• Thanksgiving and Grace: Giving Thanks for God’s Unmerited Favor (Romans 5:12–21)

    November 23, 2025 
    Romans 5:12-21 (NKJV)
    2 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
    13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, must more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 
    18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

    Where would we be without grace? 

    This week, many of us will gather around a table with our loved ones; we will pause and think about what we have to be thankful for. We may be thankful to God that we have been able to pay bills, the little miracles that occur in our checkbook, or at least the rubber checks that haven’t bounced. We may be thankful for the roof over our heads, the food on our table, and the clothes on our backs. 

    As tragedy after tragedy affects our country and across the world, we should appreciate our lives, as we are reminded of those who have recently died in tragedy. At the time Dr. DARF wrote this sermon (in 2001), it was shortly after the tragedy of 9/11 and the bombing of the World Trade Center. Since then, we’ve continued to see tragedy. We see tragedy in our youth with some of the highest percentages in depression, anxiety, and stress. We see tragedy in the school systems, a place once safe for our youth, now a place of tragedy and fear. We see tragedy in our nation, our government, with its greed. Tragedy is everywhere and with so much tragedy, we must recognize that there will be many families overcome with grief and likely not in the mood to celebrate the Thanksgiving season. The holidays will bring difficulty. 

    But there is God! And we give thanks to God. This week, I’d like to share a song from the 1970s by Andre’ Crouch, To God Be The Glory. Many of us recognize this song…”To God be the glory / For the things he has done / With his blood he has saved me / With his power he has raised me / To God be the glory / For the things he has done…” 

    Check out Natalie Grant’s version of Andrae Crouch’s “To God be The Glory” (2020).

    This song reflects the message of this text. While none of us have ever done anything to deserve God’s goodness, through Christ, He has given us His grace. It has been said “that grace is unmerited favor,” therefore, grace cannot be earned. It is only because of God’s great and wonderful everlasting love that He offers grace to wretched sinners. Of course, at this point, we have to look at our own views. 

    • Do we see ourselves as a righteous person, and do we consider ourselves totally free of sin? 
    • Do we see ourselves as a wretched sinner, that can only be saved by God’s amazing grace? 

    Like many of you, I have met some of those who feel they have gone on to perfection. It doesn’t do much good to argue with those people, as most of them are convinced they are good people. As for myself, I am a wretched sinner. I may hold the appearance at times as looking somewhat holy but I know what’s inside of myself. And, in case I forget, God has given me family and friends who are always kind enough to remind me of my faults to keep me in line. And, in recognizing my wretched state, my thanksgiving expressed to God for his amazing grace can only be stated through gratitude. 

    Thanksgiving is showing Gratitude for Grace

    Unlike the impatient youngster whose parents force him to refrain from diving into that gloriously roasted, juicy, golden drumstick at Thanksgiving dinner, one realizes that although the din

    ner may taste good, there is nothing like the everlasting banquet God is preparing for those He has redeemed. Food is tasty, and while many of us will enjoy 80-90 Thanksgiving meals during our lifetime, there is still no comparison for the ultimate satisfaction that God brings. So, we turn to that youngster and say “Do you realize there is something here that is better than that turkey drumstick? We also have ham and stove-top stuffing!”

    But, there is something better than stuffing – how about being stuffed full of God’s grace? Is it possible that being stuffed full of God’s grace has something to do with our tradition of saying grace? This idiom is a common expression that we’ve used for many years to describe the act of giving thanks before a meal. It can be traced back to ancient times when people believed that food was a gift from the gods, and in our case, THE God. So, since saying grace is what we do…let’s say grace! 

    Let us say grace as more than a mere statement of thanksgiving offering at a traditional place and time. Let us say grace as a joyful expression celebrating God’s amazing love working in us. Our saying grace may be a worshipful demonstration, giving a marvelous testimony to the heartfelt profession of faith in God’s acts of salvation. Whatever it means to you to say grace, don’t do like some people and say grace without commitment, without emotion, and without feeling. God deserves for us to say grace, in recognition of His amazing grace, with hearts filled with praise, and grace on our lips. In short — say grace, and make sure you mean it. 

  • Corcoran Collection (The Evans-Tibbs Collection, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.)

    God’s Promise Fulfilled: The Good Shepherd in Ezekiel 34

    November 16, 2025

    Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 (NRSV): 
    11 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land.  14 I will feed them with good pastures, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. 

    20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder; and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. 

    The number of “I will” statements in the Ezekiel 34 scripture inspires today’s message. In this passage alone, the Lord says “I will” at least 15 times, which leaves us with the impression that God makes promises and is willing to act on those promises.  At this current time, we are in the middle of the Thanksgiving season, with Christmas and Advent just around the corner. And with this, we are drawing close to the end of another year, which leaves many of us wondering what the next year will bring. 

    Returning to the Biblical text, these words come to us from the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel lived during one of the darkest chapters in Israel’s history, the Babylonian exile, around 593 B.C. He was among the first group of captives taken from Jerusalem to Babylon after King Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion in 597 B.C. Ezekiel and many others settled near the Chebar Canal, a network of irrigation channels near Babylonia. Life in exile was not the brutal imprisonment we might imagine; the people had homes, fields, and even opportunities to work and prosper. They were far from free, but they were allowed to live, to build, and to worship God as best they could in a foreign land.

    Ezekiel carried God’s truth to the people who had lost nearly everything. They had lost their land, their temple, their hope. He ministered among the exiles who struggled to understand why God had allowed such devastation, reminding them that even in Babylon, God was still present. History tells us that Babylon was a city of splendor, filled with temples, palaces, and idols. Ezekiel had seen its wealth and power firsthand, yet he also saw how empty it was compared to the glory of God.

    While Ezekiel lived comfortably and had a measure of stability, his heart and ministry were not concerned with material life. His mission was spiritual: to proclaim that God’s presence was not confined to Jerusalem, and that His desire was to restore His people, to cleanse their hearts, and to renew His covenant with them. Even in exile, Ezekiel called his people to remember who they were and to trust that God had not abandoned them, but was preparing them for renewal.

    In today’s scripture, we see a picture of God being the True Shepherd. Bernhard Anderson, an Old Testament scholar, states, “Yahweh is the God Shepherd who goes out to seek for sheep that are lost, crippled, or strayed, in order to restore them to their home pasture.” 

    Ezekiel 34:11 states: 

    For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.” Again, the I Will statements are made to indicate how far God is willing to go and all that God is willing to do. An interesting observation about the I Will Statements is that there is no direct word-for-word translation from the ancient Hebrew (as the Old Testament was written in Hebrew). Instead, there is a Hebrew word given for each phrase, for example, “I will search” or “I will rescue” is stated with one word, ‘er’eh, which means “I will shepherd.” God merely begins to say ‘I will” meaning he is determined to do so. Then, according to a list of Hebrew words, there is a list of what God will do: 

    1. I will require
    2. I will search
    3. I will rescue
    4. I will lead
    5. I will gather
    6. I will shepherd
    7. I will seek
    8. I will bring back
    9. I will bind up
    10. I will strengthen
    11. I will destroy
    12. I will judge
    13. I will save
    14. I will establish
    15. I will be

    God could have also added, “I will be very busy!” For again, with everything it says God will do, God will do it for these people. Therefore, I have to believe that this must have been a hope-filled message to the original hearers. But, there’s more! 

    There is a Messianic prophecy. While God states he intends to do this all Himself, toward the end of the text, he says: 

    23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. 

    It’s important to note that God doesn’t plan on resurrecting King David. King David reigned roughly from 1010 to 970 B.C.

    During David’s reign, Israel was united as one kingdom. King David was at least 400 years prior to this message from Ezekiel and King David had established Jerusalem as the capital, brought the Ark of the Covenant there, and made worship central to national life. By Ezekiel’s time, the unified kingdom David had established was long gone. Jerusalem, the city David had made the heart of Israel’s faith, was in ruins. The temple Solomon (King David’s son) had built was destroyed. So, God isn’t actually referring to King David directly in this text. Instead, he is talking to the descendants of David. The gospels of Matthew and Luke record taht Jesus was born a descendant of David. So, quite naturally, Jesus comes along (maybe 600 years later but it still aligns directly with what’s been prophesied about Christ), and said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, NRSV). Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the one who would care for the sheep. 

    What do we learn from this message today? 

    Jesus is the good shepherd, the one and true shepherd who genuinely cares for his people today. Just like in Ezekiel’s time, and then just like Jesus’ time, we still see the same people often led astray by religious leaders. For this reason, many people may argue with us when we tell them that they need to go to church. Almost immediately, some people will boast, “I don’t want to go to church because it is filled with hypocrites.” But this line gets old. You aren’t going to find a “perfect” Christian. 

    Another way of applying this text is by seeing it through the context of the liturgical calendar. We are in the season of Thanksgiving and nearing the end of the liturgical year. It is appropriate to begin looking at Messianic prophesies because they reveal to us what God has done in history to prepare for the coming of His Son into the world. Year after year we start to see our world become more absorbed in the commercialized idea of Christmas. The problem I see is that the season of Christmas isn’t long enough for people to fully rasp its real meaning. For many people, Christmas begins when they put up their outdoor lights or when they buy their Christmas tree. Christmas begins when Walmart starts putting up the holiday bundles, candy, and decorations. Christmas is definitely long enough for the corporate businesses that are profiting off the holiday. 

    But the spirituality of Christmas, we have to recognize that we are celebrating not just a child placed in a manger but we are celebrating Advent, the season that works its way up to the meaning of Christmas. So, maybe we are starting off early since Thanksgiving isn’t for a few more weeks, but let us understand that Thanksgiving is not so much a religious holiday. There is no biblical foundation for celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The Bible tells us to be thankful to God (Psalm 100), but for Christians, this is a reminder to be thankful, express gratitude, to be glad that we have a God who is willing to do so much for us. 

    The “I Will” Statement reveals more than just a promise that God made to Ancient Israel. God promised that He would give them a shepherd. Jesus came into the world as the Good Shepherd. He came to seek and to save the lost, and he’s still doing it. Let’s prepare our hearts for thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for all that He has done for us. And, as we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holiday rush, let us begin our spiritual preparation, rejoicing because the wonderful season of Advent will begin and Christmas is filled with such a wonder, that we do not want to miss any of it. 

    Adapted from “I Will…” by Rev. Dennis Alan RobertsFulbright, M.Div (November 21, 1999 – Paradise, CA)   

  • A Lifestyle of Thanksgiving | Deuteronomy 26:1–11 Sermon on Gratitude and Giving

    November 9, 2025 
    Deuteronomy 26:1-11 1 "When you arrive in the land of the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, 2 put some of the first produce from each harvest into a basket and bring it to the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. 3 Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, 'with this gift I acknowledge that the LORD your GOd has brought me into the land he swore to give our ancestors.' 4 The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 You must then say in the presence of the LORD your God, 'my ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. His family was few in number, but in Egypt they became a mighty and numerous nation. 6 When the Egyptians mistreated and humiliated us by making us their slaves, 7 we cried out to the LORD, the GOd of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power, overwhelming terror, and miraculous signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10 And now, our LORD, I have brought you a token of the first crops you have given me from the ground.' Then place the produce before the LORD your God and worship him. 11 Afterward go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration. 

    This passage from Deuteronomy describes the Israelites’ entry into the Promised Land as they took possession of the land they were permitted to farm. Once the crops were harvested, the Israelites were required to take some of the “first produce” (NLT) or “firstfruits” (NIV) and present it to the Lord in a worshipful ceremony. This ceremony consisted of a public acknowledgment, made to God, for all He had done for them. This wasn’t meant to be a small ‘thank you” for how does one offer a simple “thank you” to God who had provided so much. 

    This event has been repeated again and again, as men and women have entered new countries. As one has a consciousness of a higher power in existence, one realizes that God has done so much for humanity through many generations. And, for the most part, it is a tradition to say “thanks” to God for what he has done. 

    But, how does one express thankfulness? 

    In today’s fast-paced society, we fail miserably at saying “thank you” to people who deserve to be thanked. For some of us, we genuinely are thankful and know we need to express our gratitude, but time gets away from us, and before we know it, we believe too much time has passed, and our expression of thanks is too late. 

    Many of us have experienced this from both sides. We might have received something and failed to show gratitude for it. Or, we may have done something for someone or given them something, only to sit back and wait for those two simple words that will never come. We know that as each day passes, the hurt gouges deeper, and we realize that our awaited “thank you” has fallen into the sea of forgetfulness. Unfortunately for many, these feelings turn into bitterness as we promise to never do anything for that person again or never do or give again. 

    In our American culture, we have a designated holiday, Thanksgiving, for which we express our gratitude. Yet, even with one day set aside, we still manage to get caught up in the commercialized fog between Halloween and Christmas with the voice of Halloween hollering, “Give me treats!” and the voice of Christmas yelling, “Give me presents!” It’s easier to ignore the quiet voice of Thanksgiving as it reminds us to “give thanks.” Especially since big corporations can’t easily capitalize on and commercialize it. 

    What does it take to be thankful? 

    For Israel, it certainly could not be captured in one moment. There were no big screens blasting a casual “thank you God” commercial. No, for the Israelites, it was more about the lifestyle of thanksgiving. It was a tradition of giving thanks to God. It was part of their every day acts of faith that they would do over and over, say again and again, and out of this rich tradition, they would compose their words of thanks: 

    Psalm 107:1-9 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! 
    His faithful love endures forever. 
    2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! 
    Tell others he has saved you from your enemies. 
    3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, 
    from east and west, from north and south. 
    4 Some wandered in the desert, 
    lost and homeless. 
    5 Hungry and thirsty, 
    they nearly died. 
    6 "LORD, help! they cried in their trouble,
    and he rescued them from their distress. 
    7 He led them straight to safety, 
    to a city where they could live. 
    8 Let them praise the LORD for his great love
    and for all his wonderful deeds to them. 
    9 For he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things. 

    What should be our praxis? (Praxis = Established Custom)

    The gospel of John describes Jesus as very blunt. At one point, Jesus turned to the crowd and directly said, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” (John 6:26, NIV). The basic principle here is this…If you want good church attendance, offer a meal afterward. If you want to attract young people, have a pizza party!

    All jokes aside, Jesus most certainly pointed out that He had a following of people who liked to eat. Furthermore, it may have been customary for great prophets to feed their people. Remember, when God fed Moses’ people in the wilderness (Exodus 16)? 

    But, Jesus pointed out (regarding Moses), “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32-33, NIV). 

    Again, we are reminded to thank God. 

    We turn back to the concept of Thanksgiving with this question: Do we only celebrate Thanksgiving because of the food? Not necessarily!

    Thanksgiving is THANKS
    followed by GIVING. 

    It really has little to do with a day for gluttony and more to do with a way of life. We receive from God, we give back to God. We receive again, we give again. We are thankful, and therefore we express our thankfulness by giving to others who are less fortunate or who are in need. Thanksgiving; thanks followed by giving is a wonderful opportunity. One can look up to heaven, offering up a heartfelt expression of thanks to God. We can realize and recognize God as the ultimate provider. We can give because we are blessed, and therefore, we are truly thankful. In this state of thankfulness, one truly receives the fullness of God’s blessings. Let us give thanks to God, continually! 

    Amen!