RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 13 September 2020 – Lesson 2
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TOPIC: Essentials Of Thanksgiving [RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 13 September 2020]
MEMORY VERSE: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ” – Ephesians 5:20
BIBLE PASSAGE: Psalms 105:1-7 KJV (RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 13 September 2020)
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
INTRODUCTION: People are other too brief and ignore details or too busy to glorify God and thank Him for His blessings (Psalms 103:2). Usually, many believers focus on what God has not done than on what He has done. Giving of thanks is the most distinctive marks of a true believer (1 Thess. 5:158). Therefore, knowing the basis of thanksgiving is a necessity for Christians.
LESSON OUTLINES
- The Right Perspective
- Acceptable Thanksgiving
1. THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
Thanksgiving is the act of appreciation or showing gratitude to someone especially for good deeds. The bible commands believers to thank God(Psalm 50:14; Philippians 4:6). This is good (Psalms 92:1) and pleasing to God regardless of circumstances or conditions (1 Thess. 5:8). The call to give thanks to God is clearly expressed in the bible (1 Chron.16:8; Psalms 105:1, etc). Every believer must appreciate what God is doing and declare privately (Dan 6:10) and publicly (Psalm 35:18).
Thanksgiving should, therefore, be cultivated like a habit (Colossians 3:17).
Giving thanks to God keeps us in the right perspective of our relationship with Him (Psalm 30:4; 106:1). When our hearts are filled with thanksgiving, we keep the sins and temptations of greed, selfishness, and self-sufficiency away (Romans 7:23-25). As we thank God daily, we are reminded of all God has given us and that everything we have is from God (John 3:27; James 1:17). We should always thank God for the gift of Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15), His power and reign (Rev. 11:17) and for the salvation of our souls (Psalm 103:2-4). We are also to be thankful, not only for the things we like, but for the circumstances we do not like (1 Thess. 5:18). We do not thank Him for evil, but that He is sustaining us through it (James 1:12:13). We do not thank Him for harm He did not cause, but we thank Him when He gives us the strength to endure it (1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 12:9). We should thank Him for His great promises, knowing that all things will work for our good (Romans 8:28). When we give God our thanksgiving the way the bible tells us, we release supernatural authority over whatever situation we are facing (Romans 8:37).
2. ACCEPTABLE THANKSGIVING
To give acceptable thanks, we must present ourselves as living sacrifices before God (Roman 12:1-2). In other words, God must accept us before He can accept our thanksgiving/offerings (Gen. 4:3-5). This implies that only genuine children of God (John 1:12; Romans 8:1) with ‘clean hands and pure minds/conscience’ can give acceptable thanks to God (Psalm 24:3-5). We must, therefore, live uprightly (Psalm 15:1-5), believe God for who He is and what He does with an assurance in our hearts of greater things He would do (Psalm 107:8. Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 5:20).
Anyone with a heart of gratitude should not be coerced into thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:7). Rather, it should flow from the inner man to the outside (Psalm 95:2; 100:4).
CONCLUSION: We should not give thanks only when we are told to but must .and thanksgiving a daily and continuous attitude (Psalm 119:164).
QUESTIONS:
- What is the right perspective to giving thanks?
- What makes believers’ thanks acceptable unto God?
ASSIGNMENT: Mention five (5) areas of life which believers are encouraged to give thanks.
RCCG Sunday School HYMN
- O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
