Gratitude in Our Hearts

SERMON TITLE:   “Gratitude in Our Hearts”
SERMON TEXT:    Colossians 3:12-17
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           November 8, 2020, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                What a week it’s been, right?!  COVID case numbers have been skyrocketing, some schools and businesses have had to shut down again, and we’ve all been on an emotional rollercoaster about the elections.  Our collective anxiety has been off the charts.  I guess that’s why I’ve been seeing news articles about the high levels of alcohol consumption and what to do when our coping mechanisms are beginning to cause problems of their own.  As we’ve been trying to deal with everything this year, apparently some of us have comforted ourselves with too much food, too much alcohol, and too many other mind-numbing diversions.  But that’s for another sermon.  Today, suffice it to say that—in the midst of all this turbulence—we all need healthy ways of managing our emotions and mental health.
                So, on these November Sundays before Thanksgiving, I thought it would be good to focus our attention on the positive act of praising and thanking God.  Last Sunday we talked about the fact that our covenant with God involves giving thanks.  Today, I invite you into the Letter to the Colossians, chapter three.  Let’s look at these verses and see what words of wisdom the Apostle Paul has for us about gratitude in our hearts.

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