Transcript
NextGen Matters: Hey friend, welcome to the Next Gen Matters podcast, a show for ministry leaders seeking to move beyond overwhelm and move into leading with clarity, confidence, and consistency. Rich Brown here, and I am bringing this episode to you right here from my home office.
NextGen Matters: And the question that I'm going to be asking you is as follows. Would you consider yourself a person of gratitude? Now, I know sometimes we're skewed and we... have self -reflective or self -evaluative questions. Sometimes we're too hard on ourselves or even too easy on ourselves. So maybe If we really want to know our... our our the depth to our gratitude. would be to ask our spouse.
NextGen Matters: Our kids, if you have teenagers. They would get real with you. That would be rough. If you're not married, you don't have kids around. even a close friend. And if someone close to you was asked,
NextGen Matters: Is so -and -so, aka you, if so -and -so is a person of gratitude, what... Would they say? Well, this is a topic that the Lord has really, really...
NextGen Matters: taking me through some difficult... reflections in my own life, realizing. While I have always been grateful to God for various things,
NextGen Matters: I can also lean into not always being. Gracious. and full of gratefulness. Uh, I can see that glass half empty. i with my spiritual gift the prophet i can start calling things out and realize I could be living angst.
NextGen Matters: Right. And the way that I am kind of that firstborn of everything has to be decently in an order. When I see things out of order, my high J, the high judge in me, if you know, the old Briggs -Myers test. I mean, I'm jacked up J.
NextGen Matters: That can sometimes be a detriment. And I have realized... Thankfully to the Holy Spirit that I have had a long ways to go. to become a person.
NextGen Matters: who is gracious and grateful and who exemplifies gratitude so this topic is on how we can lead how we can lead through gratitude. Now I want you...
NextGen Matters: as a listener to realize it. We're going to start with scripture, right? We're going to look into the what the word says on being a person of of gratefulness. and also thankfulness. But also I want to share some story. of I've already talked on some so humble pie, right? To really kind of walk through some of my own journey.
NextGen Matters: of where i was but really where god has been taking me so i have more of a yes spirit -filled Spirit led. perspective on being a person of of of gratitude.
NextGen Matters: And then before we tap out, I want to walk us through four simple ways that I think we can really help ourselves and then also helping those around us that we influence and how we can be a person of gratitude, influence others to be people of gratitude.
NextGen Matters: and i got a special surprise in the back end of what next year matters is doing really soon. I'm recording this on November 29th, and that surprise is coming up the next couple of days. So here we go.
NextGen Matters: As I look at the scriptures, we're going to unpack some scriptures and psalms, et etc. But before I go to the scripture, I want to ask a deeper question. Are we as a people naturally grateful?
NextGen Matters: My wife and I, Janet, we we sat down and talked about this podcast even last week. I asked her the question. Are we as as humans, are we naturally grateful? and And I think...
NextGen Matters: Maybe we're not. I mean, you see you see it in our culture and you see it in, at least I see it in me, hopefully you see it in you too, that by nature, we typically don't always show an attitude of gratitude, all right? We have a culture now that has a sense of entitlement.
NextGen Matters: You owe me. I deserve. Because I'm me? you know You take care of you. And you take care of me. And I won't take care of you, but I'll take care of me. We have this sense of entitlement.
NextGen Matters: And which then leads into this sense of. self. consumption. We're just consumed with ourselves. And I really think you know this comes out.
NextGen Matters: In the book of Romans, and in chapter 1 and verse 21, the apostle Paul says about that culture that was drifting away from him. The Apostle Paul says, for although...
NextGen Matters: They knew God. They did not honor him as God. and this is interesting, or give him thanks. Say it again. For although, and this is that depraved culture Paul's speaking into in Romans chapter 1. It's like the airplane's just...
NextGen Matters: kind of going down in a free for all, you know, going to hit the ground soon as a culture. And Paul says, for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God.
NextGen Matters: Or give him thanks. And I'm thinking, oh, dude, that is our culture today. So... scriptures. I'm thinking of Psalm. 95 in verse 2.
NextGen Matters: where David writes, let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. And it was courts with praise. We see that also in Psalm 100 verse 4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. And his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name.
NextGen Matters: Psalm 147 and verse 7, sing to the Lord with... Thanksgiving. Making melody. to our god on the lyre which was but l -y -r -e not
NextGen Matters: Liar. Okay. L -I -A -R. Liar back then was John Cooper's perspective on, you know, from Skillet on a guitar. A liar back then was like a guitar today. Okay. Just wanted to clear that up for the kids at home. And then Colossians 3 .16. My favorite book is Colossians. Colossians 3 .16, where Paul says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.
NextGen Matters: singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and I love this, with thankfulness. In your hearts to God. Setting ourselves up. to be people of the word who are then singing and worshiping God.
NextGen Matters: And out of that. We step into his presence with the heart of thanksgiving. So I think the first place we have to think about from scripture is we are called to be people who sing. songs of thanksgiving to God, I also think where I should be showing thankfulness is just not in my song and my worship and my singing, but also in my relationships.
NextGen Matters: My mind went to Romans 16 and verse 4. First couple of verses, Paul speaks about Phoebe. And as he gives this whole long list of people, he's going, yo, shout outs to so-and- so -and -so and shout outs to so -and -so, right? Verses three and four, he talks about some dear friends of his, a husband and wife couple.
NextGen Matters: Aquila and Priscilla. And he says this about them, how they risked their necks for his life. They put their necks on the line, to use that phrase, how they risked their net. next for his life.
NextGen Matters: to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. And then in Philippians 1 .4, where Paul is thankful to those people.
NextGen Matters: He's thankful. He says, when I think about you, I thank God for you. He says the same thing to the church at Colossae in Colossians 1. When I think about you, I give thanks for you. And I'm thinking, man, in our relationships, am I thankful for other people that God has put in my life? And I want to be that person who has a sense of gratitude toward yes to him. as I express it in song, but also yes for others, and I let them know that I'm thankful for them.
NextGen Matters: Now the next two can be troubling and and this is the next kind of circumstances I'm going to look at is how we should be thankful or when we should be thankful. That is in our times of difficulty.
NextGen Matters: In times of difficulty, my mind then went to Acts 16 because, you know, I just mentioned Philippians, our church. Here in in Forest, Virginia, Waymaker Church has been going through the book of Philippians the last two months.
NextGen Matters: And. You can't really do Philippians well. Unless you look at Acts 16 well. Because that's the birth of the church at Philippi. Paul and Silas.
NextGen Matters: Go into this city. And here's the deal. They typically, for their time of prayer, three in the afternoon, other times, there's five times that a Jewish person would go and pray, the time of prayer. So three in the afternoon, they were going to the synagogue. Uh -oh, there's no synagogue because in Philippi, there was not 10 men.
NextGen Matters: of jewish faith and tradition to actually have a quorum therefore there was no synagogue there was not much jewish presence this will come up in a moment when i share this so hang on with me kids okay so here's the deal there is not enough jewish men there's not jewish influence however the backup plan for prayer would be Then if you're an out -of -town guest,
NextGen Matters: You would go to the downtown, let's say, river or creek, and maybe if there wasn't enough men, hopefully, God willing, there's some amazing godly women, and there was. There were some women down there washing their clothes, and they were also meeting for the time of prayer. Paul and Silas. Join them in the time of prayer.
NextGen Matters: Well, as the day progresses and they are proclaiming the name of Jesus, all of a sudden the magistrates, the local people and the politicians get upset with them. And before you know it, their backs are beaten big time and they're in jail to spend an overnight. time there in the local prison in Philippi.
NextGen Matters: and And you... Probably know the story. It's the Philippine jailer, right? but Let me read to you. x 16 and verses 25 and 26. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns.
NextGen Matters: To the Lord. and The other prisoners were listening. to them. that's Hang on to that. The other prisoners are listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.
NextGen Matters: At once, all the prison doors flew open. Now, that's not normal. That's not normal. That was a God thing. and everybody's chains came loose. That's not normal. That's a God thing. Their chain just fell off, fell off the walls, fell off their arms and their hands, wherever they were locked to.
NextGen Matters: right the jailer wakes up Well, he slept through a lot, didn't he? The jailer wakes up and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought. the Prisoners had escaped.
NextGen Matters: Paul shouted, do not harm yourself. We're all here. I mean, do you think about Paul as an influencer? Here he is a prisoner and he has such an influence because of who he is in Christ.
NextGen Matters: He has such influence. that all those prisoners didn't bounce. They stayed. God got their attention with a miracle. And of course, that... that that jailer knows if they leave, it's their life.
NextGen Matters: for my life or my life, let's say for their life. I will be executed. Therefore, I'll just take it in my own hands and kill myself. And Paul's like, no, no, no, don't do it. What's amazing guys is the very next few verses this man looks at Paul and he says What must I do to be saved?
NextGen Matters: Now. I mentioned to you there's not a... jewish there's enough men to have a Jewish quorum to therefore have a Jewish synagogue. My point is, how does this... How does this man know?
NextGen Matters: Not only... terms of Judaism, but let's say Christianese, the term be saved. That's not a term. a gentleman from Philippi would use. that's This is a Roman...
NextGen Matters: colony it's a roman outpost it's a military outpost town in the area of Greece. There is not a Jewish... theological mindset to these people, let alone how does he, this dude in this this this jailer, how does he even know Christian terms?
NextGen Matters: here's I think it's not a difficult leap. Because about at midnight, they were praising and they were giving thanks to God. And of course, they were lifting up the name of Jesus. Their lyrics were bringing. praise and worship to Jesus. They weren't hiding the lyrics. Come on, y 'all. They weren't hiding their lyrics about God. They were declaring, boldly declaring. who Jesus was, and he is the Savior of the world. And therefore, that man and the other prisoners heard it. What am I getting at?
NextGen Matters: in the midst of difficult seasons A church was born. Yeah, the Church of Philippi was born. in the midst of difficult seasons because Paul and Silas.
NextGen Matters: Instead of blowing up on their their our iPhones, to use our 2026 phraseology, instead of blowing up on their iPhones how they're disgruntled and they're deconstructing and they're all upset and they got church hurt.
NextGen Matters: instead of going all down that road they say god we know you're in control And we worship and praise you. in the midst of this difficult time. So in the midst of difficulties, we have to learn to have a heart of gratitude. I'm raising my hand. I have to learn to have a heart of gratitude. And that's part of what God's been bringing me through.
NextGen Matters: Now. let's flip that instead of times of difficulty what about times of Let's say blessing. Then my mind went to... Luke 17. we have the story of the 10 lepers. who are healed by the Lord Jesus.
NextGen Matters: And of the 10, how many came back and said, hey, Jesus. Thank you. It was one. And then Luke adds, and he was a Samaritan.
NextGen Matters: In other words, the inference, I think, so screams loud and clear. The nine who were Jewish felt entitled. They felt maybe owed. They had to realize that, you know, Jesus healing leprosy is not like him just you working through your migraine headache or maybe helping your shoulder feel a little better.
NextGen Matters: or maybe youre getting through some other small aches and pains. Leprosy was a... A death sentence. A gruesome death sentence. And Jesus... healed them. Nine did not say thanks, but the one did.
NextGen Matters: What I'm saying is. in the In the middle of the difficult seasons. and the good times. I have to be a person. that has gratitude. Now, I think about Philippians. Chapter 4.
NextGen Matters: I just mentioned our church is going through it. And sure enough, this last Sunday, we we went through this passage. And I was already thinking about this passage for this podcast. How cool, right? Philippians 4, 4 -9, and remember, where is Paul writing this? Book is in a Roman.
NextGen Matters: Prison. And he says in verse 4, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
NextGen Matters: In other words, Jesus' presence is here through the Holy Spirit. but also Jesus will be returning. Do not be anxious about anything. but in everything by prayer and petition.
NextGen Matters: With thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the peace of God. which transcends or surpasses all my understanding, all your understanding. will guard military term.
NextGen Matters: And who is he attached to? A Roman guard. will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. When I have this attitude of gratitude, When I have this mindset.
NextGen Matters: And flipping my mind from being a person who's looking at the things of this culture around me going, oh, it's just so bad and woe is me and oh, it's not going the way I want it to go. If I begin to flip my mind.
NextGen Matters: and say, God is in control. I will have. a gracious and grateful spirit. and i'll begin to rejoice Paul says,
NextGen Matters: that my anxiousness about all these things? Will begin to go away when? I begin to have prayer and petition. with a heart of thanksgiving.
NextGen Matters: And then I begin to present these requests to God. And then, not the peace with God, that's my justification, but the peace of God. which transcends, it goes beyond all my human reasoning, all my human understanding.
NextGen Matters: will guard my hearts and my minds. And then verse 80 says about, you know, whatever is, you know, this verse, right? Whatever is pure, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think or meditate about these things.
NextGen Matters: In other words, I'm now consuming. good things. I'm not dwelling on the negative. That's not to say that there's not negative things out there. It's just. How do we approach the negative things? I want to focus on feeding my mind on healthy things.
NextGen Matters: not on toxicity. And then. That little section Paul wraps up when he says, whatever you have learned. or rec received or heard from me? And then he says, or seen in me.
NextGen Matters: Put into practice. and the God of peace will be with you.
NextGen Matters: You see what's in my heart will influence others. And if I am going to lead myself well without having a heart of gratitude, then I can lead others well with having a heart of gratitude. So the question, like Paul says there, what he's saying is, hey, what you've seen of me, now put into practice.
NextGen Matters: That's when I had to really come to this conclusion of my own self was, am I being a person? that leads my own life with gratitude. In other words, do I have a reputation of being a grateful? person Well...
NextGen Matters: That's where I have to say. God has really worked in my heart the last few years. If you know me on a personal level, you know I've had some rather difficult seasons the last number of years. A lot of losses between parents. dream job, my old brother passing a couple years ago.
NextGen Matters: just a lot of stuff you know
NextGen Matters: But God is good. And... He is worthy of my praise and he is excellent. And I have a heart of gratitude. So I've had to ask myself. How am I going to flip my mind?
NextGen Matters: I mean, I've always been consistent in quiet time reading the scriptures. But I'm going to share with you a few things that I think will help you. So what can we do to help create a heart of gratitude in our own?
NextGen Matters: hearts and minds. within ourselves and within others that we you know others around us that we serve, are in the case of a youth pastor, student ministries, etc. There's four quick ones. I have there's four quick thoughts and that is Number one, see that the source of everything is the Lord.
NextGen Matters: The source of everything is the Lord. You know, James 1, 17, recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes. from him he is the source of all. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. And because it's from Him,
NextGen Matters: I therefore need to give him thanks. Because I know it it doesn't come from me. Now he expects me to do my part. Philippians 2, right? You know, you need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it's God who works in you.
NextGen Matters: And I realized that, yes, he's called me to be on task and on mission and and do the disciplines and and be active with my faith. but He is the one. who gives me energy. He is the one who gives me the blessing. He is the one.
NextGen Matters: It's all from him. So number one, the source is the Lord. Number two, I've had to realize that seeing him as a good good father. Thank you, Chris Tomlin. right Seeing him as a good, good father. And I mean that.
NextGen Matters: Again, my mind, my mind went to then Matthew 7. The Sermon on the Mount Jesus just begins to kind of bring that sermon down to a conclusion, to use my phrase, bringing the airplane down as he's beginning to...
NextGen Matters: bring that sermon down to a conclusion and in matthew 7 he talks about prayer and he says, ask, seek, and knock. He looks at those folks in the in the crowd that day and he goes, hey. If you have a child who's hungry and he says, I want some bread.
NextGen Matters: Would you give him a snake? He goes of course not. Of course not. He goes, so how much more so my heavenly father? And he even said, your heavenly father, pronoun to you, your heavenly father will give you good gifts if you ask him.
NextGen Matters: I have to see that God is a good father, even in the difficulties. There's some reason that he's allowed this to happen. Because he's a good father. Number three. Praying out loud.
NextGen Matters: what I am thankful to God for. Psalm 26 and verse 7. says this, proclaiming. aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds, O God.
NextGen Matters: And then... to write it down. And I began to create. A journal the last few years. where every morning I do a reflection time of the previous day.
NextGen Matters: And I think of three gratitudes, I call it my three G's. So let me pull back in numbers three and four. I gave you three and four, but let me kind of pull back and do a little more deeper dive with number three. praying out loud what you are thankful for. I'm shooting this, like I said, in my office, right over there on my...
NextGen Matters: Two chairs I have here. for all these you know millions of guests I have in my office, right? Okay. So I have these chairs here.
NextGen Matters: And not to be super. Joe Pius on this. But when I'm done reading scripture. I hit my knees. And I started with significant time in praise.
NextGen Matters: The virtues, the attributes, the characteristics of who God is and how he is worthy of our praise. And then I enter into a time of thanksgiving. And I begin to think through the things and the people that I am thankful and grateful for.
NextGen Matters: Guys, this has changed my mindset. Yeah, I would do prayer. I mean, I've never been a person of prayer. But not to this level. I have really gone deep. I have grown up. I've really gone deep.
NextGen Matters: I will become a person focused on thanksgiving in my time of prayer. And I'll begin to thank God, first of all, for... the gift of salvation.
NextGen Matters: That's putting on the... helmet of salvation thanking him every day but seriously thanking him for salvation Thanking him that he chose me. He put his spirit in me and I'll say, thank you, Holy Spirit, you indwell me.
NextGen Matters: I'll say thank you, Holy Spirit, that you, from the book of Genesis. to now you bring light out of darkness. And as a dark human being. and In sin, you brought light yourself into me. You guide me. You lead me. Jesus, thank you for being our king and our redeemer and our rescue and our savior and our friend. Thank you, Jesus, for what you've done for me on the cross. And I'll begin to really just pour out myself to the triune God.
NextGen Matters: These are the specifics I'm thankful for. Entering his gaze with thanksgiving. I'm thankful for that salvation I have in him. I'm thankful. for the calling he put on my life. I was 19 when I had that calling into ministry, student ministry.
NextGen Matters: And while my role has changed, I'm no longer air quotes a student pastor. uh the pastoring heart is still within this man. and will always be there. Always be there. I thank you for that.
NextGen Matters: And then I begin to thank him. for even things like our home. Yes, I have a place to sleep. I have food. This house has been a place of blessing. You know, think of last episode. Hundreds of college students, right? But this house for 23 years has been a place of blessing to my family, now to my grandchildren.
NextGen Matters: to to small groups, to youth ministries, to college students over the years, out -of -town guests. It's been a place of blessing. And I say, thank you, Lord, for this home. And begin to even think through simple things to be thankful for.
NextGen Matters: but I specifically am thankful for the people he's placed in my life. Family won. That's my mom, my dad. My brother and my two sisters.
NextGen Matters: Now my mom and my dad are with Jesus now. but I will specifically, as I go through each person, It might. by Family One. I mentally have a picture of each one of them. And I'll stop and think of not just. Thank you, God, for the, you know, but thankful and then why?
NextGen Matters: Why am I thankful? And I'll thank you for my dad. I thank you from my mom.
NextGen Matters: I thank you for my brother. Who was a godly dude, even in... our adolescent years. And he was faithful through his entire life. And two years ago, he... stepped into eternity. And he's no longer with us.
NextGen Matters: But I'm thankful for him And I still... Daily, thank God for him.
NextGen Matters: I'm thankful for my sister. The lean. God spared her life about 20 years ago. She... really was on death row at the hospital. There was no cure for what she had. And thank God a cure came in. and saved her life.
NextGen Matters: She loves Jesus. She has a godly husband. She has godly adult children. who now are raising up little babies to love Jesus. I'm thankful for Delene. I'm thankful for my sister, Danielle. We're 18 years apart in age.
NextGen Matters: She came along my last year in high school. Surprise family. But what a blessing she has been to our life. And I'm thankful for her and her own ministry calling that God has put on her heart and life. Thankful for my brother -in -law and also then my other brother -in -law, both of my sister's husbands and and my my brother's wife, Sherry. And I start thinking through the kids. You guys see what I'm saying, right? Specifically being thankful for those people. And then I step into family too.
NextGen Matters: The greatest gift I've ever been given other than the Lord Jesus. This is my wife, Janet. And I will thank God specifically. He's raised her up. She is the chair of her department at Liberty.
NextGen Matters: in the family consumer science they are crushing it she's been crushing it she leads by this she leads by gratitude she's a servant leader God has elevated her and given her a place of great influence.
NextGen Matters: And I'm kind of like the you know the dude that looks at his wife now and says, she's amazing. She's crushing it as a professional. But more than that, she's been a fantastic wife and an amazing, amazing mom.
NextGen Matters: Now she's a cool Gigi. And I'm so thankful for her. And I'm thankful for my son, Rich. loves God with all his heart. He's an ordained pastor he has a church plant right here in downtown Lynchburg He's doing the work of God downtown to people that have forgotten about God And that's his passion.
NextGen Matters: my daughter jenna her Her day job she owns her own hair salon That seat is her. mission field and that chair, that seat, that chair is where great conversations about the Lord come.
NextGen Matters: and play. I love that. I'm thankful for that. Thankful for her husband, Brian, who loves her, who loves God, and loves his kids. Thankful for Ryan. Watching him now as the student pastor at our church getting to do... God's work in God's way. And I get to watch as a front row seat, 12th grade guy's leader, watching my own son do that with a godly.
NextGen Matters: uh wife annie and those two beautiful little kids I started thanking God because I know what it was like. when they were growing up. and It was a challenge.
NextGen Matters: But God's been good. See what I'm saying? I will specifically take... Gosh, it could be 15 minutes or more just in Thanksgiving. Because I want to...
NextGen Matters: position myself well to say, God, every good and perfect gift is from you.
NextGen Matters: And then when I begin the journal, I'd leave that time in prayer. do some personal readings. after quiet time. And then I take my journal right here. I fill focus planner. Now walk through it.
NextGen Matters: My wife said to me last week, she goes, you know what changed in you is when you started listening to the podcast by Michael Hyatt and in full focus. and their company, and I got the journals. And you know, it's more than just a to -do list. If you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about, right?
NextGen Matters: you know you know But I will also then on the right -hand column. of my daily papers, I will then write my three gratitudes. Jan said, that's changed you. I agree.
NextGen Matters: That has changed me. I'm now looking for things to be grateful for.
NextGen Matters: That's within myself now if I leave myself well with gratitude now I can lead others. So here we go Three simple places I can be a person of influence. within my own family. It's, it's.
NextGen Matters: Interesting as I think about this topic, because if I were to have asked my children. a few years back, is dad a person of gratitude? I don't know what they would say But hopefully they see it now.
NextGen Matters: I can't change then I can only change now. and moving forward. But I want to make sure that my... My people know. I want to influence them to become people of gratitude as well.
NextGen Matters: I also think of the place not only your own family, but the place you work. or the place you serve in ministry, if you're full -time or part -time on staff, or both, maybe you're like me, a volunteer, but you also have a day job, wherever you have a place of influence, being a person of gratitude, displaying that sense of gratitude toward them and toward situations.
NextGen Matters: It's a powerful testimony. And then if you're in student ministry, the students you serve. to be grateful for them. okay corny I'll be texting today the guys in my group. Thank you Thursdays is what I call it.
NextGen Matters: And I'll be thankful for them coming. And I'll say, guys, thank you for coming last night. try to Point out something of what I saw in them last night, meaning this is a Thursday I'm recording from a Wednesday night student meeting. Right. I want to be thankful for them.
NextGen Matters: Now, here's what's coming up with NGM. In November, we're emphasizing gratitude. Well, yeah, it's Thanksgiving, right? Of course. So here we go. To assist you as a leader. We are providing two resources. First of all, and I'm recording this on October 29th. There's a reason I'm saying that because a week from today, November.
NextGen Matters: 5th at 11 Eastern. I'm going to be. providing it. free online. Event. to have those who are interested in discussing the...
NextGen Matters: Gratitude kit, which is the second thing I'm going to talk about we're going to talk about How do we create ministries of gratitude? And. That'll be open to anybody who's on the NGM Thursday Tools email list.
NextGen Matters: I'm not putting it on social. I'm just going to. invite Have a Zoom call. Invite those who are in the NGM Thursday Tools space. So if you haven't yet subscribed to get that email, get the email.
NextGen Matters: All right. I want you to be part of this. You know, 75 minute time just to talk and walk through the gratitude kit and also how we can help each other become better at being people of gratitude.
NextGen Matters: Now, the gratitude kit, yeah, I had it the last few years. up online, but I have pulled it down and I'm redoing it and it's coming out. Either. This day and this Thursday, the 29th. or tomorrow is going to be out completely overhauled.
NextGen Matters: You're going to have. four weeks of leadership curriculum leadership like direction or Or, uh... curriculum like leadership guides, right? You're going to have curriculum for your students. You're going to have student sheets that they could become people of of gratitude for the next four weeks. We're taking four weeks to look at week one.
NextGen Matters: what it means to be I am grateful. to God for God. Number two, second week, I'm grateful to God for my church. Three, third week, I'm grateful to God for my student ministry. And then I'm thankful to God, number four, for my family, which then wraps itself around the Thanksgiving table. Come on. So that's going to be up on the website, nextgenmatters .com. You look at where it says resources, drop down the menu. It says Gratitude Kit.
NextGen Matters: What better time to teach? Your ministry about the discipline of gratitude that in November, right? We're going to wrap this up. So grateful ministry leaders create grateful ministry cultures.
NextGen Matters: So when gratitude will fill your heart, It changes the atmosphere of your home. of your church. of your ministry and it definitely changes you.
NextGen Matters: complaining spreads. It's like a cancer, right? It's like a disease. Complaining spreads. But you know what? So does thankfulness. thankfulness, a heart of gratitude will spread as well. So you think about Paul.
NextGen Matters: He wrote so much of his gratitude -filled words while sitting in a prison. See, his circumstances didn't deter His gratitude. His gratitude was determined by his confidence in who he belonged to, and who he is. His identity is in. Christ Jesus.
NextGen Matters: So a couple thousand years later... We are still being encouraged. by the example, like I read from Philippians, of the Apostle Paul. So gratitude just doesn't affect a moment. It affects, you ready? Come on, a movement.
NextGen Matters: it shifts our focus. from what we lack. to then seeing what God has provided. It moves us from being anxious. to living at peace.
NextGen Matters: From the sense of entitlement. to a heart of worship. And from being self -centered, to being Christ -centered. A thankful heart. is one of the clearest evidences of a spiritual.
NextGen Matters: maturity. I want to be known as a man of gratitude having a heart of gratitude. I want to be seen as a person of gratitude. God has helped me grow up these last few years.
NextGen Matters: And it's a BAP time. Yeah. What about you? I hope you become a person of gratitude. Call to action is simple. on a personal side.
NextGen Matters: Start doing 3Gs. Just take seven days. Do the 3Gs. Write down three gratitudes you have as you reflect on the day before. training your eyes to see around you. what you can be grateful for.
NextGen Matters: And then speak those things out loud. And then also just not your person, but then ministry focused. Because I'll be thinking about. Who can you be grateful for? And letting them know. So as we kind of put this totally on a...
NextGen Matters: wrap up with the old ribbon or bow on it it's like this Gratitude isn't something we should just do before a Thanksgiving dinner table. It's a discipline. that shapes how we see God.
NextGen Matters: how we see others. and then how we lead. So this week, start your 3Gs. Thank three people. Begin creating the attitude of gratitude that honors Jesus Christ.
NextGen Matters: and that influences the next generation. And... If you're looking for practical ways to help your students grow, Get the Gratitude Kit. And if you have time next week, 11 o 'clock, November 5th, jump into our...
NextGen Matters: our our event that we're having. With Next Gen Matters, On. Being a person of gratitude. All right. I'm done. I hope this encouraged you. Please.
NextGen Matters: Share this with other people. allow them to see they need to have a heart of gratitude as well. And i just I'm grateful for you. And I sincerely mean that. I get responses from many of you. I'm so grateful for those.
NextGen Matters: Pass this on to others. It's not about me. It's about the kingdom of Jesus. And I pray that his kingdom expands. and advances because what you and I can bring. to the table for his glory. Have a great day. A great week. And God bless.
