Weekly Virtual Worship Service and Announcements – November 24, 2024
Welcome to the Langley Avenue Church of God Website!
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Our Virtual Worship Service will begin at 11:00 AM. (CDT).
You can view the livestream service on our website, Facebook, or YouTube Channel.
2024 Theme: VISIBLE FRUIT – “But the fruit of the Spirit is…”. Galatians 5:22A
Langley’s In-Person Worship Services
You are welcome to visit and worship with us in-person. Invite your friends and family. Masks are optional. If you are ill please be mindful of others and remain home.
Do You Need Prayer?
Join Langley’s Prayer Line…The Langley Prayer Line is staffed by Langley Avenue COG ministers and prayer team members. Call in with prayer requests, to connect, to pray together and for any other needs. Let us shelter under the mighty wings of God.
Note the available day and time for prayer:
Monday prayer 6:15 AM – 6:45 AM and 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM
Wednesday prayer 6:15 AM – 6:45 AM and 11:15 PM -12 Noon
Friday prayer 6:15 AM – 6:45 AM
Langley’s Prayer Line:
1-267-807-9495
Access code: 471-150-100#
Ways to Give
Postal Mail– Langley Avenue Church of God, 710 E. 62nd St., Chicago, IL 60637
Zelle – langleycog@att.net
Thanksgiving Message: Develop A Grateful Heart*
Everything good in your life comes from God (James 1:17). We’ll grow closer to God when we understand this truth and build our lives around it.
Developing these habits can help us become more thankful:
Regularly practice giving thanks. We should make a habit of expressing gratitude. Thankfulness rather than criticism should be our default position. When you see something good in your life, point it out. Thank God for it. We all complain occasionally, but practice responding to your own complaining by finding things to be thankful for. This helps to rewire your brain to be as proficient at recognizing the good in your life as you are at identifying the bad.
Express gratitude regardless of the situation. Paul tells the Thessalonians to give thanks in all circumstances because God wills it (1 Thessalonians. 5:18). Why? We never see the full picture. We can’t look at every situation and clearly understand why it’s happening. We can only know God is at work in these situations and working them out for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28). Regardless of what’s happening, we can thank God for his presence. He is redeeming the situation and sustaining us through it. On our own, we focus on the current situation. We rise above the situation when we purposefully look for what God is doing in the middle of it. A.W. Tozer says, “Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.”
Praise God when all is well. You may believe this is obvious, but it’s critical we do it. We’re conditioned to believe that life will go well for us. When life runs smoothly, we don’t tend to see this as God’s gift to us. We don’t see how He protects and guides us along the way to green pastures and still waters.
Learn to see how bad experiences can produce good outcomes. We should all take some time to consider the benefits of the difficult times in our lives. After a period away from the situation, we should be able to see the good that came out of those experiences. Often, you’ll be able to see how those bad experiences helped you gather strength and momentum for future blessings in your life. Regardless of that, learning to see past trials through eternity’s perspective enables us to be more thankful during times of struggle.
Make gratitude a part of your interactions with other people. Gratitude should impact both our relationship with God and our relationships with other people. Rick Warren once said, “To appreciate means to raise in value. That’s not only true of things, it’s true of people. When you appreciate somebody, you literally raise their value. We ought to appreciate people because it increases their self-worth.” Make it a regular practice to say thank you to people in your life. Often, the people we express gratitude with the least in our lives are those the closest to us.
Lean into the strength gratitude provides. I know many people who have been through extremely tough situations. I’ve noticed those who are the most grateful and have learned to see God’s work regularly show the most perseverance.
Thanksgiving is a superpower. It enables us to see past our experiences and embrace how God is moving. Not only are thankful people able to draw strength from gratitude, but they’re also able to empower others with their perspective as well.
Announcements:
The Project Care Food Pantry distributed Thanksgiving Food Baskets on Saturday, November 23rd. Many families in our community were blessed because of the generosity of our members and those who labored to prepare the baskets. Thank you to all who contributed in one way or another. Special thanks to our Pantry Director Chaundrea Jenkins!
South Suburban Church of God cordially invites you to their annual Christmas skit and concert on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 1:15 PM at 1340 West 183rd Street, Homewood, Illinois 60430. This year’s theme is “Once In Royal David’s City Celebrating ‘God’s Royal Gift’ – known by no other name than – Jesus! Come and enjoy this wonderful fellowship”!
A Call to Prayer every Sunday morning for our local youth ministry and the leadership and direction of the National Inspirational Youth Convention (NIYC). View the Presiding Elder Clifton McDowell’s appeal to pray for NIYC as they plan for the next convention in 2025. Get involved and participate as we live out Psalms 78:4 and Joel 1.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
—Psalms 78:4, NIV
NIYC’s call to action asks that you 1. stay connected, 2. pray and 3. share your suggestions and comments at niyc.org/contact as they plan for the 2025 Convention. This is the time to share your innovative thoughts. Think Big!
Scriptures That Encourage:
2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
James 1:2-4 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Mark 11:24 – “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Philippians 4:6-7 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
General Information:
Free Covid Test
Americans can once again order free at-home COVID.gov/tests from the federal government ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season. Four tests will be shipped free by USPS, starting September 30.
Here’s a list of basic supplies to keep handy in case of an emergency:
Enough water for three days.
A waterproof Ziploc bag of important documents and money.
First-aid essentials.
Miscellaneous health and hygiene supplies.
A crank-powered radio.
A headlamp or kerosene lamp.
A reusable phone charger.
A whistle.
Batteries.
Prescription medications
Save the Date:
Thanksgiving Day – November 28
National Association Seniors Ministry invite you to a Senior Prayer Gathering – When: Every 3rd Saturday; Time: 6pm CST; How: Dial 605-313-5874 | Access Code: 738066#; We invite special speakers to participate each month. Join us!
National Association of the Church of God (NACOG) MidYear Retreat 2025; When: March 4-6, 2025; Where: Charlotte, NC; Register
National Association of the Church of God 2025 Camp Meeting will take place July 27 – August 3, 2025 on Zion’s Hill in West Middlesex, PA.
Credits:
Unsplash
* 5 Thanksgiving Sermons to Share on Thanksgiving
National Association of the Church of God (NACOG)
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