All of us will encounter difficulties in life. If we haven’t yet, we will. The important thing is to build up our faith and our relationship with Christ because He is our solid rock. He will help us be grateful and give thanks IN all circumstances. That doesn’t mean we have to be thankful FOR the difficulty. We can have an attitude of gratitude and find things we’re thankful for in the midst of the challenge. If I’m sick, I can still be thankful for the medicine available, the doctors who support me, the peace I feel from Jesus, my supportive family, etc.

Questions for further thought:
1. What is a difficulty you’re going through?
2. What is something you can be thankful for despite the difficulty?

Challenge: Spend time in God’s word each day, whether it be reading or listening to it online or through an app. Even reading a short passage each day will strengthen you and prepare you for when hard times come.

When we decide to have a gratitude mindset, it can have a ripple effect. We talked about the benefits of gratitude. Today, we’ll think about how to incorporate it into our daily thoughts and actions. The first and most important step is prayer and meditating on the blessings of God. When we think about how He’s given us the abilities we have, it can be humbling. His love for us is so great and He is so faithful.

Questions for further thought:
1. What are some ways you can stop conforming to the things of this world so that God can renew your mind with gratitude?
2. What are some blessings God has given you in the past? What are some ways He’s been faithful?

Challenge: Start a gratitude journal. There are several Christian gratitude journals available to purchase online. You can also begin with a simple notebook and start writing one thing per day that you’re grateful for.

A person’s life takes a different path when they decide to make gratitude a daily practice. According to Harvard Health Publishing, gratitude has been shown to help people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships. Many studies published on the topic support an association between gratitude and well-being. Gratitude is something God can develop in us if we allow Him to.

Questions for further thought:
1. What is one thing you’re grateful for today?
2. Who is someone you could share this with? 

Challenge: Ask a friend or family member if they will be your gratitude partner. Make a plan to text or email them something you’re thankful for. This could be daily or weekly.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, the word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratis, which means grace, graciousness or gratefulness (depending on the context). Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.  Being grateful leads to a state of joy. The dictionary says joy means a feeling of great pleasure and happiness or delight. 

Questions for further thought:
1. How often have you thought about gratitude? 
2. If gratitude isn’t something you’ve regularly practiced, why not? 

Challenge: Decide to become a person who practices gratitude and think about how you would practice this in your life.

When Paul instructs us to not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, he does not make exceptions for when we think we are right.  Even if we are correct, even if we are standing on the side of righteousness, we are still called to express only what is useful for building others up. We have to be sure we are expressing ourselves in a way that does not demean others. When interacting with those who share our point of view, we are to communicate in a way that doesn’t vilify “those on the other side.” When we make exceptions, we further ingrain the “otherness” of those outside our group.  We are to “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” and overall put on love, binding us in unity. We cannot do this and vilify others at the same time. We can stand firm for what is right without degrading those who disagree with us.

Questions for further thought:
1. When I post or share on social media, are my posts helpful for building others up?
2. When I talk to those I think agree with me, would I speak the same way if I knew they did not agree with me? 

​Challenge: Before posting on social media or engaging in conversations with those in your “camp” pause and reflect on how you are expressing your ideas. Are your words edifying?

Paul calls us to “carry each other’s burdens.” In Romans we are told to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. These are intimate acts of community. How will we bear each other’s burdens or rejoice with each other if we don’t know each other’s burdens or joys? It becomes very difficult to hate or vilify those who disagree with us when we really know them, when we have shared their burdens and joys and they have shared ours. Jesus tells us that all men will know that we belong to him if we love one another.

Questions for further thought:
1. Do I know the people in my Christian community well enough that they feel comfortable sharing their burdens and joys with me?
2. Am I willing to be vulnerable with my fellow believers and share my burdens and joys with them?

​Challenge: This week reach out to someone you know in your church community who is carrying a burden, offer prayer or assistance. If you need prayer or have a praise to share, find a fellow believer to share with.

As Christians we are called to live at peace and in harmony with everyone. To “accept those whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters.” This should be easy right?  If I am the one whose faith is strong, I can be charitable to those who are weaker. But, what if I am wrong and my faith is the weaker faith? This possibility requires deep humility. Throughout his letters, Paul calls us to humble ourselves before each other, to consider others better than ourselves. What if I am open to the possibility that sometimes I am the one who is wrong? I have an aunt who has an incredible way of listening to you. She listens with her “whole self,” with a humbleness that makes you want to share. What if we really listened to each other this way?

Questions for further thought:
1. Do I listen to understand or to be understood?
2. Am I open to being wrong? 

​Challenge: In at least one conversation this week, listen to understand. Ask lots of questions.

In the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman Jesus breaks through the barriers of race, gender, religion, and social status. Through his encounter with this one woman, he reaches her entire town. Not only does Jesus stay with them for two additional days, later in Acts, we read about numerous times the disciples ministered to the Samaritans as well (Acts 1:8, 8:4-6, 14, 25). Through this one encounter, where Christ chose to overlook the barriers humans had placed between people, he reached an entire culture of people. Not only do we need to break down the artificial barriers we place between ourselves and the world, we need to do the same with our fellow Christians. Paul tells us that in Christ we are all one. The social barriers we construct do not exist in God’s eyes.

Questions for further thought:
1. What artificial barriers am I placing between myself and others that may be impeding the message of God’s love to the world?
2. What artificial barriers am I placing between myself and my fellow Christians that are contributing to disunity among believers?  

​Challenge: Find one way this week you can reach across a socially defined barrier in your world such as gender, race, religion, politics, or social status. 

In John, Jesus prays for the unity of all believers including those believers not born yet. Why is unity so important? Our unity with each other isn’t just for our benefit. Jesus explains that through our unity the world will know him. What an immense responsibility we have. The world is looking at us, they are watching us. Our unity or disunity is a reflection of Christ and the veracity of Christ.  Paul reiterates this call to unity over and over again, always with the goal of bringing praise and glory to God. 

Questions for further thought:
1. Am I contributing to the disunity the world sees among Christians?
2. How can I promote unity among believers? 

​Challenge: This week instead of focusing on the ideas that separate you from other believers, focus on what binds you together.

This psalm contains 176 verses. At least 171 verses mention the Scriptures, The Law of Christ is the Scriptures, and it is important to read the Bible. All of scripture points to the Gospel, which teaches us how we should live!

Questions for further thought:
1. How has scripture helped you with your spiritual growth?
2. Is there a Bible passage that has challenged you lately?

​Challenge: Find a new Bible verse to learn and memorize!