Thanksgiving to God for You
November 30, 2008
Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. It is not yet commercialized (unless you cave in to “consumerism Friday”), it focuses on family, and it reminds us that God has given us far beyond what we deserve. This Thanksgiving I want to express my gratitude to God for the gift he has given me in being your preaching pastor and one of the elders that is blessed to serve you.
–I am thankful to God that you align yourself with the greatest purpose in the world: to glorify God.
–I am thankful to God that you are supremely interested in what God has spoken through his Word, the Bible, rather than human opinions or trends. In particular, I am thankful that this desire to hear what God says keeps you from being either prone to ministry fads on the one hand or stuck in tradition on the other.
–I am thankful to God for the way you exemplify the family nature of the church, both in taking care of brothers and sisters within our family and in warmly welcoming new members into our fellowship.
–I am thankful to God for the way I have seen you embrace visitors from various ethnic, socio-economic, and educational backgrounds, showing the common ground that the cross of Christ creates.
–I am thankful to God for your consistent generosity. Most recently, I am thankful for the 115 Christmas boxes for children in poverty that our church donated.
–I am thankful to God for your high regard for the work of spreading the gospel internationally, as evidenced by the high percentage of giving that goes toward international missions from our church members.
–I am thankful to God for the way you consistently encourage me and, when necessary, graciously and respectfully express concerns.
–I am thankful for the way you have ministered to my family. When we share with others the way our church family supported us when we brought the boys home and have continued to help us since, their amazement confirms to us that we are part of a unique and loving gospel fellowship.
Thankful for you,
Pastor Chris
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace” (Philippians 1:3-7).