Market this week… 13th November 2010
November 9, 2010 by MarkB
Filed under Articles, Market Church
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Learning to be a signpost.
21 Days of Gratitude – Day 20
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
lots of new people joining us on a Sunday.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 20 of our 21Days of Gratitude
The Americans and Canadians have a whole day of Thanksgiving every year. They eat turkey, get together with family and reflect on what they are thankful for.
We don’t have a specific Thanksgiving day here in the UK – and I think these last few weeks have shown that thankfulness should not be reserved for one day a year! How can we continue to cultivate a life of thankfulness to God?
What one thing can you do to make thankfulness more a part of your life?
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 19
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
Jesus.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 19 of our 21Days of Gratitude
‘When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him’ Luke 24:30-31
The guys met him on the road whilst they were travelling to Emmaus. They didn’t recognise him at first…. but whilst they ate with him, they recognised him. One of the things he did was ‘give thanks’. Jesus himself modelled thankfulness for even the most basic things in life. The same man who taught us to pray for our daily bread, always gave thanks when he received it.
Let us give thanks for our answered prayers today, even the most simple ones.
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 18
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
the fact that there is always more to learn and experience of God.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 18 of our 21Days of Gratitude
Psalm 105 says:
‘Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.’
When we are grateful, we cannot contain it. Like the woman in the story yesterday who poured out all she had on Jesus’ feet, gratitude needs to be expressed. The psalmist says that one way our gratitude is expressed is telling others of God’s goodness to us. Sharing God stories is not showing off, it’sshowing him our gratitude and giving him glory.
What stories of God’s goodness can you tell others today?
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 17
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
all the diversity of the Acton community.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 17 of our 21Days of Gratitude
Luke 7:36-47 tells the story of a woman who is grateful. A woman who had a reputation in the locality as a sinner, comes to Jesus, pours out perfume on his feet and weeps as she kisses his feet. Jesus says ‘her sins have been forgiven for she loved much.’ It’s such a beautiful picture of absolute gratitude to the one who loved her first where others had only shown judgement.
How are we pouring out all we have to Jesus in gratefulness for all he has done?
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 16
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
the plans God has for us.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 16 of our 21Days of Gratitude
‘The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.’ Psalm 28:7
What’s your favourite worship song? Put in on at least once today and give thanks to God in song…
Here’s one of my favourites: Phil Wickham’s ‘You’re Beautiful’
(img src: gritsngrace.wordpress.com)
21 Days of Gratitude – Day 15
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
freedom.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 15 of our 21Days of Gratitude
One of my favourite stories of choosing to be thankful is from Corrie Ten Boom‘s book ‘The Hiding Place‘
Corrie and her family were imprisoned by the Nazis for giving shelter to Jews in their home in Holland.
In Ravensbruck – they were moved to a barracks that was built for 400 and housed 1400 – it stank and was infested with fleas. Corrie writes that she said to her sister:
‘Betsie how can we live in such a place?’
Betsie said ‘ show us, show us how.’
“‘”Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. “Give thanks in all circumstances!” That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!’
“I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room…”
They thanked God that were still assigned together, that they had managed to hide and keep a copy of the bible, that they were packed in the barracks so that many more would hear about Jesus and they famously thanked God for the fleas!
“The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.’
“‘”Give thanks in all circumstances,”‘ she quoted. ‘It doesn’t say, “in pleasant circumstances.“ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.’
“And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.”
Fleas which later turned out to be the reason the guards never came in their barracks which meant they were able to have Christian services and bible readings with the other prisoners without getting caught!
Sometimes God’s blessings to us are hard to see…… but we know that God works in all things for the good of those that love him. When you feel all you can see are ‘fleas’, ask God to help you be thankful anyway…
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 14
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
our wise and committed Church Wardens Sarah Miller and Steve Jupe.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 14 of our 21Days of Gratitude
We have one of my favourite songs of thankfulness today. Click here for ‘Thank you for Saving Me’ by Delirious.
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 13
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
being able to meet at Twyford School on a Sunday.
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 13 of our 21Days of Gratitude
Paul wrote in a letter to Timothy 2 Timothy:1-4 that
‘There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God’
Being ungrateful is included in a list of things that mark those that don’t love God.Therefore, gratefulness should be a hallmark of those that do profess to love and follow him. It is easy in this fallen world to be moulded by those around us into ungratefulness. That’s why we are doing this series – to allow the Spirit of God to grow in us a habit of thankfulness. May we stand out as God’s people as we are grateful to him today.
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21 Days of Gratitude – Day 12
Today Oak Tree is thankful for:
3 full Oak Tree villas booked on the Retreat to Advance New Wine Conference in January!
You can join in with us on Facebook or in the forum on the website by telling us:
What are You thankful for?
Here we are on day 12 of our 21Days of Gratitude just a simple quote for you today….
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” — William A. Ward
