THE DISCIPLINE OF GRATITUDE

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THE DISCIPLINE OF GRATITUDE

• Philippians 46-8

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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• The state of being appreciative of blessings
  received
• eucharistia
• an attitude of being thankful for the good things
  God has done in ones life

Colossians 26-7 Therefore as you have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having
been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him
and established in your faith, just as you were
instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• The state of being appreciative of blessings
  received
• eucharistia
• charis
• BOTH the Gods gift and our response
• lets say grace

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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Gratitude is
• an attitude of thankfulness that should come as
  our natural response to Gods good gifts in our
  lives.

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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Numbers 111a Now the people became like those
who complain of adversity in the hearing of the
Lord and when the Lord heard it, His anger was
kindled...
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Numbers 114b-6 the sons of Israel wept again
and said, Who will give us meat to eat? We
remember the fish which we used to eat free in
Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks
and the onions and the garlic, but now our
appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look
at except this manna.
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Psalm 551-3, 17 Give ear to my prayer, O God
and do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
Give heed to me and answer me I am restless in
my complaint and am surely distracted, because of
the voice of the enemy, because of the pressure
of the wicked for they bring down trouble upon
me and in anger they bear a grudge against
meEvening and morning and at noon, I will
complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice.
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Numb 11 - anan to complain, express discontent,
accuse
Psalm 55 - siach to lament, mourn aloud, express
sorrow Response of dependent faith
Both are human responses to difficult
circumstances
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Psalm 5516-18 As for me, I shall call upon God,
and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning
and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He
will hear my voice. He will redeem my soul in
peace from the battle which is against me, for
they are many who strive with me.
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Numb 11 - anan to complain, express discontent,
accuse Response of ungrateful disbelief
Psalm 55 - siach to lament, mourn aloud, express
sorrow Response of dependent faith
Both are human responses to difficult
circumstances
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain

Numb 11 - anan to complain, express discontent,
accuse Response of ungrateful disbelief
Psalm 55 - siach to lament, mourn aloud, express
sorrow Response of dependent faith
Incompatible with Gratitude
Compatible with Gratitude
Both are human responses to difficult
circumstances
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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Biblical OPPOSITES of Gratitude
• Complain
• Grumble
• Forget Psalm 106

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WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

• Gratitude
• Does not respond to hardship by complaining to
  self or others
• Does not produce hateful murmuring
• Remembers Gods past faithfulness

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WHY IS IT A DISCIPLINE?

• Because its a choice
• Because its hard
• Internal I am, by nature, ungrateful
• External I live in a Culture of Complaint

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WHEN DO WE PRACTICE IT?

• Gratitude should permeate
• Phil 46-7
• Phil 48
• Deut 620-24
• Phil 214-15

our prayer-life our thought-life our
family-life
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WHEN DO WE PRACTICE IT?

• Gratitude should permeate
• Phil 46-7
• Phil 48
• Deut 620-24
• Phil 214-15

our prayer-life our thought-life our
family-life our church-life
Philippians 214-15 Do all things without
grumbling or disputing so that you will prove
yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children
of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked
and perverse generation, among whom you appear as
lights in the world
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WHEN DO WE PRACTICE IT?

• Gratitude should permeate
• Phil 46-7
• Phil 48
• Deut 620-24
• Phil 214-15

our prayer-life our thought-life our
family-life our church-life
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

• Practice Gratitude
• Experience Joy
• Encourages growth in faith
• Psalm 636-11

• Complain Forget
• Experience sad discontent

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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
Psalm 636-11 When I remember You on my bed, I
meditate on You in the night watches, For You
have been my help, And in the shadow of Your
wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You Your
right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life
to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the
earth. They will be delivered over to the power
of the sword They will be a prey for foxes. But
the king will rejoice in God Everyone who swears
by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who
speak lies will be stopped.
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
Exodus 161d-3 on the fifteenth day of the
second month after their departure from the land
of Egypt. The whole congregation of the sons of
Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the
wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them,
Would that we had died by the Lords hand in the
land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat,
when we ate bread to the full for you have
brought us out into this wilderness to kill this
whole assembly with hunger.
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

• Practice Gratitude
• Experience Joy
• Encourages growth in faith
• Psalm 636-11
• Motivates obedience

• Complain Forget
• Experience sad discontent
• Encourages belief in lies
• Exodus 161-3

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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
You shall remember that you were a slave in
Egypt, and that the Lord redeemed you from there
therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
Psalm 10619-21 They made a calf in Horeb And
worshiped a molten image. Thus they exchanged
their glory For the image of an ox that eats
grass. They forgot God their Savior, Who had done
great things in Egypt
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

• Practice Gratitude
• Experience Joy
• Encourages growth in faith
• Psalm 636-11
• Motivates obedience
• Moves God to help us
• Phil 46-7

• Complain Forget
• Experience sad discontent
• Encourages belief in lies
• Exodus 161-3
• Excuses sin
• Psalm 10619-22

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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
Numbers 111-3 Now the people became like those
who complain of adversity in the hearing of the
Lord and when the Lord heard it, His anger was
kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among
them and consumed some of the outskirts of the
camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses,
and Moses prayed to the Lord and the fire died
out. So the name of that place was called
Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned
among them.
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

• Practice Gratitude
• Experience Joy
• Encourages growth in faith
• Psalm 636-11
• Motivates obedience
• Moves God to help us
• Phil 46-7

• Complain Forget
• Experience sad discontent
• Encourages belief in lies
• Exodus 161-3
• Excuses sin
• Psalm 10619-22
• Moves God to judge us
• Numbers 111-3

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HOW DO WE PRACTICE IT?

• Keep a Gratitude Journal
• Keep an Encouragement Box
• Create a Gratitude Scrapbook
• Find a Gratitude Mentor