November: Gratitude & Thanksgiving
Psalms of Praise & Thankfulness — 4 Weekly Lessons
Week 1: Give Thanks in Everything
Paul instructs the Thessalonians to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances — for this is God's will in Christ Jesus. Not thanks for everything (God does not ask us to be grateful for evil or suffering) but thanks in everything — finding reasons for gratitude even amid difficulty. Psalm 107 echoes this, calling on those who have experienced God's rescue from various troubles to give thanks for his unfailing love. Gratitude is not a feeling that happens naturally; it is a discipline that transforms our perspective.
Discussion Questions
- What is the difference between thanks 'for' everything and thanks 'in' everything?
- How does gratitude change your experience of difficult circumstances?
- What are three things you are grateful for right now that you usually overlook?
Activity
Create a 'Gratitude Jar' for the class. Each week, everyone adds at least one note of thanks. Read them at month's end.
God's will made simple: give thanks in all circumstances
Week 2: The Thankful Leper
Jesus healed ten lepers who cried out to him from a distance. He told them to go show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were cleansed. But only one — a Samaritan — turned back to thank Jesus, falling at his feet in gratitude. Jesus asked a poignant question: Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? This story reveals that receiving blessing is easy, but responding with genuine gratitude requires intentionality. The thankful leper received not just healing but a personal encounter with Jesus.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think only one leper returned to give thanks?
- In what ways are we like the nine who forgot to be grateful?
- How does expressing thanks deepen our relationship with the Giver?
Activity
Write thank-you notes to people who have blessed your life but whom you have never properly thanked.
Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
Week 3: Psalms of Praise
Psalm 145 is an acrostic poem of praise, celebrating God's greatness, compassion, faithfulness, and mighty acts. Every day the psalmist commits to praising God and telling of his greatness. One generation commends God's works to another, creating a chain of worship across time. Psalm 150, the final psalm, is an explosion of praise — praise God in the sanctuary, with trumpet, harp, tambourine, strings, flute, and crashing cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. The Psalter ends not with a whimper but with an orchestra.
Discussion Questions
- What do these psalms teach about how we should worship?
- How can you praise God on days when you do not feel like it?
- What does it mean that everything with breath should praise the Lord?
Activity
Create a class 'Psalm of Praise' together, each person contributing one line about why God deserves praise.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Week 4: Thankful for God's Provision
Paul wrote to the Philippians from prison, thanking them for their generous gifts while sharing a profound secret: he had learned to be content in every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, in plenty or in want. His contentment came not from circumstances but from Christ who gave him strength. He assured them that God would meet all their needs according to his glorious riches. This passage connects gratitude, contentment, and generosity in a powerful cycle — grateful people are content, and content people are generous.
Discussion Questions
- How is contentment different from complacency?
- What is the connection between gratitude and generosity?
- How did Paul maintain joy and gratitude while in prison?
Activity
Practice generosity: each person contributes something (time, a kind act, a small gift) for someone in need this week.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me — in context, about contentment