27th Dec Sermon Discussion - “Thank You Lord for 2009”

Scripture Reference: Psalm 100 (A Psalm. For giving thanks.)

This is the final weekend of 2009. In a matter of days we will all be celebrating and ushering in the new year, 2010! Take a moment and think through what you’ve done for the year 2009 and as you do that declare Psalms 100, a psalm of thanksgiving together as a group.

Question of the Message: Why we are to be Thankful to the Lord for 2009?

1. Because the Lord is God - Avoiding the Sin of Forgetfulness

Psalm 100:1-3 … Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us…

Honestly, how many of us give thanks to God every day? How many of us remember to thank God when He blesses us with good grades/ family harmony/good friends, etc? Do you know when we stop giving thanks to God for His blessings or forget about how He blesses us, we are allowing pride to blind us?

Deut 6:10-12 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, … – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ... olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

· Let’s take some time now to remember & reflect on some of the significant things that happen in our lives in 2009 and give thanks to God. Let’s take time to Count our Blessings! Let’s share with one another what are some of these Thanksgivings…

· Is there any way you can share your Blessings with Someone you know…, where you can bless someone with the same blessing that you have received? Let’s share with one another what we can do to share God’s blessing for us with someone else…

2. Because the Lord is Good - Avoiding the Sin of Grumbling and Complaining

Psalm 100:4-5; Num 23:19; Exodus 15:22-24; Exodus 16:1-3; Num 20:1-5; Num 11:1-6

Maybe in the year 2009, it’s had been tough year for you and you kept asking God why, why must this happen? At times we don’t understand why God allow certain things in life to happen. Indeed, life is never easy. But are you willing to trust God in good and bad times? Are we willing to stop grumbling when things are bad and trust God that He has good plans for us.

In Exodus 16:1-3, we see how the Israelites were comparing, complaining and grumbling about their situation. They had been set free from their slavery in Egypt but now because of a little hardship they were unhappy and said that they were better off in Egypt! Oh, how they’ve forgotten where they came from. They had forgotten the worse life that they had before which is why they were comparing, complaining and grumbling.

There was once a man who always complained about how he did not have shoes. He kept grumbling about his pitiful state until one day when he saw a man without feet to enjoy the comfort of shoes. Only then did he remember to count his blessings.

· Are there difficult moments that you have gone through in 2009? Let’s share with one another so that we can pray for one another… okie?

· Does anyone have an example of how we have complained about our situation but the Lord showed us someone else who was going through much worse situation than we were in?

· What is the difference between sharing with one another our struggles and grumbling / complaining about all the difficult situations that we are in?

It is all about whether we have a Heart of Gratefulness…

Let’s Pray: “O God, remove from me the spirit of grumbling & complaining… and Replace it with a Spirit of Gratefulness, of Thankfulness…”

Let’s take time to pray for one another that God will help us overcome our struggles as we end off singing the song “Give Thanks” as a group.