Word Keeper

Sermon from November 29, 2009

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I couldn’t find the songs for this sermon

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Colossians 3:15 … Become/learn to be thankful. Cultivate thankfulness

1. Practice saying thank you to God (Mark 6:41; 14:22-23; 8:6-7; John 11:41; Luke 24:30).
   Actions change attitudes. … To be thankful, give thanks. … Even Jesus thanked God!
2. Recognize that God is the ultimate source of all good things in your life (Deuteronomy 8:17-18; James 1:16-17).
   Don’t focus on the secondary sources/causes. … If you were writing a research paper, you would look for primary resources, not resources based off of primary resources. … Robinson Carusoe was amazed that grain grew in front of the cave he was living in until he realized that he had shaken the seeds out on the first day … If a pipe came from Heaven and money started rolling out of it, would you be more thankful for the pipe or for whoever is rolling the money down it? Be thankful for the pipe, but be more thankful for the person at the other end of the pipe. America is the pipe. Your job is the pipe. Your friends and  family consist of the pipe. God is at the other end though.
3. Concentrate on what you have rather than what you don’t have (Proverbs 14:30; Hebrews 13:5).
   Advertising creates this desire within us to focus on what we don’t have. … The Bible words for this are “envy” and “greed.” … Envy will rot your bones and is the enemy of thankfulness. … It’s good to have goals and ambitions, but be content with what you have because God will never leave or forsake you. … Restaurants in Mali scrape the extra food from orders into a bowl for kids who can’t afford meals.
4. Remember where you came from (Deuteronomy 24:18).
   The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Remembering where they used to be helped them enjoy the promised land. … We were slaves to sin. We were on the road to Hell. Now we are free to live for Christ on the road leading to Heaven.
5. Focus on spiritual blessings rather than material blessings (Ephesians 1:3-8).
   Be thankful for the material blessings. Nothing is too small to be thankful, but don’t focus on the material blessings. … We will never lose our spiritual blessings, but we might lose our material blessings.

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He interviewed me for this sermon. Here is the entire interview from the email:

1.  You are a student at MTSU.  What are you studying, and what do you hope to do when you finish school?
I am a Computer Science Major. I’m thinking about minoring in business because I’ll need most of those classes anyways. …. After graduation, I plan on going for a Masters degree and then maybe a doctorate in Computer Science. My main objective after graduation though, is to get a job so I can afford to do that. I would also like to create some free programs for Bible study (I made sure to keep all the notes from your class), I do realize that QuickVerse and other programs are already out there and offer much more than a free program ever could without heavy donations, but they can be pretty expensive and somewhat complicated.
2.  I know you enjoy soccer and clogging.  What are your other interests or hobbies?
I really enjoy playing around on the computer, messing around with website designs and stuff. I’m beginning to develop a hobby for writing programs. I enjoy writing poetry and reading some poetry, but it just feels more “special” to write it myself. … I also really enjoy playing video games, mainly sports games. I think the reason I enjoy the video games is because I can blow off some steam by playing them sometimes instead of taking it out on other people. Soccer can do the same.
3.  What is the name of your disability and what are its effects?
Cerebral Palsy is the name of my “disability.” … What happened is that when I was born, a cord had somehow wrapped itself around my neck, cutting off oxygen to my brain. As a result, part of my brain does not function correctly. … The part that has been affected is the section that controls my upper limbs and voluntary/involuntary movements. So now I can’t really use my arms or hands with the same effectiveness that an “ordinary” person can. I put quotes around “ordinary” because it’s impossible to truly define that word.
4.  In spite of your disability, you are always smiling.  You always seem to be positive.  How do you focus on the positive things in your life rather than the negative?
For one, my parents have always been there for me, always helping me and supporting me as I, and they, have tried to come up with various solutions to the everyday problems I face. My parents have also set extremely good examples for me by trying to always be polite and positive about everything even when they are fighting for something they know could help me in life. My brother has been the same way, only he might not admit it, but he’s been a great example for me too. … And church has always been there for me too. Even before we started coming to FBC, the church we attended was very loving and caring and just supportive really. FBC has also been extremely loving and caring and supportive. The friends that I have made here are ones that I know I can count on whenever I really need something and I thank the entire church for this.
5.  Do you ever get frustrated because you can’t do something?
Yes, I do sometimes get frustrated because I can’t do some of the same stuff that other people are doing. For example, I would love to try to play paintball or laser-tag, and I could probably shoot a marker with my feet, but then I wouldn’t be able to move and that would make me that much more vulnerable to be hit. … I also don’t like to ask for help when I need something because I don’t like to bother people, but some times I have to ask becsause whatever I may be trying to reach might be too high for me to reach safely with my feet.
6.  Are you ever angry with God?
Sometimes. I’m not really sure how to expand upon this answer without answering thr next question.
7.  Do you ever ask God why this happened to you?
Yes, mainly for reasons in my answer for question 5. … I get angry sometimes and so I ask, “why me?” … I always get the same answer. It’s me because God knew that my parents would raise me correctly and that I would be determined to do what many people said I could never. I can walk and talk even though the doctor said I wouldn’t. I believe God knew this and wants me to use what I have been able to do, with His help, to glorify Him and inspire other people to do stuff they don’t think they can do or that someone has told them they cannot do.
8.  Do you consider yourself a thankful person?  Why?
Yes, I’m thankful everyday for having such an awesome family and group of friends that I know I can count on as well as all the aids I have ever had who helped me get through school.
9.  How has your faith in God helped you in your life?
Well, whenever I wonder why me or get angry because I can’t do something I want to do, I just pray and remember the promises of Heaven. The promise of a glorified body and everlasting joy.
10.  What would you say to someone here today who is discouraged or thinks life is unfair or thinks they have nothing to be thankful for?
To those who think they can do nothing: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” – Matthew 19:26 and “I can do all things through Him [Christ] who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 (Both are NIV). … To those who think life is unfair: It’s not fair, but all we can do is trust God and make the most of our circumstances. … To those who think they have nothing to be thankful for: Jesus DIED for you! You now have the opportunity to go to  Heaven and spend eternity with God in a place more glorious than any place on Earth and there’ll be everlasting joy. .. And I’m going to add one more group of people if that’s okay. To those who worry a lot: Jesus has told us not to worry. “Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.

My answer to number 3 is slightly incorrect. The cord was not wrapped around my neck, it was just pinched every time my mom had a contraction. The same effect.

Jason religion, Sunday Sermon