Notes From the Pastor's Desk
November 23, 2025
For These I Am Thankful
The Psalmist possessed a thankful heart. It was not some kind of spasmodic frame of mind he had but rather an everyday attitude and a way of life. In light of our celebration of Thanksgiving, let me give you several things for which I am thankful.
I. The Personal Savior That I Possess
Read 1 Jn. 5:12. Salvation is not in doing better or working harder, it is in receiving the Son of God, the Lord Jesus into your life. If Christ were not in me, spiritual life would be far from me. Life is in Him!
II. The Pardon I Have Received
Consider Jer. 33:8. We were on death row spiritually, but Jesus pardoned us one day because of the blood He shed on the cross of Calvary. We are no longer imprisoned by the world, the flesh and the Devil.
III. The Precepts That I Follow
Look at Psm. 119:56. The truly happy person is the one who follows the will of God as revealed in the Bible and through the Spirit of God. If we did not have the absolutes of God's Word, how could we successfully find our way through this life?
IV. The Pressures That I Encounter
Think about Job 23:10. Job said that when he was tried, he would come forth as gold. I'll never forget what I saw on the t-shirt of a famous college basketball player years ago which said, “Pressure makes diamonds.” If you react properly to pressure and trials, positive things will be accomplished in your life.
V. The People That I Love
See 1 Pet. 1:22. We are to have an “unfeigned” or a “genuine” love. Our love can be categorized in three main areas. First, there is love for the Savior. We love Him because He first loved us. Secondly, there is a family love. Oh, how precious is our biological family! Thirdly, there is a brotherly love. That is what Peter is referring to in 1 Pet. 1:22. Much more could be mentioned, but for the list I have given above, for these I am thankful. Have a thankful heart!