Thanksgiving Road Trip
by Scott Stake
Can I just say how excited I am for Thanksgiving? Ever since I can remember, this has absolutely been my favorite time of year! As a boy, we would drive to Arkansas in order to celebrate the holiday with my extended family. Each year, we always ate tons of amazing food, watched football, hunted on my grandparents' farm, played games, and just hung out. However, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition was a game we played on the long drive up—my parents, brothers, and I would go around the circle and list the things we were thankful to God for, with the goal being to go as long as we could. Sometimes lasting for hours, this was always a great opportunity to recount the big & small ways God had blessed us during the year!
So, if you had a long drive somewhere (maybe even this week), what would you say you were thankful for? Family, friends, job, health, shelter, food on the table? There are lots of blessings we have received from the Lord, but as we just studied last Sunday, the Apostle Paul seems to be most grateful for the gospel and its work in him and through him to others.
"We also believe and so we also speak...For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 4:13b, 15)
Paul is most grateful that he not only believes in the gospel, but that he also can speak the gospel to others so more people will receive it and give thanks to the Lord for this wonderful gift! Just as the gospel comes to him, it also goes from him to others.
Four Oaks, I want to commend you for your continued belief in the gospel and your commitment to speak the gospel to others. Here are a few ways I've seen this lived out recently:
- Many fellowship groups are intentionally seeking ways to reach out to unbelievers and serve our community.
- About 100 people came to our 4th Annual Skate Night and gave over $1500 to support our Cameroon team as they take the gospel to the Fulbe people. You can still give online here to meet our financial goal of $6000 to install a well.
- Students are inviting their unbelieving friends to Wednesday Night large group.
- The Midtown Campus hosted a picnic last Sunday at a nearby park and had meaningful conversations with several neighbors who came.
- Already, many of you are inviting friends to our upcoming Four Oaks Family Christmas event on Sunday, December 6!
As we enter this thanksgiving season, may God not only increase our gratitude for the gospel that we believe, but may He also increase our boldness to speak it so that the grace of the gospel would extend to more people, resulting in more thanksgiving and glory to Him!