Oh, I love them! I want to draw your attention to First Thessalonians. That sounds so cool! I go to First Thessalonians chapter 5 and we’ll read verses 16 through 18. Oh, I told you—I gotta sit down, dude. I’m sorry; my mic is tripping. That must mean we’re going to have an awesome time in God’s house today! Oh yeah, I don’t know how that thing works. Okay, First Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 16 through 18. In the context, if you read the whole chapter, the Apostle Paul is writing. He really gets into giving us bite-sized teachings; it’s almost as if he is so desperate to guide us toward the types of disciplines, characteristics, and lifestyles that bring out the best in us. He’s just sharing a whole bunch of things, and I’m allowing us to eavesdrop on some of the wisdom he’s imparting to the Church of Thessalonica. That’s where we’re at, right in the middle of it. Study the whole thing when you get a chance! But he starts off by saying, «Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.» Then he says, «In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.» You may be sensing it now; there are musical chairs happening here, so we’re all trying to get better. We’re all trying to improve; we’re all trying to move forward. I mean, we’re here because we love God. Certainly, we want to worship God, celebrate God, or get to know God more. These are all reasons why we come into church, but one of the reasons we also gather is that we’re trying to improve. We’re striving to be better lovers, better in our relationships, better in our businesses, and stronger during difficult times. We know that the best version of ourselves is always in front of us, so we’re reaching for something. We don’t necessarily know exactly what we’re reaching for because the best version of us is always ahead of us, and we haven’t really been introduced to that version. We just know that a better version of us exists out there, so we’re seeking tips, tools, strategies, and impartation to help us become our optimum selves. If that’s your truth, holler back at me! I’m trying to be the best version of me, and I have not arrived. If anyone here believes that they have arrived, I want to pray for you at the altar first. We’re going to be praying specifically that the lying spirit would leave you immediately! We have not arrived; we are continuously trying to get better and need advantages. We’re striving to improve incrementally until one day we take on the full and complete form that God intended for us before He put us in our mother’s womb. So, what I’m praying for our church, and as I prepare messages, is that I hope we can realize our potential for improvement. As I was praying, I thought about what our best looks like for today. What is the strategy? What is the word? What is the impartation? How can we be better? The word that God gave me began speaking to me about this last Monday, and the word is «gratitude.» More specifically, what I want to talk about today is practicing gratitude. Now, you might think, «Gratitude? Don’t we know about gratitude?» You know my mom told me to always say «please» and «thank you,» and you’ve heard messages about gratitude and Thanksgiving. In fact, there is scientific proof discussing the benefits of gratitude. Yet, even still, it is difficult for us to remain locked in a state of gratitude. I want us to talk about that. Let’s discuss some scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. Again, it’s not a new concept, but we have to embrace gratitude. Some scientifically supported benefits related to gratitude are: First, gratitude opens the door to more relationships. So, if you’re looking for a partner, your connection to gratitude might be linked to finding your special someone. Uh-huh; somebody take note! I knew I was coming for something: if I could be more grateful, I might find my partner. It opens the door to more relationships—this is not just about romantic relationships. How many of us know we need meaningful relationships? God intended for us to rely on each other to move forward. In fact, your destiny is often hidden inside someone else. Sometimes it might even be someone who challenges you. I’m digressing a bit, but I feel like you might need this: if I were God and wanted to develop you in the characteristics of Jesus Christ, you know what I would do? I would hide your miracle within someone. It takes Christ-like love to recognize it. You should have caught that! God is all about developing us; He wants to develop you. I can’t develop you by simply placing…
