🙏🏻 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Notice the words: in all circumstances. Give thanks in, not for."
In the sermon "How to Be Thankful IN Your Circumstances," Collective Church's Ministry Director Russ addresses the difficulty of maintaining gratitude when facing hardship. He shares a personal struggle with discouragement before setting out to answer the question: How can we be grateful when life is hard?
The sermon identifies four primary types of difficult "circumstances" or "walls" we face, each reflected in the Bible: the Valley (darkness/pain), the Fire or Pit (chaos/unexpected), the Prison (rejection/isolation), and the Wilderness (doubt/waiting).
The solution is not to be thankful for the suffering, but to be thankful in the suffering by seeing through the wall to God's unchanging character. This is done by reciting truths over the situation: He will never leave you, He sees you, He is with you, and He is your strength. By surrendering the blame and focusing on God's kindness, goodness, and mercy, we gain the peace promised by Jesus, who has already overcome the world.
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[00:00:00] Faith Offering Update and The Matthew 25 Challenge
[00:06:29] Sermon Introduction: How to Be Thankful IN Circumstance
[00:13:58] 1 Thessalonians 5: Being Thankful IN, not FOR
[00:15:16] The Circumstances: Valley, Fire, Prison, Wilderness
[00:23:00] Seeing Through the Wall: The Unchanging Truths
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