Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving Day (2019)
Illustration
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Even the Old Testament testifies to the fact that when we thank God for his gifts, we confirm that all that we have is unearned, it is a pure gift — a manifestation of our salvation/justification by grace alone. Martin Luther made this clear:
But bringing of tithes denotes that we are wholly given to the service of the neighbor through love... This, however, does not happen unless, being first justified by faith. (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.225)
Luther also wants us to be happy with all the generous gifts we have received:
God wants us to be cheerful, and He hates sadness. For had he wanted us to be sad, He would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these He gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
John Wesley also spoke of the happiness that comes with giving thanks: “It is the will of God that we should be cheerful in our enjoyment of the gifts of His providence.” (Commentary On the Bible, pp.144-145)
Mark E.
* * *
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
We are called, as the ancient followers of Moses were called, to offer to God the first fruits of our labor. We do this in response to the gifts we have received from God. Curiously, in the mainline church, most people offer a gift to God through the church from what is left after they have met their needs. Tithes are often unheard of. People don’t want to make pledges to their churches. It’s as if we have forgotten about the abundance of God. We focus on what we do not have rather than on what we have. I know some pastors who have initiated “tithing Sundays”-- asking their congregants to set aside one Sunday to contribute what would be a tithe. I wonder if that changes anything or if it seems like a futile or unnecessary gesture to those who participate. Interesting questions for sure. What would happen if our first focus was on thanking God for our bounty, through offering our first fruits, whatever amount we reflect those to be? If you are curious, why don’t you try it?
Bonnie B.
* * *
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The Lord is still asking us, that after the harvest we should still bring an offering to His altar. We should always show our gratitude if we want to see more of His giving.
My folks were generous people. They gave me whatever I needed. But their gifts to me often depended on how I showed my gratitude to them.
Our Lord brought us to this land flowing with milk and honey, (when the weather is good) so we owe Him offerings from the blessings we have received.
We should always thank the Lord for the country He gave us. We should also thank Him for what He gave us in our country like an honest government, a good income, a loving family and friends.
The Lord’s gift for most of us is His church where we can share our blessings and give thanks.
Bob O.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Our Daily Bread recently ran this story and I thought it fit will with this text and many of us, too. One rainy night, a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road, but to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing a nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench, he thought. But then he thought -- would he even come to the door? His mind continued racing. If he did, he'd probably be furious at being bothered. He'd say, "What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?" This thought made the salesman angry. Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me.
Finally, the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. "Who's there?" a voice called out from a window overhead. "You know good and well who it is," yelled the salesman. "It's me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county."
That story makes me smile but is also illustrates the point that our thoughts shape and mold our actions. In closing words to the church at Philippi, Paul instructs them how to think. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). May our thoughts be under the lordship of Jesus Christ so that our actions may be, too.
Bill T.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Paul's letter to the Philippians is addressing a largely Gentile audience with serious problems, among them, a disagreement between two church women, Eudoia and Syntyche, which threatens to engulf the whole congregation. Against this he proposes that there is something radical going on that's more powerful than the problems -- joy! Rejoice in the Lord always, Paul writes. Again, I say rejoice, he repeats. Our focus is too often on what is going wrong. Perhaps that is human nature, but I wish that every congregation hung banners on which these words from Philippians were emblazoned in large letters -- "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (4:8)." That's something worth giving thanks for.
Paul tells us that the Lord is near. That word near implies two different things at once. The Lord is near in the sense that he is in our midst now. The Lord is near in that he's on the way, and will be here soon. That's the tension we live with. That's the crucible of joy.
Frank R.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Running home from school the lad fell and skinned his knee. The thirteen-year-old ignored the cut, till days later when his leg was infected and swollen. Dr. Conklin, summoned to the home, examined the leg and advised amputation. The adolescent refused. Ordering his brother Ed to guard the bedroom door, the boy intended to wait out the infection. Barred from the room for several days, Dr. Conklin resigned from the case. Alone, frightened, the parents worried. They knew of only one thing they could do for the ailing child.
The parents went to their son’s room, kneeling bedside, they prayed for healing. Then the family began a prayer vigil. Someone was always beside the bed praying: Mom, Dad, one of the four brothers. Believing, knowing there would be a healing, the seven endured by faith.
On the third day of the prayer vigil Dr. Conklin returned. Upon examining the patient, the doctor bowed his head, offering a prayer of thanksgiving, for the youth was recovering. By nightfall the boy could stand, and Dwight David Eisenhower walked on to become the thirty-fourth President of the United States.
Ron L.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Our Daily Bread recently ran this story and I thought it fit will with this text and many of us, too. One rainy night a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road, but to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench, he thought. But then he thought would he even come to the door? His mind continued racing. If he did, he'd probably be furious at being bothered. He'd say, "What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?" This thought made the salesman angry. Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me.
Finally, the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. "Who's there?" a voice called out from a window overhead. "You know good and well who it is," yelled the salesman. "It's me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county."
That story makes me smile but is also illustrates the point that our thoughts shape and mold our actions. In closing words to the church at Philippi, Paul instructs them how to think. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). May our thoughts be under the lordship of Jesus Christ so that our actions may be, too.
Bill T.
* * *
John 6:25-35
We’re so ungrateful that like the crowd surrounding Jesus in this lesson, we don’t even give thanks for the good things we can see. It has to do with the fact that we Americans think we deserve what we have. Martin Luther explained these dynamics well:
There is no earning thanks from the world. Indeed, God Himself cannot earn any thanks with sun, nay, with heaven and earth or even with the death of His own Son. (What Luther Says, p.1412)
We are so messed up, according the Luther, that even when we feel God’s Presence and gifts in our lives, we soon forget it:
For we know from experience that God has under His regimen people who, no matter how God treats them, be it good or evil, whether He scourges them or brings them good news, forget about it almost instantly. The condition of the human heart is so desperately wicked that it immediately forgets what is past and keeps on badgering God to provide novel miracles and punishments when we ought to be stouthearted and remember His blessings; but they immediately forget His benefaction. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.145)
This is a text to help us put the brakes on this sort of blindness and selfishness, on our preoccupation with the things we get from God, not with giving thanks to the giver. Luther made that clear in a sermon on this lesson:
Day and night everybody’s concern is how to make a living. This stimulates greed to the point where no one is content with what God provides and bestows... Everyone wants to get on and have more... With this sermon the Lord endeavored to put a brake on such attitude and conduct. (Ibid., Vol.7, p.16)
Mark E.
* * *
John 6:25-36
Are we looking for miracles or just food? I suppose if we have enough bread we will only be interested in miracles. In our country most us have enough to eat. Some have too much.
We eat the bread of life every communion Sunday so we should not always think of loaves of bread or even of miracles. What we see every day is symbolic in scripture. The fact that I am alive at over 90 is still a miracle to me.
When my folks died, I inherited their estate which was their bread. That they are still alive with their Lord is the main miracle. It is a miracle I look forward to also in not too many years, and I hope it won’t be in an auto accident like my folks.
What food endures to eternal life that we should work for? The Bible is full of things we can do to earn the bread from heaven, but the main one is faith in the one who is the bread of heaven, Jesus Christ.
The big question for many both here and in the mission field is, how can we SEE this invisible bread so we and believe.
There were many who were healed in Nepal and many others came when they saw family members or friends healed by miracles. When we told them who had done the healing, Jesus Christ, they began to believe in Him as much as those who were healed began to believe in Him. They sang His praise every Sunday. The churches were filling up with new believers. One man, old pastor Tir, started preaching and healing over sixty years before and when we met him, there were over a million new believers who had been brought to Christ by his work.
We expect our children to be converted in confirmation or Sunday school class with no miracle.
One miracle is to see a member or family member suddenly have a personality change or feel great love in them even when they may have had no obvious reason for it. One thing we can do for our children is point to one of those people and tell them what changed them.
Bob O.
Even the Old Testament testifies to the fact that when we thank God for his gifts, we confirm that all that we have is unearned, it is a pure gift — a manifestation of our salvation/justification by grace alone. Martin Luther made this clear:
But bringing of tithes denotes that we are wholly given to the service of the neighbor through love... This, however, does not happen unless, being first justified by faith. (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.225)
Luther also wants us to be happy with all the generous gifts we have received:
God wants us to be cheerful, and He hates sadness. For had he wanted us to be sad, He would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these He gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
John Wesley also spoke of the happiness that comes with giving thanks: “It is the will of God that we should be cheerful in our enjoyment of the gifts of His providence.” (Commentary On the Bible, pp.144-145)
Mark E.
* * *
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
We are called, as the ancient followers of Moses were called, to offer to God the first fruits of our labor. We do this in response to the gifts we have received from God. Curiously, in the mainline church, most people offer a gift to God through the church from what is left after they have met their needs. Tithes are often unheard of. People don’t want to make pledges to their churches. It’s as if we have forgotten about the abundance of God. We focus on what we do not have rather than on what we have. I know some pastors who have initiated “tithing Sundays”-- asking their congregants to set aside one Sunday to contribute what would be a tithe. I wonder if that changes anything or if it seems like a futile or unnecessary gesture to those who participate. Interesting questions for sure. What would happen if our first focus was on thanking God for our bounty, through offering our first fruits, whatever amount we reflect those to be? If you are curious, why don’t you try it?
Bonnie B.
* * *
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The Lord is still asking us, that after the harvest we should still bring an offering to His altar. We should always show our gratitude if we want to see more of His giving.
My folks were generous people. They gave me whatever I needed. But their gifts to me often depended on how I showed my gratitude to them.
Our Lord brought us to this land flowing with milk and honey, (when the weather is good) so we owe Him offerings from the blessings we have received.
We should always thank the Lord for the country He gave us. We should also thank Him for what He gave us in our country like an honest government, a good income, a loving family and friends.
The Lord’s gift for most of us is His church where we can share our blessings and give thanks.
Bob O.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Our Daily Bread recently ran this story and I thought it fit will with this text and many of us, too. One rainy night, a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road, but to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing a nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench, he thought. But then he thought -- would he even come to the door? His mind continued racing. If he did, he'd probably be furious at being bothered. He'd say, "What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?" This thought made the salesman angry. Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me.
Finally, the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. "Who's there?" a voice called out from a window overhead. "You know good and well who it is," yelled the salesman. "It's me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county."
That story makes me smile but is also illustrates the point that our thoughts shape and mold our actions. In closing words to the church at Philippi, Paul instructs them how to think. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). May our thoughts be under the lordship of Jesus Christ so that our actions may be, too.
Bill T.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Paul's letter to the Philippians is addressing a largely Gentile audience with serious problems, among them, a disagreement between two church women, Eudoia and Syntyche, which threatens to engulf the whole congregation. Against this he proposes that there is something radical going on that's more powerful than the problems -- joy! Rejoice in the Lord always, Paul writes. Again, I say rejoice, he repeats. Our focus is too often on what is going wrong. Perhaps that is human nature, but I wish that every congregation hung banners on which these words from Philippians were emblazoned in large letters -- "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (4:8)." That's something worth giving thanks for.
Paul tells us that the Lord is near. That word near implies two different things at once. The Lord is near in the sense that he is in our midst now. The Lord is near in that he's on the way, and will be here soon. That's the tension we live with. That's the crucible of joy.
Frank R.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Running home from school the lad fell and skinned his knee. The thirteen-year-old ignored the cut, till days later when his leg was infected and swollen. Dr. Conklin, summoned to the home, examined the leg and advised amputation. The adolescent refused. Ordering his brother Ed to guard the bedroom door, the boy intended to wait out the infection. Barred from the room for several days, Dr. Conklin resigned from the case. Alone, frightened, the parents worried. They knew of only one thing they could do for the ailing child.
The parents went to their son’s room, kneeling bedside, they prayed for healing. Then the family began a prayer vigil. Someone was always beside the bed praying: Mom, Dad, one of the four brothers. Believing, knowing there would be a healing, the seven endured by faith.
On the third day of the prayer vigil Dr. Conklin returned. Upon examining the patient, the doctor bowed his head, offering a prayer of thanksgiving, for the youth was recovering. By nightfall the boy could stand, and Dwight David Eisenhower walked on to become the thirty-fourth President of the United States.
Ron L.
* * *
Philippians 4:4-9
Our Daily Bread recently ran this story and I thought it fit will with this text and many of us, too. One rainy night a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road, but to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench, he thought. But then he thought would he even come to the door? His mind continued racing. If he did, he'd probably be furious at being bothered. He'd say, "What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?" This thought made the salesman angry. Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me.
Finally, the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. "Who's there?" a voice called out from a window overhead. "You know good and well who it is," yelled the salesman. "It's me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county."
That story makes me smile but is also illustrates the point that our thoughts shape and mold our actions. In closing words to the church at Philippi, Paul instructs them how to think. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). May our thoughts be under the lordship of Jesus Christ so that our actions may be, too.
Bill T.
* * *
John 6:25-35
We’re so ungrateful that like the crowd surrounding Jesus in this lesson, we don’t even give thanks for the good things we can see. It has to do with the fact that we Americans think we deserve what we have. Martin Luther explained these dynamics well:
There is no earning thanks from the world. Indeed, God Himself cannot earn any thanks with sun, nay, with heaven and earth or even with the death of His own Son. (What Luther Says, p.1412)
We are so messed up, according the Luther, that even when we feel God’s Presence and gifts in our lives, we soon forget it:
For we know from experience that God has under His regimen people who, no matter how God treats them, be it good or evil, whether He scourges them or brings them good news, forget about it almost instantly. The condition of the human heart is so desperately wicked that it immediately forgets what is past and keeps on badgering God to provide novel miracles and punishments when we ought to be stouthearted and remember His blessings; but they immediately forget His benefaction. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.145)
This is a text to help us put the brakes on this sort of blindness and selfishness, on our preoccupation with the things we get from God, not with giving thanks to the giver. Luther made that clear in a sermon on this lesson:
Day and night everybody’s concern is how to make a living. This stimulates greed to the point where no one is content with what God provides and bestows... Everyone wants to get on and have more... With this sermon the Lord endeavored to put a brake on such attitude and conduct. (Ibid., Vol.7, p.16)
Mark E.
* * *
John 6:25-36
Are we looking for miracles or just food? I suppose if we have enough bread we will only be interested in miracles. In our country most us have enough to eat. Some have too much.
We eat the bread of life every communion Sunday so we should not always think of loaves of bread or even of miracles. What we see every day is symbolic in scripture. The fact that I am alive at over 90 is still a miracle to me.
When my folks died, I inherited their estate which was their bread. That they are still alive with their Lord is the main miracle. It is a miracle I look forward to also in not too many years, and I hope it won’t be in an auto accident like my folks.
What food endures to eternal life that we should work for? The Bible is full of things we can do to earn the bread from heaven, but the main one is faith in the one who is the bread of heaven, Jesus Christ.
The big question for many both here and in the mission field is, how can we SEE this invisible bread so we and believe.
There were many who were healed in Nepal and many others came when they saw family members or friends healed by miracles. When we told them who had done the healing, Jesus Christ, they began to believe in Him as much as those who were healed began to believe in Him. They sang His praise every Sunday. The churches were filling up with new believers. One man, old pastor Tir, started preaching and healing over sixty years before and when we met him, there were over a million new believers who had been brought to Christ by his work.
We expect our children to be converted in confirmation or Sunday school class with no miracle.
One miracle is to see a member or family member suddenly have a personality change or feel great love in them even when they may have had no obvious reason for it. One thing we can do for our children is point to one of those people and tell them what changed them.
Bob O.
