Bread Ministries

The azaleas and the Hong Kong orchid are blooming—they think it is spring. Clay has been clearing some of the back acreage and we have mowed whatever is green near the buildings. We will need rains and warm weather before we are into the full mowing season.

We have the boards up for the new Memorial Plaque area in the chapel. We are moving the plaques to a larger wall (they were wrapped around the corner of two short walls). The new wall is one of the log walls. Rather than try to follow the curves of the logs to place the plaques, we put up a 6’ by 8’ section of layered plywood. We want to get some framing material for it and then we can put the plaques back up.

There are always repairs needed in a twenty-five year old building and we are grateful for those who are willing to be of service. Our friend who did offer a lot of repair services has moved out of state, so now we rely heavily on Carole’s brother-in-law. He has been a tremendous blessing to us.

Judy is out of the office one day a week until June. A weekly play-date with her granddaughter will count as mini-vacations. Judy’s daughter had to return to work for five months to finish out tenure. Judy and Clay are manning one of their daughter’s three work days each week.

The new computer that was purchased last year for the graphics work on the magazine would not work with our publishing program, so we moved it to bookkeeping where it works quite well. The graphics and publishing work will be done on the old computer and Judy’s laptop. We still need to upgrade to a better publishing program, and need to work toward electronically transferring pages to the printer. Pray for wisdom and discernment in doing these things.

We are always ready to receive visitors, and/or volunteers. (The daily workload isn’t that heavy, but the maintenance things can always use help.) We would enjoy a visit just for the chance to get to know you.

Bible Study

Bible Study Intro:

Brian was on his way home from the Post Office when he met Hank, who asked Brian to go shoot some baskets with him that afternoon. Brian scowled, “I can’t go anywhere and have fun; all I can do is work.”

“Didn’t you just go to the park to shoot baskets this week? Why all the fuss, now?” Hank asked.

Brian groaned, “My mother has me tied to the house. When I get home I have to wash windows and then mow the grass. My Grandmother and Aunt Ellen are coming to visit. I’ll probably be dead by the time they arrive.”

Hank was very thoughtful as he replied, “I wish I had a grandmother, or even an aunt. I would gladly wash windows.”

As he and Hank parted, Brian remembered that Hank had lost his entire family in an earthquake. The Wilsons had adopted him when he was five. Brian began to think about the big, loving family that he had and he felt like running home to wash the windows and mow the grass. Everything needed to look good when his family arrived, he couldn’t wait to see them.

Part One

GIVE THANKS TO GOD

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12).

Whether you give thanks to God or anyone else depends on your attitude or the state of your mind. You can be a person who rarely gives thanks because you feel deserving of all that is done for you. Or, you can have a grateful heart and readily give thanks both to God and others. Attitude is the factor that causes you to be grateful or ungrateful.

Though he had been through a major tragedy, or perhaps because of what he had been through, Hank had a grateful heart. Brian’s attitude was one of being oppressed because of all the work he had to do to help his mother. He was thinking only of himself and not all that his mother was doing to get ready for company. Hank’s words caused Brian to stop and think about his family and how blessed he was to have them coming to visit. When his attitude improved, his gratitude improved, and he was thankful for his family and ready to do what he could to make their visit a pleasant one. His bad attitude became a good attitude when he changed his mind about his circumstances.

Colossians says to give thanks to the Father because He made you meet (or fit) to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints. He qualified you to partake of the inheritance of the saints. The blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of your sins, makes you able to inherit blessings from God. This one verse gives you enough to offer thanks to God for a very long time. As you consider what your inheritance consists of, you will never run out of things to thank God for.

AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART

In the last issue of BREAD, we looked at the mouth speaking forth what is in the heart. What is in your heart determines your attitude. Your outlook on life, your opinions, and your gratitude level are all the result of the attitude of your heart. When it is focused on self, the attitude stinks. You have known, or perhaps been, one of those who thinks his/her way is the only right way to think, behave, and live. Other than Jesus, any one who claims to have the only right way for everyone else to think and feel is mistaken.

People who think that the world, and everyone in it, is there to cater to their needs are selfish and inconsiderate. Their attitude stinks. Then, there are those on the other extreme, who think that they are only worth being used and abused by everyone else. Their attitude also stinks and it is almost blasphemous in that they deny God’s opinion of His children.

None of the examples of poor attitudes just mentioned are attitudes that lead to giving thanks. A thankful heart is one that is focused on the Lord; who He is and what He has done. Anyone who is God-centered in his or her thinking will be growing in gratitude. When you have a grateful heart you will express thanks.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Matthew 12:35).

Gratitude is the state of being grateful; it is thankfulness. Thanksgiving is the action of expressing grateful language and behavior, and gratitude is the grace of the heart. The Greek word “charis” means “grace” or “graciousness” and it is the root word from which we get “thanksgiving.” Charis means “a divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life.” God’s grace is His attitude about something becoming a reality in your life so that it influences how you think and act. Gratitude is expressing that grace back to God by giving Him thanks.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 136:1).

God is gracious because He is love. His nature does not change and He extends His goodness and His mercies to all who love and fear (or reverence) Him. When His grace is extended to you, you feel grateful and express that gratitude to Him by giving thanks.

GRATITUDE EXPRESSED

A God-centered person will have the right attitude of gratitude. That attitude will be expressed in word and deed throughout the ways of that person. Now, this does not mean that the person is perfect and always says or does everything that is right. No one is perfect in all their ways. We stumble and fall short of what is right many times, but God has made a way to come to Him in repentance and receive forgiveness when we sin. The overall attitude and expression of the God-centered person is gratitude.

I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth…O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him (Psalm 34:1, 8).

David said that he would bless the Lord at all times. This is the expression of a grateful heart. Praise for God is continually in his mouth. He is not grumbling or complaining that things are not going his way, or that he is being mistreated by God. David praises God continually. When you see how good the Lord is, you will be praising Him continually. When you trust God, no matter what your circumstances, you will be blessed.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders (Psalm 107:31, 32).

Express gratitude to the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works in the congregation of His people and when you are alone. A grateful heart will not be silent. You will find praises in the magnitude of Creation and in the smallest detail of His magnificent works.

When you speak thanksgiving from a grateful heart, you will find that actions follow that are also expressions of gratitude. Visiting with God through prayer is an expression of gratitude. You love Him and enjoy spending time with Him, and you want to hear Him speak to you.

Spending time with your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ is another expression of gratitude. Loving and caring about the needs of others also expresses gratitude for the family that God has provided.

Obeying His Word is another way to express gratitude to the Lord. You want to please Him in all your ways. Expressing gratitude in these ways will develop a gracious spirit.