Latest / Koinonia Christian Center / An Attitude of Gratitude | Pastor Trev Evans
Transcript
- 0:00Let's get into the word of God. Let's
- 0:01hold our Bible up and get ready to make
- 0:03our confession. Come on, E church. We
- 0:05thank God for you literally all over the
- 0:07world. Come on, let's say it together.
- 0:09Say, "This is my Bible.
- 0:10>> This is my word.
- 0:11>> It is God's word.
- 0:12>> It reveals to me."
- 0:14>> It reveals to me
- 0:14>> God's will.
- 0:16>> Therefore,
- 0:17>> therefore,
- 0:17>> it's the final authority.
- 0:19>> It's the final
- 0:19>> to which I submit
- 0:21>> to settle all the issues
- 0:23>> settle all
- 0:23>> of my life
- 0:24>> of my life. It's the standard
- 0:26>> It's the standard
- 0:26>> of my conduct.
- 0:28>> And the basis the basis
- 0:30>> of all my expectation.
- 0:31>> of all my expect.
- 0:32>> Come on, shout it out. I am
- 0:33>> I am
- 0:34>> what it says I am.
- 0:36>> I possess
- 0:37>> what it says I possess.
- 0:38>> what it says I am.
- 0:39>> And I can do
- 0:40>> and I can do
- 0:41>> absolutely everything.
- 0:42>> Absolutely everything
- 0:43>> it says I can do.
- 0:44>> It says I can do.
- 0:45>> I'm a believer.
- 0:46>> Not a doubter.
- 0:48>> I'm a doer.
- 0:49>> Not just a hearer.
- 0:50>> Not just a hearer. and my life
- 0:52>> and and my life. My everyday life
- 0:54>> My everyday life
- 0:54>> is the better
- 0:56>> after having heard
- 0:57>> After having heard
- 0:58>> the word of faith
- 0:59>> faith comes by hearing
- 1:01>> comes by hearing
- 1:02>> and hearing
- 1:03>> and hearing by
- 1:05>> the word of God.
- 1:06>> Let's ride.
- 1:07>> You may be seated in the presence of the
- 1:09Lord.
- 1:12>> Amen. Amen. Amen.
- 1:14>> Yeah.
- 1:18Father bless us as we go into your word
- 1:22>> in Jesus name.
- 1:24>> Amen.
- 1:25>> First Thessalonians
- 1:27>> 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18. 1
- 1:32Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18. It
- 1:36says in everything
- 1:38>> everything.
- 1:40>> Somebody shout everything.
- 1:41>> Everything. In everything give thanks
- 1:45for this is the will of God in Christ
- 1:48Jesus concerning you. In everything
- 1:53somebody shout everything.
- 1:54>> Everything.
- 1:55>> Today we want to talk to you from the
- 1:56subject uh immediately. Let's let's go
- 1:59with this one. An attitude of gratitude.
- 2:04>> The attitude of gratitude. Or you could
- 2:07put in parenthesis because I had to send
- 2:09John two of them. The other one that I
- 2:11really like that was a little more
- 2:12country is Lord, I just want to thank
- 2:14you.
- 2:17>> I didn't know how well that was going to
- 2:18do on YouTube. So, we got the attitude
- 2:20of gratitude. But if I could just cut
- 2:22across the field and tell you how I
- 2:23feel, Lord, I just want to thank you.
- 2:27>> You know, as we approach the end of
- 2:29another year, it is natural to reflect,
- 2:33>> to look back on what has been for some
- 2:37of us. It has been the most amazing year
- 2:40we've ever experienced.
- 2:43I didn't get too many amens on that, but
- 2:44I know some of you are in here. Some of
- 2:47us are in here, you had the type of
- 2:49experience that that is talked about in
- 2:50Amos chapter 9:13 in the message where
- 2:54things are going to have they happen so
- 2:56fast it made your head swim
- 2:58>> that the blessings of God was happening
- 3:00one thing after another. One blessing on
- 3:03the heels of another. Now, I know you
- 3:05probably couldn't tell anybody, but the
- 3:07truth be told, IT WAS THAT kind of year
- 3:09for you.
- 3:12>> Yeah. That God God blessed you so much.
- 3:14So, and can I just tell you, it's too
- 3:17many of us in here,
- 3:19>> for you to be the only one.
- 3:21>> No, there's many of us in here that God
- 3:23had blessed us way beyond our vision
- 3:26board for 2025. He did way more THAN
- 3:29WHAT YOU SET OUT FOR IN 2025.
- 3:32>> It's been an amazing year.
- 3:36And while that has been the case for
- 3:38some, for others it has been a
- 3:41challenging year.
- 3:43>> And for others, it's been a downright
- 3:47hard year.
- 3:49>> Whether it's navigating systemic
- 3:51injustices,
- 3:53>> overcoming personal struggles, or even
- 3:56enduring a season of loss that you did
- 4:00not see coming.
- 4:01>> Amen. It's been a challenging year. The
- 4:04ways you had to press forward despite
- 4:06the obstacles, it was so challenging
- 4:08that you felt like you were the only
- 4:11one.
- 4:13>> But to you, I also say
- 4:15>> there's too many of us in here.
- 4:18>> For you to be the only one.
- 4:20>> You weren't the only one that had
- 4:22difficult days.
- 4:23>> You wasn't the only one who had more
- 4:25questions than answers. You weren't the
- 4:27only one who struggled to put one foot
- 4:29in front of the other. It was a
- 4:30challenging year.
- 4:34>> And while
- 4:36it could have been great for some and
- 4:38challenging for others, catch this, both
- 4:42parties are in danger.
- 4:47>> Because if we don't have the attitude of
- 4:50gratitude,
- 4:52we'll mishandle
- 4:54the blessings that God has poured into
- 4:58our lives.
- 5:01Whether it's been great for you or
- 5:03whether it's been so hard that even to
- 5:06think about talking about it brings
- 5:07tears to your eyes. Both parties are in
- 5:11danger because if you do not if you
- 5:13mishandle the blessings that God has
- 5:16poured in your life. How can you
- 5:17mishandle them? You can minimize them.
- 5:21>> You can flat out miss them
- 5:23>> or you can mistaken them.
- 5:26>> Come on, let's ride.
- 5:28What is gratitude? What? Let's let's
- 5:30let's start here. What what is
- 5:31gratitude?
- 5:32Gratitude is the intentional act of
- 5:36acknowledging God's faithfulness, his
- 5:40provision and grace in any circumstance,
- 5:45good or bad.
- 5:48>> Gratitude.
- 5:50>> Gratitude is the intentional act of
- 5:52acknowledging. See when I acknowledge
- 5:55something, it is not it's not the things
- 5:57I say in my heart.
- 6:01>> Yeah. Yeah. When I when I acknowledge
- 6:03when I when I acknowledge something, it
- 6:05is an outward expression.
- 6:07>> When I TALK ABOUT GRATITUDE, I'M NOT
- 6:09TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU have in
- 6:10your heart.
- 6:11>> I'm talking about an act of
- 6:13acknowledging God's faithfulness in your
- 6:16life.
- 6:16>> I'm talking about an ACT OF
- 6:18ACKNOWLEDGING GOD'S provision in your
- 6:20life. I'm talking about AN ACT OF
- 6:22ACKNOWLEDGING GOD'S GRACE IN YOUR LIFE
- 6:25IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE,
- 6:27>> good or bad,
- 6:30>> any circumstance. Somebody shout any
- 6:33>> any.
- 6:34>> In any circumstance, I I I I need to
- 6:37have the attitude of gratitude because
- 6:39if I don't,
- 6:42I will mishandle the blessings that he
- 6:45has poured into my life.
- 6:48>> I will either minimize them
- 6:51I will just totally miss them
- 6:55>> or I will sadly mistaken them.
- 7:01>> Gratitude is critical because without it
- 7:04we will mishandle the blessings that God
- 7:06has poured in our lives. We will number
- 7:08one we'll we'll minimize it.
- 7:11>> We can catch this. We can be SO
- 7:13OVERWHELMED. CATCH THIS. NOT BY TROUBLE,
- 7:15BUT BY THE ABUNDANCE
- 7:18>> OF THE BLESSINGS of God in our lives
- 7:20that we'll start treating his blessings
- 7:22as minimal.
- 7:27>> WE'LL START MINIMIZING HIS BLESSING.
- 7:29SEE, GOD STARTED TALKING TO ME AND
- 7:31DEALING WITH ME AS WE GET READY TO COME
- 7:33TO ANOTHER YEAR.
- 7:34>> THAT SOMETIMES IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL,
- 7:37WE'LL BE WE'LL TREAT the year that we're
- 7:39currently in like we in an escape room.
- 7:44like we doing everything we can. Lord, I
- 7:46just got to get out of this year CUZ IT
- 7:47BEEN SO BAD. IT'S BEEN SO HORRIBLE. AND
- 7:50YES, THERE HAS BEEN CHALLENGES,
- 7:52>> BUT IF YOU AND I DON'T HAVE the attitude
- 7:54of gratitude,
- 7:56>> WILL BE SO FAST GETTING out of this
- 7:58year, making vision boards for the next
- 8:00YEAR THAT WE FORGOT ALL THE BLESSINGS
- 8:02THAT GOD has poured in our lives.
- 8:08I can remember growing up. I grew up I
- 8:10was born in the Church of God in Christ
- 8:12in Brooklyn, New York.
- 8:14>> But then I I I I I my parents moved down
- 8:17here to Aiden, North Carolina, and we
- 8:19became a member of Zion Chapel Freewood
- 8:21Baptist Church
- 8:23>> on Planet Street in Aiden, North
- 8:25Carolina.
- 8:26>> And uh and uh and and at Zion Chapel, we
- 8:29would have a year revival. And uh before
- 8:32the service got started, they would have
- 8:34testimony service. AND SO ONE TIME THEY
- 8:36HAD TESTIMONY SERVICE AND IT WAS GOOD.
- 8:38Bishop TL Davis was coming down to
- 8:40preach. So we already know we were
- 8:41getting ready to have crazy church.
- 8:42>> And so testimony services were going on
- 8:44and you know how you you train to
- 8:46testify. First giving honor to God.
- 8:49>> Pastors, members, saints and friends,
- 8:52deacons, saints and friends.
- 8:55>> And uh they were doing that. They were
- 8:58doing it was going well until this ONE
- 9:01MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, MOTHER Beatatric
- 9:03Hill.
- 9:05>> Oh, you can already tell by that name.
- 9:08This getting ready to have some fire on
- 9:09it. MOTHER BEATATRIC HILL STOOD UP IN
- 9:13THE SERVICE AND SAID, "I WANT TO THANK
- 9:16GOD CUZ I GOT SHOES ON MY FEET AND WENT
- 9:19TO SHOUT."
- 9:21NOW,
- 9:23>> y'all got to understand,
- 9:25>> I told you I grew up in church.
- 9:28>> So, so, so growing up in church, you
- 9:30took every opportunity for any moment of
- 9:33comedic relief.
- 9:37>> SO, BEING A TEENAGER, WE SITTING in the
- 9:39back AND AND AND MOTHER HILL JUMPS UP
- 9:41AND AND AND she just says, "I got shoes
- 9:44on my feet." and start shouting and we
- 9:47bumping each other laughing.
- 9:52She didn't say give honor to God.
- 9:58>> Until I live long enough
- 10:02to realize
- 10:04how good God has been until I live LONG
- 10:08ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT EVERYBODY DIDN'T
- 10:10HAVE SHOES ON THEIR FEET. Good God
- 10:13almighty.
- 10:15Mother Hill
- 10:18WAS NOT SO DRUNK ON THE ABUNDANCE OF ALL
- 10:20THAT GOD HAD DONE IN HER LIFE
- 10:23>> THAT SHE minimized shoes on her feet.
- 10:27>> And and WHAT I COME TO TELL US TODAY IS
- 10:29THAT YOU AND I CANNOT MISHANDLE
- 10:31>> THE BLESSINGS OF GOD BY MINIMIZING.
- 10:35>> Turn with me to Psalms 103. WE CAN'T
- 10:37MINIMIZE GOD'S BLESSINGS. WE COULD HAVE
- 10:40SO MANY GREAT AND WONDERFUL AND AMAZING
- 10:42THINGS GOING ON THAT WE'LL FORGET.
- 10:46>> OH, WE WE'LL WE'LL MINIMIZE IT SO MUCH
- 10:49SO THAT WE'LL STOP THANKING GOD FOR IT.
- 10:53>> WHEN IS THE LAST time you thank God for
- 10:55two good eyes?
- 10:57>> WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU THANK GOD for
- 10:59the ability to walk AND TO TALK?
- 11:01>> WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU THANK GOD FOR
- 11:03THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO THINK?
- 11:07WOO! A REASONABLE PORTION OF LIFE,
- 11:09HEALTH, AND STRENGTH. NO, YOU CAN'T RUN
- 11:12A 5K, BUT YOU CAN GET UP AND DRESS
- 11:14YOURSELF.
- 11:16HALLELUJAH.
- 11:20>> I don't want to minimize
- 11:23>> what God has done. I got to have the
- 11:26attitude of gratitude.
- 11:28>> Psalms Psalms 103.
- 11:30Talk Bible. PSALMS 103 SAYS, "BLESS the
- 11:33Lord,
- 11:35>> OH MY SOUL."
- 11:38>> "Bless bless the Lord, OH MY," THAT'S A
- 11:41COMMAND.
- 11:42>> YOU HAVE TO COMMAND YOUR SOUL.
- 11:45>> You have to LOOK AT ALL THAT GOD HAS
- 11:46DONE AND REFUSE TO MINIMIZE ANY OF IT.
- 11:50>> You got to command it.
- 11:52>> BLESS THE LORD, OH MY SOUL, AND ALL GOOD
- 11:56GOD ALMIGHTY, THAT IS WITHIN ME. THAT'S
- 11:59FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SAY IT DON'T TAKE ALL
- 12:00THAT. YES, IT DO.
- 12:02>> OH, YES. IT TAKE EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING
- 12:05I GOT, I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM PRAISE.
- 12:08GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY.
- 12:13BLESS THE LORD, OH MY SOUL, AND ALL
- 12:18THAT IS WITHIN ME. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME.
- 12:22CATCH. BLESS THE LORD, OH MY SOUL, AND
- 12:25FORGET not
- 12:31If it wasn't possible to forget, the
- 12:34scripture would have never warned us
- 12:36against it.
- 12:40>> HE SAID, "FORGET NOT."
- 12:44>> Can I submit TO YOU THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS
- 12:46START OUT JUST IMMEDIATELY FORGETTING?
- 12:48WE START OUT MINIMIZING.
- 12:52>> WE WE WE START OUT MINIMIZING IT.
- 12:56We start out reducing it.
- 12:59>> It's gradual.
- 13:01>> I I'm reminded of a time
- 13:04>> when my pastor went to preach revival in
- 13:06Roper, North Carolina.
- 13:09>> We went to and and she said, "Do you
- 13:10want to ride with me?" And I said,
- 13:12"Absolutely." And so, you know, bishop
- 13:14done preach some everywhere.
- 13:16>> So, you know, I'm thinking she done
- 13:18called me to go her. It might be three
- 13:20400 folk here. We can have some church.
- 13:23We drive the truck up right directly in
- 13:27front of the church.
- 13:29See y'all, if you ain't grow up in
- 13:30church, you don't even know that that's
- 13:32a sign. Ain't that many people there?
- 13:36PULL THE TRUCK UP RIGHT TO THE FRONT OF
- 13:38THE CHURCH.
- 13:40And I said, "Oh, these saints, they just
- 13:42must come a little late. That's all they
- 13:44they'll be here 7:45."
- 13:47We get in the church
- 13:49>> and you know how church things are, you
- 13:51know, they say, "Oh, they ain't going to
- 13:52come for testimony." So, maybe they
- 13:53going to come after the first hymn.
- 13:55>> First him came and gone.
- 13:58Still about 25 people in there.
- 14:01>> Bishop gets up in this church in Roa,
- 14:05North Carolina, and starts to preach
- 14:08like she's at the potter's house.
- 14:11>> No, I'm not lying. I'M NOT EXAGGERATING.
- 14:12IF SHE WASN'T HERE, I'M TELLING THE SAME
- 14:14STORY.
- 14:15GETS UP AND STARTS PREACHING LIKE SHE
- 14:17HAD THE POTTER'S HOUSE AND I'M SIT POWER
- 14:19GOD MOVE JUST AMAZING. We get back in
- 14:22the truck and I sit there and I look at
- 14:25her and so if you know bishop if you
- 14:27ever just stare at it makes her nervous.
- 14:29So she's kind of like
- 14:36and Cam there was no profound statement
- 14:39that she made because her actions told
- 14:42me everything
- 14:44>> that I needed to know
- 14:45>> that no matter what door God opens for
- 14:48me, I WILL NOT MINIMIZE ANY of them.
- 14:51>> EVEN THE ONES THAT APPEAR SMALL. GOOD
- 14:54GOD ALMIGHTY. SEE, because if if if IF I
- 14:57CAN IF I CAN KEEP minimizing at bay,
- 15:01>> it will keep me from forgetting.
- 15:05>> IF I CAN REFUSE TO minimize
- 15:08>> the THINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE SMALL,
- 15:10>> AND CAN I JUST SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE
- 15:12THINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE SMALL ARE big
- 15:14when you don't have them.
- 15:19IT'S A SMALL THING TO BE ABLE TO BRUSH
- 15:22YOUR OWN TEETH
- 15:23>> UNTIL YOU HAVE A STROKE AND CAN'T BRUSH
- 15:25THEM NO MORE.
- 15:28>> IT'S A SMALL THING TO BE ABLE TO BEND
- 15:31OVER AND TIE YOUR SHOE
- 15:33>> UNTIL YOU can't
- 15:36touch your neighbor. Say, "I'm not
- 15:37minimizing nothing.
- 15:39>> I'm thanking God for everything.
- 15:42>> OH, I'M THANKING GOD FOR EVERYTHING.
- 15:45THANKING GOD FOR MY TOOTHBRUSH, FOR MY
- 15:48COMB, FOR MY COAT, for my hat, FOR MY
- 15:52CAR.
- 15:55HALLELUJAH.
- 15:58>> I'm not minimizing anything.
- 16:07>> Hallelujah.
- 16:09>> My God.
- 16:12I don't know where IT'S COMING FROM. BUT
- 16:13BUT BUT GOD GOD DON'T MINIMIZE
- 16:15OPPORTUNITIES.
- 16:17>> DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T MINIMIZE
- 16:19OPPORTUNITY. ANYTIME GOD GIVES YOU AN
- 16:21OPPORTUNITY,
- 16:22>> don't minimize it.
- 16:24>> Cuz you don't know.
- 16:29>> Talk to him, MISS STEARTMAN VIDEO. YOU
- 16:31DON'T KNOW
- 16:33>> WHY GOD IS SENDING YOU TO HAND THAT
- 16:35PERSON THAT MONEY. YOU DON'T KNOW.
- 16:40SEE, OFTEN TIMES WE'RE LIKE POSTMEN.
- 16:44>> Your job is to deliver the mail.
- 16:46>> YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THE ENVELOPE.
- 16:49>> AND IT AIN'T NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS TO
- 16:50KNOW WHAT'S IN THE ENVELOPE.
- 16:54>> Just deliver THE MAIL. TELL SOMEBODY.
- 16:56TELL SOMEBODY. JUST DELIVER THE MAIL.
- 17:00>> Do whatever he told you to do.
- 17:02>> Don't minimize it. Give it your best.
- 17:05>> Hallelujah.
- 17:07I can't min I can't mishandle God's
- 17:10blessing
- 17:11>> by minimizing it.
- 17:14>> I can't I can't I can't get so
- 17:15intoxicated on the abundance.
- 17:18>> Woo.
- 17:19>> I hear you, God. On the abundance,
- 17:22>> you can have so many blessings in your
- 17:24life
- 17:25>> that God's been so good to you.
- 17:28>> CATCH THIS. THAT THAT THAT YOU THINK,
- 17:30let me read the statement to you. Any
- 17:32area of my life where I stop being
- 17:35grateful, there lies the potential to
- 17:38become entitled.
- 17:45any area
- 17:47>> of my life
- 17:50where I stop being grateful.
- 17:54>> When I stop thanking God for the little
- 17:56things,
- 17:59>> any area where I start doing that lies
- 18:03the potential to become entitled. Yeah,
- 18:09>> if I stop thanking God for the ability
- 18:12to walk,
- 18:15>> I just start to after a while it don't
- 18:17happen all of a sudden.
- 18:20>> But after a while, I start think I'm
- 18:22entitled.
- 18:25>> Like there's people who are serving God
- 18:26who don't have the ability to walk.
- 18:30>> God don't owe Lord have mercy. God don't
- 18:33owe me nothing. Woo! Oh, God. Boy,
- 18:36THAT'S WHERE GRATITUDE TAKES ME. THAT
- 18:38GOD DOESN'T OWE ME NOTHING. EVERYTHING
- 18:40HE'S GIVEN ME IS BY HIS GRACE AND BY HIS
- 18:44MERCY.
- 18:46>> THE MERE FACT THAT HE SAVED ME.
- 18:50>> He done DONE ENOUGH.
- 18:52>> EVERYTHING ELSE HE GIVES ME IS GRAVY.
- 18:54EVERYTHING ELSE HE BLESSES ME WITH IS
- 18:56EXTRA.
- 19:01>> He don't OWE ME NOTHING.
- 19:05HE DON'T OWE ME NOTHING.
- 19:07>> I KNOW I GOT A PRELICE, BUT HE DON'T OWE
- 19:09ME NOTHING. I KNOW I GOT A VISION BOARD,
- 19:12BUT HE DON'T OWE ME NOTHING. I KNOW I
- 19:14GOT SOME THINGS BEFORE HIM ON MY ALTAR,
- 19:17BUT HE DON'T OWE ME NOTHING. He's been
- 19:19good. Hallelujah.
- 19:28>> He's been good.
- 19:34He's already been good, Jasper. I'm not
- 19:37waiting on him to BE GOOD. I'M NOT
- 19:39WAITING ON ANOTHER BLESSING. I'M NOT
- 19:41WAITING ON NOTHING ELSE. HE'S ALREADY
- 19:44been good.
- 19:48I remember the saints saying it. That's
- 19:51why you GOT OH, CAN Y'ALL JUST SIT DOWN
- 19:52FOR A SECOND? SIT DOWN FOR A SEC.
- 19:54EVERYBODY WHO'S OVER 55, COULD you just
- 19:56stand up for me?
- 20:04Let me TELL Y'ALL SOMETHING.
- 20:07YOU ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE in this church.
- 20:10>> We need you more NOW THAN EVER BEFORE IN
- 20:13our lives.
- 20:14>> Because let me TELL YOU SOMETHING. YOU
- 20:16ALL, WE QUOTE the scripture,
- 20:19>> but you all have lived the scripture
- 20:24THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN THE RIGHTEOUS
- 20:25FORSAKEN.
- 20:27NO, HIS PAGAN BREAD. You've already
- 20:30lived it.
- 20:35Look around.
- 20:36You've already lived it. YOU'VE ALREADY
- 20:39COME THROUGH SOME LOW VALLEYS. YOU'VE
- 20:41ALREADY COME OVER SOME HIGH MOUNTAINS.
- 20:46YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO THANK GOD FOR
- 20:48SHOES ON YOUR FEET, CLOTHES ON YOUR
- 20:51BACK, A ROOF OVER your head.
- 20:57>> Anytime you see us
- 21:00>> under the age of 55,
- 21:03>> crying over spilled champagne,
- 21:06>> remind us
- 21:08>> of how good God has been.
- 21:10>> You may be feeling.
- 21:13>> Don't minimize it. Woo. I can't minimize
- 21:16it
- 21:17>> because any area of my life where I stop
- 21:19being grateful,
- 21:21>> there lies the potential
- 21:23>> for me, God, to become entitled.
- 21:26>> Lord, help me not to minimize your
- 21:27blessing.
- 21:29>> Help me not to minimize your blessing.
- 21:32Understand without gratitude which is
- 21:34the intentional act of acknowledging
- 21:36God's faithfulness his provision and
- 21:39grace in every circumstance good or bad
- 21:42we will number one minimize the blessing
- 21:45>> but not only will we minimize the
- 21:47blessing catch this when we face
- 21:50challenges that are so heavy number two
- 21:52we'll miss the blessings
- 21:59>> we when we face challenges is that are
- 22:02heavy,
- 22:05>> things that you didn't ask for,
- 22:08>> things that were nowhere on your list of
- 22:10things for 2025.
- 22:13When life hands you something that is
- 22:16challenging,
- 22:18I am saying to you today that you must
- 22:22have the attitude of gratitude so that
- 22:25you don't miss the blessings even in a
- 22:29challenging situation.
- 22:33>> Oh, turn with me to Habbeca.
- 22:36>> Habbec chapter 3.
- 22:38>> See, because understand something.
- 22:39Gratitude is not just for good times.
- 22:42Yeah, that's good.
- 22:44>> Help me, Holy Ghost. Gratitude is not
- 22:46just for good times.
- 22:50>> Our text says in everything,
- 22:53>> we're to give thanks.
- 22:56>> My gratitude in challenging times helps
- 22:59me not to miss the blessing.
- 23:03>> Haba chapter 3 verse 17. There there is
- 23:07a challenging time going on in this
- 23:09text.
- 23:11Ain't nothing going right. I know that
- 23:13doesn't make good English, but just let
- 23:15me say it. Ain't nothing going right.
- 23:17What can go wrong has gone wrong.
- 23:22>> Thank you, Holy Spirit.
- 23:25Everything ain't wrong.
- 23:28>> I hear my pastor even in my head.
- 23:31Everything is not wrong. Most of it
- 23:33could be wrong.
- 23:35And this is the challenge is that when
- 23:39most of it is wrong, we'll say we'll
- 23:42scrap the whole thing
- 23:44>> and say everything is wrong.
- 23:49>> YEAH. WE WE'LL SCRAP THE WHOLE THING AND
- 23:51SAY EVERYTHING. And this is why
- 23:53gratitude is so important.
- 23:56Habbeca chap chapter 3 it says though
- 23:58the fig tree
- 24:00>> does not bud I'm reading in the NIV and
- 24:04there are no grapes on the vine
- 24:07>> though the olive crop fails
- 24:10>> and the fields produce no food. Oh God
- 24:14see only gardeners are getting irritated
- 24:16right NOW. SEE VERONICA THIS TEXT MEANT
- 24:18nothing to Veronica Baines about four
- 24:20years ago. That's right. BUT SINCE SHE'S
- 24:22GOTTEN INTO GARDENING RIGHT NOW in her
- 24:24spirit is being is being dealt with.
- 24:26She's wrestling
- 24:28>> because all the work that goes into
- 24:30gardening.
- 24:31>> And you mean to tell me you get TO THE
- 24:33POINT THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO SHOW for
- 24:35it?
- 24:39>> All these years you've BEEN POURING INTO
- 24:41THAT child
- 24:43>> and now you GET TO THE POINT NOW AND
- 24:45THEY GOING TO TELL you
- 24:48>> what they ain't going to do.
- 24:53said, "Ain't no grapes on the vine."
- 24:55Ain't no grape. Ain't no grapes on the
- 24:57vine. It said, "Don't no don't don't no.
- 24:59The fig tree does not bud and there are
- 25:02no grapes on the vine. Though the olive
- 25:05crop fails and the fields produce no
- 25:08food, though there are no sheep in the
- 25:11pin and no cattle in the stall." Verse
- 25:1618 says, "YET
- 25:20SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO SLOW DOWN WHEN
- 25:23YOU'RE READING.
- 25:24>> It says yet.
- 25:27>> I looked up the word yet.
- 25:29>> And yet is a conjunction that introduces
- 25:32something unexpected.
- 25:36>> IT SHOWS THAT TWO IDEAS are in tension
- 25:40with each other.
- 25:42>> OH MY GOD. SO SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU
- 25:45HAVE ALL OF THIS going on?
- 25:48>> NO. GRAPES ON THE VINE,
- 25:50>> NO CATTLE IN THE STALL, no appears TO BE
- 25:54NO HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE, BUT YET
- 25:58>> IT SAYS, "YET I WILL."
- 26:01>> WELL, I wish somebody WOULD READ THE
- 26:02BIBLE. I WILL REJOICE. YOU MEAN TO TELL
- 26:06ME OUT OF ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE
- 26:08ON IN YOUR LIFE THIS YEAR
- 26:11THAT THAT you have a YET IN YOUR SPIRIT
- 26:15THAT YEAH. YOU SAID GOODBYE TO SOME
- 26:16PEOPLE THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SAY
- 26:18GOODBYE TO,
- 26:19>> BUT YOU HAD A YET IN YOUR spirit
- 26:26>> that THAT THAT THAT I WOULD HAVE ALL
- 26:28THIS negative
- 26:30>> to happen to me,
- 26:32>> but I will introduce
- 26:36>> A REACTION
- 26:38>> THAT IS IN TENSION WITH WHAT JUST
- 26:40HAPPENED. YES,
- 26:42>> I WILL REDUCE I WILL PRODUCE A BEHAVIOR
- 26:46>> THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MATCH WHAT HAS
- 26:48HAPPENED
- 26:50>> THAT INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING I'M PRAISING
- 26:54INSTEAD OF MUMBLING I'M GIVING HIM
- 26:56GLORY.
- 26:57SOMEBODY SHOUT YET.
- 27:04>> I got to have the attitude of gratitude.
- 27:07He says, "Yet
- 27:10>> I will rejoice
- 27:12>> in the Lord."
- 27:14>> SEE, SEE SOME SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO
- 27:16THANK GOD for again.
- 27:20>> Some things YOU NEED TO THANK GOD FOR
- 27:22AGAIN.
- 27:23>> YEAH, I THANK GOD FOR THAT LAST TIME.
- 27:25NO, YOU NEED TO THANK HIM AGAIN.
- 27:27>> YOU NEED to tell him thank you again.
- 27:30>> Oh, God. Where am I? Help me, Lord.
- 27:34>> I started doing this this week.
- 27:36I started calling people
- 27:39>> and thanking them
- 27:40>> for things that they already done for
- 27:42me.
- 27:45>> TJ, I started crying and I didn't intend
- 27:47to cry, man. I know you think I'm a cry
- 27:49baby, but I ain't a crybaby like that.
- 27:52>> I cry,
- 27:55but I started thanking people for things
- 27:57they already done for me.
- 28:00Yeah.
- 28:01>> Thanking my mama
- 28:04>> for working two jobs to send me to ENT
- 28:09>> will work at ECU, get off at 5:00, come
- 28:12home, take a bath, and then go at the
- 28:14hospital and work 12 hours
- 28:19>> and then and then go and help my uncle
- 28:21Buck who had a little cleaning business.
- 28:23You already know my uncle Buck. That was
- 28:25kind of, you know, but she Amen. But she
- 28:29did what she had to do.
- 28:31>> Now I thanked her 20 years ago.
- 28:33>> But there was something about telling
- 28:35telling her thank you again
- 28:38>> about rejoicing over what has been done
- 28:41in my again.
- 28:42>> See this is WHY WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A
- 28:44PRAISE BECAUSE EVEN IF SOMETHING IF
- 28:46THINGS ARE NOT GOING OUT RIGHT NOT GOING
- 28:47RIGHT right now you still have something
- 28:50that you can rejoice over again.
- 28:58He says, "I will rejoice."
- 29:01>> Catch this. He said, "I will be joyful."
- 29:04>> I like the King James, "And the God of
- 29:06my salvation."
- 29:07>> VERSE 19 SAYS, "THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS MY
- 29:10STRENGTH.
- 29:11>> HE MAKES MY FEET LIKE HINDS feet and he
- 29:15enables me to TREAD UPON THE HIGH
- 29:18PLACES."
- 29:19>> SEE, THIS IS WHAT GRATITUDE does even in
- 29:22a challenging situation.
- 29:34Life can hand you some dirty stuff.
- 29:39>> Life can hand you some challenging
- 29:41things.
- 29:43>> And it looks like
- 29:45>> you have nothing to be thankful for.
- 29:47Yeah,
- 29:49>> it looks like that there is nothing in
- 29:51there to be grateful for
- 29:54>> because from the outside looking in, it
- 29:57looks like a bunch of dirt.
- 29:59>> Yeah,
- 30:00>> it's a dirt. It was a dirty situation.
- 30:01You got done dirty.
- 30:04>> NO, NOT NOT NOT THAT YOU DID ANYTHING TO
- 30:07THEM. YOU were nothing but kind to them.
- 30:09>> You were nothing but good to them. AND
- 30:12THEY WOULD TURN AROUND AND STAB YOU IN
- 30:14THE BACK. OR THEY WOULD TURN AROUND AND
- 30:16ACT LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW YOU OR when
- 30:18you HAD A NEED THEY ACT LIKE THEY THAT
- 30:20THEY PHONE WASN'T WORKING.
- 30:26>> If you and I are not careful,
- 30:29>> we can miss the blessing
- 30:32>> even in challenging times.
- 30:36>> My pastor TAUGHT ME A LONG time ago that
- 30:38gratitude is like a magnet. That's
- 30:41right.
- 30:42>> And then what you got to do is take the
- 30:44magnet of gratitude and run it over your
- 30:46life.
- 30:48>> And you'll be surprised
- 30:51>> of what will come out of
- 30:53>> your LIFE IF YOU JUST START THANKING
- 30:55GOD. If you WOULD JUST OPEN YOUR MOUTH
- 30:58EVEN I DON'T CARE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. IF
- 31:00YOU WOULD OPEN UP YOUR MOUTH AND THANK
- 31:02GOD EVEN FOR THE CHALLENGING DAYS,
- 31:09THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WILL COME UP OUT
- 31:11OF YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN THANK God for.
- 31:16>> YEAH, THEY LEFT YOU, BUT YOU GREW IN GOD
- 31:19IN A WAY THAT YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE GROWN
- 31:21IN GOD.
- 31:25YEAH, THE DAYS WERE TOUGH
- 31:27>> AND YOU didn't know how YOU WERE GOING
- 31:29TO MAKE THEM ENDS MEET.
- 31:31>> BUT YOU REALLY FOUND OUT THAT HE REALLY
- 31:32IS JEHOVAH GYRA, that he REALLY IS THE
- 31:35GOD THAT WILL PROVIDE.
- 31:40>> Was that Andre Crouch
- 31:44who said, "I thank him for every
- 31:45mountain.
- 31:47>> I thank him for every valley. I thank
- 31:49him for every situation that he has
- 31:52brought me through because if I DIDN'T
- 31:55HAVE A PROBLEM,
- 31:56>> I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT GOD COULD SOLVE IT.
- 31:59>> I WOULD KNOW WHAT FAITH IN God can do.
- 32:07>> Touch your neighbor. Say, "Don't miss
- 32:08it."
- 32:10>> Run that run that magnet of gratitude
- 32:13over your life UNTIL STUFF START JUMPING
- 32:15UP.
- 32:18OH, WHEN YOU JUST START THANKING GOD FOR
- 32:20SHOES ON YOUR FEET,
- 32:22>> clothes on your back,
- 32:24>> a roof over your head,
- 32:26>> IT'S AMAZING WHAT'LL START COMING UP OUT
- 32:28OF YOUR LIFE. IT'S AMAZING WHAT STARTS
- 32:30COMING TO YOUR MEMORY. YOU'LL START
- 32:32REMEMBERING THE TIMES WHEN GOD BROUGHT
- 32:34YOU THROUGH THAT SITUATION AND YOU HAD
- 32:37NO BUSINESS COMING OUT.
- 32:40WOO!
- 32:41>> HE BROUGHT YOU OUT IN THAT THING THAT
- 32:42YOU SAID YOU WOULD NEVER GET IN AGAIN
- 32:44AND HE BROUGHT YOU OUT.
- 32:51>> Touch your neighbor. Say, "Hey, your
- 32:53magnet of gratitude."
- 33:04>> I got to have my magnet of gratitude.
- 33:07>> Catch this. Even even when you're in
- 33:09challenging times and you're praying.
- 33:12>> Philippians 4:6
- 33:14>> even teaches us that thanksgiving even
- 33:17needs to be a part of our prayer.
- 33:20>> Talk Bible.
- 33:22>> Philippians chapter 4. I didn't even
- 33:25give I don't know if I gave it this one
- 33:26to him or not. Philippians chapter 4
- 33:28verse 6. It says, "Be anxious for
- 33:30nothing,
- 33:32>> but in
- 33:34>> there it goes again, in everything
- 33:37>> by prayer and supplication
- 33:40with
- 33:41>> thanksgiving."
- 33:42>> WOO! EVEN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO God
- 33:45>> and asking God FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU
- 33:48NEED, DON'T FORGET TO say thank you.
- 33:51>> EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE
- 33:53BEFORE GOD AND YOU ARE, WE ought to lay
- 33:56it out. The text makes it very clear.
- 33:59You you don't have to be bashful or
- 34:01shameful about asking God for what you
- 34:03need.
- 34:05>> But even while you're asking him for
- 34:07what you need, thank him for what you
- 34:09already have.
- 34:10>> THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE'S ALREADY DONE.
- 34:13>> We with thanksgiving.
- 34:17>> I used to wonder why why we had the
- 34:19holiday of Thanksgiving
- 34:22>> and but I realized I'm thankful for it.
- 34:27Why? Because the scripture gives, I
- 34:31believe this in second Timothy, one of
- 34:33the characteristics or signs of the last
- 34:36days
- 34:37>> is that men will become unthankful.
- 34:44>> We take all the other signs and we run
- 34:45with them and we we should we should pay
- 34:47attention to them. But the Bible is
- 34:49clear that one of the signs
- 34:52>> of the end of time that the time is
- 34:54drawing near is that men will become
- 34:56unthankful.
- 34:58>> My prayer is that God don't let us be
- 35:00that kind of people.
- 35:02>> God, HELP US TO BE THE KIND OF PEOPLE
- 35:04THAT ARE QUICK TO GIVE YOU PRAISE.
- 35:07>> LET US BE THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT ENTER
- 35:09INTO YOUR GATES WITH THANKSGIVING
- 35:11>> AND INTO YOUR COURTS WITH PRAISE. I
- 35:13DON'T NEED THREE SONGS FROM THE PRAISE
- 35:14TEAM TO GIVE GOD PRAISE WHEN I THINK.
- 35:18OH, OF THE GOODNESS OF JESUS AND ALL
- 35:21THAT HE DONE FOR ME.
- 35:27My soul CRIES OUT. MY SOUL CRIES OUT. MY
- 35:32SOUL cries out. Woo!
- 35:36Hallelujah.
- 35:39I don't HAVE TO BE PROMPTED. I DON'T
- 35:40HAVE TO BE BEGGED. I DON'T HAVE TO BE
- 35:42PUMPED. MY SOUL CRIES OUT. I KNOW WHERE
- 35:46HE BROUGHT ME FROM. I KNOW WHAT HE KEPT
- 35:49ME THROUGH.
- 35:53SEE, THIS IS WHY IT SHOULDN'T TAKE ALL
- 35:55DAY FOR US TO GET INTO a musty praise. I
- 35:59hear MY PASTOR NOW. WHY IT SHOULDN'T
- 36:01TAKE ALL DAY? BECAUSE YOU YOU DON'T KNOW
- 36:04LIKE I KNOW. I hear the old song IN MY
- 36:06HEAD. WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR ME. YOU
- 36:10CAN'T TELL IT. LET ME TELL IT. WHAT THE
- 36:14Lord
- 36:21>> I got to have. Oh,
- 36:23>> I got to have
- 36:25>> the attitude of gratitude
- 36:27>> so that I don't mishandle the blessings
- 36:29of God in my life.
- 36:32>> I can't afford to minimize
- 36:35>> because of the abundance of blessings.
- 36:38I can't afford to miss the blessing
- 36:42>> because of the challenging times that
- 36:43I'm going through.
- 36:45>> And last but not least, we out of here
- 36:46on this. I cannot afford to mistaken the
- 36:51blessing.
- 36:52>> Understand something. We can grow so
- 36:54accustomed to our blessings.
- 36:56>> That we will mistake them as something
- 36:58we've earned.
- 37:04>> We can we can we can grow so accustom. W
- 37:07help us, Holy Ghost. We can become so
- 37:10used to
- 37:11>> just having what we have.
- 37:14>> Riding night. Ain't nothing wrong with
- 37:16riding nice. You shouldn't feel ashamed
- 37:17about it.
- 37:18>> It's the blessing of the Lord that make
- 37:19it rich.
- 37:20>> And he has no sorrow to it.
- 37:23>> There's no way you CAN READ THIS BIBLE
- 37:24HONESTLY AND NOT KNOW THAT GOD WANTS TO
- 37:26BLESS HIS PEOPLE. AMEN. AMEN.
- 37:29>> But he told the children of Israel,
- 37:32>> he said, "When you have eaten
- 37:35>> and are full,
- 37:37>> don't forget me."
- 37:41>> When you are When you have eaten and are
- 37:44full, don't get so accustomed to the
- 37:46blessing
- 37:47>> that you mistaken the blessing
- 37:50>> and thinking that you have it because of
- 37:52you.
- 37:58Yeah, you can have it so long. See,
- 38:00that's what happens sometime with
- 38:01salvation.
- 38:03>> Sometimes we can be saved so long
- 38:06>> and we've learned to work some of the
- 38:08principles of the word of God.
- 38:10We know how to name it and claim it and
- 38:13blab it and grab it and believe it and
- 38:15receive it. Yes, sir. that things can
- 38:18become transactional
- 38:22>> and we'll start to think that we have
- 38:24what we have
- 38:27>> because of what we've done.
- 38:28>> That's right.
- 38:29>> And not what he has done.
- 38:31>> That's right.
- 38:32>> We'll become sadly mistaken
- 38:36>> and thinking,
- 38:38oh God, that it's oh God
- 38:44>> that I have what I have.
- 38:46Oh Lord,
- 38:50because I'm a tither.
- 38:55>> My tithing
- 38:58>> is a response to the goodness of God.
- 39:02>> No, can't look at it. My tithing is a
- 39:04response to the good. He's already
- 39:06blessed me.
- 39:08>> He already gave it to me. What he's
- 39:11asking me to do is to return
- 39:15>> what he's already given to me.
- 39:18>> I'm not trying to earn a blessing.
- 39:20>> I'm trying to RESPOND TO HIS GOODNESS.
- 39:22>> Good God almighty. I'm not trying to
- 39:24earn a blessing.
- 39:27>> I'm trying to respond to his goodness.
- 39:30>> That he's been so good to me.
- 39:32>> That I want to live for him.
- 39:34>> That he's been so MERCIFUL TO ME
- 39:36>> THAT I WANT TO WALK AWAY FROM THE STUFF
- 39:38THAT BREAKS HIS HEART.
- 39:40I'm not trying to GET HIM TO LOVE ME. HE
- 39:42ALREADY LOVED ME WHILE WE WERE IN SIN.
- 39:46>> CHRIST DIED FOR US.
- 39:49>> It's the FINISHED WORK IN CHRIST ALONE.
- 39:55>> Help me, Holy Ghost.
- 39:58>> It's his finished work alone.
- 40:02>> He's already done it.
- 40:05>> Oh. Oh. This is what Bishop meant when
- 40:08she said that godliness grows in the in
- 40:13the garden of gratitude.
- 40:17>> When I'm grateful, bro,
- 40:20>> I don't have to be motivated by you.
- 40:22>> I don't have to be scared into doing
- 40:24right. Not when I'm grateful.
- 40:27>> Amen.
- 40:28>> Because gratitude is an inward
- 40:31motivation,
- 40:32>> not not an outward expectation.
- 40:39Now people have expectations. I have
- 40:41expectations around me. I get it. But
- 40:44what motivates me
- 40:46>> is how good he's already been to me.
- 40:49>> What motivates me is what he's already
- 40:50done on Calvary.
- 40:52>> That there's nothing I can do to mess up
- 40:55what he's already done.
- 40:58>> God,
- 41:00>> he's already been good to me.
- 41:04He's already been it's it's it is
- 41:08faith in the finished work alone.
- 41:12Am I saying and see I understand what
- 41:14you mean now because you get nervous and
- 41:16thinking that people getting ready to
- 41:17get leave out here and go act a fool
- 41:21>> that you what you saying I can just do
- 41:22anything and
- 41:26>> if that's what you hear you're missing
- 41:27it
- 41:29>> no you you you are missing it
- 41:32>> because gratitude
- 41:34that God you would do this for me
- 41:38>> even before I I wanted to live for you
- 41:40you would do this for me Yes.
- 41:43>> The least I can do.
- 41:46>> No, no, no. The the the it is my
- 41:47reasonable service.
- 41:50>> The least I can do is to present my
- 41:52body.
- 41:53>> The least I can do is WALK AWAY FROM
- 41:55CONVERSATIONS THAT DO NOT GLORIFY YOU.
- 41:58THE LEAST I CAN DO is to return my
- 42:00tithe. THE LEAST I CAN do is to serve IN
- 42:02YOUR HOUSE. THE LEAST I CAN do
- 42:11Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel chapter 4, just
- 42:13write it down.
- 42:15>> He got sadly mistaken.
- 42:18>> He walked out and and one day, I don't
- 42:21know what happened.
- 42:24Thank you, Lord.
- 42:26>> It's gradual.
- 42:29>> No, it's it's gradual.
- 42:30>> That's why God said you can't minimize
- 42:32it because when you minimize it, you
- 42:33start forgetting.
- 42:34>> That's right. Oh, that thing is great. N
- 42:36walked out and Neb looked around and had
- 42:38been in the blessing so long that he
- 42:41felt like, my god, look at what I have
- 42:43done.
- 42:46>> Look, look at what I have. Look at what
- 42:47I have acquired.
- 42:49>> Jesus,
- 42:49>> I've gone to school and pulled myself up
- 42:51by my bootstrap and I graduated.
- 42:54>> God,
- 42:55>> went to graduate school and graduated.
- 42:57Got my certifications and my license.
- 43:00Look at what I have done.
- 43:02Jesus,
- 43:03>> look how look how I've invested so well.
- 43:05My 401ks are doing so well. I just made
- 43:08so many good investments.
- 43:11>> Preaching.
- 43:13>> The Bible said that he lost.
- 43:19>> You and I cannot afford
- 43:22>> to mishandle God's blessing.
- 43:25>> We can't afford to mishandle it by
- 43:26minimizing it. Yes,
- 43:28>> we cannot afford to mishandle it by
- 43:31missing it even in challenging times.
- 43:33>> And you and I cannot afford to mistaken
- 43:36the blessing of God.
- 43:38>> This is why Paul warned the church at
- 43:41Thessalonica. He said in everything
- 43:43>> in everything,
- 43:44>> give thanks.
- 43:45>> Give thanks.
- 43:46>> No, in in in everything there's nothing
- 43:48too small. I remember what Bishop said,
- 43:50oh yeah, my last minute. I remember
- 43:51Bishop said one time when the boys were
- 43:54small and they were getting ready to eat
- 43:55and they didn't say grace and one of
- 43:57them put the food in their mouth and she
- 43:58reached in there and pulled it out.
- 44:04Oh my god.
- 44:07For real?
- 44:09Talk about the claw. Oh my Jesus.
- 44:14But but you know what?
- 44:16You know what?
- 44:20Some of you say, "Well, I don't know how
- 44:22it did that."
- 44:25Oh, God.
- 44:27>> For where God was taking them,
- 44:29>> it had to be as high as you go, the
- 44:32deeper your foundation needs to be.
- 44:37>> When God going to take you way up there,
- 44:39that foundation got to go way down. And
- 44:42sometime you got to go way
- 44:46>> to let you know that everything we have
- 44:50>> God did it.
- 44:51>> Oh, where's my mama? Everything I
- 44:53Everything I own, God did it.
- 44:57>> THERE'S NOT ONE MORSEL OF FOOD, NOT ONE
- 44:59THREAD OF CLOTHING THAT I HAVE THAT GOD
- 45:02HAS NOT PROVIDED. EVERYTHING I NEEDED,
- 45:05his hand has provided.
- 45:12I got to have the attitude of gratitude.
- 45:14>> Listen, as we get ready to head into
- 45:15another year,
- 45:17>> I don't want us to treat 2025 like an
- 45:20escape room
- 45:23>> so fast getting out of 2025. I'M READY
- 45:25FOR EVERYTHING GOD GOT ME. I'm getting
- 45:26out of here. Wait a minute. Slow down.
- 45:28Tell God thank you.
- 45:32>> Slow down
- 45:34>> and tell God. PUT PUT MY challenge up.
- 45:36You got my challenge my last slide. Put
- 45:38Put my challenge up. Put my challenge
- 45:41up. Yeah. Before this whole week right
- 45:43here, before we come in here and shout
- 45:46the new year in,
- 45:48let's spend the next few days thanking
- 45:49God for what he's already done.
- 45:52>> Number one, I want you to take each day
- 45:54this week and write down three things
- 45:57that you're grateful for each day.
- 46:00>> Just just three things that you're
- 46:02grateful for each day. It don't have to
- 46:03be great.
- 46:05>> Don't have to be whatever it is. You
- 46:07write down three things that you are
- 46:09grateful for.
- 46:10>> Secondly, catch this. Tell a different
- 46:12person each day how much you appreciate
- 46:15them and why.
- 46:18Tell a different person each day
- 46:21what you what is it that you appreciate
- 46:23about them. What is it?
- 46:27Let me tell y'all real quick. I did this
- 46:29yesterday
- 46:31and uh I I called a few people and then
- 46:34I called my aunt. My aunt Connie.
- 46:38>> See, y'all don't know. Y'all don't know.
- 46:40But I got some aunts that are saved to
- 46:42the bone. You hear me?
- 46:44>> I got to thinking my aunt Connie for all
- 46:46she done been to us and what she doing
- 46:47for us. Honey, she took me down into a
- 46:49prayer.
- 46:52>> I'm on the phone just giving God praise.
- 46:55>> Can I tell I appreciate that, but the
- 46:57thanksgiving, it washed my soul.
- 47:01There was something about telling her my
- 47:03appreciation for her that washed my
- 47:06soul,
- 47:06>> that did something for me. I know it
- 47:09blessed her, but can I just tell you
- 47:10when you are a thankful person, it will
- 47:12change you.
- 47:16>> Write down the three things. Tell a
- 47:18different person each day how much you
- 47:20appreciate them and why. And then begin
- 47:22your prayer with thanksgiving.
- 47:24>> I didn't want to assume that we do that.
- 47:26>> I wanted to make sure that was up there.
- 47:28Begin your prayer with thanksgiving.
- 47:29Before you ask God for anything,
- 47:32>> start thanking him for everything.
- 47:34>> Amen.
- 47:36>> Come on, let's pray. Father, in Jesus
- 47:38name, we we thank you,
- 47:41>> for your goodness,
- 47:43>> thank you for your mercy.
- 47:46>> Thank you, Father, for the things that
- 47:48you have held back in our lives that we
- 47:51deserve.
- 47:52Thank you, Lord, for the for the great
- 47:54blessings that you have unleashed on us
- 47:56that we don't even deserve. You've been
- 47:58good to us.
- 48:00>> And Father, when we run the magnet of
- 48:02gratitude over our lives,
- 48:05>> we have so many things to be thankful
- 48:07for.
- 48:08>> And so, Father, we just ask you this
- 48:10week as we step into this challenge,
- 48:13>> Father, help us not to run so fast out
- 48:15of 2025
- 48:18>> that we mishandle all that you have done
- 48:20for us.
- 48:22Lord, we don't want to minimize
- 48:23anything. Lord, we don't want to miss
- 48:26anything.
- 48:28And Lord, we don't want to mistaken
- 48:30anything.
- 48:32Help us to be quick to give you praise.
- 48:34Help us to be quick to appreciate those
- 48:35around us that you use to bless us. Help
- 48:40us to be grateful in Jesus name.