SEEK Week 6 -1 Thessalonians 5:18

SEEK26- CELEBRATION SUNDAY

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I want to talk to you for a few minutes about:

“GRATITUDE IN EVERY SEASON”

Pray!!

“What Do You Do When God Answers?”

• There are moments in the life of a believer
• And in the life of a church
• Where God moves in such a clear way
• That it demands a response.
• And for the last five weeks…
• God has moved among us.
• God has spoken.
• God has stirred.
• God has unified.
• God has provided.
• Today we stand in a moment where we can confidently say:

Psalm 126:3

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we were joyful.”

• We prayed.
• We sought.
• We waited.
• We listened.
• We prepared.
• And last Sunday — God brought it to completion.

We reached the full SEEK goal of $36,500!!!!

• Praise Break
• This was God’s voice,
• God’s timing,
• God’s provision,
• God’s unity, and
• God’s people responding in faith.
• So the question before us today is simple:

What do you do when God answers?
What do you do when God is faithful?
What do you do when God does something great in your midst?

• Scripture gives us the answer in one short, powerful verse:

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

• Today is a celebration.
• Today is a moment of obedience to the will of God:
• That we Give thanks.
• In everything.
• In every season.
• In every circumstance.
• Let’s walk through this verse word by word.

1. “Give thanks”

• “Give thanks” is not a suggestion.
• It’s a command.
• Why?
• Because gratitude is:

✔ A posture of FAITH

• Gratitude says:
• “God, You are working even when I cannot see it.”

Hebrews 11:1 (CSB)

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

Gratitude is

✔ A weapon in SPIRITUAL WARFARE

• What do I mean?
• Complaining magnifies problems.
• Thanksgiving magnifies God.

Philippians 4:6 (CSB)

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Gratitude is

✔ A guard for the HEART

• Gratitude keeps bitterness, anxiety, and pride from taking root.

Proverbs 4:23 (CSB)

“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”

Gratitude is

✔ A witness to the WORLD

• People take notice when Christians respond to every season with thanks.

Philippians 2:14–15 (CSB)

“Do everything without grumbling and arguing… then you will shine like stars in the world.”

Gratitude is

✔ The atmosphere of WORSHIP

• Gratitude isn’t just something we do in worship
• It’s what gets us into worship.

Psalm 100:4 tells us that gratitude is the doorway:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving…”

• Not working it up emotionally
• Not with performance.
• Not with religious effort.
• Gratitude is the atmosphere
• In which true worship can live and breathe.
• Because when your heart is grateful,
• It loses the ability to cling to self-centeredness.
• You cannot be thankful and self-absorbed at the same time
• The two cannot coexist.
• Gratitude turns your attention upward, not inward.
• It shifts your eyes from your problems to God’s power,
• From what you lack to what He has provided,
• From who you are to who He is.

Gratitude dethrones “me” and enthrones “He.”

• This is why worship rises so naturally from a grateful heart.
• Gratitude is the spark plug of worship.
• It opens the gates,
• Changes the atmosphere, and
• Prepares the heart to praise.
• Here’s the truth
• Where there is Gratitude,
• There will be worship.
• Where there is worship,
• There will be humility.
• And where there is humility,
• God meets His people.
• The next part of the verse says

2. “In everything…”

• Paul does NOT say:
• “In good things give thanks.”
• “In easy things give thanks.”
• “In seasons of blessing give thanks.”
• “When life feels right give thanks.”

He says:

“In everything…”

Everything includes:

• Victories and valleys
• Blessings and burdens
• Increase and decrease
• The doors God opens and the doors He closes
• The prayers He answers and the prayers He delays
• The seasons you understand and the seasons you don’t
• Gratitude is not based on circumstances
• It is based on God’s character.
• We don’t give thanks
• Because life is always easy.
• We give thanks because God is always good.
• Next it says

3. “…for this is God’s will for you …”

How many times do we ask:

• “What is God’s will for my life?”
• “What does God want me to do?”
• “Where does God want me to go?”
• “What decision should I make?”

One thing is absolutely clear:

God’s will is gratitude.

• You never have to wonder whether you should give thanks.
• You never have to discern it.
• You never have to pray about whether thankfulness is appropriate.

Gratitude is always His will.

In seasons of abundance — His will is gratitude.
In seasons of uncertainty — His will is gratitude.
In seasons of breakthrough — His will is gratitude.
In seasons of waiting — His will is gratitude.

And today?
After watching God meet the full SEEK goal?

His will is gratitude.

– Next

4. “…in Christ Jesus.” — GRATITUDE IS ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL

• We don’t give thanks because life is perfect.
• We give thanks because Jesus is present.

“In Christ Jesus” means:

• I give thanks because I am saved.
• I give thanks because I am forgiven.
• I give thanks because I am loved.
• I give thanks because I am secure.
• I give thanks because Jesus is with me.
• I give thanks because my circumstances cannot take Christ from me.
• Gratitude is not rooted in your situation.
• Gratitude is rooted in your Savior.
• And because you are in Christ,
• Gratitude becomes the atmosphere of your life.
• Let me show you how it affects us

1. Gratitude softens the heart

• Hard hearts cannot be thankful hearts.
• When we give thanks:
• Pride softens
• Entitlement breaks
• Cynicism melts
• Fear loosens
• Joy rises

Gratitude keeps your heart tender before the Lord.

2. Gratitude opens our eyes

• Thankfulness is spiritual sight.
• When we give thanks:
• We recognize God’s fingerprints
• We see provision we may have missed
• We remember prayers God answered
• We trace God’s faithfulness in our story
• We interpret life through hope, not despair

Gratitude helps us SEE God at work.

3. Gratitude strengthens obedience

• A thankful heart is an obedient heart.
• Because gratitude fuels trust.
• And trust fuels surrender.
• And surrender fuels obedience.

Last Sunday — our giving was not an act of generosity alone.

• It was an act of trust.
• It was gratitude in motion.

We obeyed because We were thankful.
We gave because We trusted.

And now — gratitude is how we continue to obey Jesus in 2026 and beyond.

• Before we move into our moment of celebration and prayer,
• I want to speak to something many believers experience
• And maybe this will help some of us today.
• There are seasons in the Christian life
• Where our hearts get tired.
• Serving begins to feel heavy.
• Relationships feel tense.
• People’s words feel sharper than they were meant.
• We start reading things
• Through lenses we don’t even notice we put on.
• Small things feel big.
• Normal interactions feel personal.
• And the joy we once had begins to leak.
• Most of the time,
• This doesn’t come from people being against us.
• It comes from our own souls being worn down.
• Often what we call church hurt
• Is really heart hurt.
• It’s not always about what someone did
• It’s about what we’re carrying.
• It’s disappointment we haven’t processed.
• It’s spiritual fatigue we didn’t notice.
• It’s distance from abiding in Jesus
• That slowly shifts the way we see everything.
• Because here’s the truth:
• The farther we drift from abiding,
• The heavier everything else becomes.
• Serving feels heavier.
• Community feels heavier.
• Obedience feels heavier.
• Even gratitude feels harder.

But the closer we draw to Jesus the clearer life becomes.

• Gratitude is one of the ways God brings us back.
• It softens what has hardened.
• It steadies what has shaken.
• It clears what has become blurry.
• It recenters our hearts on Him.
• It pulls us out of self-protection
• And pulls us into His presence.
• So if serving has felt heavy…
• If relationships have felt strained…
• If the joy has slipped…
• If you’ve felt easily hurt or easily discouraged…
• Friend, you’re not broken you’re just tired.
• And Jesus is inviting you back to rest in Him.
• Back to abiding.
• Back to gratitude.
• Back to clarity.
• Back to joy.
• Today is more than a celebration of what God has done.
• It’s an invitation for your heart to breathe again.
• To reset.
• To return.
• To abide.

So here is what we do with gratitude:

1. We CELEBRATE what God has done

This morning we honor God by rejoicing in His faithfulness:

• He provided
• He unified
• He answered
• He spoke
• He stirred
• He led
• He accomplished what we could not

2. We GIVE THANKS as an act of obedience

We thank Him publicly.
We thank Him corporately.
We thank Him wholeheartedly.

3. We RECOMMIT to a lifestyle of gratitude and obedience

– SEEK is not just a moment of giving

– It’s a launching pad for the way we will obey Jesus in the future.

We gave in gratitude… now we will live in gratitude.

Bottomline

Why can every believer give thanks in everything?

Because Jesus:

• obeyed the will of the Father
• endured the cross with joy
• rose in victory
• poured out His Spirit
• adopted us as sons and daughters
• promised to never leave us
• secured our eternity
• holds our future
• Gratitude is the only reasonable response to grace this big.
• Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly
• So now we gratefully obey the Son.
• Jesus endured everything for us
• So now we give thanks in everything for Him.
• Now I want us to take a moment and respond to God together.
• We’ve walked through this verse,
• We’ve celebrated what He’s done,
• And we’ve remembered His faithfulness
• Now let’s practice what the Scripture commands.

Let’s give thanks in everything.

• I want to lead us through three simple,
• Powerful prompts of gratitude.
• Turn to a few people near you and let’s let thanksgiving rise in this room.”

SLIDE 1 — PRAYER PROMPT 1

GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE

“Give thanks in everything…” — 1 Thess. 5:18 (CSB)

• Thank Him for providing the full SEEK goal.
• Thank Him for unity, generosity, and answered prayer.
• Thank Him for His goodness in your victories and valleys.

Take time to name specific things God has done.

SLIDE 2 — PRAYER PROMPT 2

GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT GOD IS DOING IN YOU NOW

“…for this is God’s will for you…” — 1 Thess. 5:18 (CSB)

• Thank Him for softening what has hardened.
• Thank Him for clarity where things felt blurry.
• Thank Him for restoring joy and drawing you back to abiding.

Thank Him for meeting you in the tender places of your heart.

SLIDE 3 — PRAYER PROMPT 3

GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT GOD WILL DO NEXT

“…in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thess. 5:18 (CSB)

• Thank Him for the fruit that will come from SEEK 2026.
• Thank Him for lives that will be changed.
• Thank Him for holding your future in His hands.

Thank Him in advance for what He’s preparing.

Close out Prayer & Worship