In our everyday lives, it’s easy to overlook all that God has given us, but this series will allow us to stop and recognize all that He has done in our lives. During these next few weeks, we will be reminded how gratitude isn’t just a response to good things, it's a way of life that draws us closer to God and each other. When we live out this idea of gratitude, we begin to see how God plays a part in every detail, and we learn how to further rely on His goodness rather than purely on ourselves.

 

This goes hand-in-hand with our theme verse, Philippians 2:3-4, which tells us to “value others above yourself.” Gratitude allows us to do exactly that, to shift our thoughts away from ourselves and towards God and others.

 

This month, I challenge the Maranatha community to practice noticing God‘s blessings, big or small, and how our gratitude can turn into acts of joy, kindness, and praise that can reflect who Jesus was.