Pastor's Points - November 2026

Church Family

As we enter the Thanksgiving season, it is a good time to stop and consider the reasons we have to be thankful. When we think about thankfulness, our minds naturally go to the many blessings God has given us: our families, our health, our church, and the many ways He provides for us each day. We should certainly be thankful for these things. But have you ever considered that our thankfulness should be rooted not only in what God has done for us, but also in who He is?

This is the focus of our current sermon series, “God Centered Thankfulness.” We are looking at five different Psalms that direct our attention to the character, goodness, mercy, faithfulness, and greatness of our God. We have reason to be thankful because God is good, His love never fails, and His faithfulness never ends.

Psalm 103 calls us to bless the Lord and remember His many benefits, including His forgiveness, compassion, and steadfast love. As David writes in Psalm 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” As we continue through this series, we will be reminded that the foundation of genuine thankfulness is not simply our circumstances or the blessings we receive, but the unchanging character of God Himself.

Think about it for a moment. What happens when life does not go as we planned? What happens when we face disappointment, uncertainty, illness, or loss? If our thankfulness depends entirely on what God is doing for us at a particular moment, it can become difficult to give thanks when life is hard. But when our thankfulness is rooted in who God is, we have reason to praise Him even in difficult seasons. Our circumstances may change, but God does not. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We can trust His character even when we do not understand our circumstances.

I am looking forward to this series and am grateful that Pastor Paul, Jim Nelson, and Pastor Bryan will be preaching during the three weeks I will be away on a mission trip to Japan with a group from our church. I am thankful for their willingness to serve our congregation by opening God’s Word and helping us grow in our understanding of Him. I look forward to hearing from them as they lead us through this important theme.

I will be back with you on the final Sunday (Nov. 22nd) of the series, and I am especially looking forward to gathering that evening for our church-wide Thanksgiving Dinner. This has always been one of the highlights of our church calendar, providing a wonderful opportunity to enjoy fellowship, share a meal, and give thanks together for God’s goodness to our church family.

My prayer is that this series will do more than remind us to count our blessings. I pray it will help us lift our eyes above our circumstances and focus our hearts on the God who is the source of every good gift. As Psalm 29:2 declares, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.” God is worthy of our praise not merely because of what He gives us, but because of who He is.

I love you, and I love being your pastor!