes but I'm also grateful I'm grateful for parents grateful for dads I'm grateful for people who are biological parents to their children I'm grateful for people who are parents to people who are not their children biologically look at what Paul said in First Corinthians 4 15. he is talking to the Corinthians, he said, even if they had ten thousand guardians in Christ, they would not have many fathers because in Christ Jesus I was their father in Gospel I chuckle every time I read that because it is as if Paul said oh, I am your father, I am your father, that is why I urge you to imitate me, for this reason I have sent you Timothy, my son to whom master, who is Faithful in the Lord, he will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in the church.

Pablo was identifying a need in the first century world that still exists today in 2022. We have access to many teachers who have Excellence for me many influencers many people who would position themselves as experts in the world. I've said it before, but we live as we do in what I would like to call the age of the wise, we just have to look like you. I know what you're talking about, I have a YouTube channel and a podcast and I talk about something and be an expert on something and give information, but you know we don't have many parents, which is why God gave us. parents for whom for what who can just discipline us and spank us and all that not who we can model for ourselves that is what a father is there are many who have biological parents who they can model their lives after and I tell them what I want to encourage you in some moment today to thank your dad, who you can model your life after some of you say: I don't have one, that there are other people in your life who you can model your life after.

God gives us spiritual fathers who pour into our lives. lives and I want to encourage you today at some point this weekend to thank those people who you know you can imitate their way of life. They are like a father to you. I am grateful for every time I see a man investing in his children or someone they have adopted as their child perhaps informally. I am grateful every time I see a man with both hands raised in worship not caring what others think but they are just modeling what it means to be a man but also a worshiper.

It is very important that we have more male parents who say you know I don't care what this I'm going to worship God with all the worship was not just for women yes and I tell you that we have feminized our culture so much that it is almost like you I need to be a woman To be a Christian in the world and our world needs men. We only thought about this a moment ago, yesterday. I didn't think I was going to put it there, but we were watching, uh, just for a couple. hours a boy in our house and uh this person this boy very quickly if you let him go and he was just going to leave so I had to hold his hand and we were walking he says oh your hands are rough, I'm like that because I'm a man I'm a man no I didn't say that's the only time someone has said we need individuals who aren't afraid to be masculine now masculine doesn't mean a Bruiser isn't I mean uh you don't know how to show emotion and you just scream all the time time, but I am grateful that our world needs men.

I am grateful for every time I see a person, a man, living a life of integrity worth pursuing, thank you. you every time I see a man serving in a church, reach out to the context of the church ministry where they are influencing the next generation, you say, what about women? Well, I'm grateful for women too, but I feel like I want to talk to men this morning. because you are so important you fill a void that needs to be filled in the body of Christ and there are people here this morning who have been beneficiaries maybe they have not had a biological father but they have a spiritual debt that keeps saying hey my son in faith keep going imitate my way of life show others my way of life so important I am very grateful to parents because when you remove a young man from the influence of a father you take away something of incredible value my prayer for next year is that we will have men who say You know what I'm going to be a biological father but I'm going to be a spiritual father to someone who's watching.

I'm grateful for the parents this morning, yes, amen. I think he actually said your hands itch, if I remember correctly, but what's the only time anyone has said hands, you work with your hands, I work with that Bible over there, okay, the apostle Paul, absolutely , uh, you didn't know I was a Tent Maker okay, now it's my turn, okay, no joke, this is what I was saying, you never know what's going to happen, number three, three are parents, but no, but diversity and I won't have a fever again, seriously. grateful because what does adversity produce what can it produce if we allow God this is what Paul says don't worry or worry I need to put that in my mirror don't worry or worry instead of worrying pray let the requests and praises shape your worries in prayers letting God know your worries before you realize it a sense of the fullness of God everything together for good will come and calm you it's wonderful what happens when Christ moves worry to the center of your life I'm sorrysaying someone needs this tomorrow you need to shift the worry that is at the center of your life with Christ and watch what he will do, watch what he will do, I can honestly say that I am grateful for the adversity God, do you hear me now, for Please take it away from me, you know?

Have you ever thought that I don't want to say it too loudly because then more adversity might come down the road? Let me tell you, there is no darkness in Christ, there is no sinister motive in Christ, God is taking the things that we are. Going through this and he's making you a strong warrior, a strong warrior for him and sometimes I think, God, I don't need to be stronger but well, I don't know what I need. The good thing is that God knows what we need. I think about this verse very often and it is an encouraging verse for me as I have studied the life of Jeremiah this past year. what Jeremiah so Jeremiah God is speaking to you if you are exhausted in the foot race with men what makes you think that you can run against horses and if you cannot keep your wits in calm times what is going to happen when problems like the Jordan in the flood, can I tell you that God is strengthening us through adversity, but we must not sugarcoat what is happening now because that does us no good.

We need to understand what is happening and that we are living in a season that is a demonic agenda. I think we can let ourselves go and think that this is how it should be. It is not. This is a season when the enemy has come after the Church of Jesus Christ with all his hopes, dreams and enthusiasm, and has tried to tear it down completely. them, but what the enemy does not realize because he is not omniscient, he does not know everything, is that the difficulties that he sends, that he sends towards us, are actually a springboard for the miraculous, so let's take time to get on the trampoline and jump.

It is a leap forward from the miraculous. See, your problem actually positions you for the miraculous. It actually serves to boost you rather than hinder you if you allow God access to it. We only need to look at the pages of Scripture to see this. Honestly, this isn't just Rochelle saying amazing things. I don't know how you know self-help. Some fun stuff. We need to look at the Scriptures and understand that this is a pattern that God uses with his people and is using with us. Let's not do it. Let yourself be led to think that it is not like that with us, God does not change, he is the same, so the temptation of Jesus in the desert was actually the launching pad for the Ministry on the cross, it prepared Humanity for the miracle of God's forgiveness.

The tomb It was the last barrier that Jesus overcame to offer us eternal life the chains that hindered the apostle Paul meant spiritual freedom for others to see the obstacles in our life the adversities in our life are the things that are preparing us for the miracles that God is to achieve those setbacks are not detours they are part of the journey so this is nothing new this is just part of how God works we cannot obtain the kingdom of God in our lives if we do not simply put to death some of those selfish desires so this is what all the life of Jesus showed for us during what we would consider those visible years about what we read about um, we would see that the enemy was always behind Jesus about God's time, isn't this your time? "This is not the time, do it, this is not the time, but guess what, it was not the time and sometimes we find ourselves in a season, it is not yet the time to remain faithful.

I love what Alicia Brick Cole writes in her book, she says that waiting put all his potential this is Jesus on pause for decades decades sometimes we complain about a year or two decades right but we don't see him emerge from hiding with resentment in his heart in hidden years delayed dreams press the question of who we will let Stop the clock for the rest of our lives when God's time is not ours and it is in our power to do something about it. What time will we choose? What time will we choose? We will constantly be faced with opportunity to take a side swing. adversity and go out and do it our way Can I tell you that our own way is not the best way?

God's way is the best way. If we manage the seasons properly we will see God do the miraculous. I wonder maybe for some. Of those of us who have been facing adversity, what does this adversity prepare us for? What does this problem position us for? Could it be a greater testimony to the world? Could it be the salvation of our families that we have been praying so desperately for? complete restoration of relationships could be a revival on this earth is it worth seeing the soul saved whatever it is? I am going to say that it is worth it I am grateful for the difficulties As it prepares me for God's perfect timing it equips me with perseverance to be able to walk the call of God I love what James says consider it consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters every time face trials of many kinds because you know that the test of your faith produces perseverance, let perseverance finish its works so that you may be mature and complete I lack nothing I do not want to lack anything I do not want to miss out on what God has for me because I want to dodge adversity can we allow adversity to come and finish its work let perseverance finish its work not only am I grateful for adversity but I am grateful that this is directly connected.

I am grateful that I am Pentecostal. Do you know that you go to a Pentecostal church? Some people like it, yes. I realized that I have it. I wondered, but then I walked in, you know what? I'm grateful that I go to a church and that I grew up on Pentecost because it really isn't, it's not like they're superior, oh no, I mean, they still are. I only talked about the difficulties. I just talked about adversity, I talked about all that, but guess what the church that we choose to be a part of will shape our view of what God can do and I'm grateful that I grew up in churches because We move not like we move churches and that's a completely different message, but we moved across the country and so I was able to grow up in Pentecostal churches that taught me that God can do anything and that's it, in case you didn't know. what we believe we also believe that the Bible is true and that God can do anything, there is nothing too difficult for God and I just want to let you know that Pentecostals are not immune to worry nor are they exempt from worry, but when I say Pentecostal I believe in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to do what I can't do and if you haven't figured it all out about me and maybe about yourself too, there's a lot of things we can't do, you know, we talk. oh, you don't need the Holy Spirit to go to heaven, but you need the Holy Spirit, go to Walmart, okay?

So, to be Pentecostal is to reach the same point where the apostles did in that Cenacle when right after Jesus ascended to heaven they could not do anything until they were strengthened by the holy spirit. In fact, Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the gift that my father has promised that you have heard me talk about because John was baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit Jesus is still baptizing people in the Holy Spirit, he is still baptizing people, is still empowering them, so why did Jesus tell them that they couldn't leave before because it was the Holy Spirit that gave them courage? to say what needs to be said there are some things that need to be said today and you won't be able to say them in your own power but you will if you are under the power of the Holy Spirit some of us need a little bolder and some of you are thinking They should stop being so bold Rochelle.

I've said it to myself too, I know, but here's the deal: we can only be bold under the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm not. talking about being rude I'm talking about boldly proclaiming the word of God boldly proclaiming the truth um there are cases where they didn't know what to do the apostles we'll find ourselves in cases if you haven't been there yet where you won I don't know what to do if you're a parent , you have found yourself there, you will find yourself going. I don't know what to do, but I have access to the Holy Spirit and he knows what to do.

He can help me. I can tell you? There is no problem that God cannot help you with. You know that the power of the Holy Spirit brought physical healing to those around him. Jesus still heals today and he wants to use you and me as instruments, we are not the healers. It is, but we can pray, we can believe, we can ask God to do that. Do you know that the Holy Spirit brought reconciliation in your relationships? They were Jews and Gentiles who were no longer separated. God wants to bring reconciliation. The Holy Spirit helped them overcome. barriers that could not, the Holy Spirit allowed the gospel to advance while the apostles were in prison, so I am grateful to be a Pentecostal because in the midst of the environment where everyone says to expect less, God says to wait more that is what he is saying to the church don't let the world determine your expectations let the word of God determine your expectations so that we as Pentecostals can live in the power of the Holy Spirit we can pray in the power of the Holy Spirit I love Ephesians 6 18 and pray in this Spirit on all occasions.

I tell them it becomes normal for the next generation if we just pray out loud. I mean, I think about it at home this morning. I was praying in the spirit, oh. oh mom, that's what mom just does, that's what mom just does, that's exactly what we're going to do, let's show our kids how to pray, it's normal, everyone else is abnormal if they're not praying, it's normal Pray with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always continue to pray for all the Lord's people, you know what we can raise in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, I think that's the only way to raise kids who love Jesus is to raise in power. of the Holy Spirit we do not have to follow the paternity of culture God gives us a way. I'm very passionate about this if you haven't discovered it. I am passionate about this because we are sitting here and we are we are parents like the world and then we say what happened we have a father like God has established in his word the children who attend the First Assembly all of you are set apart God has a special plan for your life He has a special plan plan your life, he is not like everyone else, that doesn't mean you are better than him, he is just telling you that there are people who are praying for God to come together and take your heart and you are on fire.

For him I only tell you that it is very important that we have the power of the Holy Spirit to make decisions. I will make very bad decisions without the Holy Spirit, but when we ask Jesus, if we ask for His power to help us, we can. It doesn't go wrong because he's leading us, so I'm grateful there are people in my life. I am grateful that we can overcome the worries. I'm thankful that I'm Pentecostal and then Jeff will tell us a little more, please. I'm grateful for all of those things, but I'm also grateful for the opportunity to remain rooted and firmly planted, yes, in a culture that is trying to make us go this way or that way.

Look at the end of what Paul says in Philippians chapter 4 verses 8 to 9 summarizing it summarizing it all friends, I would say to you, well, I would tell you that you would do better by filling your minds and meditating on things that are true, noble, of good repute, authentic, convincing, kind, the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly, the things to praise, not the things to curse, put into practice what you learn from me, what you heard, saw and realized, do that and God, who makes everything work together, will work you in his most excellent harmonies, some of the things I am grateful for.

I can't help but meditate on 2022. The first of number six is ​​the word of God. The word of God. I am very grateful for the word of God. The word of God. Our world is desperate for some thing or some way to achieve peace. Mind you, you hear everywhere the talk that you have to achieve mindfulness if you have an Apple Watch. Every now and then they remind you to do whatever, mindfulness exercises, breathing exercises and if you look at this, there's all the Eastern mysticism and all of these. It's weird meditation stuff and if you think about it, doesn't God want us to be aware to know what's going on?

Mindfulness necessarily in general terms is not bad, but let me tell you what the definition of mindfulness is. Mental state that is achieved by focusing Consciousness on the present moment while calmly recognizing and accepting one's own feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations used as a therapeutic technique. Yesterday I was watching football. I've been watching football all weekend because Thanksgiving is awesome, and so on. I was listening to a postgame interview with a quarterback and they asked the quarterback. I know you like mindfulness and I know you like meditation, so what were you imagining before the game while you were sitting by the goal post? the game I'm like I have to listen to this is weird this is crazy and he saidI was imagining what I've been imagining since I was five let me say this our world is drowning in this eastern mysticism meditation mindfulness garbage and the more I focus on my feelings the more depressed I get what am I feeling what am I feeling listen to your body don't do That's because if you listen to your body you will get depressed concentrate and listen to what Paul says According to the word of God, yes, there is nothing wrong with being aware of what is happening, making an effort to be mentally present, there is nothing, there is nothing necessarily bad in it, but the problem arises when it comes to how a person achieves that if he is not achieving it through the word of God is out of place God spoke this to Joshua Joshua 1 8 keep this book of the law always in Your lips meditate on it day and night and I am going to do for you what I do with our children because when it is our children hear the word meditation, they asked me this and I have to do it, I don't have to joke because they feel that I am really being a person Sinner, my youngest daughter will say dad when you say meditate and this is what she does, right?

I mean, this is not a joke and I laughed, she's like dad, don't laugh, that's bad, I don't mean this, but when God says meditate, he doesn't mean um, he's not doing that, think about it, talk about it, this is what it says so you can be careful to do everything written in it. then you will be prosperous and successful we are meditating on the word of God when we read it when we think about it when we talk about it that is what it really means to simply meditate on the word of God so I am grateful for the word of God because in our culture in the one we live in, where we have been asking what is going on with the world, who can I trust, is what I am hearing about different things, even true, we can go to the word of God and do what the apostle Paul says and fill our minds with what is true what is noble what is right what is pure what is lovely what is admirable if something is excellent we think of such things then what happens when we think of such things Paul says it Romans 12 2. being transfer we will be transformed by the renewal of our mind says then you will be able to test and approve what is the will of God its good its pleasing and perfect will so I am grateful for the word of God and I return to it again and again because it keeps me rooted in Jesus Christ keeps me spiritually strengthened when I don't feel strong keeps me spiritually nourished Jesus said this when I was being tempted it is written not by bread alone shall man live but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God, this is what the word of God does.

God: keeps me spiritually alive, vibrant and joyful. God's word makes sure I don't go astray because I can tell you it is very easy to go astray. I am very grateful for the word of God because I know that as Jesus said, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Let me encourage you this morning to renew your love and your passion for the word of God, just renew your love and your passion for it because as you engage with the word of God, read the word of God as you speak the word of God and make her the center of your life.

You will find that you will be stronger and more rooted in your faith than ever, which is why we need God's word to guide the way, not our feelings. the way so I'm grateful for the word of God so even this morning as I was reading Psalm 119 revive me with your word his word is Revive if you find yourself going I feel dead open the word he will revive you with his word I'm also grateful number seven and I hope you are grateful for this too. Are you at home. Have you ever sat and thought about your home?

I am very grateful for this home. I am very grateful. IM not talking. about wood and drywall and you know all the things that make up a house. I'm talking about the things that make up a home that we have the opportunity to put Christ at the center of our home, you know, I just don't do it. I don't know if this is a reprimand or something that will excite everyone. I'm not so sure. I'll just tell you, although you can determine the atmosphere of your home. Some may say, well, my home is just chaotic. It doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to be because the place where that physical space where you have your house determines what lives and dies in that place and I'm not talking about plants or animals, they should all live.

I'm not saying that, I'm saying things. , the attitudes, what your home will be known for. I want hope, joy and peace to be very much alive in my home because I realize that when I go out into the world where we are. live I can't control the atmosphere there I can't control the whole atmosphere at Walmart or going out to eat or the plate now I can control that I don't go to certain places of course that kind of thing but in your home the atmosphere what you allow in in your home will determine life or death what you allow to live in your home look at the atmosphere of Atmos predetermines what lives and what dies and guess what we have the opportunity in our home to say this is not going to live here or we have the opportunity to be proactive and say the presence of God is going to live in this home what is going to be on television is going to be honoring God our homes are a place where God can move number eight, I am grateful for God's provision uh here in this year God has shown Himself time and again in my life faithfully as my provider I understand that I am not the provider but God is my provider in many ways God has shown Himself to be faithful in my life in the lives of those in our family of the church and I can't help but go back to the portion of Scripture that we read earlier that Paul said in Philippians 4 9 and God, who makes everything work together, will bring you to his most excellent harmonies the good news about this is that if He did it once God certainly can do it again he is he is not God he is not short of resources he God does not run out Psalm 23 says the Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing God is all abundance God is about your cup overflowing God is It's about us we don't lack anything now it doesn't mean we're going to have everything we want but it will mean we have everything we need so God isn't going to give us everything and on Black Friday I want God why didn't I understand that he It is not like this?

He will give us everything we need. I am grateful for God's provision. I'm grateful because I can be sure that he will provide for us even when I feel like there's there I'm against him he will like with Abraham and his son Isaac he will take care of he will provide and number nine I'm grateful for the church I'm grateful for the church Hebrews 10 23 This says, let us remain unwavering in the hope we profess because He who promised is faithful, and let us consider how we can encourage one another to love and Good Works, not ceasing to meet together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and everyone.

The more you see the day approaching, there is no replacement for the church. Can I worship God everywhere? I can worship him at home. I can worship in the woods, but church isn't just about worshiping God, it's about worshiping God with other people. it's about worshiping God in concert, there's such strength that comes from corporate prayer, corporate worship, corporate celebration, because someone who will come and pull me out of my funk when I need to get out of my funk and just look at me, um, and say Hey, you know Jesus is Lord, get out of there or as Betty Nelson likes to say, Hey, honey, what's going on?

She's the only woman allowed to say that. For me, do we need the church? Can you imagine what it would be like without the church? It is in the church meeting where there is power, there is community, there is encouragement, we have to carry each other's burdens, it is in the church where we find our identity and our enemy. The devil is behind all those things and That is why he seeks to isolate us from each other and has greater possibilities of defeating us when we are isolated but together God exhibits his power Psalm 60 I love Psalm 68 35 you God are imposing in your sanctuary the god of Israel gives power and strength to his people praise God but look what our enemy wants to do to us as shown in Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 4. again I saw something meaningless under the sun there was a man only two are better than one because they have a good return for their work if either of them falls down one can help the other get up but pity the one who falls and has no one to help him get up also if two lie down together they will stay warm but how can one stay warm alone even though one can be defeated two can defend themselves a chord of three?

The threads do not break quickly it is in the church where we can help each other it is in the church where we can defend ourselves it is in the church where we will not be broken that is why in some of the reasons I thank God for the church there is no replacement for the Church of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus is the Builder of his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. There is nothing that can come to church. Keep coming. Keep coming. But Jesus is the Builder. The defender died for his church and he will continue to build it.

I'm sitting here thinking you know we've been

pastor

s for 10 years here at Henderson First Assembly and let me tell you I've learned that nothing can go against you. the Church of Jesus Christ that he will not stand up to, I'm just telling you I'm not strong, but he is God is strong and he will defend the church from him, the last thing we can be grateful for, I mean, of course. There are so many things we can be grateful for, but I feel like it's even about the future where God has already won every battle that I will face in 2023.

Every battle that you or I will face in the next year, God has already won. Exodus 14 13 says Moses answered the people, do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the Deliverance that the Lord will bring today to the Egyptians that you see today you will never see them again the Lord will fight for you you just need to be still I have I have no idea what will bring 2023. I was reading this morning in Ezekiel and there were these false prophets that were declaring certain things that were to come and God said: I will not allow false prophets to speak, so I am not going to prophesy what. 2023 will bring because I don't know what 2023 will bring, but I do know that battles will probably come, you or I will face different battles in the next year and I don't know what they will be, but I do believe that The Lord wants me to share with you today that God already has won every battle you will face, that doesn't mean we don't fight, but it does mean we know where we fight from, we don't fight from a place of defeat.

We fight from a place of Victory because Jesus has already won and we need to remember our attitude. The way we see things will determine how we operate them. It is very important that we remember how God has operated in the past because when we remember what God has done in the past, he will help us through circumstances that can sometimes seem so disorienting. In the moment we can be sure that God will come through in the future. Because he came through in the past, we can be sure that God will. See us through whatever battle we are facing because he has done it before and he is the same God who will do it again.

We need to remember. It's good to remember what God has put you through. It is good to go to the word of God and remember. that God brought the Ancients through and he will bring us forward he will not abandon his people he will not abandon us I think we must remember that God is not abandoning you that God makes a way when it seems that there is no way when it seems that it is not alone a dead end God opens a path that we did not understand that The God who heals when it seems that there is only illness around that the God who goes before us when everything seems to be against us that God opens a door that no one else can close but God free the captive from all types of slavery that God frees you and me from the most intense forms of Oppression that God wins a battle that we cannot I just want us to remember this morning that we serve a God who wins we serve a God who wins and a couple of weeks ago my daughter started high school and joined the choir she loves the choir she loves it she just loves it and one day she came home from school and she was telling us how the choir was going to sing a song , she said mom, I want you to listen to this song, let me tell you, there is something powerful when your 13 year old daughter introduces you to some worship songs and this morning we are going to play the band. this worship song and I am telling you the lyrics I just hope they enter your heart right now God has won every battle that you are currently facing God has won every battle that will come in 2023 he will not leave you indifferent he has not abandoned you he will never leave you he's going to quit it's against his character he can't do it he can't do it and that's why this morning I feel like even fresh off Thanksgiving maybe some of you will say I don't have peace.

No peace this morning, well, we talked about this morning. Thanksgiving precedes as if it were before Peace. So if you are saying this morning I need peace to know that God has won the battle. I want to point out that these altars are open. Some people need to respond. Right now I feel like God is going to move in people's hearts and then can we allstand up this morning? The Altars are open if you say I need, I need to experience the peace of God. I want you to show up, you just need to do it. close your eyes let these lyrics just infiltrate your heart this morning God is faithful and he will win it abroad I will know what to do with me for anyone thank you there is mercy on the road he is gone your spirit is in Jesus Christ for anyone it is strange in all this place that is in us because we know how the story ends well this story you are my savior on both feet I know how the story is again My savior could be dead foreigner foreigner you have already won no matter what comes my somehow, but I know what you have done this morning as you finish this service at the end of Thanksgiving weekend.

I want to encourage all of us, each one of us, to gather around this altar earlier this week we gathered around the table to thank God. which we were grateful for and this morning I want us to gather around the Altar and say to God, thank you for what you have done in my life and my family, do that, let's sing that part of that song and it says we know how finish the story and I could tell you whatever you're going through this morning. It feels overwhelming. It feels like it's about to kill you. But we know how this story ends when you read the entire Bible.

Genesis to revelation. I know how the story ends but what I want to do this morning is can't we now? I don't remember some of you being anxious about this will say yes, let's do this here in a moment can we just make this place a place of Thanksgiving, a place of praise? of honor to not just applaud but thank God out loud for who he is and what he's done, we'll do that here in a moment, so we're going to make this place here like an altar before we leave. Everywhere we go this afternoon there is power in corporate worship, so you put our hands together, can we just raise our hands?

Yeah, let's just spank it in your own words, what are your top ten? What are the things you would say you are? thankful for that, Lord Jesus, we gather here as a church family, a church body here in Henderson Kentucky and God, we are lifting up your name, we are saying that you are faithful, words of God that declare that you are good, God that you have placed people around us you have a place to send a church family God you have given us your word God you have given us your Holy Spirit Lord Jesus and you have given us a promise that you are faithful to complete the work you have started because You are faithful to do it God, even when we start to feel overwhelmed or get punched in the gut with what is happening, we can go back to your word and your word is full of promises that are yes and amen, we can stand on them God because you are well and you are a man who is true to your word you will make it you will win you will win and God we thank you that we can stand firm and we know how the story ends God we declare that you return and return for an immaculate pride and God we are going to be part of that welcome to your come back Lord Jesus thank you shout it I know the story is foreign foreign foreign but I know thank God we are fighting for it hey you can now we just raise praise and honor for him this morning thank you Jesus you are so worthy of our praise you We worship, God, we thank you, God, our prayer team is coming, I want. to pray for you this morning Thanksgiving is not just a holiday in the US, it is a way of life for the follower of Christ, so as we leave today, help us realize that God helps us to realize how grateful we are because we have a lot to be grateful for.

By God I ask you right now go with us who would be with us you would walk with us help us walk with the understanding that everything we are currently fighting fight you already won God it's not even ours to win you already have I won it so let it be Whatever it is, whatever that battle is, as we move forward into the rest of this year and the beginning of the next, I pray that we know without a doubt that you have already fought the battles that will come our way. and they come our way God keep us protect us God guide us we pray as we go out this week and as we go forward and build your kingdom for your glory and your honor and we thank you and it is in your name we pray we say thank you Jesus have an incredible week we love you See you next week