Pastor Stephen Dedman

November 26, 2025

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬

Question
What are you anxious about today that God wants you to hand over to Him?

Context
Paul wrote these words from prison, chained, uncertain of his future, and surrounded by pressure. Yet he speaks with a supernatural confidence that changes everything. He reminds us that gratitude isn’t something we wait for when everything is calm; it’s something we choose when everything feels chaotic.

Application
The day before Thanksgiving is often full of pressure with cooking, cleaning, planning, traveling, schedules, and expectations. It’s easy for your heart to slip from gratitude into stress.

Anxiety rises when we feel out of control. Thanksgiving rises when we remember Who is in control. That’s why Paul’s words are perfect for today. Let thanksgiving push back the pressure of the day.

Truth For The Day
Thanksgiving is not something you wait for. It’s something you choose in the middle of stress.

Pray
Lord, as I prepare for Thanksgiving, quiet my heart from every worry. Help me give You every concern, every detail, and every responsibility. Fill me with gratitude today so tomorrow my thanks will overflow. Thank You for Your peace, Your presence, and Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

November 25, 2025

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬

Question
Where is God asking you to give thanks in something, not for it, but in it?

Context
Paul writes this letter to the believers in Thessalonica where new Christians were facing pressure, persecution, confusion, and spiritual opposition. Yet right in the midst of difficulty, Paul gives them a powerful command: Give thanks. In everything. Not for everything, but in everything.

God wasn’t asking them to pretend their pain didn’t exist. He was teaching them the Kingdom posture that keeps faith alive even in hard places.

And when you give thanks, especially when it is hard, you are stepping directly into the will of God.

Application
Gratitude is not circumstantial, it’s spiritual. It’s not based on what is happening around you, it’s rooted in what God has done inside you.

When Paul says, “This is the will of God,” he is showing us that thanksgiving isn’t optional, it’s essential. It keeps your heart soft, your faith strong, and your spirit aligned with heaven.

Gratitude isn’t ignoring the battle. It’s declaring that God is greater than the battle. It isn’t minimizing pain. It’s magnifying God’s presence in the midst of it.

    Choose today to say, “God, even here, I thank You. Even now, I trust You.”

    Truth For The Day
    Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks God’s peace in every circumstance.

    Pray
    Lord, give me a heart that chooses gratitude in every season. Help me to see Your hand at work even in difficult places. Align my heart with Your will, and let my praise rise above my problems. I thank You because You are good, You are faithful, and You are with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

    November 24, 2025

    For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
    ‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬

    Question
    Have you been minimizing your own sin while magnifying someone else’s?

    Context
    James is confronting the early church about favoritism and selective obedience. Many believers were treating some sins as serious and others as insignificant. James reminds them that God’s law reflects His character, holy, whole, and unified. To break even one part is to stand as a lawbreaker before a holy God.

    Application
    James 2:10 humbles us. It confronts the human tendency to compare ourselves with others. Scripture removes the scale we often try to create. God measures righteousness not by comparison but by perfection. And perfection is something no human can produce.

    This verse doesn’t crush us, it directs us to grace. If breaking one law makes us guilty, then keeping all the laws cannot make us righteous. We need a Savior. We need mercy. We need the righteousness of Jesus.

    James isn’t trying to shame believers; he’s trying to remind them: you need grace every day, and so does everyone around you. This recognition should produce humility, repentance, and compassion toward others.

    Truth For The Day
    Salvation and righteousness do not come from my performance but from the perfect work of Jesus Christ.

    Pray
    Lord, thank You for reminding me that I need Your grace every day. Forgive me for the moments when I compare myself to others instead of resting in Your mercy. Help me walk in humility, extend grace, and live with a heart shaped by the righteousness of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.