Gratitude & Hope Challenge – Page 2

I’m Thankful for My Friends — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 11

Friendship is something that I hope I never take for granted. It is something that I cherish more than I can express with words because, for many years, I did not have friends – at least not many or any at all who match the quality of today’s passage.

The imagery in this verse makes me picture entering a room and smelling something that reminds me of someone. You know how that works. God created our senses so that they work together specially for different purposes. The sense of smell is linked to emotion and memory – hearing, too, to a lesser degree – in a special way that one whiff can bring on waves of nostalgia, jog a memory, take you to a certain place, or remind you of a specific person.

The “oil and perfume” here produces an emotional response or memory that makes “the heart glad”, and immediately takes that emotional reverie and ties it to the “sweetness” of a specific aspect of friendship. That aspect is the “counsel” of a friend.

Most of the time, when we think of what makes friendship sweet, “counsel” probably isn’t it. It is often the camaraderie of friendship or company. That is the counterargument that came to my mind. But God in His wisdom tells us that there is something better. This let’s us know that there is more to friendship than meets the eye – something sweeter than just what we want. God’s wisdom points us to friends who are willing to give us earnest counsel.

Now, some folks just shove their opinions in any old way. This ain’t that. Earnest counsel is advice or counsel that comes from a sincere place of intense conviction. This is not run-of-the-mill stuff but rather a rare willingness to be with people in tough times as well as good and offer help that they may not want but definitely need. This is not friendship that runs from disagreement but thrives despite it. This is friendship that loves in a way that will risk their own feelings to help the other. It is sacrificial and special.

But keep in mind that counsel is not all this sort of friendship has to offer because friendships are more than its parts. As I write this, I am still overwhelmed by a show of friendship I experienced earlier in the week. Some of my friends whom I love and cherish dearly came to surprise me at a revival service I was preaching. They all have a lot going on in their lives right now. They are all tired. They are all stretched. Yet they decided to show they care and support me – despite their tiredness and busyness. They are friends that will offer counsel when I need it because they love me. There is a sweetness there that I am not conveying in my words because it is so intangible and unexplainable. You just know it when you’ve got it. In the same way that smells or sounds jog emotions is so vivid yet often unexplainable, this sort of friendship is something you know if you’ve got it.

I’m thankful I do and hope I am half the friend they are to me.

Lord, thank you for my friends. Thank you for seeing fit to put us together and to build a bond deep enough to give needed counsel and broad enough to cover the range of emotions that our lives contain. Bless them and keep them, and help me to be such a friend to them. Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

I’m Thankful for My Pastors — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 10

I’m thankful for my pastors!

At Christ Community Church, we are blessed to have John Goldwater, LG Schmitz, and Burt Schmitz as three of our pastors. These men love Jesus and work hard to serve Him and point us to Him. A lot they do never gets noticed, but whether we see it or not, Jesus does.

I’m thankful for John’s handling of the Word. He preaches tirelessly, every opportunity he gets. He preaches the gospel weekly at Christ Community, The Foundry, Jesus Saves Bro, Kirk Chevy, and Burger King. Throughout each month, you can find him preaching at the Carroll County Jail, the Emmaus camp, and anywhere else that will listen to him preach Jesus! In addition to all that preaching, he ministers to people in ways that are too numerous to mention.

I’m thankful for LG’s heart for Jesus and passion to let people know that Jesus has a plan for their life. A lot of times, folks in their 80s slow down and lose some of what can be called youthful vigor, but LG still preaches when called on and serves to encourage and disciple folks as often as he can. He serves Christ Community on our Finance Team and gives more encouragement behind the scenes than I could begin to describe or enumerate.

I’m thankful for Burt’s many hats. Burt keeps our media and sound going (which is difficult because tech and equipment glitches are a way of life in church life). He also teaches our kiddos the Word on Sunday mornings and Wednesdays. I love hearing Xander come home talking about what Mr. Burt taught him from the Bible. Furthermore, nothing tops his Wednesday boot camps in the eyes or our kiddos where he weaves fun games and Bible study together seamlessly. He even manages to find time to text our Bible verses and encouragement to many people every day.

If you are reading this and have a pastor, reach out to them and thank them for their service to the Lord and shepherding of you and yours. Be specific in your encouragement!

Lord, thank you for the pastors you have give us at Christ Community and the Foundry. Bless them and keep them. Help us to appreciate them and follow their example and teaching. Amen.

I’m Thankful to Have Hope in Christ — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 9

I’m thankful to have hope in Christ!

I don’t know what I would do if I did not have assurance that Jesus loves me and has prepared a place for me. It is too easy to get distracted by all of the trouble in this world — to get burdened and downcast — to get focused on myself and difficulties, faults, and failures. But God has made a way for me.

I think about the men and women Peter wrote 1 Peter to; he called them “elect exiles in the Dispersion”, writing to Jewish Christians who had been dispersed for various reasons, including persecution, all around the NT world (1 Peter 1:1-2). Here in 1 Peter 3:15, we see Peter encouraging them to be ready (prepared) to “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you”. Read that again. Peter wrote to people experiencing trials and tribulations and persecution and difficulties of all sorts — people who were a long way from home in foreign lands — people who had reason to be downcast and distressed and told them to be ready when people asked them why they had hope. This means that, despite their difficulties, they would not only have hope but that Jesus, their “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3), would have such an impact on their lives and their outlook that people would take notice and ask.

That’s good news!

As we saw yesterday, the hope that “has been poured out into our hearts” stems from God’s love and “does not put us to shame” (Romans 5:3-5)! That hope is in spite of our circumstances and proven through God’s faithfulness amid our circumstances.

So, tonight, whatever is bothering you or beating you down, whatever difficulties you are in the midst of (even if those difficulties won’t end today, tomorrow, or soon), know this, beloved Sojourner: this world is not our home, the troubles that plague us have an expiration date, and Christ the Lord gives us a hope that will carry us through and bring us home to Him. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Take Jesus’s.

In John 16:33, Jesus was talking to His disciples on the night He was arrested, tortured, and mocked before being crucified the next day. He told them about how He would send them a Helper, His Holy Spirit, and gave them hope by telling them that He would prepare a place for them in His Father’s house and praying for them. John 16:33 falls kind of toward the middle of that conversation.

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Those words give me hope. Peter was there that night, and the hope Jesus offered clearly impacted him as he wrote all those years later to dispersed believers dealing with trouble. I hope they help you as well. I hope you find hope in the fact that He has already overcome the world, your troubles, and made a way for those He loves.

I’m Thankful God Gives Hope in the Midst of Suffering — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 8

I’m thankful to God for giving hope in the midst of suffering.

Sometimes, we can be fooled into thinking that being thankful is all about happy things, but the joy we have in Jesus is not because we have no sorrow and trials but despite our sorrow and trials.

The way Paul talks about this in Romans 5 bridges the hope we have in Jesus to Him being “justified by faith” in Him (Romans 5:1). There is a peace that comes through Him saving us — a peace that settles eternal matters and gives a necessary eternal perspective on troubling temporal (and sometimes temporary) matters (Romans 5:2).

That does not make the temporal or temporary suffering easy, though. It just reminds us Whose hands we are in, Who has taken care of our future, and how He will carry us through to the end. The progression in Romans 5:3-5 illustrates this.

For those who are in Christ, suffering produces endurance because He will carry us through; His strength is enough to endure whatever we need to get through. Enduring through His strength produces godly character because more time spent with Him and being carried by Him makes us reliant on Him and grow more like Him. Becoming more like Him gives us hope because we are used to looking to Him — now not just in trouble but in everything. And looking to Him in everything is not shameful because that is how we are designed; we were never meant to be self-reliant but Christ-reliant!

So, today, has plenty of trouble. Our lives here on earth are full of troubles and suffering. The longer we live, the more those can multiply. But the longer we walk with Christ, the more we realize that He carries us through. In that good news, there is hope in the midst of sorrow and trouble!

Lord, thank You for taking care of me and mine. You know that I let trials and sufferings hijack my mind too often, but even in the midst of my forgetfulness and stupidity, you are still holding me together and carrying me through. Thank you for holding me together until I can remember who You are and that I belong to You, and I look forward to the day that my forgetfulness is overwhelmed by the memory and character You are producing in me. You know I have friends and loved ones overwhelmed in temporal and temporary trials and suffering. Please help them remember you carry them, too. Amen.

I’m Thankful for God’s Faithfulness — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 7

I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness!

Sometimes when Christ-followers say Jesus is our everything or that He is everything to us, it can sound a bit cliche. But for those who are in Christ, it is not just a statement we make; it is the foundation of our hope — the foundation of our life in Him.

When we are saved, He takes us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5). He takes our sin and exchanges it for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our old life passes away in His death and new life is born through His resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:17-24). He builds us up and establishes us (Colossians 2:6-7).

Not only is Jesus faithful in salvation, but He is faithful in keeping us and protecting us. Think about it: if we can trust Him to do what He says and save us — if He can bring us from death to life in Him, isn’t He powerful enough to protect us and “guard [us] against the evil one”?

The answer is yes.

As the author of Hebrews put it: “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). And I sure am thankful He is!

Thank You, Lord, for being the One who never fails, never lies, and never changes. When He say You will do something, You do it. When You promise, You fulfill it. When You love, You don’t let go. There is no one else in the universe faithful like You — definitely not us! Thank You for being faithful to build us up and protect us from evil. Amen.

I’m Thankful for My Wife — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 6

I’m thankful for my wife!

I say this a lot, but it is because I am blessed. Much to my regret, I have not always realized this and took it for granted for too long. Lord willing, I won’t forget — or let her forget it!

This passage from Genesis 2 is when Adam awoke from the sleep God put him in and saw his bride for the first time. I love the phrase “at last” there because it communicates the worthiness and excitement that comes with his declaration. He had named all the animals and there “was not found a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:21).

At last God parade something in front of him worthy of him. If you’ll forgive the pun, Adam’s reaction was “Woah, man!” He was excited and happy to meet his bride. It was a match made in Eden.

I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Candice. I can remember the glint of the sun on her hair on the afternoon I asked her to marry me. I remember seeing her on our wedding day when the doors of the church opened. And I get to look over to my left and see my beautiful bride right now as I type this. Woah, man, I’m blessed!

If you are blessed to have a wife, let her know. It doesn’t hurt to do it on social media, but it is best to be done regularly and rightly in person. Recognize how God has blessed you with her, thank Him for giving her to you, and thank her for putting up with you as well!

Lord, thank you for Candice. Thank you for letting me spend every day with my best friend and for waking me up to realize the gift you have given me in her. Let Keri, Xander, and me tell her often that we love her and show her more than we say it. Help others who are reading this to be thankful for their wives, too, and move their hearts to tell their wives they are thankful as well as showing them. Amen.

I’m Thankful That We Can Trust God — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 5

I’m thankful that we can trust God!

So many are filled with anxiety right now as they watch the election results roll in. Honestly, I feel it, too. But there is One we can trust no matter the outcome of this election, or if He tarries, the outcomes of the next or the next. His name is Jesus, and He is truly trustworthy.

I chose this passage today because it is a good reminder of why we should trust the Lord rather than put our trust in worldly things.

To trust in “chariots” and “horses” was trusting in military prowess. Their might is contrasted with the “saving might” of God’s “right hand” in v. 6 and compared to the way His people can continue to stand when their worldly trusts “collapse and fall” in v. 8.

Psalm 20 is appropriate as it is a prayer for their nation’s king. As we pray tonight for the King of kings to grant us the president we need, we can stand in our trust of the Lord. If everything collapses, we can stand in our trust of Him. He won’t move. I’m reminded of the lyrics of the hymn: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus / how I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.” The good news isn’t that we have proved Him but that He has proved Himself “o’er and o’er” and will again and again.

As you watch the election coverage — or if you are reading this once the results have come in, don’t put your trust in donkeys or elephants. They will all collapse and fail you one way or another. Put your trust in the name of the LORD our God. His name is Jesus — the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Potentate of presidents. He will never fall or fail.

I’m Thankful for My Kiddos — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 4

I’m thankful for my kiddos!

Keri and Xander are such a blessing to me. I’m thankful I get to be their daddy. Seeing them grow, mature, and change is amazing. More than that, I have a front row seat view of the Lord working in and through them.

Keri is kind and, although she hates the spotlight, she loves to serve the Lord and others. She genuinely cares about others and notices those who typically go unnoticed. She is quiet until she decides to let people in, but once she does, they get to see her corny humor and bubbling wit. Keri has also inherited some of her mama’s fire, which makes me happy because she is becoming a force to be reckoned with while balancing that with her typical kindness, care, and thoughtfulness.

Xander is kind, too, and protective of his people. He loves fiercely and often wears his heart on his sleeve. This is not a weakness as those who are loved by Xander can attest. Seeing him with his younger cousins and other littles sees this fast-paced flash slow down and be immensely patient and caring. His infectious laughter is only matched by his growing wit and love for puns. As he loves and serves others, I get glimpses of the man he is growing to be and cannot wait to see what the Lord continues to do in him.

Keri and Xander are not perfect by any means. They inherited that from their father. But I could not be more proud of them or thankful to get to be their daddy.

I’m Thankful for the Love of God — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 3

I’m thankful for the love of God! There is no other love like it. In fact, His love informs all other love — defines all other love.

In John 15:13, Jesus says that there is no “greater love” than one who will lay his life down for His friends. The day after He said that, He died on the cross for us, and proved that there is no “greater love” than His!

He loves us, and having experienced the love He has for us, we love Him in return. It is the same way that children learn what love is. They experience love from their parents and families, and they learn to reciprocate it. But it is not about the love we return. God’s love is so much more powerful and abundant than our meager offering back to Him.

I love the word that John used to describe the extent of God’s love here: propitiation. This is merely a big seminary or theology word. This is a Bible word. It describes a sacrifice that exchanges the wrath of God sinners deserve with the favor of God they don’t. Those who are saved experience the favor of God that His Son Jesus deserves because Jesus bore the wrath that our sin deserves. That’s love. And there’s no “greater love” than that!

Lord, thank You for loving me and all that You have saved. We don’t deserve Your love, especially not me, but I am thankful that You set Your affections on me despite my sin. Thank You for paying for my sin and covering me with Your blood. I love you, too, and long for the Day when we will be together forevermore.

I’m Thankful for Never Ending Mercies — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 2

I’m thankful for God’s never ending mercies.

I’m thankful that His steadfast love will never run out.

Every day brings new hardships and trials. It seems sometimes that the difficulties of life are insurmountable. Too often, the idea of merely giving up is more appealing than it should be. But just as the trouble is at its peak — when the waves seem to be flowing over our heads, God brings fresh mercy.

God has more mercy than we will ever have troubles. His love is infinitely flowing and infinitely better than the worst this world has to offer. Every day brings with it trouble, but every morning brings new mercy from the LORD. His faithfulness is great. He will take care of His people.

That’s good news!

What’s more is that trouble has an expiration date. It’s shelf life will run out when our LORD and King returns. Trouble will be over, but God’s mercies and steadfast love will still be infinite!

Lord, thank you for fresh mercy every morning and an infinite supply of Your steadfast love. Thank you for being a God who is bigger than our trouble — bigger and more magnificent than everything, yet still being willing to remember your lowly people. Help us to remember your unfailing steadfast love and mercy when the waves are crashing against us so that we can hold fast to You.