November 25, 2024 • 21 mins
Drawing inspiration from Colossians 3, this episode explores how practicing an attitude of gratitude shaped my worldview, inspired hope, and fostered resilience amid challenges. This episode encourages a deeper connection with faith through gratitude, offering a candid look at howkeeping our eyes on Christ during adversity can lead to profound personal transformation.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we reflect on the importance of gratitude, not just as a seasonal sentiment but as a year-round practice that enhances our spiritual lives. We challenge you to embrace gratitude and hope, urging you to focus on spiritual reflection during this festive season. Whether you're seeking comfort in faith or looking for ways to spread hope, this episode is a heartfelt reminder that hope is real and you are loved. Join us on this journey of spreading gratitude and thanksgiving, and consider supporting our mission to share this message with a wider audience.
Are you inspired by what you hear today? Jason deeply appreciates his listeners taking their time to listening, downloading, and sharing The Hopeful Perspective Podcast. Please help me spread 'hope' to others by writing a review for the podcast making it reachable for all who need to be inspired, encouraged, and changed by hoping once again. Further, understand that downloading the podcast is a surefire way to help increase the algorithm thus the reach of The Hopeful Perspective, even if you delete the episode after listening so as to not affect your data storage. I have also provided a (Support the Show) link DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARAGRAPH to click on for those who have shared with me they are "all in" and feel called to financially support the mission and vision of The Hopeful Perspective. A special thank you to those who have made this humble step to financially support the podcast. Without you, there is no US!
Jason Hopkins can also be reached on Facebook as well as Instagram and Threads (jayhop9953). You can also follow 'The Hopeful Perspective' FB page; where you can find more information as well as learn about upcoming news and episodes on the The Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own personal life story, which illustrates God's glory.
(00:20):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem.
I have moved from merely asurviving victim to a faithful
and thriving victor, who theLord has motivated to help
(00:42):
others to discover hope.
Victor, who the Lord hasmotivated to help others to
discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective.
If you have not heard this story, I encourage you to go to the
beginning and check it out now,and I now want to help you, too,
(01:06):
to have a biblical and hopefulperspective as you approach
differing situations in your ownlife, from the delightful to
the difficult and everything inbetween.
I want to thank you forlistening, and you have done so,
taking the time to downloadingour episodes, as when you
download, along with rating ourpodcast with an honest response,
you help the algorithmimmensely to spread our reach.
(01:28):
That said, our statsdemonstrate that while thousands
listen and stream the HopefulPerspective, less than 10%
actually download our episodes.
Please consider bridging thegap.
To help broaden that reach forus, we have also provided a few
options to contact our show withyour direct feedback, as well
as to support the podcastfinancially.
(01:48):
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
podcast episode you aredownloading on your podcast
platform.
So, before we get started today, I want to compel you to grab
your favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage, get comfortable and
come on this journey with me aswe discuss the glorious worship
(02:10):
of the Lord through gratitudeand thanksgiving.
Now I know it's been some timesince we have released a podcast
in our series Right Side Up,upside Down, where we are
discussing Jesus' teachings onthe Sermon on the Mount.
Three weeks, in fact, havepassed since episode 22 was
released and we discussed whatit meant, as disciples, to be
(02:31):
salt and light and for Jesus tofulfill or make full the law and
the prophets and how hecommanded and desired for us to
honor the spirit of the lawabove the letter of the law.
We will indeed continue thisseries in upcoming episodes but,
as we know, this upcomingThursday is Thanksgiving and I
could think of no better way tocome back this week than to have
(02:53):
a special episode discussingthe heart of gratitude and
worship toward our Creator andhow this impacts our faith and
worldview, particularly that ofhope Friends to open with.
I must say that the past fewweeks for me have been
challenging again, to say theleast, as it pertains to my
health, both physically and evenmentally.
(03:15):
And if nothing else, Icertainly have committed to you
that I want to remain authenticas I deal with the struggle of a
chronic pain disorderparalleled with chronic
post-traumatic stress disorderthat can trigger one another.
They create chaos on my dailywalk.
My heart is to be as integrousand remain as faithful to the
(03:38):
Lord, my family and my calling,despite these challenges and,
ideally, to fulfill all mycommitments.
Yet the truth is that sometimesthe most significant need I
have is to take the time to carefor my sleep, my physical and
mental health that is neglectedduring the most difficult of
seasons when I am experiencingmy flare-ups.
I confess this is not easy,being weak and vulnerable, nor
(04:03):
powerless.
Despite the practice I've hadover 44 years in a variety of
manners, I've wanted to producequality content on this podcast
in a consistent manner, and youcan ask my wife and others who
are witnessing this undertakinghow much it pains me to miss a
single week of production, letalone multiple weeks.
Yet, honoring God first andforemost, the last few weeks has
(04:24):
meant stepping back, and I knowthat my commitments to the
proper order and priority willresult in the blessings in the
long run, and that is theultimate goal.
I want to thank all of you foryour patience, your prayers and
your persistence.
Alongside of me, my middleteenager, a vivacious,
18-year-old, strong-minded andcompassionate young woman,
(04:47):
beautiful inside and out, has afaith that is inspiring to me as
she has grown in it.
Over the years, we have bondedover multiple things we have in
common, one being that she's astarting shooting guard on our
high school basketball team andis one of the better shooters in
the state of Oregon.
She's considering playing atthe next level.
Shooters in the state of Oregon.
She is considering playing atthe next level.
(05:08):
She has, in fact, a clever andfierce sense of humor and has
been honing her calling to be aworship leader.
She is recently learning theguitar and, though musically we
have nothing in common namelybecause I have no musical talent
and she has the voice of anangel I love how she has chased
her call to follow the Lord,leading others to the throne
room for his glory.
She hears him clearly, yet itso warms my heart that she still
(05:32):
desires to come to her dad fromtime to time to ask my
perspective about an invocation,benediction, prayer or passage
she is studying to share withthe group she is leading.
This is the context for whichthis week's podcast subject and
teaching is coming from,inspired from the heart and the
mind of the Lord, through thelens of my 18-year-old daughter,
(05:53):
who was a worshiper first andworship leader second.
The passage she asked for myhelp and perspective on is from
Colossians 3.
She focused on verses 15-17 asshe only was granted a minute
during her worship segment toencourage the youth she was
leading.
But for our sake, I want us tolook at the full context of what
(06:14):
Paul is saying in these verses.
So we will look at this briefchapter If you've been following
along with us in our mostrecent series Right Side Up.
Upside Down Jesus' Teaching onthe Sermon on the Mount.
Upside Down Jesus' teaching onthe Sermon on the Mount.
You know that Jesus is helpinghis followers to know more
clearly what it means to be oneof his disciples and, being that
most of his audience are Jewish, they are having to learn about
(06:37):
the kingdom of heaven amidsttheir current understanding of
what it meant to be Jewish andto follow the law.
We left off, as mentionedbefore, that Jesus came to make
full the law and the prophets.
We left off, as mentionedbefore, that Jesus came to make
full the law and the prophets.
He came to bring a new kingdomwhere salvation is attained by
faith in him, by his grace alone, which could only be better
(06:57):
understood by the time Paul iswriting Colossians, as Christ's
sacrifice would have been made.
With this in mind, colossians 3reads as a beautiful insert
into this series, where we leftoff being salt and light and we
would learn that the observingof the spirit of the law thou
shalt not lust rises above theletter of the law.
(07:18):
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
With that in mind, let's readtogether Paul's teachings to the
disciples in Colossae inchapter 3.
Since then, you've been raisedwith Christ.
Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above,not on earthly things, for you
(07:40):
died and your life is now hiddenwith Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore,whatever belongs to your earthly
nature sexual immorality,impurity, lust, evil desires and
greed, which is idolatry.
Because of these, the wrath ofGod is coming.
(08:01):
You used to walk in these waysin the life you once lived, but
now you must also rid yourselvesof all such things as these
anger, rage, malice, slander andfilthy language from your lips.
Do not lie to each other, sinceyou have taken off your old self
with its practices and have puton the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in theimage of its creator.
(08:22):
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, scythian, slave orfree, but Christ is all and is
in all.
Therefore, as God's chosenpeople, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
(08:43):
gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other andforgive one another.
If any of you has a grievanceagainst someone, forgive as the
Lord forgave you, and over allthese virtues, put on love,
which binds them all together inperfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule inyour hearts, since as members
of one body, you were called topeace and be thankful.
(09:05):
Let the message of Christ dwellamong you richly as you teach
and admonish one another withall the wisdom through psalms,
hymns and songs from the Spiritsinging to God with gratitude in
your hearts.
And whatever you do, whether inword or deed, do it all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God, the Father,
through him.
(09:25):
Did you hear that?
You see, I know more thananything else.
In my current battles that Iwage, I need more than anything
to take my eyes off of thecircumstances that often depress
me or seem dire and to put themon the only thing that I know
are secure.
The apostle Paul tells us themost effective way of doing this
(09:46):
is to set our minds on thingsabove where Christ now is.
I know when I do this, notfocusing on the seemingly
unknown, the impossible, chaoticand deadly circumstances of the
world around me I am remindedof not only the sacrifices that
(10:07):
Christ made for me to date, allthroughout my life, but I am
reinforced, encouraged andmotivated that he has my hand in
walking me through what I gothrough now by myself.
Without His perspective.
I am prone to flounder and fallon my face or, before I get
there, I become embittered,resentful and my attitude
(10:28):
reflects disbelief in a Redeemerand Restorer.
But my God heals and my Godsaves.
We are then reminded about ourold selves and to take inventory
of that earthly nature and justhow disgusting and how shameful
that I used to be.
I mean that person withoutChrist before I walked
(10:49):
faithfully with him, that personthat I can become if I allow my
gaze to become focused on myworldly circumstances and I
become enticed by my fleshlydesires to medicate the pain I
feel when I become depressed anddisillusioned yes, I was this
person before and if I allowthat eye level to fall too low
(11:10):
or too long where Christ iscurrently seated that is what my
spiritual reality truly is ThenI can resort back to the person
with the coping mechanisms andthe attitudes I do not desire to
be, for, as verse 12 reminds us, I am part of his chosen people
.
(11:33):
Do you notice the commandsissued in this particular verse?
We are to clothe ourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.
Friends, this is a call toself-care, and I'm not sure
about you, but I am having togrow in the discipline of
applying these fruits of theHoly Spirit to my own self, so
that I am a vessel that iscapable of caring for others as
(11:55):
he has cared for me.
I'm not sure where you aretoday.
Perhaps you are in a place ofgreat abundance, joy, and where
it is easy to have that attitudeof gratitude.
If so, I do pray that you donot take for granted this season
that you are in and that youattribute your abundance to the
one who blesses us with ourdaily provision.
(12:16):
Or perhaps you are in a placemore similar to me, where the
days seem longer and you arebattling.
The circumstances we are in areweighing on us and you are
having difficulty.
You and I both need to givethanks during this time, but the
key is this we need to avertour eyes.
(12:38):
In Matthew, chapter 14, we canrecall this event when the
disciples were experiencing aliteral storm on the waters.
Then they see the Lord Jesus inthe distance, looking like a
ghost, walking on the water inthe middle of the storm.
We pick it up in verse 28.
Lord, if it's you, peterreplied, tell me to come to you
(13:01):
on the water.
Come, he said.
Then Peter got down out of theboat, walked on the water and
came toward Jesus, but when hesaw the wind, he was afraid and
began to sink.
He cried out Lord, save me.
Immediately, jesus reached outhis hand and caught him.
(13:23):
You of little faith, he saidwhy did you doubt?
Do you see how, the momentPeter began focusing on his
fears of the storm that ragedaround him and he averted his
eyes from Jesus to hiscircumstances, that he began to
sink?
In the same way, when I beginto take my eyes off of Christ
(13:44):
and focus on my own problems, Itend to sink to my lowest points
.
I need to cry out to him tosave me and keep my eyes on him,
not on my circumstances, torise above the storm.
This is what having gratitudedoes.
When I worship the Lord, I givehim thanks, no matter what the
(14:07):
situation or the circumstancethat I am in, and I declare God
that he is good and I give himglory despite these
circumstances.
This is Thanksgiving, this isthe season of gratitude, and I
want to encourage you thisholiday season, this week.
(14:30):
I want to encourage you that,if you don't have this tradition
already in place, to begin it.
If you already have a tradition, add this one to it.
Encourage your family aroundthe table a place of festivity,
abundant with a daily provisionof our Lord, to go around and
(14:53):
state what they are thankful for.
In the last year, I recognizethat family dynamics range wide
and can be particularly trickyif not triggered at the holidays
.
Yet this does not have to be acomplex exercise, so perhaps you
will have to prime the pump alittle bit.
Go first, name a few things thatyou are thankful for, that is,
(15:18):
in your life.
If you are a believer in Christ, you better believe.
You are attributing gratitudeto the one who provided for you.
If you are not quite there yetto being a believer in Christ,
you still too can be grateful,and this tradition can be deeply
meaningful.
The opportunity provided for uson Thursday afternoon goes far
(15:39):
beyond the food, the family andthe football.
We have an opportunity forreflection, and this is a gift
all in itself, regardless ofwhere you are on your spiritual
journey.
You are listening today of whatit means to be thankful, to keep
our eyes on Christ and not onour earthly circumstances and I
(16:00):
pray that, if you are listening,you are not just undergoing
mere information transference,but rather you are sensing the
Spirit talking directly to youBecause, friends in my
experience talking directly toyou Because, friends in my
experience, the Holy Spirit isdeep and personal and with Him
(16:23):
there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweaving His redemptive work in
your life.
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now on a podcast,
as Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago from a hillside sermon, we
have an opportunity to join thekingdom of heaven.
We have reason to havesignificant hope and gratitude
in our lives right now.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you today toward
(16:47):
Him, and I would be remiss if weleft our time today without
providing an opportunity for usto respond.
And I want to pray for youright now.
So, for all of you listening, Iwant you, in your spirit, to
either agree with this prayerand lift those up praying it for
the first time to the Lord, tobe blessed and to be drawn to
him.
(17:08):
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
I believe that you are theMessiah that came to fulfill the
law and the prophets, that youare the Son of God, that you
died on the cross for theforgiveness of my sins and you
(17:29):
rose again on the third day formy victory.
I believe that in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior, and that the kingdom
of heaven is indeed forever.
I want to live my lifeaccording to your terms and I
want you to exchange my relianceon myself and any earthly
vessels.
I have placed hope and insteadI want to trust your plan and I
(17:53):
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and the models
to pursue restoration into mylife.
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I have neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
indifferent, incapable or havebeen unable to prioritize those
around me who need to feel thehope and the gratitude of Christ
(18:15):
.
Make me sensitive towards them,show me where I am called to be
a part of your mission and Ientrust myself to your equipping
and sending, as you will.
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing, a God
of truth, a God of gratitude, ofworship and a God of hope.
(18:36):
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Make me your salt, help me tobe your light.
Show me your ways, lord.
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven,
and may our priorities begin toreflect your heart and your
(18:57):
kingdom, for it's in your name,jesus, that we pray Amen.
If you have today agreed withthis prayer from the depths of
your heart, I either welcome youto the eternal family of God or
I commend you in your return tothe faith.
I want to encourage you to finda church faith family who
worships the Lord passionatelyor, as we said today, who
(19:20):
constantly and desires to givethanks to him, who is committed
to the teaching and thepreaching of the scriptures and
is committed to serving thecommunity and beyond.
Also, devote yourselves to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, learnand be discipled in as it
pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ.
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show His children in
(19:43):
His love letters that he haswritten to them, and hopeful
family.
It has been my pleasure toreturn today, after a few weeks
off, to spend the morning, theafternoon or evening growing and
learning with you.
I look forward to tuning innext time on the Hopeful
Perspective podcast, where wewill continue unpacking the
(20:03):
beauty and truth of the Sermonon the Mount Until.
Then.
I want to thank you for joiningme along this journey, allowing
me to share from my heart todayabout gratitude and thanksgiving
.
And, if you would be so kind asto follow, thank you for joining
me along this journey, allowingme to share from my heart today
about gratitude andthanksgiving.
And if you would be so kind asto follow, subscribe and, most
importantly, rate and write areview for others on your
platform who may need thehopeful perspective in their
(20:25):
life.
Did you know that you couldcontribute monetarily by
pressing our support the showlink that is embedded on your
platform in the episodedescriptions?
I want to encourage you.
If the whole perspective hasbeen beneficial in your life,
would you consider contributingmonetarily to our podcast?
If you believe in what we do, Iwould also cherish your prayers
(20:48):
as well as consider giving tothe cause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple donors
who already have made thiscommitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without you, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
with the messages we do, oranyone who needs to be reminded
that hope is real.
(21:08):
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time, remember
you are loved.
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own personal life story, which illustrates God's glory.
(00:20):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem.
I have moved from merely asurviving victim to a faithful
and thriving victor, who theLord has motivated to help
(00:42):
others to discover hope.
Victor, who the Lord hasmotivated to help others to
discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective.
If you have not heard this story, I encourage you to go to the
beginning and check it out now,and I now want to help you, too,
(01:06):
to have a biblical and hopefulperspective as you approach
differing situations in your ownlife, from the delightful to
the difficult and everything inbetween.
I want to thank you forlistening, and you have done so,
taking the time to downloadingour episodes, as when you
download, along with rating ourpodcast with an honest response,
you help the algorithmimmensely to spread our reach.
(01:28):
That said, our statsdemonstrate that while thousands
listen and stream the HopefulPerspective, less than 10%
actually download our episodes.
Please consider bridging thegap.
To help broaden that reach forus, we have also provided a few
options to contact our show withyour direct feedback, as well
as to support the podcastfinancially.
(01:48):
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
podcast episode you aredownloading on your podcast
platform.
So, before we get started today, I want to compel you to grab
your favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage, get comfortable and
come on this journey with me aswe discuss the glorious worship
(02:10):
of the Lord through gratitudeand thanksgiving.
Now I know it's been some timesince we have released a podcast
in our series Right Side Up,upside Down, where we are
discussing Jesus' teachings onthe Sermon on the Mount.
Three weeks, in fact, havepassed since episode 22 was
released and we discussed whatit meant, as disciples, to be
(02:31):
salt and light and for Jesus tofulfill or make full the law and
the prophets and how hecommanded and desired for us to
honor the spirit of the lawabove the letter of the law.
We will indeed continue thisseries in upcoming episodes but,
as we know, this upcomingThursday is Thanksgiving and I
could think of no better way tocome back this week than to have
(02:53):
a special episode discussingthe heart of gratitude and
worship toward our Creator andhow this impacts our faith and
worldview, particularly that ofhope Friends to open with.
I must say that the past fewweeks for me have been
challenging again, to say theleast, as it pertains to my
health, both physically and evenmentally.
(03:15):
And if nothing else, Icertainly have committed to you
that I want to remain authenticas I deal with the struggle of a
chronic pain disorderparalleled with chronic
post-traumatic stress disorderthat can trigger one another.
They create chaos on my dailywalk.
My heart is to be as integrousand remain as faithful to the
(03:38):
Lord, my family and my calling,despite these challenges and,
ideally, to fulfill all mycommitments.
Yet the truth is that sometimesthe most significant need I
have is to take the time to carefor my sleep, my physical and
mental health that is neglectedduring the most difficult of
seasons when I am experiencingmy flare-ups.
I confess this is not easy,being weak and vulnerable, nor
(04:03):
powerless.
Despite the practice I've hadover 44 years in a variety of
manners, I've wanted to producequality content on this podcast
in a consistent manner, and youcan ask my wife and others who
are witnessing this undertakinghow much it pains me to miss a
single week of production, letalone multiple weeks.
Yet, honoring God first andforemost, the last few weeks has
(04:24):
meant stepping back, and I knowthat my commitments to the
proper order and priority willresult in the blessings in the
long run, and that is theultimate goal.
I want to thank all of you foryour patience, your prayers and
your persistence.
Alongside of me, my middleteenager, a vivacious,
18-year-old, strong-minded andcompassionate young woman,
(04:47):
beautiful inside and out, has afaith that is inspiring to me as
she has grown in it.
Over the years, we have bondedover multiple things we have in
common, one being that she's astarting shooting guard on our
high school basketball team andis one of the better shooters in
the state of Oregon.
She's considering playing atthe next level.
Shooters in the state of Oregon.
She is considering playing atthe next level.
(05:08):
She has, in fact, a clever andfierce sense of humor and has
been honing her calling to be aworship leader.
She is recently learning theguitar and, though musically we
have nothing in common namelybecause I have no musical talent
and she has the voice of anangel I love how she has chased
her call to follow the Lord,leading others to the throne
room for his glory.
She hears him clearly, yet itso warms my heart that she still
(05:32):
desires to come to her dad fromtime to time to ask my
perspective about an invocation,benediction, prayer or passage
she is studying to share withthe group she is leading.
This is the context for whichthis week's podcast subject and
teaching is coming from,inspired from the heart and the
mind of the Lord, through thelens of my 18-year-old daughter,
(05:53):
who was a worshiper first andworship leader second.
The passage she asked for myhelp and perspective on is from
Colossians 3.
She focused on verses 15-17 asshe only was granted a minute
during her worship segment toencourage the youth she was
leading.
But for our sake, I want us tolook at the full context of what
(06:14):
Paul is saying in these verses.
So we will look at this briefchapter If you've been following
along with us in our mostrecent series Right Side Up.
Upside Down Jesus' Teaching onthe Sermon on the Mount.
Upside Down Jesus' teaching onthe Sermon on the Mount.
You know that Jesus is helpinghis followers to know more
clearly what it means to be oneof his disciples and, being that
most of his audience are Jewish, they are having to learn about
(06:37):
the kingdom of heaven amidsttheir current understanding of
what it meant to be Jewish andto follow the law.
We left off, as mentionedbefore, that Jesus came to make
full the law and the prophets.
We left off, as mentionedbefore, that Jesus came to make
full the law and the prophets.
He came to bring a new kingdomwhere salvation is attained by
faith in him, by his grace alone, which could only be better
(06:57):
understood by the time Paul iswriting Colossians, as Christ's
sacrifice would have been made.
With this in mind, colossians 3reads as a beautiful insert
into this series, where we leftoff being salt and light and we
would learn that the observingof the spirit of the law thou
shalt not lust rises above theletter of the law.
(07:18):
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
With that in mind, let's readtogether Paul's teachings to the
disciples in Colossae inchapter 3.
Since then, you've been raisedwith Christ.
Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above,not on earthly things, for you
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died and your life is now hiddenwith Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore,whatever belongs to your earthly
nature sexual immorality,impurity, lust, evil desires and
greed, which is idolatry.
Because of these, the wrath ofGod is coming.
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You used to walk in these waysin the life you once lived, but
now you must also rid yourselvesof all such things as these
anger, rage, malice, slander andfilthy language from your lips.
Do not lie to each other, sinceyou have taken off your old self
with its practices and have puton the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in theimage of its creator.
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Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, scythian, slave orfree, but Christ is all and is
in all.
Therefore, as God's chosenpeople, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
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gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other andforgive one another.
If any of you has a grievanceagainst someone, forgive as the
Lord forgave you, and over allthese virtues, put on love,
which binds them all together inperfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule inyour hearts, since as members
of one body, you were called topeace and be thankful.
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Let the message of Christ dwellamong you richly as you teach
and admonish one another withall the wisdom through psalms,
hymns and songs from the Spiritsinging to God with gratitude in
your hearts.
And whatever you do, whether inword or deed, do it all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God, the Father,
through him.
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Did you hear that?
You see, I know more thananything else.
In my current battles that Iwage, I need more than anything
to take my eyes off of thecircumstances that often depress
me or seem dire and to put themon the only thing that I know
are secure.
The apostle Paul tells us themost effective way of doing this
(09:46):
is to set our minds on thingsabove where Christ now is.
I know when I do this, notfocusing on the seemingly
unknown, the impossible, chaoticand deadly circumstances of the
world around me I am remindedof not only the sacrifices that
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Christ made for me to date, allthroughout my life, but I am
reinforced, encouraged andmotivated that he has my hand in
walking me through what I gothrough now by myself.
Without His perspective.
I am prone to flounder and fallon my face or, before I get
there, I become embittered,resentful and my attitude
(10:28):
reflects disbelief in a Redeemerand Restorer.
But my God heals and my Godsaves.
We are then reminded about ourold selves and to take inventory
of that earthly nature and justhow disgusting and how shameful
that I used to be.
I mean that person withoutChrist before I walked
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faithfully with him, that personthat I can become if I allow my
gaze to become focused on myworldly circumstances and I
become enticed by my fleshlydesires to medicate the pain I
feel when I become depressed anddisillusioned yes, I was this
person before and if I allowthat eye level to fall too low
(11:10):
or too long where Christ iscurrently seated that is what my
spiritual reality truly is ThenI can resort back to the person
with the coping mechanisms andthe attitudes I do not desire to
be, for, as verse 12 reminds us, I am part of his chosen people
.
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Do you notice the commandsissued in this particular verse?
We are to clothe ourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.
Friends, this is a call toself-care, and I'm not sure
about you, but I am having togrow in the discipline of
applying these fruits of theHoly Spirit to my own self, so
that I am a vessel that iscapable of caring for others as
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he has cared for me.
I'm not sure where you aretoday.
Perhaps you are in a place ofgreat abundance, joy, and where
it is easy to have that attitudeof gratitude.
If so, I do pray that you donot take for granted this season
that you are in and that youattribute your abundance to the
one who blesses us with ourdaily provision.
(12:16):
Or perhaps you are in a placemore similar to me, where the
days seem longer and you arebattling.
The circumstances we are in areweighing on us and you are
having difficulty.
You and I both need to givethanks during this time, but the
key is this we need to avertour eyes.
(12:38):
In Matthew, chapter 14, we canrecall this event when the
disciples were experiencing aliteral storm on the waters.
Then they see the Lord Jesus inthe distance, looking like a
ghost, walking on the water inthe middle of the storm.
We pick it up in verse 28.
Lord, if it's you, peterreplied, tell me to come to you
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on the water.
Come, he said.
Then Peter got down out of theboat, walked on the water and
came toward Jesus, but when hesaw the wind, he was afraid and
began to sink.
He cried out Lord, save me.
Immediately, jesus reached outhis hand and caught him.
(13:23):
You of little faith, he saidwhy did you doubt?
Do you see how, the momentPeter began focusing on his
fears of the storm that ragedaround him and he averted his
eyes from Jesus to hiscircumstances, that he began to
sink?
In the same way, when I beginto take my eyes off of Christ
(13:44):
and focus on my own problems, Itend to sink to my lowest points
.
I need to cry out to him tosave me and keep my eyes on him,
not on my circumstances, torise above the storm.
This is what having gratitudedoes.
When I worship the Lord, I givehim thanks, no matter what the
(14:07):
situation or the circumstancethat I am in, and I declare God
that he is good and I give himglory despite these
circumstances.
This is Thanksgiving, this isthe season of gratitude, and I
want to encourage you thisholiday season, this week.
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I want to encourage you that,if you don't have this tradition
already in place, to begin it.
If you already have a tradition, add this one to it.
Encourage your family aroundthe table a place of festivity,
abundant with a daily provisionof our Lord, to go around and
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state what they are thankful for.
In the last year, I recognizethat family dynamics range wide
and can be particularly trickyif not triggered at the holidays
.
Yet this does not have to be acomplex exercise, so perhaps you
will have to prime the pump alittle bit.
Go first, name a few things thatyou are thankful for, that is,
(15:18):
in your life.
If you are a believer in Christ, you better believe.
You are attributing gratitudeto the one who provided for you.
If you are not quite there yetto being a believer in Christ,
you still too can be grateful,and this tradition can be deeply
meaningful.
The opportunity provided for uson Thursday afternoon goes far
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beyond the food, the family andthe football.
We have an opportunity forreflection, and this is a gift
all in itself, regardless ofwhere you are on your spiritual
journey.
You are listening today of whatit means to be thankful, to keep
our eyes on Christ and not onour earthly circumstances and I
(16:00):
pray that, if you are listening,you are not just undergoing
mere information transference,but rather you are sensing the
Spirit talking directly to youBecause, friends in my
experience talking directly toyou Because, friends in my
experience, the Holy Spirit isdeep and personal and with Him
(16:23):
there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweaving His redemptive work in
your life.
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now on a podcast,
as Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago from a hillside sermon, we
have an opportunity to join thekingdom of heaven.
We have reason to havesignificant hope and gratitude
in our lives right now.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you today toward
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Him, and I would be remiss if weleft our time today without
providing an opportunity for usto respond.
And I want to pray for youright now.
So, for all of you listening, Iwant you, in your spirit, to
either agree with this prayerand lift those up praying it for
the first time to the Lord, tobe blessed and to be drawn to
him.
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Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
I believe that you are theMessiah that came to fulfill the
law and the prophets, that youare the Son of God, that you
died on the cross for theforgiveness of my sins and you
(17:29):
rose again on the third day formy victory.
I believe that in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior, and that the kingdom
of heaven is indeed forever.
I want to live my lifeaccording to your terms and I
want you to exchange my relianceon myself and any earthly
vessels.
I have placed hope and insteadI want to trust your plan and I
(17:53):
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and the models
to pursue restoration into mylife.
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I have neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
indifferent, incapable or havebeen unable to prioritize those
around me who need to feel thehope and the gratitude of Christ
(18:15):
.
Make me sensitive towards them,show me where I am called to be
a part of your mission and Ientrust myself to your equipping
and sending, as you will.
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing, a God
of truth, a God of gratitude, ofworship and a God of hope.
(18:36):
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Make me your salt, help me tobe your light.
Show me your ways, lord.
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven,
and may our priorities begin toreflect your heart and your
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kingdom, for it's in your name,jesus, that we pray Amen.
If you have today agreed withthis prayer from the depths of
your heart, I either welcome youto the eternal family of God or
I commend you in your return tothe faith.
I want to encourage you to finda church faith family who
worships the Lord passionatelyor, as we said today, who
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constantly and desires to givethanks to him, who is committed
to the teaching and thepreaching of the scriptures and
is committed to serving thecommunity and beyond.
Also, devote yourselves to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, learnand be discipled in as it
pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ.
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show His children in
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His love letters that he haswritten to them, and hopeful
family.
It has been my pleasure toreturn today, after a few weeks
off, to spend the morning, theafternoon or evening growing and
learning with you.
I look forward to tuning innext time on the Hopeful
Perspective podcast, where wewill continue unpacking the
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beauty and truth of the Sermonon the Mount Until.
Then.
I want to thank you for joiningme along this journey, allowing
me to share from my heart todayabout gratitude and thanksgiving
.
And, if you would be so kind asto follow, thank you for joining
me along this journey, allowingme to share from my heart today
about gratitude andthanksgiving.
And if you would be so kind asto follow, subscribe and, most
importantly, rate and write areview for others on your
platform who may need thehopeful perspective in their
(20:25):
life.
Did you know that you couldcontribute monetarily by
pressing our support the showlink that is embedded on your
platform in the episodedescriptions?
I want to encourage you.
If the whole perspective hasbeen beneficial in your life,
would you consider contributingmonetarily to our podcast?
If you believe in what we do, Iwould also cherish your prayers
(20:48):
as well as consider giving tothe cause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple donors
who already have made thiscommitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without you, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
with the messages we do, oranyone who needs to be reminded
that hope is real.
(21:08):
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time, remember
you are loved.
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