Week of 11/24/24 and Thanksgiving

Dear Church Family,
It is a regular privilege for our family to both pray and give thanks for the Body of Christ gathered at Grenada. Your growing love for one another and for us is practical and deep and we are thankful for signs of God's work and faithfulness among us.
My prayer is that each of you may enjoy and give thanks to God wherever He has you this Thanksgiving!

I want to invite you to take some time personally, or if you are meeting with your small group this week, to both give thanks for God's blessings, as well as consider what it is to give thanks to him or others.
First, we are somewhat familiar, even if under practiced, at giving thanks for things and naming them out. Take some time to do that, even the places where there has been difficulty or suffering, consider how to give thanks for those (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Second, what does it look like to give our thanks to God or someone else. Take a moment and consider what it looks like to share your thanks to Jesus and to those around you for the ways they bless you (1 Thessalonians 2:7-9).
Who will you give thanks to this week and what will that look like?

Home Enjoyment
Read 1 Samuel 5.
What was the ark departing from Israel a sign of?
What was in the ark of the covenant?
How did the toppling of Dagon show God's faithfulness to His Word?
How did afflicting the people of Philistia bring glory to God?
The above question is difficult for our culture, but another way to ask is this.
What did it look like for the holiness of God to come among the Philistines without faith, obedience, or sacrifice?
In what ways does this make you appreciate Jesus and the New Covenant?
Read Acts 17:24-31.

Personal Application
Take a moment also to consider places where you keep picking back up idols or rearranging things in your life in order to avoid surrendering your life or some part of it to Him. Lay down your idols and trust in Jesus Christ. Read 1 Peter 2:11-12.

We begin Advent this following Sunday, so I want to remind you of that and if you do not have a meaningful tradition(s) to counter or give you bearing in the busyness and materialistic traditions of our culture that you consider how to keep your eyes on Jesus during this time.

Looking forward to worshipping our Savior together this coming week!

In Christ,
Pastor Phillip

No Comments