I’M THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS
I’m Thankful for… #2
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, November 17, 2024
1. Thankfulness pleases God
(Hebrews 12:28, LB) “Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe.”
2. Thankfulness is key to personal happiness
(Colossians 3:15-17, NLT) “Always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
3. A lack of thanksgiving leads to spiritual decline
(Luke 17:17, CEV) “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine?”
(Romans 1:21, NLT) “They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.”
4. Thankfulness is your key to a peaceful life
(Philippians 4:6-7, NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
“Gratitude is the mother of all virtues.” -G. K. Chesterton
a. God is in control
(Psalm 103:19, NLT) “The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything”
b. God keeps his promises
(1 Corinthians 1:9, GW) “God faithfully keeps his promises. He called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
c. God gives me faithful friends
“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.” -Charles Spurgeon
“True friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.” -George Washington
(John 15:15,17, NLT) “You are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. … This is my command: Love each other.”
GROWTHWORK
I’m thankful for friends…
1. …who always love me
(Proverbs 17:17, NKJV) “A friend loves at all times.”
2. …who always stick by me
(Proverbs 18:24, NLT) “A real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
3. …who sharpens me
(Proverbs 27:17, NLT) “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
4. …who are honest with me
(Proverbs 27:6, CEV) “You can trust a friend who corrects you…”
5. …who shares my interest
(Philippians 2:4, NCV) “Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.”
6. …who are there when I need them
(Proverbs 27:10, NLT) “Never abandon a friend.”