Elements City Church
Summer @ Elements - wk2: Practice of Gratitude
As we follow after Jesus - we are invited into some practices and habits we see in his life. We examined some of these earlier this year with our UNHURRIED series. This summer we're diving into more. We invite you to experiment with us and grow in these practices - see which ones God might be nudging you to make more prominent in your life. How might He be wanting to use these to do more work within you as He grows you and shapes you to be more like Jesus.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Thanks for joining us tonight...
Whether you're on-site or online, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to you! If you're new, we'd love to have you fill out our connection card.
https://connect-card.com/yr4Y0g8VLBSqzKXeubjbPractice of Gratitude
Gratitude and thankfulness are something we must foster and cultivate.
Gratitude is such a HUGE theme throughout the Scriptures and one we’re called to live with as a follower of Jesus.
Gratitude and thankfulness are something we must foster and cultivate.
Gratitude is such a HUGE theme throughout the Scriptures and one we’re called to live with as a follower of Jesus.
Being Thankful Boosts Physical Well Being
Research has shown that practicing gratitude boosts the immune system, bolsters resilience to stress, lowers depression, increases feelings of energy, determination, and strength, and even helps you sleep better at night.
Research has shown that practicing gratitude boosts the immune system, bolsters resilience to stress, lowers depression, increases feelings of energy, determination, and strength, and even helps you sleep better at night.
Truth:
More Gratitude isn’t generated from more acquisitions; rather more from the awareness of God’s presence and His goodness.
Gratitude is a byproduct of a way of seeing things // a certain worldview…
*read Psalm 103 – “FORGET NOT HIS BENEFITS…”
James 1:17
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
More Gratitude isn’t generated from more acquisitions; rather more from the awareness of God’s presence and His goodness.
Gratitude is a byproduct of a way of seeing things // a certain worldview…
*read Psalm 103 – “FORGET NOT HIS BENEFITS…”
James 1:17
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Appreciation —over— Consumption
Gratitude turns our gaze outward instead of inward, helping us recognize realities outside ourselves.
Some of the most prominent obstacles to greater gratitude is simple:
busyness and distraction.
Gratitude turns our gaze outward instead of inward, helping us recognize realities outside ourselves.
Some of the most prominent obstacles to greater gratitude is simple:
busyness and distraction.
Stopping to be thankful - too continually practice gratitude is vitally important.
See Luke 17:11-19
..and the ONE leper who 'circled back' in gratitude. May we be people who continually CIRCLE BACK in gratitude to our Creator and Savior.
See Luke 17:11-19
..and the ONE leper who 'circled back' in gratitude. May we be people who continually CIRCLE BACK in gratitude to our Creator and Savior.
God’s love is always reaching beyond…AND God desires our love to reach back.
God is more interested in: a relational connection with you, than mere religious compliance by you.
Quote:
Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be richer for having made it.
--A. W. Tozer
God is more interested in: a relational connection with you, than mere religious compliance by you.
Quote:
Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be richer for having made it.
--A. W. Tozer
How DO WE practice gratitude: (3 ways)
SAVOR
-learn to linger and take time to savor the gifts from God (big and small)
BUILD YOUR THANK TANK
-with your Egroup or some close friends, recount things you’re thankful for recently
KEEP A GRATITUDE LOG
-start a journal or note on your phone where a couple times a week you're recording and reflecting on some gifts from the Lord (relational, experiential or practical). write them out and keep it going for a year.
SAVOR
-learn to linger and take time to savor the gifts from God (big and small)
BUILD YOUR THANK TANK
-with your Egroup or some close friends, recount things you’re thankful for recently
KEEP A GRATITUDE LOG
-start a journal or note on your phone where a couple times a week you're recording and reflecting on some gifts from the Lord (relational, experiential or practical). write them out and keep it going for a year.
The practice of prayer is learning to set aside dedicated time to intentionally be with God, in order to know him more deeply, become like him more naturally and partner with him in the world.
Thomas Merton wrote, “If you want a life of prayer, the way to get it is by praying.”
Thomas Merton wrote, “If you want a life of prayer, the way to get it is by praying.”
4 Minute Moment for GRATITUDE:
-we're going to encourage you to open a new note on your phone and reflect back over the last week of life and create a 'TOP 10' list of things your thankful for over this last week. Let this begin your journey of logging some things you're thankful for each week for the rest of this year.
Psalm 100
(a psalm for giving grateful praise)
1 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.
-we're going to encourage you to open a new note on your phone and reflect back over the last week of life and create a 'TOP 10' list of things your thankful for over this last week. Let this begin your journey of logging some things you're thankful for each week for the rest of this year.
Psalm 100
(a psalm for giving grateful praise)
1 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.
Thanks for partnering with us...
Thank you for enabling us to be the Church in our city! Your gifts help fuel the mission of Elements City Church, as well as our capacity to function as a church on a daily basis. You can give online at the link below or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/giveThanks for worshipping with us tonight! We invite you back next week as we continue our Summer @ Elements series looking at some practices and rhythms of following Jesus.
Join us this summer on-site or online every Sunday @ 5pm.
*Also this summer -- WEEKLY DEVO's -- we've got weekly devotions on our YouTube channel every Wednesday. So tune in, hit pause, lean in and grow your faith for a few minutes during the week.
Join us this summer on-site or online every Sunday @ 5pm.
*Also this summer -- WEEKLY DEVO's -- we've got weekly devotions on our YouTube channel every Wednesday. So tune in, hit pause, lean in and grow your faith for a few minutes during the week.