Introduction : The origin of Thanksgiving Day is as follows: In 1603, when James the 1st was enthroned as the King of England, he aggressively supported the Anglican Church, in which it was his duty to be the head in order to strengthen royal authority, persecuting Puritans more harshly than before.
        The Puritans could not endure this harsh persecution, and 102 Puritans set out from the English harbor of Plymouth for the New World where they would start a new life, boarding the Mayflower in September 1620, a small sailing ship, looking for the freedom of belief. After a hard voyage for more than two months, the ship reached the seaside of the continent of North America, and in December they settled at a place in the state of Massachusetts, which they called Plymouth. During that winter, half of them, including their representative Governor John Winthrop, died from extreme cold, shortage of food, and epidemic disease. However, those who remained elected William Bradford as the new governor, encouraging each other, cutting down trees, and firstly building the church and the houses. They cultivated the farmland with an indomitable pioneer spirit. They feared the raids of Indians and were watchful. The next spring, on learning how to cultivate a new kind of corn named the 'New World,' with the Indians who would help them, they engaged in farming and gathered a good harvest in autumn. Completing the harvest, the Puritans invited the Indian chief and the other Indians, preparing grains and fruits and slaughtering turkeys and deer, and they had a thanksgiving feast for three days, had a worship service with tears, and offered a feast of joy to God.
        This is the origin of Thanksgiving Day and of the Puritans who are ancestors of America. In our country, this has been inherited from the missionaries, and we keep it.


1. Give thanks for everything that God created.
    - Looking at all the things that God made himself, seven times He said, ´It was good.´
       Since God grants these things for us to enjoy, we should give thanks to Him
       (Ps 145:10; 148:3-5).
    1) Give thanks for the light - the light is the foundation of all life.
    2) Give thanks for the expanse of the sky - because Jesus will cast out the devil from
        the expanse of the sky and will make it as the place of the wedding banquet of the
        Lamb (Rev 19:9).
    3) Give thanks for the seas and land.
    4) Give thanks for the seed-bearing trees and plants.
    5) Give thanks for the sun, the moon, and the stars (Ps 136:5-9).
    6) Give thanks for the birds in the air and the fish in the water.
    7) Give thanks for the creatures that move along the ground and for the animals.
    8) Give thanks for our lives.
        - We should not unintentionally neglect what we enjoy and experience in our daily
           lives. All these things are the grace that God has given to us (Ac 14:17; Col 3:17).

2. Give thanks for the salvation of Jesus (1 Pe 2:9; Jn 3:16).
    1) We have been chosen (Eph 1:5,6).
    2) We have become a royal priesthood.
        - The king - follows Satan, the king of death, and to his work (1 Co 15:56,57).
           We enjoy the fruits of life: righteousness, peace, joy, faith, hope, and love
           (Ro 14:17).
        - The sacrifices: ① A sacrifice of the day (Isa 56:2; Rev 1:10). ② A sacrifice of the tithe
           (Mal 3:10,11). ③ A sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15). ④ A living sacrifice (Ro 12:1).
    3) We have become a holy nation (Rev 1:6).
    4) We have become a people belonging to Him (Ps 100:3,4).
    5) Give thanks for the Church of the Lord (Eph 1:22).
    6) Give thanks for the servants and the workers of the Lord (Gal 6:6; Eph 4:11,12).
    7) Give thanks for the grace and the Word of the Holy Spirit (1 Pe 1:23).

3. He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me (Ps 50:23).
    - He who has will be given more, and he who does not have, even what he has will be
       taken (Mt 13:12).
    1) Count what you have received, and give thanks for it - with thanks for the grace
        (Eph 1:3).
        - Do not count and complain about what you have not received (Pr 6:2; Mt 18:18).
    2) Count what you have, and give thanks.
        - Do not count what you have not and complain (Ro 4:17; 8:28; Lk 6:38).
        * A sermon of thanks, by Rev. Spurgeon.


        Conclusion : It does not take any effort to complain. Whether we are alone or in groups of two or three, it is natural and so easy to complain or criticize. However, in order to say words of thanks or praise, we need to make a conscious effort. Complaining brings a negative mind, unbelief, and despair. A thankful mind brings an affirmative life, faith, dreams, and hope. Let us determine to think and to speak with thanks, trying to practice it. Only the individual who gives thanks and the family who gives thanks can be joyous and happy.