NO. LIVERMORE — The congregation was welcomed in by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service on Nov. 24. The Call to Worship, Invocation/Lord’s Prayer were recited. The hymns that were sung were “We Gather Together”, “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” and “Count Your Blessings”. The service ended with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist, Janet Diaz is the pianist, and Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.

A baby dedication was held during the morning service. Also, the blessing on the Thanksgiving fruit baskets given to our shut-ins and elderly people.

The sermon, “Our Unconditional Thanksgiving” using the scriptures from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Pastor Bonnie began asking if our Thanksgiving is rooted in earthly things or in praise to God for our salvation? As Christians, when we sit around the Thanksgiving table speaking of how thankful we are, we should also speak of how thankful we are each and every day. Our thanksgiving should be unconditional, no matter what this life brings to us, we are thankful that we have a God that is always watching, protecting, and loving us. The God that will never leave us or abandon us in any circumstances that we find ourselves into.

Children of God should always be asking ourselves – do we know who God is, really is, do we understand the depth of our salvation and that it is freely given, can we praise Him in all circumstances, and that God has given us His greatest gift? Are we forever thankful for all of this? We need to understand that thanksgiving is born in one place. It is born when God shows us that we are sinners and we need His amazing love and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ. All of this, we should be thankful for this above all earthly things.

In our scriptures, it says that we should be thankful in all circumstances. Even when Paul was in prison, he sang praises to Jesus. As they sang louder and louder, an earthquake came and the chains fell off. The doors to the prison flew open, but not one prisoner left, they were just overcome by the praising that Paul and Silas were singing to Jesus.

We should show our unconditional love of thanksgiving to God by letting others know that no matter what we go through, we should give thanks. Thanks to our God that loves us and will never leave us alone to go through the hard times. We should be thankful for the hope that God has given us for a better tomorrow through His Son, Jesus. We should be thankful for the power that God gives each and every one of us to survive each new day. When we suffer, we think it is the end of the world, but have you ever thought about how Jesus suffered for each of us on the cross. We cannot compare. Have you thanked Jesus for His suffering for you?

To have unconditional thanksgiving, we should be praising God by our faith in Him. Praise begins when we speak out of love to Him, for Him, and to sing the praises of all the good He has done for us. Jesus was lifted up on the cross, so we can exalt Him to His throne in Heaven.

God has generally blessed each of His children throughout our lives, from our first breath until the present. Why is it that we seem to only be thankful one day a year? Be grateful and thankful every day by beginning to say thank you God for this new day to serve you.

Announcements: we will be collecting peanut butter for the Food Pantry in December. Bible Study is Tuesday at 1 p.m.