“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105 NIV
“You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114 NIV
“For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[a]
And this is the word that was preached to you.”
1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV
(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
What are you thankful for today?
How often are we able to see something to be thankful for during difficult times?
It is not easy…yet it is a choice
An attitude of gratitude may not come naturally to us but we should strive for it
It can make such a big difference in our lives and the lives of others
We don’t have to do it alone
Start by thanking God for Jesus Christ and what He did for you at the Cross and see where you can go from there
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling through North Dakota)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Nothing we do will make God love us more
Nothing we do will make God love us less
We have been saved by the Grace of God
It is a gift from God
We can either accept it and choose to follow Jesus
Or we can reject it and face the consequences of that choice
We are saved by Grace
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling in southern New Mexico)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
Attitude
by Charles Swindoll
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.“
Colossians 3:15-17 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake place in central Minnesota)
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NIV
Jesus Christ suffered and died for you because He loves you
He has risen
He is alive and wants to help you in this life and prepare you to spend eternity with Him
Give thanks to Jesus, not only with words but with how you choose to live your life every day
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
(This photo was taken on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9 NIV
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
– John Wesley
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling through North Dakota)
“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NIV
Our purpose is to learn about Him who loves us and sacrificed Himself for us
And then to shine a light on God’s love, God’s mercy and God’s grace for others to see not for ourselves but for God
We can show God to others by who we are in how we treat others and by our actions and behaviors
Shine a light in this dark world and trust in the Lord
“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]“
1 Peter 1:13-16 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.[b]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.”
Psalm 32:1-5 NIV
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17 NIV
(This photo was taken at a park on the island of the Bahamas)
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Father God, by Your grace, You have offered each of us a relationship with You
We can be known by You, and we can know You
Thank You for giving us peace that extends beyond our feelings and circumstances
Thank You for protecting us in this dark world
We give You thanks because we can experience joy and find peace with You
In Jesus name, Amen
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NIV
(This photo was taken on a walk in central Minnesota)
“Praise the Lord.[a]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106:1 NIV
We are saved by grace
We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it
It is a gift from God
Let us give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us
He is with us, He loves us and He will never leave us
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100:1-5 NIV
(This photo was taken along Beartooth Pass in Montana)
Take Your Faith With You 