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This is the audio from the February 11, 2024 sermon, “Immeasurably More Gratitude: GIVE Thanks!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Colossians 3:12-17

This morning’s message continued a sermon series designed to help us look at some of the immeasurably more God desires to do in us, through us, and for us.  Often when we think about immeasurably more, it focuses on what we want to receive.  God, on the other hand, is more concerned about what He will do to make the good news of the kingdom grow.  So far we have looked at the immeasurably more that God wants to do in our prayer life, in the way we love, in our serving, in our giving, and in compassion.  Today we gazed into God’s Word to consider the immeasurably more gratitude that ought to be present in our life because of Jesus.  Being a more thankful person in a world filled with disappointments and discouragement can be difficult.  It is only through God’s Spirit that we find the ability to give thanks when our natural response to a situation may not be thankful at all.  As we choose to grow with immeasurably more gratitude, we do so with . . .

• Generous Thanks: — Colossians 3:12, Colossians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 4:15

  • As Paul gives instructions about being more thankful, He does so in the context of God’s generous nature toward each one of us.  When we clothe ourselves with the things of God’s Spirit, we are able to see others as the valuable creation of God which they are.  Being generous with out thanks comes from an attitude which looks for the good of Christ in others.  We grow in gratitude when we learn to be generous with the thanks we offer to God and to one another.

• Intentional Thanks: — Colossians 3:13-14, 1 Timothy 2:1, Ephesians 5:20

  • Because we live in a world of imperfect people, ourselves included, we must learn to be intentional about living with gratitude.  Our need to forgive and be forgiven can become a hindrance to being thankful unless we are willing to acknowledge just how much God has forgiven us so that we would be deliberate in looking for ways to thank others.  We grow in gratitude when we learn to be intentional with the thanks we offer to God and to one another.

• Vertical Thanks: — Colossians 3:15, 1 Timothy 1:12, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 9:15

  • The strength or weakness of our relationship with God will have a lot to do with how we interact with others.  When we first give ourselves fully to God, we find that His Spirit leads us to value the things He values.  When we teach and admonish one another, and sing praises to God, we find a gratitude that is growing in us through His Spirit.  We grow in gratitude when we learn to put God first in our vertical thanks to Him.

• Expressive Thanks: — Colossians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 9:12

  • Just as we tend to give and receive expressions of love in a variety of ways, our expressions of thanks ought to be offered in ways which benefit the one we are thanking.  When it comes to thanking God, scripture tells us that everything we do ought to be done with an attitude of gratitude.  The same is true at a different level in how we thank one another.  Our many expressions of thanks ought to done in a way that builds up the body of Christ and makes Him known.  We grow in gratitude when we learn to be expressive with our thanks in whatever we do.

Today, how will you GIVE thanks?