If you weren't here you missed it (obviously)!!! I had a great time on Thanks Day, and I hope that you did as well. Our special guests, Heart Cry, did an excellent job of singing and leading us in worship. The testimonies were a reminder of the faithfulness of God to rescue us when we are at our lowest point. And the food... everyone showed off! Thank you to those who invited friends and family - even if they didn't make it there. That seemed to be the theme of many of the testimonies. Someone kept praying, kept inviting them to church, kept showing them the love of Jesus, and eventually, they surrendered to the Lord. Trust me - I know it can be difficult to keep praying for a lost friend or family member who does not seem to care about church or becoming a follower of Jesus. Please don't allow discouragement to prevent your prayers. Even when we don't see it, He's working. Even when we don't feel it, He's working. Jesus has told us to pray and never give up!

On Day 3, we covered another 'root' that is completely incompatible with gratitude. If you’ve been living a lie, you’ll find yourself with the fruit of this lie.

Discontentment is what comes out of both pride and insecurity. It’s the idea of either “I deserve better than this” or “I’m worried that I won’t have enough”. When we have this kind of fruit in our lives, we’ll find ourselves always wanting more, even as we receive blessings or have huge achievements.

So how do we root out all the lies and find ourselves in a place of contentment? Paul spoke about the “secret of contentment” in Philippians 4:12-13: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

What does contentment do?

Contentment shifts your 'lens' from what you are needing to what God is doing.

What is the secret of contentment? I have a wise leader in my life who shared with me what he calls the “recipe for contentment”. If you have these 3 things, you’ll find yourself living a life of contentment:

#1 – Gratitude. Gratitude allows us to see God clearly through the deepest of struggles. A grateful heart will turn the darkest of days into days of great joy. Gratitude recognizes that God is good even when the world is not.

#2 – Humility. There’s no place for “I deserve better” with a humble heart. Humility is willing to do anything to be selfless. Humility is what Jesus had when he laid down his life for us. Humility is what Jesus wants for us.

#3 – Being a servant. It’s great to be humble and to have a heart of gratitude, but be willing to serve, too. In what ways should you serve? Pray about it and be willing to serve in ANY way that glorifies God in your life.

Have gratitude, humility, and serve others. That’s the recipe for contentment! Why? Your lens will shift from “selfish” to “selfless”, and you’ll find God’s hand in everything you’re doing, praising Him all along the way.

Gratitude allows us to see God clearly through the deepest of struggles. Is your gratitude sincere or superficial?

Let’s pray:

Father in Heaven, thank you for the life you’ve given us, and the salvation you have freely offered us. Because of Jesus, we know we should have hearts full of gratitude. Our prayer as we conclude this study is that we will see you clearly in every moment of our day. You are God and you are GOOD! Thank you for allowing us to have the opportunity to enter Heaven’s gates one day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

On behalf of Inola Christian Church, we are grateful for YOU as you took the time to read this Bible Reading Plan. Our mission as a church is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus, and our prayer is that you took another step closer to Him as you took the time to complete this study.