11.24.20 Feed

THANKFUL IN A PANDEMIC

This Thursday is Thanksgiving and many of us will sit around a dinner table with fewer family members than usual joining us, thinking about what we are thankful for. And while no doubt, 2020 has been a challenging year, God has still been at work this year in your life and mine.

• I’m grateful for the spring I worked from home and took lunch with my wife each day on the deck as the flowers and trees bloomed.
• I’m grateful for the timing of numerous personal trials this year, all of which could be seen as major challenges, but were also impeccably timed to simplify my life.
• I’m grateful to belong to such a healthy church filled with so many people who are actively and intentionally maintaining relationships in the midst of a pandemic.
• I’m grateful that God’s grace doesn’t diminish when our spiritual fervor does. This has been a hard year for us all, but through it all, God has never left our sides.

Now it’s your turn. As you read the articles below and ponder all that has taken place in 2020, take an inventory of all the ways God has been good to you.

COVID-19 SILVER LININGS

This article may not be from a Christian source, but I bet it will help you brainstorm some of the ways God has been good to you this year. And while it may not present a Christian perspective, I see God’s handiwork all through this list.
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WORDS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR HUSBAND

Speaking of encouraging others, here’s a practical article for the wives out there. As a husband reading this article, I can attest that this hits home. Take a look, think about which words of encouragement best fit your husband, and then in a quiet moment, speak those life giving words to him.
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STAYING THANKFUL: PASTOR AMY’s Perspective

You’ve already heard plenty from Pastor Ryan about having an attitude of gratitude at Thanksgiving. But what does Pastor Amy have to say about the topic. Take a look at what she had to say in a blog from 2014. Hint: it’s not a focus on Black Friday shopping!
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MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. In what ways do you demonstrate that you are a positive person? What habits do you have that make you a more negative person?
2. Aside from the week of Thanksgiving, how do you incorporate an attitude of gratitude into your life? If you don’t take time to thank God regularly, what could you add to your life to make sure keep gratitude front and center more often?
3. Many people wish they were a more encouraging person than they currently are. What prevents you from being a more encouraging person? How can you remove those barriers?

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