Gregg's Rest Stop (Receiving and Thanksgiving)

Published: Mon, 11/25/13

Gregg's Rest Stop

November 25, 2013

Journey in Christ

Receiving and Thanksgiving

Now may He (God) who provides

seed to the sower and bread for food,

supply and multiply the seed you have sown

and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

while you are enriched in everything for all liberality,

which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:10-11

I love what my church sign currently reads:

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE

THAT YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE?

We were created to receive everything from God who is the Source of life itself, or more accurately, the Source of Life Himself:

Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the life.

Colossians 3:4 proclaims,

When Christ who is our life appears,

then you will also appear with Him in glory.

God is the Source of everything that is good.

James 1:17 says,

Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above,

and comes down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no variation

or shadow of turning.

When Adam chose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he tried to be his own source of good. Human goodness is no different from evil.

But thanks be to God that He is the Source of salvation for those who receive His gift of salvation through faith!

THANKSGIVING

FOCUSES ON THE SOURCE

Mike Daniel, a partner in ministry, recently wrote a great little article on this, which is quoted below in italics. You can read and listen to Mike's biblical, Christ-centered testimonies at mikeqdaniel.com and zoecode.org.

Our gratitude - recognizing God's blessings - buoys our Christ-confident hope where we feel lacking. Which is to say, thanksgiving serves us both where we feel blessed and where we feel needy.

True gratitude is the magnetic needle of the compass of our hearts, pointing us to the true North of God's sufficiency by grace, and thereby necessarily pointing away from one's self as our source.

In all we have, gratitude points to Him in praise.

In all we need, our thanks reminds us that in Him is our perfectly sufficient hope.

THANKSGIVING

FOCUSES ON THE SON

Jesus Christ Himself is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive from the ultimate Source God the Father.

Isaiah 9:6 says, A child is born, a Son is given...

Jesus spoke of Himself in John 3:16, For God soooooo loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...

Then John 1:14 describes how this gift was given to us: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:12 describe how we receive this most precious gift after being drawn to Him in all of His glory: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

And John 1:16 describes how much of Christ we have already received: And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

CLOSING

We receive this gift and continue to walk in this gift simply by faith -- by believing in His name and in believing He has filled us to overflowing with His life.

And what is our spiritually spontaneous response as a result of this receiving? Thanksgiving!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

(2 Corinthians 9:15).

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

About

Discipleship through

Counseling

Teaching

Training

Gregg Gibbons

Pastoral Director

Michael Chalmers

Training Director

Kellie Boggs

Fellowship Director

Joy Gibbons

Ministry Assistant and women's ministry coordinator

Carole Blyth

Board member and women's ministry coordinator

Paul Crews

Board member and Pastor Mountain Creek Baptist Church

Florence Colby

Board Member and Exec Assistant

at US Endowment of Forestry

Dave Loser

Board Member and Chaplain with Corporate Chaplains of America

Carolyn Kennedy

New discipleship counselor!

Randy Garrick

Board Advisor and

CFO Engineered Systems Inc.

Dawn McClendon

Board Advisor and

school teacher in Durham NC

Marty Price

Board Advisor and Pastor

Pendleton Street Baptist Church

Journey in Christ website link

Partnership

I believe with all my heart that ministry is through relationships.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you for your partnership in the gospel (Philippians 1:3, 5).

YouTube link below of my ministry commissioning service that included testimonies from several partners, including Bobby Richardson, former 2nd baseman for the NY Yankees.

3-minute discipleship video

Please contact me to learn more about partnering with me. I'd love to hear from you!

Ministry News

Pray as some of my ministry partners in Laurens SC are now planning to host a Grace Life Conference for me to teach in early January 2014 in Laurens SC.

Pray as I prepare to teach Romans chapters 5 thru 8 verse-by-verse January 23-25, 2014. This is the foundational study of our ministry, and of our lives. Please come if possible. Let others know. I'll share more details of times and locations later.