A BLESSED NEW YEAR!!

FGA GENESIS CELL GROUPFGA GENESIS CELL GROUP

22ndnd January, 2009 January, 2009--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

““LET US RETURN : LET US RETURN :

BEING THANKFUL ALWAYS”BEING THANKFUL ALWAYS”by Peter Huangby Peter Huang

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Last Sunday 28 December, 2008 sermon – Key passage

• Hebrews 10:35-36 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the

Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

• 2009 FGA’s Theme: Let us return – relationship, word & servanthood.

Let us start the New Year 2009 with the

RIGHT ATTITUDE

WITH A CONTINUOUS

ATTITUDE OF

GRATITUDE

Colossians 3:12-17 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,

you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

 16 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.

17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BETWEEN

THE TWO EXPRESSIONS BELOW?THE TWO EXPRESSIONS BELOW?

Big difference betweenSAYING we are thankful,and truly BEING thankful!

Act of thankful response

Continuous living expression

of our gratitude to God for everything

Is This A Correct Attitude?

“We Ought to Be Thankful Because We Have So Much!”

This is ALWAYS This is ALWAYS a Correct Attitudea Correct Attitude!!

““We Ought To Be Thankful We Ought To Be Thankful Because God Has Given Us Because God Has Given Us Everything We HaveEverything We Have””

contentment

We can go through life We can go through life complainingcomplaining or or being being

thankfulthankful. Or we can find . Or we can find reasons to be thankful !!!reasons to be thankful !!!

COMPLAININGCOMPLAINING

Adds no value to the situationAdds no value to the situation Does not resolve the situationDoes not resolve the situation

See what the Bible has to say about See what the Bible has to say about ….complaining and being thankful….complaining and being thankful

Philippians 2:14-15

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,

15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Ephesians 5:19

“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving

thanks to God the Father for everything.”

1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Two occasions when we should be Two occasions when we should be thankfulthankful

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James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.

James 1:2-3My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Story – The Butterfly’s Struggle

A man once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. In an effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of the cocoon. The butterfly escaped from its problem ... But it had a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It couldn’t fly and died very soon after.

It is God's way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that causes it’s tiny heart to beat fast, and send the life's blood into its wings.

TRIALSTRIALS

have their purposehave their purpose are like the cocoon are like the cocoon

we find ourselveswe find ourselves make us struggle: make us struggle:

they bring us to our kneesthey bring us to our knees

Why be thankful?Why be thankful?

It’s God’s It’s God’s will/commandwill/command

Psalm 95:2Psalm 95:2 Let us come before his presence Let us come before his presence

with with thanksgivingthanksgiving, and make a , and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.joyful noise unto him with psalms.

1Thessalonians 5:16-181Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice evermore. Pray without Rejoice evermore. Pray without

ceasing. ceasing. In every thing give In every thing give thanksthanks: for this is the will of God : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.in Christ Jesus concerning you.

ProblemsProblems

ROMANS 1:21ROMANS 1:21 Yes, they knew God, but they Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and their minds became dark and confusedconfused..

Psalm 77:3Psalm 77:3 I remembered God, and was I remembered God, and was

troubled; I complained, and my troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.spirit was overwhelmed.

WHAT CAN

I LEARN FROM

ALL THESE?

AGREE or DISAGREE?

A person who takes an occasional shower or bath is not necessarily a clean person!!

A person who is occasionally thankful is not necessarily a thankful person!

“ “A thankful spirit is one of A thankful spirit is one of the key distinguishing the key distinguishing marks of a Christian. It marks of a Christian. It sets us apart from the sets us apart from the

world, it makes us world, it makes us different.”different.”

-Alan Perkins

The whole Christian life is one The whole Christian life is one big "big "Thank YouThank You," the living ," the living

expression of our gratitude to expression of our gratitude to God for His goodness.God for His goodness.