2013-11-28T06:00:05-05:00 GCI info@gospel.com /feeds/topics/rejoicing/ http://faithgateway.com/biblical-model-thanksgiving/ 2013-11-28T06:00:05-05:00 Thanksgiving has been a great holiday for the church to spread the message of Christ. After all, the feast between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans was to give thanks to God for his provisions. The stated purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday was to thank “our beneficial Father.” But has our approach to Thanksgiving been […] http://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-hard-times/i-know-how-this-is-going-to-end-6420 2011-08-19T09:48:21-05:00 Right now it's night time and there still are tears, and you need to dig deep into His strength until the rest of the message comes clear. You can stay peaceful, you can stay poised while everybody else is going crazy, because you know that ultimately joy is coming, victory is coming. You can sit back and smile in the middle of the chaos and say, "I know how this is going to end!" http://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-hard-times/the-better-beyond-the-bitter-2813 2009-09-17T16:33:43-05:00 This night, even this long night, will not last forever. And on the other side a time of joy that is hard for you to imagine right now but which God guarantees. In fact, the beautiful time may actually be produced by the bitter time, as the joy of a new baby is produced by a painful delivery process. But you do have to get through this bitter taste, without abandoning your Lord or His plans. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015:3-7&version=NIV 2009-08-27T10:20:15-05:00 God is especially pleased when a prodigal follower is brought back into the fold. This parable describes great rejoicing that takes places when a "lost sheep" is finally found and brought back to safety. http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Cor.13.6&version=NIV 2009-07-14T11:43:04-05:00 This short passage shows us another characteristic of godly love: it doesn't focus on or enjoy evil, but it thrives on what is good and true.