Habitually Thankful
From Pastor Robert
In Sunday’s sermon, Craig Horton reminded us that many of our sinful responses grow out of entitlement. When life does not go our way, we start acting like we are owed a better life, a better plan, or a better outcome. We forget God’s kindness to us in Christ. We trust in our own devices. We try to make life work apart from Christ and his grace.
The media and people around us often feed that mindset. You deserve…we deserve…everyone deserves...It trains us to expect comfort, solutions to problems, and even custom assistance whenever things don’t go our way. We are owed that and so we expect it. But the gospel says something very different. We are not owed anything; every good gift is graciously given by the LORD. Culture says, “I deserve.” Christ teaches us to say, “I receive what I don’t deserve.” We are always getting better than we deserve, even when life is full of difficulties and we feel like we deserve better.
If we at High Pointe are going to live as citizens of Jesus’ kingdom in this cultural moment, we will need counter habits that push against our natural instincts. So far, we have considered three:
Being willing to talk about awkward subjects.
Being intentional about encouraging others.
Beginning our day with prayer and Scripture.
Today, we add another: practice gratitude instead of entitlement.
This week, pay attention to how you respond when life does not go your way. Do you complain, compare, or demand? Do you indulge sinful desires? Or do you pause and remember that even your hardest moments are met by a God who gives good gifts? James 1:17 reminds us that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”
Here are a few simple ways to practice this counter habit:
Trade complaints for gratitude.Pray: “Lord, I recognize this feeling. I’m feeling you owe me something better. Forgive my entitlement. Correct my thinking and make me grateful.”
Count gifts, not grievances. Pause each day and thank God for Christ, your living hope, and for three specific gifts. Evening meal time would be a great time for this.
Serve quietly. No spotlight needed. Plan and act to serve someone today in a hidden way. Then actually do it.
When we remember that everything we have is a gift, gratitude grows and entitlement weakens. And that is a counter-cultural way to live under the good rule of Jesus. Let’s help each other be grateful people who remain amazed that God would give us Christ rather than what we actually deserve!
Resources
Opportunities to Serve
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)
God has blessed each of us with unique gifts and talents, and at High Pointe, we believe serving is how we use those gifts to bless others and advance His kingdom.
Whether you have 30 minutes a week or several hours, there's a place for you to serve in our children's ministry, as greeters, with the hospitality team, media/tech support, building and grounds, safety, community outreach efforts, and through administrative support. Reach out to find out more today: info@highpointeaustin.org
Volunteering in the Children’s Ministry | Current Openings
*Sunday morning nursery, serving once every 5 Sundays, has two openings in the Toddler Room, two openings in the Pre-K class, and 4 openings in the baby room.
*KidsPointe, serving one Sunday per month, has two openings for small group helpers.
Volunteering in the children’s ministry is a great way to know others at High Pointe and to serve parents. Reach out the Erin Wyman for specific details and to get started on our child protecting screening steps.
Life at High Pointe
Want to know what’s happening at High Pointe?Check out our weekly announcements and upcoming events to stay informed and connected with the life of our church!
Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:
August 9 | New Series: 2 Peter 1:1-11 | Grace Gives Godliness | Pastor Robert Cline
August 16 | 2 Peter 1:12-15 | Essential Pastoral Reminders | Pastor Robert Cline
August 23 | 2 Peter 1:16-21 | Trustworthy Witness and Word | Pastor Robert Cline
August 30 | Luke 18:18-30 | What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life? | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 6 | Luke 18:31-43 | The Joy of Spiritual Sight | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 13 | Luke 19:1-10 | Salvation and the Fruits of Repentance | Pastor Juan Sanchez
September 20 | 2 Peter 2:1-10 | Don’t Be Deceived by False Teachers | Pastor Robert Cline
Begin praying as you prepare to join us this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Gospel Partner of the Month: 9Marks exists to help pastors, future pastors, and church members build healthy churches. To this end, 9Marks creates resources like books, podcasts, a quarterly journal, web courses, and more. They also host training events around the world. Their focus in everything is on nine marks of a healthy church—expositional preaching, gospel doctrine, conversion and evangelism, church membership, church discipline, discipleship and growth, church leadership, prayer, and missions. Why these nine? Because the Bible requires them, and, sadly, too many evangelical churches have neglected or assumed them.
On-Call Pastor To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.
