Hebrews 13:15 - Thanksgiving Acts of Kindness: Cultivating a Chain Reaction of Love

Episode Title: "Thanksgiving Acts of Kindness: Cultivating a Chain Reaction of Love"

Exploring the Connection:   - Delving into the profound connection between gratitude and acts of kindness.   - Reference to Hebrews 13:15 emphasizing continuous praise and acknowledgment of God's name.

Psalm 107:22 - Sacrifices of Thanksgiving:   - Exploring Psalm 107:22 and the idea of acts of kindness as sacrifices of Thanksgiving.   - Acts of kindness as tangible expressions of gratitude, reflecting God's love in our lives.

Transformative Power of Acts of Kindness:   - Highlighting the life-changing impact of acts of kindness, both big and small.   - Acts of kindness as a ripple effect, inspiring others and fostering a sense of community.

Love in Action - 1 John 3:18:   - Emphasizing the importance of putting love into action.   - Acts of kindness as demonstrations of love and gratitude toward God.

Galatians 5:13 - Serving Through Kindness:   - Reflecting on Galatians 5:13 and the call to serve one another in love.   - Encouraging the use of freedom as an opportunity to serve others.

Practical Tips for Acts of Kindness:   - Tip #1: Start small - Small gestures can have a big impact.   - Tip #2: Listen actively - Providing empathy and attention as acts of kindness.   - Tip #3: Volunteer - Contribute time and skills to help those in need.   - Tip #4: Random acts of kindness - Surprising others with gestures of goodwill.   - Tip #5: Family acts of kindness - Bonding and teaching values of gratitude as a family.

Conclusion:   - Acts of kindness as expressions of love that draw us closer to God.   - Encouragement to spread kindness and create a chain reaction of love and goodwill.   - Challenge to perform at least one act of kindness daily and share stories on social media.

Connect and Stay Inspired:   - Subscribe for daily inspiration and reminders.   - Visit: www.walkinginhisword for resources and community.   - Social media presence on Facebook and Instagram: "Walking in His Word Podcast."

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Greetings, friends.
Welcome back to Walking InHis Word your source
for Bible-centered episodesthat are both succinct and impactful.
I'm Jason Gohl your host.
And today we're
continuing our daily journey of gratitude,leading us into the holiday season.
So get ready to dive into the
timeless wisdom of the Bible and discoverhow Thanksgiving can transform your life.
But before we begin, please remember
to subscribe to our podcastto receive daily inspiration.

(00:23):
Please also visit our websiteat: www.walkinginhisword.com
for additional resources and information
and how you can connectwith our community.
Now let's explorethe heart of Thanksgiving together.
In this episode, we'll look at howacts of kindness and service
can be profound expressionsof our Thanksgiving to God.
We'll discuss the beautiful connectionbetween gratitude

(00:43):
and the desire to spread kindnessand love to others.
So let's lookfirst at a verse from Hebrews 13,
verse 15, in the English standard versionthat says Through him,
Then let us continually offer upa sacrifice of praise to God
that is the fruit of the lipsthat acknowledge His name.
This verse is a beautiful reminderthat our praise and Thanksgiving to

(01:05):
God should be continuous and heartfelt.
But what does this have to dowith acts of kindness?
Well, kindness.They're not just empty gestures.
They're tangible ways to acknowledgeGod's name.
When we perform acts of kindness,we are acknowledging God's
love and grace in our livesand sharing it with others.
Let's also look at Psalm 107, verse 22,which says, Let them offer

(01:26):
sacrifices of Thanksgivingand tell of his deeds in songs of joy.
This verse from Psalms emphasizesThe connection between Thanksgiving
and sacrifices alludes to our expressionof gratitude to God as a form of worship.
In the context of this episode,
it will help us appreciatethat acts of kindness can be considered.
Sacrifices of Thanksgiving.

(01:48):
Acts of kindness are like songs of joy,a melody that resonates with God
and brings warmth to the hearts of thosewe touch with our kindness.
Just a simple act of reaching outand helping a friend in need.
Or maybe you're at the grocery store
and you see somebodystruggling with their cart
and you offer to help themput their bags in their car or something.
And then you just say, God bless you,have a great day.

(02:10):
That is a powerful act,demonstrating God's work in your own
heart and offering kindnessas a demonstration of that fact.
Acts of kindness, both big and small,have the power to touch hearts
and make a lasting impact.When we extend a helping hand
to show compassionor lend an ear to someone in need.
We're acknowledgingand demonstrating the grace and love
that we've received from God.

(02:30):
Acts of kindness are a testamentto the life changing power of gratitude.
When we perform these actswith a grateful heart, it's like turning
our gratitude into a forcethat can change other lives as well.
Each act of kindness createsa ripple effect,
inspiring others to be kindand fostering a sense of community
that acts of kindness are not limitedby time, place or resources.

(02:52):
They can be offered daily,
making a profound impacton people around us on a very large scale.
A kind word, a small gesture,or even a selfless hand
can brighten someone's dayand create that sense of unity.
Kindnessalso promotes a culture of empathy
and compassion in a world todaythat feels divided.
We can show kindnessand remind people of our shared humanity.

(03:13):
First, Jan 318 says Little children.
Let us not love in a word or talk,but indeed in truth.
This verse from First Jon underscoresthe importance of putting love
into action.
Acts of kindness are tangible.
They demonstrate our love, reflectingour gratitude to God who first love us.
Acts of kindnessdemonstrate the authenticity

(03:35):
of our love and gratitude.
Let me ask you a question.Which one is better?
If you see a friend in need to reach outand say, God bless you, brother, be well
and then walk away or if you reach outand help them meet their need.
That'swhat this verse and first John is saying
we love, indeed, and in truth,not in talk.
So I'd like for you to think of a few waysand how you can express your gratitude

(03:57):
through acts of kindnessand in impact in your community.
We'd like to live outthat verse from Hebrews 13, verse
15 that we heard at the beginning.
It says, To continually offer upsacrifices of praise
with the fruit of our lips, butalso couple that with First John three,
which says we love not just in wordor talk, but indeed and in truth.

(04:17):
Think about waysyou can bridge the gap between individuals
and cultivate a sense of unitywherever you are in the world.
Essentially, when we're reaching out,we're saying, We're in this together.
You're not alone.
Kindness doesn't require a grand gesture.
They thrive in small, everyday moments.
Like I mentioned, just helpingsomeone put their groceries in their car.
Anyone can can do an act of kindness.
And it's a beautiful exchange of our loveand care for each other.

(04:40):
We can literally demonstrateGod's love without even saying a word
just by offering up a friendly hand.
Galatians 513 says foryou are called to Freedom Brothers only.
Do not use your freedom as an opportunityfor the flesh, but through love,
serve one another.
This verse from Galatians reminds us ofour calling to serve one another in love.
It reflects the idea that acts of kindnessare expressions of love and service

(05:03):
to others through this,we can profoundly reflect our Thanksgiving
to God and encouragesus to use our freedom
not for self-indulgence,but as an opportunity to serve others.
Practicing acts of kindness can becomea fulfilling part of our daily lives.
And it's easier than you think.
So are you ready to put your loveinto action and not just word or deed?

(05:23):
Well, here are some practical tips to helpyou get started.
Tip number one Start.
Small kindness doesn't always have to bea huge grand gesture.
Think small like a simple complimentto someone or holding a door
open at a store or offeringto help a neighbor like I mentioned.
Tip number two. Listen. Actively.
Sometimes people just need someoneto listen.

(05:45):
Showing kindness by giving someoneyour full attention and being empathetic
when others share their thoughtsand feelings is a tremendous
blessing to a people.
Sometimes you just need to listenand be empathetic.
Tip number three Volunteer.
Look for opportunities to volunteerin your community or organization, ones
where you can contribute your timeand skills to help people in need.

(06:06):
Tip number fourLook for random acts of kindness.
Surprise someone with a random guyafter a random act
that can encourage them,maybe leave them an encouraging
note or pay for someone's coffeeor help a stranger in need.
This actually just happened to mea couple of weeks ago.
I was in the drivethru lane at my local coffee shop

(06:27):
waiting for my coffee in the morning
and I get up to the windowand I'm ready to pay.
And the the nice lady reached out,
says, the car in front of youpaid for your coffee here, you're free.
And I was so surprised and so enjoyed.
I don't even know the person was, butthey were doing a random act of kindness
just to pay for the coffee,have someone in front behind them.
And it blessed me so much. I was so happy.

(06:49):
And then I said,You know what? Let's keep this going.
And I said, okay, well,that person paid for me.
Let me pay for the person behind me.
And I took that simple randomact of kindness that blessed me.
And I said, you know,let's pay it forward.
Let's do this.
Do the same thing for someone else.
And I hope that persondid the same thing for them
and that persondid the same thing for them.
What a blessing that would be to justspread the love through random acts.

(07:12):
Finally, tip number fiveLook for family acts of kindness.
Encourage your family to participatein acts of kindness together.
It's a great way to bond
and teach the values of gratitudeand compassion to your loved ones.
So as we conclude this episode onThanksgiving linked to acts of kindness,
remember that
our kindness not only blesses others,but also draws us closer to God.

(07:33):
Expressing yourthanks and gratitude to Him
deepens our unityand our bond with Christ.
So I encourage you to embrace the joyof spreading kindness and to consider
how you can express your Thanksgivingto God through your actions.
Think of ways of how you can createa chain reaction of love and goodwill
in your community,in your family, in your area.

(07:54):
So let's continue to live out Hebrews13, verse 15
by offering our sacrifices of praiseto God through
the fruit of our lips and the actionof our hearts in our hearts.
So maybe challenge yourself to performat least one act of kindness a day.
Very simple.
Think small like we said, and we'd loveto hear your stories of kindness.
Connect with us on social media and share.

(08:15):
And maybe your act of kindnesscould inspire someone else.
Thank you
for being a part of our daily gratitudejourney here on Walking In this Word.
I really appreciate all of youand all of the listeners that we have,
and I encourage you all
to take these steps of making gratitudea part of your daily life.
I hope you've been inspired and encouragedto cultivate gratitude in your own life

(08:36):
and continue on in your journey of faithby being grateful
and showing acts of kindness to others.
Remember, our gratitude journey herecontinues every weekday,
the month of November,
so don't forget to subscribe and join usfor more daily inspiration
for additional resourcesand to connect with our community.

Visit us at (08:55):
www.walkinginhisword.com
You can also find us on Facebookand Instagram
by searching for @WalkinginhisWordpodcast.
Now let's carry the spirit of Thanksgivingwith us as we embrace the day ahead.
Until next time, may your heart be filledwith gratitude and your faith
be strengthenedand keep walking in his word.