Awesome Sermon!

I thought that I would share the sermon's that our pastor has been on the last few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. He started this after doing a funeral of one of our members dad's a few weeks back. The guys name was Stan Foltyn. I hope you get as much out of this as we have!

Thanksliving

Thankful For Your Trash?

Hebrews 13:15

Foltyn's Formula:

"I am always thankful for hte opportunity to take out the trash for it means that I have been given something. I never allow anyone else to take out the trash for I might miss an opportunity to express thanks for what I have been given. I will allow my children to walk with me as I take out the trash for it is an opportunity to help them to learn to appreciate the things that they have been given. Each and every week as I take out the trash I can see for myself what I have been given and what I can thank God for."

Foltyn's Principle:

Thanksgiving must be measured and modeled.

Foltyn's Summary:

Genuine thanksgiving is not accomplished through trash talk but by simply taking a trash walk. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Measuring thanksgiving in our lives means:

1. Finding ways to consider where we are in the process.
2. Making a choice to be thankful.
3. Clarifying the goal to be thankful no matter the circumstances.
4. Finding consistency and contentment in Christ and not our resources.
5. Looking for ways to express thanks to God for what we have been given.

Everyone is mindful of the trash at least once a week and can find reason to give thanks for the server but the man who is thankful for the trash which has served him throughout the week he is then mindful of the Giver. (2 Corinthians 9:11)

Modeling thanksgiving in our lives means:

1. Showing our appreciation for our salvation and our spiritual inheritance.
2. Giving thanks whenever and wherever we pray.
3. Valuing and appreciating the relationships in our lives.
4. Reading and thanking God for the Word.
5. Thanking Him for the strength to serve.
6. Giving Him credit for the victories in our lives.

"If we to measure and model thankgiving for the things in our lives we must be aware of the opportunities and the options we have to be thankful and be willing to offer up at any time an offering of thanksgiving no matter what the obstacles might be."

"The Leper"