The Secret to Thanksgiving: Why Gratitude Starts with Receiving

Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday, it’s one of the most important spiritual practices we have. In this teaching, Pastor Eric explores what Scripture says about gratitude, why it shapes our posture toward God and people, and how we can cultivate a daily rhythm of thanksgiving that actually transforms us.

Using passages like Psalm 95 and Colossians 3, we look at:

✨ What gratitude really is

It’s not “try harder to be thankful.” It’s a posture of receiving, recognizing every good thing as a gift from a God who loves us.

✨ Why thanksgiving changes us

When we pause, reflect, and receive God’s gifts, it reshapes how we see ourselves, our relationships, our stress, and even our suffering.

✨ A simple daily practice that can transform your faith

Pastor Eric introduces four steps:
1. Recognize – Notice God’s gifts, large and small
2. Reflect – Slow down to understand why they matter
3. Receive – Let gratitude humble you and reshape your posture
4. Record – Write prayers of thanksgiving and keep a history of God’s faithfulness

Even five minutes a day can retrain your heart to see God’s goodness everywhere.

✨ Why community matters for gratitude

Colossians 3 wasn’t written to individuals — it was written to a community. Gratitude is contagious. When we share appreciation with one another, speak encouragement, and name where we see God at work, joy multiplies.

✨ The gospel as our unshakeable foundation of thankfulness

Even when life feels heavy, when blessings are hard to spot, we always have one truth to return to:
Jesus knows us fully and loves us fully.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
There is always something to give thanks for.

Stick around at the end for a guided moment of reflection and a prayer of gratitude.

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