Eden Church

핵심 요약

Remember God's faithfulness in the past year and offer thanksgiving.
Begin the new year with renewed devotion and practical spiritual goals.
Gratitude reshapes fear into hope and prayer into peace.
Practical steps: remember, repent, renew, and recommit to service.
Live the new year as a gift, trusting God for growth and renewal.

As we gather on this Sunday afternoon, soon after the calendar turns and people celebrate awards, year-end pages turned, and public ceremonies, we turn our hearts toward a quieter, deeper celebration: the simple, steady work of thanksgiving and renewal before God. News and honors like an actor's award remind us how society applauds success and craftsmanship. Yet the rhythm of the Christian life asks a different posture at the year's start: to look back with remembrance, to look up with faith, and to look forward with hope. In this sermon we will consider how thanksgiving forms the gateway to renewal and practical devotion for the coming year.

1. Remembering God's Faithfulness

Before we make resolutions, the Bible calls us to remember. Memory in Scripture is not mere nostalgia; it is a spiritual discipline that shapes our confidence in God. When we recount mercies—times when a problem was softened, provision came, relationships were mended—we build a ledger of grace that overrides the ledger of fear. Consider how the psalmist urges memory as worship: calling the soul to bless the Lord and not forget his benefits. This is not a sentimental exercise but a formative one: remembrance trains our imagination to see God at work even when days were hard. When we practice remembrance, we discover that gratitude is the root of courageous living.

• Make a brief list of three specific ways God showed care last year.
• Tell one person about a merciful moment you received.
• Offer one short prayer of thanks each morning this week.

👉 Apply: Tonight, write down two memories of God's kindness and keep them where you will see them daily.

“(Psalm 103:2, ESV) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

2. Begin the Year with Thanksgiving in Prayer

Thanksgiving and prayer belong together. The apostle Paul instructs the church to present requests with thanksgiving, for that posture invites God's peace. When our prayers are threaded with gratitude, anxiety loses its grip and our minds are reordered toward trust. Prayer shaped by thanksgiving reminds us that even unanswered longings sit within a story God is authoring. Gratitude converts our asking into a confident, calm conversation with the Lord. Start the year not simply with a list of desires but with a season of thankfulness that prepares the heart for renewal.

• Set aside five minutes each morning to thank God for one concrete thing.
• In corporate worship, offer a short communal prayer of thanks for last year's mercies.

👉 Apply: Tonight, pray three short sentences: praise, thanks, petition—keep thanksgiving first.

3. Renewal: Repentance and Resolved Obedience

True renewal flows from honest repentance and a willingness to change. As we look back, we identify not only blessings but also places we fell short. Repentance is not a defeatist grief; it is a liberating turning toward God that clears the ground for growth. Paul speaks of offering our bodies as living sacrifices—a call to practical holiness. Renewal demands concrete habits: scripture reading, communal worship, acts of service, and rhythms of rest. These are not mere duties but means through which the Spirit reorders desires and forms character. Begin the year by choosing one small, sustainable spiritual discipline that will cultivate obedience and joy.

• Choose one habit to begin (daily Scripture, weekly hospitality, monthly confession).
• Find an accountability partner to encourage steady growth.

👉 Apply: Pick one spiritual discipline for the next 30 days and ask a friend to join you.

4. Living with Hope: Expecting God's Work

To live gratefully is to live expectantly. Hope is not mere optimism but a steady expectation that God is at work even when results are slow. The new year can make us impatient for visible change, but Scripture trains a patient hope that perseveres. When gratitude frames our expectations, we are more likely to wait faithfully and to labor in ways that bear eternal fruit. This is an invitation to practice small acts of faithfulness in family life, in the workplace, and in the church—acts that, accumulated, renew communities. Hope and thanksgiving together form the soil from which steady spiritual fruit grows.

• Identify one place where you will sow patience this year (relationship, work, personal growth).
• Commit to one act of service each month that points others to Christ.

👉 Apply: Name one situation where you will choose hopeful patience over anxious control this week.

5. Practical Steps: From Memory to Mission

We conclude with a short, practical plan that moves from private memory to public mission. Thanksgiving should lead us outward: grateful hearts serve better, forgive sooner, and give more freely. Make a simple plan for the next three months: remember by keeping a gratitude journal; pray with thanksgiving each day; renew by practicing one discipline; and commit to one act of service that blesses your neighbor. These small habits will keep the flame of devotion alive and develop resilience for the year ahead. Let gratitude be not only an interior disposition but a visible way we love others and honor God.

• Gratitude journal: three items, three times a week.
• Daily: 5 minutes of thankful prayer each morning.
• Monthly: one concrete act of service in the community.

👉 Apply: Start a small group challenge: three weeks of shared thanksgiving and one group service project.

“(Philippians 4:4-6, ESV) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Lord, we thank You for the year that has passed and for the mercies that have kept us. Teach us to remember Your goodness, to pray with grateful hearts, and to renew our lives in obedience to You. Give us the courage to make small, faithful commitments that bear witness to Your love. As we enter this new year, shape our hopes by Your promises and guide our steps by Your Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.