Living in God’s Will: Being Thankful — Olu Talabi — July 18, 2024
http://rlcf.church River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message is that true thankfulness goes beyond mere words; it must be expressed through one's entire life. The speaker emphasizes that while acknowledging God's blessings with our lips is good, our hearts and actions must genuinely reflect gratitude. He uses the life of Mary Magdalene as an example of profound, life-long devotion as an expression of thanks for Jesus's salvation.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Living in God's will through thanksgivingThe speaker introduces the retreat theme of living in God's will, focusing on the instruction in 1 Thessalonians to give thanks in all things.1 Thessalonians 5:18
The benefit of a thankful heartA thankful heart shifts prayer from a demanding list of wants to proactive grace, where God works on our behalf even before we ask.
Moving beyond mere words to a life of gratitudeColossians 3:15 commands believers to be thankful, warning against the danger of honoring God with our lips while our hearts and lives remain distant.Colossians 3:15
Mary Magdalene as an example of a life of ThanksgivingMary Magdalene never recorded a spoken thank you to Jesus, but her entire life and devotion served as an expression of gratitude for what He did.
Understanding the gravity of our salvationMary understood the extent of her deliverance from seven demons, just as believers must understand the heavy price Jesus paid to redeem us.
Leaving the past behindBecause Jesus cleaned her past, Mary did not let her former life weigh her down, reflecting God's righteousness in overlooking past sins.
Serving Jesus right where we areJust as Mary and the other women ministered to Jesus starting in Galilee, believers should serve Christ faithfully in their present circumstances.
Willing to follow Jesus to the crossMary and the women followed Jesus from Galilee all the way to Jerusalem and the cross, showing they were not ashamed to stand with a despised Savior.
Rewarded with the first sight of the risen LordBecause Mary stubbornly sought even the dead body of Jesus out of deep devotion, He rewarded her by appearing to her first after His resurrection.Mark 16:9
Craving the true body of ChristDespite the corruption and division in the visible church today, believers must crave the true body of Christ and trust God's sure foundation.
Living out a genuine faith that delights GodThe kingdom of God is not in mere words but in power and transformed living, prompting believers to ask God for a true, life-backed devotion.
