Paul's

Series:

Leslie Basham: Do you know that a big part of the New Testament was written in an attitude of gratitude? Here's Nancy DeMoss.

Nancy DeMoss: At the beginning of all of his epistles, except for three, Paul speaks of giving thanks. Those epistles were really thank you notes written to bless and express appreciation for the people who'd had a part in Paul's life in ministry.

Leslie Basham: Today is Monday, November 25; and you're listening to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Have you ever received an unexpected thank you note? Maybe you didn't even realize what kind of an effect your actions or words had on someone else. And when they expressed appreciation, it made your day. You may have wanted to send a thank you note to the person who sent you the thank you note. Today, you'll be inspired to write some notes of appreciation to make someone else's day. Let's join Nancy.

Nancy DeMoss: Well, this week we're going to be celebrating one of my very favorite holidays in all the calendar year. It's Thanksgiving week. I'm so glad you've joined us today on Revive Our Hearts.

For the last couple of weeks, if you've been with us, you know that we've been talking about the attitude of gratitude. And we talked last week about some of the things that we are to be thankful for, the many blessings that we've received from the Lord. We talked about the physical and material blessings that God has given to us and the spiritual blessings.

All through the Scripture we find so many spiritual blessings that God has poured into our lives. And we want to stop and recognize those blessings and express to God gratitude for all those things He's poured into our lives.

Now today I want us to focus on another thing we have to be thankful for--and that is this matter of other believers, people who have invested in our lives, who have meant something special to us.

And as you read through the New Testament, particularly Paul's letters, you can't help but realize that Paul was a man who was grateful for the people who had a part in his life. Over and over again, in fact, at the beginning of all of his epistles, except for three, Paul speaks of giving thanks.

Those epistles were really thank you notes written to bless and express appreciation for the people who'd had a part in Paul's life in ministry. And Paul often thanked God for the fellowship and the encouragement that he had received from others.

I think about that verse in Acts 28:15, when Paul was en route to the city of Rome, where he was going to be held as a prisoner of the Roman government. The scripture says that "when the brethren heard about us," about Paul's entourage that was approaching Rome, it says: "they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns."

So these believers heard that Paul was coming, and they went miles away to greet Paul as he approached the city. And then the scripture says in verse 15 of Acts 28: "When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage."

As I read that verse about how Paul saw these believers and he thanked God for them and took courage, I think about how many people are a part of this ministry and how we could not possibly be doing what we're doing here at Revive Our Hearts if it weren't for the many people that God has put around us to bless us and encourage us.

I think, for example, of a group that I call my "praying friends." And these are men and women, couples, who for years, some of them have prayed for me. Some of them pray for me every day. Some of them I hardly see, but they write me notes and e-mails and they say, "We're praying for you." And I think about those praying friends and I thank God and I take courage in some of those difficult times when I really need courage.

And then I think about the people who serve behind the scenes as a part of this ministry, the people in our partner ministries at FamilyLife Today and at Back to the Bible and at Life Action Ministries.

In fact, just this morning, I was praying through those different partner ministries and thanking the Lord for different people by name who are serving as a part of this ministry day after day.

And then there are the station partners, the station managers, those stations that air Revive Our Hearts each weekday. I found myself thanking the Lord for those individuals and those ministries who help us to get this message out.

And, of course, there are those who've given to make this ministry possible, who underwrite it with their financial support and their encouragement. I thank the Lord for each of those individuals, and I take courage.

So Paul says in Ephesians 1:16 and again in 1 Thessalonians 1:2, "I don't cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." So not only did Paul thank God for the people who'd had an influence in his life, but Paul thanked those people.

And he took time to write those people and to let them know how grateful he was for how they had encouraged him, how they had blessed him. He thanks God and he thanks those individuals, not only for how they have blessed him; but he thanks God for their faith and how their faith impacted others. Paul says in Romans 1:8, "I thank my God, through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

So he sees qualities in the lives of these believers that he admires, that he appreciates and he stops to tell them about it. He says, "I thank God. But I'm thanking you for having the kind of faith that makes others hungry to know God." And then so often Paul thanked God for other believers who served Christ with him, and who made sacrifices for the cause of Christ.

In Romans chapter 16, Paul lists many of those individuals who'd served with him, who had helped him in some way in the ministry. I think, for example, of verse 3, Romans chapter 16, where Paul says, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles."

So, Paul is saying, "Thank God for these people! Priscilla and Aquila, they served with me in the Gospel, they helped me in the ministry." And he says, "I thank God for those people, but I thank those people. I give thanks to them and to God for them." Sometimes I love to just stop and think back, over the years of my walk with the Lord, and remember some of the people who've touched and impacted my life in a special way, people who've invested in my life.

And I want to encourage you even over these next few moments to be making a mental list. And then when you get to a piece of paper and a pencil, start to write down that list. Who are the people who've really had a significant role in your walk with the Lord?

And I'd have to start with my parents. I thank the Lord for parents who were not perfect (and they will be the first to tell you that) but parents who, from the time that I was born were saturating my life with the Word of God and the ways of God and modeling to me a heart and a hunger for the ways of God that was contagious.

And every one of us has had parents, some better parents than others, some believers and some not. But I encourage you to think back to the qualities in your parents that have had a positive influence on your life and on your upbringing. List your parents, write your parents' names down and then take time to write those individuals and thank them for what they have meant to you.

I think of schoolteachers: Ms. Johnston, my first-grade teacher, who taught me how to read. And I love reading. She taught me how to write. And Ms. Johnston, who taught not only me in first grade but taught all of my brothers and sisters, all seven of us. And then for years, prayed by name, individually, specifically, for each member of my family. So she invested in me, not only as a little 6-year-old girl but over the years. And I had the privilege, not too long ago, of writing Ms. Johnston and thanking her and saying, "Thank you for the investment that you've made in my life."

I think of pastors who have shepherded my life spiritually over the years. And just recently I had the privilege of going back and meeting with two of those pastors and their wives. One, the pastor that I grew up with in high school, Bill Hogan, and his wife Jane; and then Pastor Ray Ortland, and his wife Anne, who served as the pastor of the church where I attended during my college years. And last week I had the chance to be with both of those couples.

The Ortlands, I had not seen for 25 years and I was able to say to them, "Thank you so much for your ministry in my life. Thank you for your faithful study of the Word of God. Thank you for the investment that you made in our congregation corporately but also in my life personally."

And I hope that you thank God for your pastor. I hope you're not one of your pastor's critics, but that you're one of his encouragers as you thank God for him. And then take the time to thank him, to thank his wife for their investment in your life and in your congregation.

Think of the people who have influenced your life spiritually and then stop and write thank you notes. I hope that you write thank you notes. You know I grew up in a home where my parents emphasized a lot writing thank you notes. And when we got a gift, whether it was a Christmas or a birthday, before we did anything else, our parents were going to be asking us, "Have you written your thank you notes yet?" And I thank the Lord for that habit that my parents built into my life.

And what a joy it's been over the years to go back and thank professors, teachers, friends, pastors....I hope that you're thinking constantly about the people who blessed your life and that you're taking time to write and say, "Thank you."

You know this Thanksgiving week would be a great time to say, "Thank you," to the people who've touched your life. And we've developed some special thank you note cards that you can use to write a thank you note.

They just say, "Thank you" on the outside and on the inside they say, "I thank my God every time I remember you," a verse that comes from Philippians chapter 1. So use your own note cards or order a set of these note cards, but take time this Thanksgiving week to list the people who've blessed your life and then to jot some of those people, maybe from years ago or maybe somebody who has touched your life in a special way recently. But take time to stop and jot them a note and say, "I thank God for you."

Leslie Basham: Thanks, Nancy. What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's so easy to get wrapped up in food and football games that we forget to truly give thanks. Why don't you order the set of the thank you notes Nancy's told us about?

Make this Thanksgiving season a very special one for those who have influenced your life. Your notes could provide them with tremendous encouragement. The thank you notes come with a booklet by Nancy called The Attitude of Gratitude. It would be a perfect study for your quiet time during this Thanksgiving season. It includes seven projects, one for every day of the week that will help you discover what the Bible has to say about thankfulness.

You can get the note cards and the booklet for a suggested donation of $7 when you call us at 1-800-569-5959. Or visit ReviveOurHearts.com. You know, if you've enjoyed today's program, you have a special group of people to thank.

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