An Attitude of Gratitude: Part 3 – Thank You, God!

This Sunday, Simon Lace brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC services. We encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.
 
The talk will be available clicking here from 10am on Sunday 27th March.
 
Once you have listened, here are some questions to consider:
 
Readings:

1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 23 to 24 (New Living Translation)

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 to 35 (New Living Translation)

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”



Prayer & Reflection
 
Abba, Father, we say thank you, we say plenti tenki for your abundant gifts of love and mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus for saving us, thank You Holy Spirt for leading and guiding and correcting us. Help us, O God, to forgive others completely and to always be a grateful and merciful people, bringing Your light and life into this world.

Thank You Lord. Amen.



Questions to Consider
1) What are some of the things you are grateful for in your life? Take some time to say thank you to God for them.
2) What about today, right now? What can you thank God for?
3) In your most difficult times, are there still things that you can thank God for? Have you, in fact, thanked God for those things? Can you do so now?
4) Is there any unforgiveness you are holding onto? Who/what is that all about? Can you forgive, or ask God to help you forgive that person/people?
5) What does being merciful to others mean to you?
6) Is there anything that you want to say sorry to God about – perhaps for not expressing gratitude, or for taking His forgiveness for granted and being unmerciful? Can you say sorry for that now and ask for His help in cleansing you of that?
7) What is there that you want to give glory to God for? Do you do so when He answers your prayers? If not can you make that a part of your prayer life?