At the Heart of Thanksgiving

If you would open up your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1 verses 3 through 8,

Colossians 1:3–8

it's on page 1168 in your pew Bible, which is in your pew.

Now, if you're new to a Christian service like this,

what I'm about to do is I'm going to preach from the Bible.

And so I'm going to read this passage,

and then I'm going to proclaim it and explain it and apply it to our lives.

So that's what I'll be doing for the next several minutes.

Let me read Colossians 1, 3 through 8.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,

of this you have heard before in the word of truth,

the gospel which has come to you,

as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing,

as it always does among you,

since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God and truth,

just as you learned it from Epaphras,

our beloved fellow servant.

He is a faithful minister of God on your behalf,

and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

May God bless the hearing of His word.

Now if I were to ask you this question,

if you were to describe what I just read,

in terms of darkness or brightness,

how would you describe it?

Is verses 3 through 8 dark?

Or is it bright?

And I'm guessing you all would say something like,

it's bright.

It's bright because it's full of thanksgiving to God.

And the Colossian church,

the group of Christians 20 centuries ago

who first received this,

they would have been encouraged by this.

They would have been assured by this.

But could you imagine if the Apostle Paul started off

with a little something more dark?

Like this.

Saints in Colossae, it's Paul.

You all are such a headache.

If what Epaphras told us is true,

you all can't seem to recognize a basic false teaching

that is distracting you from the centrality of Christ.

Seriously?

You all need to get your act together

because I'm starting to wonder

if you all are worth my time and suffering.

Lovesies.

T-A-P.

The Apostle Paul.

Now could you imagine if you were in the room

when this letter starting that way was first read?

If you were in that church,

I'm guessing you'd be like,

oh man.

Discouraged.

Devastated perhaps.

Doubtful even.

This is not a dark start to Colossians.

This is a bright start of thanksgiving to God.

And these verses are extraordinary

because of the thankfulness of them,

because of the brightness.

Throughout the week,

you're inundated with messages

that are not bright with thanksgiving,

but are dark with hopelessness.

And what makes this even more extraordinary

is when you realize where Paul is writing from.

He's writing from a prison in Rome.

Just feet from him is a Praetorian guard.

He's waiting on whether he is going to die or not.

And in the depths of that darkness of circumstance

comes this bright thanksgiving.

How can somebody

under these circumstances

be so thankful?

Have you heard the hymn,

Prone to Wander?

Prone to grumble.

Lord, I feel it.

Prone to grumble

against the God I love.

Brothers and sisters,

what's at the heart of thanksgiving?

What's at the heart of Christian thanksgiving?

Because I don't know about you,

but I need it.

Do you need it?

Yes and amen.

We all need it.

And in this passage,

what is going to become clear

is at the heart of the Apostle Paul's

thanksgiving in brightness

is a Christ centrality

that makes him others focused.

Christ.

And we're going to see that played out

as he gives us three reasons for his thanksgiving.

Reason number one is going to be this.

God's proofs of purchase.

Reason number two is God's global work.

And the third reason for this thankfulness

is a particular faithful servant of Jesus.

What's at the center of all

is a Christ-centered others orientation

that makes this apostle pray this way.

And I find it super compelling.

At the center of it all is Christ.

Christ.

So let's get into this.

The reason one for Paul's thanksgiving.

Why he would say,

we always thank God when we pray for you.

That's extraordinary.

Why?

Reason number one is in verses four through five.

God's proofs of purchase.

And I'm using proofs

because there's more than one proof.

The first proof of purchase

is in verse four.

We always thank God when we pray for you

since we heard of your faith

in Christ Jesus.

Faith, of course, is an active trust.

Last month I was talking about faith

as an exercise of like stepping out onto ice.

And that ice is the object of your faith.

What you're putting your faith in.

When it comes to Christianity,

we are putting our faith,

not in ourselves.

We're not putting our faith in our faith.

We're putting our faith in Christ Jesus.

And so what Paul is saying here

is he's giving thanks to God

whenever he prays for these Colossians

because of their faith in Christ Jesus.

That he's totally God, totally man.

That Jesus has hung on a cross

for six hours on a particular Friday

to bear all of God's wrath

for all who would ever believe.

Salvation is in no one else.

You know, the result of this kind of saving faith,

you read it in Colossians chapter one,

verses 13 and 14.

For those who believe,

he's delivered us from the domain of darkness

and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins.

You get flipped by God's grace.

So the first thing that fuels Paul's thanksgiving,

the first proof here,

is their actual faith in Christ.

Now, I find it interesting

that the Apostle Paul gives thanks to God

for the Colossians' faith in Christ.

Now, don't you find that interesting?

The second proof

is found in verse four,

and of the love that you have for all the saints.

The love that Paul is talking about

is a distinct love among Christians.

It is the hallmark virtue of all Christians.

It's what we're to be known most for,

our love for one another.

It's the sticky love.

Not sticky gross, sticky good.

That Jesus commands us to in John 13.

Let me read you this.

This is the new commandment that he gives us.

A new commandment I give to you

that you love one another

just as I have loved you.

You also are to love one another.

By this, all people will know

that you are my disciples

if you have love for one another.

A sacrificial love.

A love that goes beyond stereotypes.

A love that goes beyond gender.

A love that goes beyond race.

A love that goes beyond economic background.

What baggage you got.

It's I love you the way that Christ loves me,

and that is a furious love.

And the Colossians were loving each other that way.

All the saints.

Now I find it interesting

that Paul is actually thanking God

for the way that these Colossians

are loving one another.

Don't you?

The third proof is in verse 5.

Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

What is this hope

that the Apostle Paul is writing about

from his prison cell?

Look at chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.

We don't need to speculate.

We just look in the context.

If then you have been raised with Christ,

seek the things that are above.

Huh.

Hope.

You know, up in heaven.

Where Christ is.

Seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on the things that are above,

not on the things that are on earth.

The hope that Paul is talking about

that's stored up for these Colossians

is none other than the risen and reigning Jesus Christ.

Are you following this?

Faith in Christ.

Love like Christ.

Hope in Christ.

The hope that Jesus is not just risen,

but He's reigning.

All things have been put under His feet.

And He's bringing His reign to bear

all across the world today.

He is our hope.

There's something interesting in verses 4 and 5.

There's an interesting relationship

between the Colossians' love for all the saints

and their hope that is laid up for them in heaven.

Look at the first word of verse 5.

It's the word because.

Do you know what the Apostle Paul is saying?

Do you know what the Apostle Paul is saying?

That this church loves all the saints

because of this hope laid up for them in heaven.

Because Jesus is risen and reigning,

they love each other furiously.

It's interesting though,

that Paul is thanking God for their hope.

He's not thanking the Colossians.

He's not thanking Colossians,

thank you so much for being so full of faith towards Jesus.

Colossians, thank you so much for your love for one another.

Thank you so much for the hope laid up for you in heaven.

Do you know why Paul is thanking God for these things that he sees,

he's heard of in the Colossians?

Because it's all God's grace.

This is all God's grace in the Colossian church.

Their faith in Christ is a result of God's grace in their life.

Their love for one another is a result of God's grace in their life.

Their hope laid up for them in heaven is God's grace to them.

Nothing they earned in their three proofs of purchase.

Do you know what a proof of purchase is?

Let me give you an example.

I walk into Piggly Wiggly.

I walk three miles to the dairy department

because they always put in the back of the room.

I grab a gallon of milk.

I walk up to the checkout aisle.

The checkout person checks me out.

And then they put an orange sticker on the milk gallon

with a smiley, piggly, wiggly face.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Do you know what that is?

It's a proof of purchase.

So when I'm leaving the building

and someone stops me as a potential thief,

I hold up my milk jug and say,

proof of purchase!

I've never done that.

I'm being a little dramatic.

But what Paul is saying here is this.

Your love for one another,

your faith in Christ,

your hope in Jesus risen and reigning,

proofs of purchase.

You've been bought by the blood of Jesus.

That's what he's saying.

That's what he's thankful for.

And there's a beauty to it, isn't there?

They've been flipped by God's grace.

You know, when the Colossians heard this read to them

for the first time,

you know what the effect of them would be?

All glory to God.

Thank you, God, for what you're doing in our midst.

It's Godward.

It's Christ-centered.

It's others-oriented.

Now, the question that I want to ask for us right now

before we move on to the second reason for this Thanksgiving

is ask this question,

so what?

What difference does this make 20 centuries later?

Well, here's the first difference.

Does anybody have a lagging prayer life?

This will jumpstart your prayer life.

When you start praying Christ-centered,

God-thanking prayers

that are focused on others,

you know what I've been doing for the last,

several hours, last few days,

I've been thanking God.

We were down outside Chicago

for my dad's birthday yesterday,

and I've been thanking God

for the faith of my father,

for the love my dad has shown the saints,

for the hope he has

that's in heaven.

Thank you, God,

for your work of grace

and Steve Salvati.

Man, that jumpstarts your prayer life.

Christ-centered,

God-thanking,

others-oriented.

The second thing

that I just want to point out,

this,

there's a kingdom priority going on here.

I find it really interesting

what Paul chooses to focus on

in his thanksgiving

in verses 4 and 5.

He could have said this,

I give thanks to God,

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

whenever I pray for you,

for all of the speaking in tongues

you're doing,

for all the prophecies being given,

for all the healings

that have been being made.

I thank God

for all the really personal

and meaningful worship experiences

you've been having

on a Sunday morning.

He doesn't do that.

He's not denying that.

But he's prioritizing something.

Faith.

Love.

Hope.

This is the holy triad.

We see it showing up

in 1 Corinthians 13, 13.

The greatest of which is love.

Because love never ends.

I find that very instructive

in terms of

what we must be prioritizing,

what we must be valuing,

what we're looking for

when we're looking on

our brothers and sisters

and we're looking to spy

God's grace at work.

We're looking for faith in Christ.

We're looking for love

for the saints.

We're looking for hope

in the risen and reigning

and soon to be returning Jesus.

God's grace at us.

It's instructive.

It's helpful.

Now I don't know about you

but

I want to be like that.

I want to pray like that.

I want to prioritize like that.

I want to be Christ-centered

others oriented.

Do you?

Reason one,

God's proofs of purchase.

Reason two,

God's global work.

work.

In verse five,

we read this,

because of the hope

laid up for you in heaven,

of this,

it's a reference to the hope

laid up for them in heaven,

of this hope laid up for you

in heaven,

you heard before

in the word of truth

the gospel.

That word gospel,

it's a word that many of us

hear often

but back in antiquity

when that word

is being used

more generally,

it was being used

to talk about

the announcement

of any good thing.

The good news of a birth.

The good news of a military victory.

The good news of a job promotion.

The gospel.

Oh yeah,

I got gospel news.

You know,

my niece has been born.

The Christian gospel

is good news

announcing who Jesus is

and what he's done.

It's a gospel

unlike any other gospel.

There's no good news like it

because God became a man,

he lived a perfect life,

died on the cross for sinners,

was raised from the dead,

he's risen and reigning

at the right hand of God

on high

and he's one day closer

to his return

and it's all good news.

The gospel puts Jesus

at the center of everything.

The gospel of Jesus Christ.

And did you notice

that little phrase,

the word of truth?

You heard about

the risen and reigning Christ

from the word of truth,

the gospel.

That phrase,

the word of truth

and the gospel

are being used synonymously.

The word of truth

is the gospel,

the gospel is the word of truth,

but the word of truth

has a little different nuance to it.

It's like this.

Think about the word of truth,

that phrase,

as this.

God's claim on reality.

This is the way things are.

The word of truth.

God's saying,

this is what is true.

And what he's saying is true

is that Jesus Christ

is the center of everything.

Christ central.

You know,

if everything was a solar system,

Jesus Christ

is the son

of that solar system.

Everything

orbits

Jesus.

We're going to see

in a couple weeks,

he's the creator of all

and the sustainer of all.

He is the savior of all.

All things

orbit

him.

Which means this,

when someone believes

in the gospel

and they are delivered

from the domain of darkness

and transferred

into the kingdom

of the beloved son,

they are being put

in right orbit.

They are being brought

into reality.

The way things

truly are.

Christ

central.

So what we see

going on here

in verse

five

is

the apostle Paul

starts talking about

this gospel

gospel.

Now look at it

in verse six.

The gospel

which has come to you.

The which is a reference

to the gospel.

The gospel has come to you,

Colossians.

As indeed in the whole world,

it,

the gospel,

is bearing fruit

and increasing.

As it,

the gospel,

also does among you

since the day you heard

it,

the gospel,

and understood the grace

of God and truth.

Another reference

to the gospel.

Just as you learned

it,

the gospel,

verse seven,

from Epaphras,

our beloved fellow servant.

The gospel is all over the place

in five,

six,

and seven.

The gospel of Jesus Christ.

Did you notice

the global scope

going on here?

As indeed

the whole world.

God,

through the gospel

of Jesus Christ,

is seeking

to do something

throughout

all of creation,

all of fallen creation,

all the earth,

the whole world,

all people,

all time,

every place.

It's a big plan

for the fullness

of time.

It's a global work.

And did you notice

the filling effect

of the gospel?

Not only is it global

in its scope,

it's looking to fill

the world.

Which has come to you

indeed in the whole world.

It is bearing fruit

and increasing

as it also does

among you.

Whole world,

bearing fruit,

increasing,

filling the world.

I'm indebted to a

theologian named

G.K. Beal

who helped me see

over the last

about month or so

that this is an

allusion to

Genesis chapter 128.

Maybe you're

familiar with it.

Do you remember

Adam and Eve?

God says to them,

be fruitful

and multiply,

fill the earth.

Remember that?

Do you know

what's going on here?

The apostle Paul

is talking about

the spread

of the gospel

as a new creation

work.

A Jesus

centering

that bears

fruit

and multiplies

all around

the world.

He has gone

from being localized

in Colossi

to now talking,

going panorama

and talking about

the whole world.

A global work

of God

in the gospel

of Jesus Christ

resulting in

bearing fruit

and multiplying

and worshippers

being made.

The singing

of God's praises

throughout the earth.

You can see

why he's thankful

about that.

Being Christ

centered

and others

oriented.

He's so thankful

at what God

is doing

globally.

Not just

in Colossi,

globally

through the good

news of Jesus

Christ.

God's praises

to the good

world.

So,

how do we

apply this

to our lives

today?

Anybody

familiar with

C.S. Lewis?

Any familiar

with the Narnia series?

The Lion,

the Witch,

and the Wardrobe?

There are two

characters that I love.

Mr. and Mrs.

Beaver.

Man,

he's snotty.

Well,

Mr. and Mrs.

Beaver,

I think it was

from them first

that you start

hearing about

something.

It's spoken

in kind of

hushed terms.

And then you

start hearing

different characters

say it.

Do you know

Aslan's on the move?

Aslan's on the move.

Do you hear

the rumors?

Aslan's on the move

in Narnia.

Something's happening.

My cousin's

neighbor

said so.

Something's up.

And C.S. Lewis

who wrote

the Narnia series

and Aslan

in order to

point people

to Jesus,

what he's

saying is

Jesus is on the move.

What the Apostle

Paul

is saying here

in verses 5,

6,

and 7

is that

Jesus is on the move

in the first century

world.

And he's

on the move

in the

21st century

world.

In our world.

In our day.

Jesus is alive.

He's reigning.

All things are

under his feet.

He's spreading

his kingdom

today.

He's on the move

in our church.

People are being

saved.

People are being

sanctified.

They are growing

in their faith

in Christ.

In their love

for one another.

In their hope

in the risen

and reigning

Jesus.

Other churches

in Kenosha

are proclaiming

Jesus

and making

disciples.

I've got a

lunch appointment

with a brother

in just a couple

weeks.

He's part of

the Evangelical

Free Church

of America.

Our family

of churches.

And there's

a work underway

in Union Grove

to plant a church.

The gospel's

bearing fruit

and multiplying.

Jesus is on

the move.

Kenosha

Christian Academy

is a church

plant in its

second year.

And it's

seeking to make

and sustain

a gospel

witness

in our city.

Jesus is on

the move.

The gospel's

bearing fruit

and multiplying.

John and Terry

Tipman.

You saw John

up here

with me

just moments

ago.

He opened

a service.

He'll close

the service.

He and Terry

are part of a

ministry called

Family Life.

It's a ministry

of crew.

And they do

a lot of planning

for what's called

a weekend to

remember.

It's a marriage

conference.

It's held

throughout the

nation,

multiple places,

multiple times.

And we

constantly get

reports.

Constantly get

reports.

It's actually a

gospel ministry

in disguise.

Do you know

how many people

have been saved

and brought to

Jesus who got

flipped by the

grace of God

at these marriage

conferences?

Jesus is on

the move.

The gospel's

bearing fruit

and multiplying.

Paul Bandy,

Kenya,

mission partner.

He's pastoring

a church and

he's ministering

to pastors to

proclaim Christ

all throughout

Kenya and

Nairobi and

into the bush.

The gospel of

Jesus Christ is

bearing fruit

and multiplying

today.

Saji Lukos,

he preached here

just weeks ago

with reaching

Indians Ministries

International in

India, in

Nepal.

They are planting

churches and

an extraordinary

rate.

Bearing fruit,

multiplying in

all the world.

We have two

dear friends,

Jiwon and

Caitlin Rye.

They were

former members

here at Christ

the King.

He's located in

Nepal and he

has this ministry

to pastors in

the villages at

the base of

Mount Everest.

It's remarkable.

He's going to

Hong Kong in just

a couple weeks to

preach.

The gospel is

bearing fruit and

multiplying around

the world.

Today, Jesus is

on the move.

Our dear brother

Eric Tully, one

of the elders, is

going back to

Liberia this March

to equip Liberian

pastors at the

Evangelical Seminary

of West Africa.

Jesus is on the

move.

The gospel of

Jesus Christ is

bearing fruit and

multiplying around

the world.

And you know

what, gang?

This is just what

we know about.

What else is God

doing?

You're hearing

rumors.

Aslan's on the

move.

You can see why

this becomes a

reason in and of

itself for Paul to

give thanks.

Do you want your

prayer life juiced?

Start giving

thanks to God for

what he is doing

around the world.

Thank you, God,

for Saji.

Thank you so much

for Paul.

Thank you for the

Tipmans.

God, would you

prepare Eric?

God, let your

glory shine forth

in the face of

Jesus.

Doesn't that do

your heart good?

It would have

done the Colossians

heart really good

to hear what God

is doing globally.

The third reason

is God's

faithful servant.

The Apostle Paul

gives one more

reason in this

passage for

thanksgiving and it

has to do with a

guy named Epaphras.

Just as you learned

it, the gospel from

Epaphras, our beloved

fellow servant.

He's a faithful

minister of Christ on

your behalf and has

made known to us your

love in the spirit.

The gospel that came

to Colossi didn't

come through the

Apostle Paul.

It came with

Epaphras.

We don't know the

background.

We don't know how he

became a Christian.

We don't know how he

got linked up with the

Apostle Paul.

All we know is that at

some point Epaphras was

born again, God's grace

flipped him, and he

started proclaiming

Christ.

And he's like, I

got to go back to my

hometown and tell

everybody there.

So he goes back to

Colossi.

He starts proclaiming

Christ.

People start believing

in Christ.

They form a church.

There are a number of

descriptions of Epaphras

that Paul makes.

And there's no question

that Paul is commending

Epaphras to this church.

He's going to come back

in chapter 4, verse 12,

and commend him some

more.

But he's commending him

in a spirit of

thankfulness to God.

Paul's thankful for

Epaphras' ministry to

the Colossian church.

Of all the different

descriptions, I just

want to point out one.

It's the word faithful.

He's a faithful minister

of Christ on your behalf.

Faithful.

Faithfulness is

reliability.

Faithfulness is

trustworthiness of

dependability.

It is a confidence that

you have in someone

that they're going to get

it done.

And it's a faithfulness

as a minister of Christ.

They're going to be

faithful to serving

Jesus even if they're

having their fingernails

pulled out.

going to be faithful

to Jesus.

Faithfulness is a

highly valued

kingdom character

trait.

In fact, Jesus

spoke of it.

Do you remember

in Matthew 25

the parable

of the talents?

Jesus talks about

this story

of a

master

who's going

on a long journey.

He gives

different sums

of money

to three servants.

He comes back

after a long time.

He comes to

one of the servants

the first one.

He gave five talents

which was a load

of money.

And that servant

said, yeah,

I doubled it for you.

And the master

says to him,

well done,

good and

faithful servant.

You were faithful

in a little.

Now I'm going to

give you much.

Enter the joy

of your master.

Second servant,

he just gave

two talents.

He doubled it.

The master

says to him,

well done,

good and

faithful servant.

You've been faithful

with a little.

I'm going to

entrust you

with much.

Welcome.

Come on into

the joy

of your master.

That third servant,

he squandered it,

sat on it,

was sheepish

and shameful

and when the master

holds him to account,

he reprimands him

and casts him out.

Faithfulness

is a kingdom value.

Faithfulness

to Jesus.

We see it

in Colossians

Colossians 1:27

chapter 1

verse 27.

To them

God chose

to make known

how great

among the Gentiles

are the riches

of the glory

of this mystery

which is Christ

in you,

the hope of glory.

It's faithfulness

to him.

He says

in 28,

him,

Jesus we proclaim

warning everyone

and teaching everyone

with all wisdom

that we may present

everyone mature

in Christ.

For this I toil

faithfully

struggling with all

his energy

that he powerfully

works within me.

Faithfulness

to Christ.

Paul

is thanking God

for this brother's

faithfulness

not just to Jesus

but to the church.

This morning

I sent a text out

to Zach

and Josiah

from 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:5

chapter 4

verses 5, 6, and 7

gets at this

faithfulness.

For what we proclaim

is not ourselves

but Jesus Christ

as Lord

with ourselves

as your servants

for Jesus' sake.

For God

who said

let light shine

out of darkness

has shown in our hearts

to give the light

of the knowledge

of the glory of God

in the face

of Jesus Christ.

A new gospel creation.

But we have this treasure

in jars of clay

to show that the

surpassing power

belongs to God

and not to us.

Faithfulness.

Do you know why

kingdom faithfulness

is highly valued?

Because God

is faithful.

Fully dependable.

Always true

to his promises.

Always true

to his character.

Have you guys heard

of Crossway Community Church?

It's about 8 miles

due west.

Crossway planted

our church

about 10 years ago

and the senior pastor

there is a man

named Mike Bullmore.

I served with Mike

for 10 years

as an associate pastor

of youth ministry

over there

for a long time.

Today is Mike's

last day

serving as the

senior pastor

of Crossway Community Church.

A couple weeks ago

there was a gathering

at Crossway

where we were

expressing our thanks

to God

for this man's

faithfulness.

He's not perfect.

He'd be the first

to admit

but faithful.

Faithfully

proclaiming Christ.

Faithfully

walking

personally

with Christ.

It's good

to be thankful

to God

for faithful

brothers and sisters.

Here's how this

applies to us.

We value

faithfulness

to Christ

in those who minister.

We value

faithfulness to God.

Faithfulness

to his word.

Faithfulness

to our

master

in King

Jesus.

So

this spring

we're going to have

a nomination process

for elders

and deacons.

Do you know

what we should be

looking for?

Faithfulness.

If we get down

the line

and we need to

hire more

staff people

do you know

what we're looking

for?

Faithfulness.

Faithfulness.

reliable.

Trustworthy.

Dependable.

Confidence

in representing

Jesus

in all things.

When you see

God's grace

at work like that

you're thankful

to God for it.

Okay.

Three reasons

for Paul's

thankfulness to God.

God's proofs

of purchase.

God's global work.

God's faithful servant.

And do you know

what they all have

in common?

A Christ

centrality.

Think of the proofs.

Faith in Christ.

Christ like love.

Hope in Christ.

Think of the global work.

Spreading the truth

of the gospel

of Jesus Christ.

Think of the faithful

servant Epaphras.

He was a faithful

minister

of Christ.

At the heart

of Paul's

thankfulness

is Christ.

Christ.

So when Christ

is central

to who you are

not only

will you grow

in your faith

not only

will you grow

in your love

for all the saints

not only

will you grow

in your knowledge

and delight

in the risen

and reigning

Jesus our hope

not only

will you grow

in participating

in God's global work

not only

will you grow

in your own

faithfulness

to serving

Jesus yourself

you're also

going to grow

in thanking

God

for what

he's doing

in our midst

because of Christ.

Brothers and sisters

do you want to grow

in thankfulness?

Grow in Christ

centeredness

and be thankful

to God.

Let's pray together.

God in heaven

you are all glorious

we are so grateful

for what you are doing

God we would ask

that you would

pour out your spirit

more and more

upon us

your church

that Christ

would be exalted

more and more

that Christ

would be spotlighted

and magnified

that more and more

people will see

Jesus lifted

and say

he is my everything

God would you

do a work

in the city

in the city of

Kenosha

causing the gospel

of Jesus Christ

to be fruitful

and multiply

would you do a work

in our state

and in our country

and around the world

in which

the gospel

of Jesus Christ

bears more

and more fruit

and there is

the multiplying

of witnesses

globally

of your glory

all

for the sake

of Jesus name

amen

and

Center

the

and

here

all

we

come here

now

and

that

our

Well

and

I

have

I

married

and

have

and

them