In today's sermon, the speaker emphasizes the transformative power of giving, grounded in personal faith and gratitude. Drawing from biblical verses, particularly Philippians 4:11, the message urges individuals to let go of negative spirits such as complaining, bitterness, and perfectionism. The speaker argues that to be truly happy, one must actively give away these detrimental attitudes while embodying a spirit of generosity. The focal point is the idea that happiness comes not from accumulating but from selflessly serving others and sharing what we have.

The sermon also reflects on the significance of tangible giving, highlighting stories of believers like Dorcas, who was known for her good deeds. The speaker points out that giving encompasses various acts of kindness, from prayers and attention to time and material possessions. Notably, the message stresses that love is the core of all giving, reminding us that our resources, including our money, time, and even our gratitude, should be shared with others. Ultimately, the speaker underlines the importance of recognizing and appreciating the blessings we receive, which should inspire a reciprocal spirit of generosity in our lives, especially during the Thanksgiving season.

In conclusion, the speaker invites the congregation to reflect on all they have received and challenges them to experience true joy by giving something away, reinforcing that our ability to give should be rooted in the acknowledgment of the countless blessings bestowed upon us.

Greetings in the name of the one who has blessed us with more than we will ever be able to give away. There's a lot of talk about blessing so far in this service and I just need to say I've been tremendously blessed by the testimony time and the devotions and the singing and Sunday school. It's all been wonderful. I didn't put a lot of attention to that memory verse before I heard some of you reciting it. Thank you for doing that.

Oh Lord, thou art my God. I love that personal possession of that verse. You are my God. And then he goes on, this is where you exhale, right Richard? I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name for thou hast done wonderful things.

Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. And I just love that verse. We recognize that God is our God and we claim him in our lives and we claim the richness, the blessing that he brings to us. I had to think of the devotions trade to give one thing in exchange for another. And I was holding my breath a little bit to see if you would go where I'm going.

If you want to be happy, give something away. That's actually the title of the sermon this morning. How many of you are familiar with that poem? There's not as many hands as I thought there would be. Thank you.

I did a little research trying to get the original poem and I don't know if there is an original one. There's a couple different. What I have here is a little bit of a mix. I'm going to read it to you. If you want to be happy, give something away.

Said old Grandfather Gray on a Thanksgiving day. If you want to be happy, give something away. So he sent a fat turkey to Shoemaker Price. And the shoemaker said, what a big bird, how nice. And since a good dinner is before me, I ought to give poor Witter Lee the small chicken I bought.

This fine chicken, oh see, said the pleased Witter Lee. And the kindness that sent it, how precious to me. I would like to make someone as happy as I. I'll give Washerman Bitty my big pumpkin pie. No, no, sure, Bitty said, tis the queen of all pies.

Just the look of its yellow face gladdens my eyes. Now it's my turn, I think, and a sweet ginger cake for the motherless Finnegan children I'll bake. A sweet cake, all our own, tis too good to be true, said the Finnegan children, Rose, Denny, and Hugh. It smells sweet of spice and will carry a slice to poor little lame Jake who has nothing that's nice. Oh, I thank you and thank you, said little lame Jake.

Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful cake. And oh, such a big slice, I will save all the crumbs and I will give them to each little sparrow that comes. And the sparrows, they twittered as if they would say, like old grandfather Gray on a Thanksgiving day, if you want to be happy, give something away. I was thinking of trading. These people were given something and then they gave something away.

It was a trade. And this poem shows the spirit of Thanksgiving. We're all thinking of Thanksgiving this week, this coming week. But I think it shows Thanksgiving in action, and I always like to think of things in action terms, and I probably err on that side when speaking. But I love when we can put things, thoughts, feelings into action, make a difference in our lives, and we can make a difference in other people's lives.

Ben Carson said, happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give. I believe that the fruit that hangs from the tree of Thanksgiving, if we have fruit on the tree of our Thanksgiving, I believe that fruit is giving. And I want to talk about, think about giving, giving something away this morning. First point I have, I think the first thing we need to do is to give away the wrong spirits within us. Now having said that, we're not giving them to anybody else.

We're getting rid of them. We're giving them away in a different sense. Just spend a little time on that. The first thing we've got to give away is a complaining spirit. Everyone has it better than me.

God did not give me what I deserve. Have you ever attempted to think thoughts down that line? Philippians 4.11. Not that I speak in respect of one, for I have learned. Paul had to learn this.

In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. That doesn't come natural for any of us. It's something we need to learn. I need to learn to be content no matter what my state is in. Whether I'm sitting in jail like Paul was with Silas.

Whether I'm eating manna the same thing day after day in the wilderness. Whatever it is. In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Let's give away the complaining spirit. Let's give away the self-serving spirit.

What can I get for myself? How do you start your day? You go out there and say, how can I get more for myself today? How can I bless myself today? That's terrible.

We really should be going out there, how can I serve others more today? If God blesses you with wealth because you served others every day with that attitude, I think there can be a blessing in receiving. But even if we do not receive, how can I serve others more today? Sometimes we're tempted to say, how can I use others to benefit me? That's also a terrible thought.

We're going around thinking, how can I get him or her to benefit me? We tend to think that way, but we need to say, how can I benefit them? Let's give away the self-serving spirit. Let's give away the bitter spirit, the one who holds grudges. But how can I forget how you mistreated me?

It hurt me so bad, it's almost impossible for me to forget that it's not going to happen. Some hurts are so painful that it does seem impossible to forget. But if we are willing to forgive, if we can get the forgiveness down, and then with enough time, I think the forgetfulness comes. But then you have those times, you've forgotten about it, you put it on the back, it's way back there in the bottom of your brain. A lot of new experiences have been laid down on top of that one, you haven't thought about it for a long time, and something just hits you, and it comes back to you.

And it's like the cow chewing its cut again. It's just come up and you start chewing it again. Can you forgive again? God, you know about it. I'll let you take care of it.

I'll let, I'll choose to forgive. I'll let it go. I claim the peace of God, of my God in my heart. It's a choice. Jesus said, for if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

And the happiness that comes from when you can give away your grudges, give away your bitterness, get rid of that. The happiness that comes from being forgiven. I have one more here. I'm sure you could probably think of a lot of bad attitudes that we need to give away. The last one I have here is the perfectionist spirit.

Do I hold myself up to a standard so high that I can never attain unto my standard? Some of us tend to do that. Maybe I'm trying to prove how, prove my worth, prove that I am somebody to other people. And that's something we need to get rid of. We need to give that one away.

God knows our worth. God knows your worth. And that's all that matters. God does not have physical limits to his ability to give. But you and I both have physical limits to our ability to give.

We are human and we need to recognize that. So that's something we need to remember. Now this is a message on giving and I'm saying you have limits to how much you can give. How does that make sense? But everything has a limit.

Everything has a boundary. In our physical limits that is. God promises strength for what he calls me to do. He does not promise strength for all the ideas that I might have. He promises strength for what he asks me to do and I pray for wisdom to know the difference.

Second part of the message, give away the good things we have been blessed with. And these are the things you can give to other people. The other stuff don't give to anybody, please. Don't give your bitterness, your unforgiveness, your complaining spirit. Don't give any of that to anybody else.

These things here, I want to take you to Acts 9. Looking for ways to bless others will bless us with a life of fulfillment. I want to take you to the end of chapter 36 to 39 of Acts 9. This is a little story of Dorcas. You all remember, probably remember the story of Dorcas here in this chapter.

Starting in at verse 36. Now there was a Joppa, a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas. Now listen up. This woman was full of good works and alms which she did. This was her reputation.

This is what she was known by for serving other people. She was always, she had an eye for noticing the needs of others. And she didn't stop there. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick. Sometimes God takes the best people from among us and we're like, God, why?

But this is what happened. She was sick and died, whom when they had washed, they laid her in the upper chamber. And for as much as little was nigh to Joppa. And the disciples had heard that Peter was there. They sent unto him two men desiring that he would come, that he would not delay to come to them.

I wonder what they were thinking when they told Peter, we need you here. This lady who's blessed us so much has passed away. We need you here. What were they thinking? It doesn't tell us.

It seems they had some degree of hope. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was calm, they brought him into the upper chamber. And all the widows stood by him weeping. They were grieving.

These people who were destitute, who had been so blessed by this woman, were weeping, grieving. And they were showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. These are the good things that she had done. She didn't have a brand new Bernina sewing machine. She didn't have a serger.

She had to work hard and long hours for each of those clothes that they were showing Peter. Look, Peter, these are all the things that she made for us. She was such a good woman. But Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed. And turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise.

And she opened her eyes. And when she saw Peter, she sat up. So we know there was a good ending to that story. She was given another chance to be a giving person. I don't know what that would have been like.

To be called home, to meet your maker, the one you've served so well throughout your life. And then say, you know what? No, you need to come back down here to earth and serve again a little bit more. I don't know what that would have been like. But that's what she was called to do.

One of the good things that we can give away is our prayers. We'll start with the most important one. Ephesians 6, 18. This is the context of this verse is the armor of God. We're putting on the armor of God and then it finishes up with this verse, praying always with all prayer and supplication and spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

So here we have the attitude of prayer, praying always, praying always that I could get what I need for the day. No, it doesn't say that. Well, it does have that context as well, I guess, supplication and spirit. But it also specifically mentions watching there unto with all perseverance and supplications for all saints. We need to look beyond ourselves.

We need to pray for others. There's nothing like praying for others to open up our minds, to get ourselves out of the rut of self-focus. James 5, 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed. Where does the idea come from that if I pray for others then I can be healed?

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. It talks about the power of prayer. I tend to underestimate the power of prayer. I tend to think of all the other things I can do first. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

There is nothing that will give you empathy for another person as much as praying for them will. It opens up your mind to their needs and their suffering. We care about each other and we pray for each other. It's a real blessing to have a church body where we care about each other and pray for each other. But we also need to pray for those outside.

They may be hurting, lonely. Perhaps they don't know the love of Christ. Perhaps they have been deceived by a false gospel. Pray for them. Pray for others.

Another thing we can give away to others is our attention. People crave attention. And loneliness epidemic is getting worse and worse in our day. Our world is increasingly lonely and they desire, they crave attention. Can we see the needs of others?

If you are praying for them, you probably will. So we get that part straight. Can we see the needs of others or are we too focused on ourselves? Over the holidays we have our family get togethers and then there are some that don't have families to get together with. You think about them.

Are we so encumbered with serving that we fail to include others? Now there is a time to just have our own family. I get that. I totally get that. There is also a time to include others.

Another thing we can share with others is our love. And I am not going to spend much time on this because I think everything that I am talking about here this morning would fit under this one word, love. None of these other things will have any value if you don't have love in your heart. How can you pray for somebody else without love? I don't know.

If you don't have love there, it is going to come. If you are praying for others. One of the biggest things that we can give to others is our time. Time, I don't have enough of it the way it is. I need three more hours every day already.

What do you mean give away my time? How can I? Many of us face that problem. For a busy person, time can be the hardest thing that we can give away. I have heard the concept already that there are different seasons throughout our life.

There are seasons of giving. There are seasons of caring for our family. I understand that concept. I do. However, I push back a little bit because I say how are your children going to learn the giving spirit if they don't see you giving?

So I think we need to try to include them where we can. We can't wait until our children have fled the nest before we can start blessing others. I get that our wives and our children need to be our first priority men. He that serveth not his own is worse than an infidel. We know that verse.

It is important. It is true. But can we, does it have to be A or B or can it be A and B? Can we put loving and caring for a family together with serving others? Can we do the same thing at the same time?

Look for opportunities to do that. Time can be more helpful than money. If you meet a beggar on the street, do you walk on by? I have done that. Do you give them some money, what they want, what they are asking for?

Or maybe you take them somewhere and get them something to eat. That is better than the other two options, right? But what if you would sit there and spend time with them while they are eating? Well, at least they wouldn't go sell that food for money to get the other stuff that they really want. But that time that you can give them is something they are definitely not expecting.

And when Christians bless others, sometimes it takes them so off guard that it can be the very motivation that they need to start on a better path. Now I think there is a time when we are talking about giving away our time to shake the dust off our feet. Jesus said in Matthew 10.13, Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. There can be a time where you have invested a lot of time into somebody and you know what? They are not listening to you, they don't care, they don't want to improve, and there can be a time to move on to bless somebody that does want that.

Of course, money. Our money is something that we can give away. Some of you might say, what money? I'm going to take you to Matthew 12. Matthew 12 verse 41.

No, that's wrong. The story is about when Jesus was sitting by the alms basket. I'm sorry mark 12. There we go. I got the wrong M.

Mark 12 41 And Jesus sat ever against the treasury and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury And many that were rich cast in much. I wonder if they saw Jesus there. I wonder if that influenced their giving or if this is just the normal thing They didn't notice notice Jesus sitting over there. I don't know how all that transpired. We're not told but Jesus was watching And he's watching today And there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which make one farthing He called on to him as disciples.

He's like I need to teach you something come over here. I got to tell you something I've been watching these rich men giving a lot and I've been I watched this widow gave in her tiny a little bit And he had something to tell them verily I say unto you truthfully That this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury For all they did cast in of their abundance. In other words, they still had a lot left But she of her want to cast in all that she had even all her living and Jesus knows our hearts Jesus Can see our spirit of giving mother Teresa said it's not how much we give but how much love We put into giving It's not how much we give it's how much love we put into giving Remember I said any of these things giving any of these things without love is pointless Our churches our missions our families have been tremendously blessed by those willing to give money Money that they could have used for themselves money that they could have passed on to their children and inheritance But I'm here this morning to say I think If you pass on the gift of giving to your children If you show them the example of being a given giving person I think that would be worth more to them than an inheritance ever could be If you have nothing left to give your children when you die Monetarily, but you've given them the spirit of giving I think your children would be much richer Not physically spiritually your children be much richer than they would be otherwise When we give our money away we put our treasures in heaven where they are safe We all know that verse moth and rust cannot corrupt Put your treasures in heaven where they are safe Another thing that we can give away is our possessions Another thing that we can give away is our possessions Hang on Whose are they I said our possessions our money we're giving away our things right, but whose are they Something to ponder I've been blessed by those who have given away their possessions or at least lent them out Been blessed by brother who left me uses skid steer one who left me uses Excavator one who left me uses tools multiple times and let's just goes on and on and on And this made me think of the acts 2 44 And all that believe were together and had all things common verse 45 and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men As every man had need and we have a brotherhood where we care about each other and we share amongst Ourselves and we bless each other with our possessions what we have and it's a wonderful thing How selfish are we how unselfish are we With god's possessions Another thing that we can bless others with is our voice First first peter 3 15, but sanctify the lord god in your hearts And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Brothers and sisters this morning. Do you have a hope that's within you? If you don't have the hope within you then nobody's going to ask you why you have it But if you have the hope that only jesus christ can give into our lives and we have that hope within us And other people just notice, you know what you're facing tough times, but you're peaceful The election is coming up and everybody's worried about who's going to be elected and you're like Whatever god decides should be there I'm satisfied with that You see the difference in a christian Because we have a hope that others do not have And people ask us about it Are we willing to tell others the good news of salvation?

Are we are we willing to tell others how much god loves us and how much he cares for us? Are you willing to share your voice? And it goes on to say that we should share it with meekness and fear humility meekness When we talk about how blessed we've been We share with meekness Then I was pondering this word fear and I was trying to figure out This word fear comes from the word. I think Phobos or something is the idea of phobia. It's truly fear.

That's what it says. It's what it means I don't understand what all he meant what peter meant by that what he meant by that fear But there's a certain degree Of Where we realize with humility That we serve an almighty god who has blessed us greatly And that puts a little bit of fear in our hearts We also share our voice by telling others thank you If you have not Told your wife Thank you. If you have not told your husband. Thank you recently if you're not not told your children Thank you recently or maybe your parents You should do that tell others thank you share your voice Don't just make a huge thanksgiving dinner for everybody Tell others thank you. Let's make it a thanksgiving season.

So it's not boring worn out One more thing I want to talk about a little bit this morning the idea of giving something away Is be a grateful receiver now we're talking about giving but you cannot have giving without having receiving When someone blesses me do I feel inferior? Does it make me feel small for some reason? And if it does is probably pride in my heart. Am I willing to receive from someone else? Do I think i'm on another level and I am in the position of always giving giving giving giving to people down here And if they give to me then somehow i'm down on their level now And I don't like that feeling or maybe I suddenly feel like i'm down below them and I don't like that feeling The whole self-focus thing is just let's give that one away, right Let's be a grateful receiver Pride can definitely keep us from being a cheerful receiver A cheerful receiver Remember jesus didn't have a place to lay his head.

He said that he wandered around never had a home of his own Do you think he never laid his head down in a home somewhere We all know that Lazarus and martha and mary They knew jesus. Well, he seemed to have come to the house often and jesus received from them on a regular basis Jesus jesus was a cheerful receiver. He received the hospitality of others We also know That mary put herself in a place where she was willing to be a receiver as well You all know that story And if you're a cheerful cheerful receiver Pass it on And that's where I come back to the poem I read in the beginning now. We're back to the giving part You will never be able to give as much as you have received This applies to every one of you here this morning. You will never be able to give as much as you have received If you've been blessed bless others You can never give as much as you have received but you can give what you have and we all have something to give And we all have something to give We all do none of us are in a place where we have nothing to give and if we think we are in that place We need to get out of that place Brian tracy said always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting I don't know if I can say i've always received without forgetting.

I'm afraid i've taken it for granted too many times But it's a good motto to have Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting In closing This thanksgiving season remember what you have been given. That's what thanksgiving is all about, right? You count your blessings you think about everything you've just been blessed with it's been so much And we were singing that song how great thou art and I was thinking this fit in so much with what I wanted to share In the closing god created this world for us. It's the beauty and grandeur That's here. And if you just take the time to notice it Just strike you with awe I know it's looking kind of bleak out today with the leaves off the trees Two months ago.

It was gorgeous a month ago But this world is amazing you are amazing god created you as an amazing individual Science behind your body what keeps you living is amazing It's also amazing in that song how great thou art in verse three if you thought about it How jesus was willing to come down this earth? He came way down below his level So that he could give But what did he give? Well, he gave everything including his life And he did it for me and he did it for you We have received so much He Came to suffer and die that you and I could be saved from an awful judgment Thank him this thanksgiving season. Thank jesus for what he's done for you Your parents gave up so much to give you a chance thank them Your church family rallies around you and gives you support. Thank them You can finish the list of all those who have blessed you.

Thank them Thank them But remember to find true joy this thanksgiving season If you want to be happy give something away, let's kneel for prayer