Have a Great Full Heart!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; be thankful to him and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

As Christians, we are encouraged to make “giving thanks” a daily discipline. However, one day out of each year, Thanksgiving Day, is specifically set aside for us to count our blessings and to offer our gratitude to God with focused intentionality.

As you plan your schedule for Thanksgiving, I hope that you and your family will enjoy a fun and festive gathering that will rekindle your appreciation for God’s blessings.

If you are in Pensacola this week, consider participating in our Community Thanksgiving Service at First United Methodist Church on Wednesday evening at seven o’clock. If you are traveling, we wish you safe travels to and from your destination.

This Sunday we begin our Advent Series, Discover the Joy! After lighting the Prophecy Candle, we will hear Luke’s challenge for us to Lighten Up! (21:34-36). At the beginning of the midmorning worship service we will share in a celebration of baptism. What a great way to begin our Advent journey!

On Sunday afternoon, consider being a part of Deck the Halls and Bless These Walls. Teams will begin decorating our campus at 2 p.m. At six o’clock we will begin a brief, but meaning-filled, Advent Vespers, interpreting the meaning of our Advent décor. Join us in praying that in every event, every worship service, and every concert, each person that steps foot on our campus will hear about the “good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

During this season of Thanksgiving, may our feasts and our festivities remind us of our blessings and encourage us to live our days with great full hearts.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study, and as we discover or re-discover the joy of knowing and following Christ.