Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon this week. I hope and pray that everyone is doing very well today.
We have been having a lot of windy weather in my part of the world. Thankfully, there hasn't been any damage. Please pray that the winds won't cause any damage. It's still supposed to be windy today, but it is supposed to let up this evening.
In prayer this week, please pray for those who are suffering as a result of natural disasters. The people of New Zealand experienced a bad earthquake this past week. Let us pray that they will recover quickly. Remember to pray for those in Italy who are still recovering from the earthquake there. Also pray for those in Haiti who are recovering from the hurricane damage.
Continue to pray for peace in the world. Iraq and Syria are having a terrible time of warfare and strife. Pray for peace. Also, pray for peace in Libya, South Sudan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us remember to pray for those in China and Burkina Faso. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the message of salvation.
Last week, we finished our series of messages on less well-known characters in the Bible. For today's message, I just want us to think about the theme of thankfulness since it is the Thanksgiving Day holiday here in the United States on Thursday.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. While my folks were still alive, we always had a tremendous feast on Thanksgiving Day. My Mom was a great cook. She worked hard at her job, so we went out to eat quite a bit. However, we always preferred Mom to be cooking the meal because what she fixed was always better than what you could get at a restaurant. She made some great Thanksgiving Day meals. We always had a turkey, dressing, potatoes, pies, biscuits, etc. I ate so much and Toby ate so much that we could not eat anymore.
Now, on Thanksgiving, my brother and his family invite me out to dinner. That is something that I look forward to throughout the year. It is a good time to be with family, and we always go out to a nice place to eat.
Giving thanks is an important theme in all of the Bible. Many of the Psalms tell us to give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. The New Testament, in verses such as Philippians 4:6, tells us to have an attitude of thanksgiving and to give thanks in our prayers.
As I reflect on my life, I know that I have much to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for the fact that Jesus came to this earth and died for my sins. I am thankful that He rose again from the dead, and one day, He will come again to rule and reign upon this earth. I am thankful that the message of the Gospel reached me, and that I came to know Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.
I'm thankful for the fact that a minister cared enough about my Dad to share the way of salvation with him. Because of this, my Dad came to know Jesus, and I was raised in a Christian home with Christian values.
My Dad is a perfect example of the importance of sharing the faith with others. When we follow the Great Commission and tell others about Jesus, not only can it affect that person's life, but it can and will affected the lives of those around them.
I am thankful for my parents. We didn't always see eye to eye, but they were good people, and I miss them every day.
I thank the Lord that on a bitterly cold day in January, I met the dog that would be my best friend. As I've said here on the blog before, if the Lord would not have brought that dog into my life when He did, I might not be here today. I was very depressed at that time, and I needed a friend.
I hope that you are all thankful for the good friends that the Lord has allowed to come into your life. This past year, my best human friend passed away. That has been hard. We knew each other since we were seven years old. Be thankful for good friends. They have been given to us by the Lord to help us during the course of this life.
I am also thankful for the opportunity to learn new things. I love to read and to study. This past year I have been reading philosophy books again, and that has brought me a lot of joy. I encourage you to try and learn something new each day. I encourage you to read and expand your mind.
This Thanksgiving, I am glad that I am in a little bit better financial place. Things aren't great, but they are better than they were. I am thankful that I have a home and I am doing better. Having the financial problems I did has made me realize how hard it is for so many in my country to make ends meet. It makes me want to work harder for social and economic justice for those who are having a hard time. Please, if the Lord has blessed you, don't forget the fact that many people are justly barely making it if they are making it at all. Reach out and help those you can help.
I am very thankful for the news that was reported the last couple of days about homelessness here in the United States. The number of homeless is down to 550,000. Now, that is a huge number, but it is less than a few years ago. There has been a great effort here in the United States over the last eight years to end homelessness among veterans. Homelessness among veterans is down by 47 percent. I thank the Lord for this. There is still so much to do. Please, let us all do what we can to help end homelessness.
Finally, I just want to say that I am thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity this year to post the sermons on this blog. It is the highlight of the week to post the messages and fulfill in some way the calling the Lord has placed on my life. I pray that these messages are helpful to you. I am thankful to the Lord for all of you who read this blog, and I pray that the blessings of the Lord will be upon your life.
I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day. Because of the holiday, I will not be posting a review on Wednesday. The sermon will be posted on Saturday next week as the library will be closed for the holidays on Friday. I will post the verses as usual on Monday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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