# Thanksgiving Wednesday Evening

November 26, 2025

Thank you, Lord. Good to see you here on Tuesday, not Wednesday night. Testimony service is always a sweet, sweet time. We’re honored to have a guest with us tonight, first time, I believe. We’re glad to have Debbie with us tonight, and we’re honored to have her. We appreciate her letting her granddaughters come to church with us very often, and we appreciate her coming to be with us tonight. That’s just awesome.

Good to have Bill and Tabitha, a little bit more tan version of them, back with us now. You know, they’ve been down to the Dominican Republic, and good to have them back with us tonight. We appreciate them being here. That’s wonderful. Good day, Brother Brian with us tonight. Just had shoulder surgery. Say that ten times in a row, you know. It was a very painful surgery, and he’s healing. It’s going to take a while to get past all that pain, so you pray for him. But good to have them with us tonight. That’s awesome, and we appreciate them being here.

Just a couple of reminders. We got a little ring here. I don’t know what’s going on there, or maybe it’s just monitors, maybe turn down. We’ll see here; they’ll work on that. But we have—I felt to mention our Christmas decoration contest we’re going to have. And we got to get you signing up for it. There’s a sign-up sheet on the back table there for that. It will start—you got to be signed up by next Wednesday, is that December the 3rd or something like that, I believe it is. And you got to be signed up by that. And then that following Sunday, we’ll have a list and addresses you can ride by and look at their Christmas decorations. You can grade it: ten being the best, one being the lowest. We’ll tally those, and we’ll have a good time with that. It’s just something about riding around and looking at them. It’s good for families, it’s for marriages, just ride around, look at Christmas lights, and get you some good Christmas music and get some hot chocolate to go with it. All right. Now, you’ve got to have that. That’s all part of it. And it’s good to kind of get to know our church families. So if you would be willing to be a part of that.

The Renix won two years ago, so they could not enter this last year. Miss Joyce Toomes won last year, and she moved away to Pulaski. She may move back up just to enter this contest to get out—I don’t know—but we’ll have a good time with that. It’s just good for our people to ride around, and you don’t have to go inside all that. It’s a good chance to get to know each other a little bit better, a good time of fellowship, good for families.

Then, the Friday after Thanksgiving, December 5th, is the ladies’ Christmas party. That Monday following, Monday the 8th, is the men’s chili cook-off. All those—good old jail ministry—we need just a few more workers, then we could go twice a month. December 15th, there’s an orientation. They don’t have those very often, so sometimes once or twice a year, you just really never know exactly, but we have a chance for orientation for new people to get in there and go through orientation. Then you can be involved in that great ministry, great ministry. A lot of people get saved through that. So make a note of that, if you would, please.

We’re going to continue on real quickly because we won’t have time for testimonies a little bit later on here. Ushers, if you come for the offering. Teen activities are Saturday, December the 13th; make a note of that. And then I just wanted to mention, we’re not taking requests like we typically do, but I do want to mention Abby. I mentioned her Sunday morning. Michael and Daniel’s 19-year-old daughter. She’s a twin, Addie and Abby. When they were younger, they would come sometimes, and boy, it’s so hard to tell them apart. The older they get, a little bit easier. Brother Michael took her in Thursday, Friday, and she was just sick and whatnot. And boy, just from a turn from bad to worse, she ended up on a ventilator. It was very crucial for a while. It looks like she is going to make it. They’ve got her off the ventilator. She’s on that ECMO machine where they circulate your blood out and production, put it back in. She’s still on that. They brought her out of the induced coma, and she seems okay. It’s just going to be a long haul. She’s in St. Thomas West. You pray for—keep praying for them, if you would, please. Can you imagine a 19-year-old daughter? Her blood platelets are so very, very low, so she’s bled a lot, and they have machines in. Just a horrible sight to see your daughter like that. So you pray for them. Pray for her. Let’s just spend a lot of time these next couple days praying for Abby, if you would, and Michael and Daniel. I just can’t imagine a 19-year-old daughter going through that. So you pray for them. St. Thomas West—oh, I can’t remember. Some people today have 2.62. I’ve got that room number in my head, but I can send you the room number if you want it, or you can just go up there and see her, or text them. That will mean a lot to them. It would be a great, great thing if you get to do that.

Good to have the Johanans back. We’ve missed them, and I’m glad to have them back. That’s great. We want to hear all about their trip and all their activities. Well, I don’t know what all they did there; we’ll have to find out about it all, but good for them. Good to have them back. Brother Bill, would you lead us in prayer for the offering, please, tonight?

Go ahead and take your songbooks one more time. Turn to page 562, page 562. We’re going to sing, “I’m on the Winning Side.” If you would, let’s stand. It’s hard to sing this song seated. Page 562, “I’m on the Winning Side.” Once I drifted out, and sin had no hope nor joy within, and my soul was burning, my Savior came along. I was wrong. Inside? Yes, I’m all out and sing it out. You could be seated.

I never forget, I was in Bible college, and Curtis Hudson came. He had cancer at that point, ended up passing from that, but he sang that song in chapel, and you had, man, 1,500, 2,000, you know, Bible college students, all of them young and eager for the Lord. And man, he started singing that song. By the way, he is on the winning side. He won. He’s at home—man, he’s in heaven. And he could sing his country preacher, you know, and he got up there and sang that. It was in Indiana amongst all those Yankees. I mean, I didn’t say that, you know. And I tell you what, it was awesome. He even got on the piano player—I remember a little bit—said, “Hey, no, no, slow down. We want to put a little country twang in there, and southern, that maybe I should say.” And many were singing that. I think it’s on YouTube, but it was just awesome, and that brings back memories—a great, great song.

Look over, if you will, just real quickly, first Thessalonians five. You’ll know the verse. I wasn’t even going to do this, but I feel like the Lord said, “Let’s just kind of start off with this.” But we’re going to hear from you tonight, but I thought the Lord would have it just maybe go to one verse and just look at it real quickly here tonight: First Thessalonians five. And look in just one verse, verse number 18. First Thessalonians five and verse number 18 of God’s Word. You there tonight? Amen?

Boy, you’re a little quiet tonight. Are you tired tonight? Are you tired? Anybody tired out there? Oh, we got some people tired. All right, all right. Good deal. I understand. I understand. We used to have a guy coming. He said, “My ties are hanging out,” you know. Some of you who are tired are hanging out tonight. I understand that. Good to see Christians slipping in there. Just real quickly: First Thessalonians five, and look in verse number 18. Verse number 18.

He says, “In everything give thanks.” We talked about that Sunday morning. It doesn’t say only three times is the Bible used the word “thankful”; it doesn’t say that here. It says, “Give thanks.” If you have to give thanks for a while, you’re more apt to be thankful. He says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Now, can I say something? I don’t think it is saying there that everything that happens to you is the will of God. I don’t think God always gets his will in this world. He’s not willing that any should perish, but he knows. He’s told us that broad is the way that leads to destruction; many there be that go in there. God doesn’t get his will. It’s not his will for a sinful person to do sinful things to children. I’m not saying it’s the will of God, all these things. God gives man a free will. But it’s saying it’s the will of God for us to give thanks. That’s what the will of God is. So what’s God’s will for my life? To give thanks. That’s where it starts at.

Another thing about that—you said you weren’t going to preach now. I’m not. Okay, five-minute devotional. How about that now, you know? Notice he doesn’t say, “After everything, give thanks.” He says, “In.” That’s a challenge for me. After it’s all over, I can clear my head and start seeing what God was doing later on, then I give thanks. Now, he said, “In.” Pretty tough, but boy, I’d have you go through it. That’s the truth. It’ll help you go through tough times. In everything, give thanks. Just give thanks. I’ve battled it today on why I need to give thanks, and it’ll do something to you. In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. It’s God’s will for us to give thanks in everything.

I started worrying a lot about this side over here. This side was full, you know, for a Tuesday night. And I said, “What in the world happened over here?” But we got a few more in here. Praise the Lord, the signs that came in, Miss Mickey and Ms. Jennifer. We’re filling it up a little bit. The Pattersons, praise the Lord. Ms. Chisgar, the teacher over there, my daughter Sarah. School—we got to say Ms. Chisgar. I battled them back and forth with all that, you know. Praise the Lord, we’re getting a few more over here on this side. I’ll start us off, and then we’ll just open the floor up for whoever would like to give thanks.

But I would like to say thank you to the Lord for growing me, patiently growing me. You might think, “Well, you’re supposed to have it all together.” Well, man, you’re wrong. I don’t have it all together for sure, and that God so patiently is growing me. It’s been a good year for God just growing me. I appreciate it. I need it. I still got a lot more growing to do. Once I feel like I’ve grown a little bit, and then I fall flat on my face. I have so much growing to do, but he’s been patient, patiently growing me.

Then, the promises of God are awesome. I hope you just learn to—you know, God will give you promises. It’s amazing how you read the Bible; whatever you’re going through, that’s what kind of speaks to you, and he’ll give you promises. I just appreciate the promises of God. They’re amazing. Psalm 128:1 and 2 has been my promises here lately, but there are just promises all over the Bible. And then I’m thankful that God’s my Dad. I mean that that way; he’s my Dad. Best Dad in all the world. I’m so thankful. He’s—you know what he said, “Have a Father”? He’s my Dad. It’s just awesome to be on the trip with my Dad, and just get to ride in the truck, if you will, with my Dad. I’m honored. So thankful for it. Praise the Lord for that.

Praise the Lord for my wife. Before church tonight, she was saying—we were talking about something—she said, “I’m praying about that.” I’m thankful for a wife that prays, and it seems like more than ever, she is just praying. She’s in the Word. She’s memorizing verses and getting promises and always in the Word. I love it. I appreciate that. That may be the toughest job of all in the church: to be the pastor’s wife. Twenty-six years, and she’s hanging in there and hanging on the promises of God. I appreciate that. Most preachers—and you’ve heard me say—most, by far the majority of preachers, get out of the ministry because the wife doesn’t want to be in the ministry anymore. I appreciate my wife not doing that, and she’s glad to be in the ministry, praying and reading the Word.

I’m thankful for my son, daughter-in-law, and the three grandchildren. We got to go out there and spoil them a whole week or two ago. They had them just in line. I think for a son and daughter-in-law, that would be discipline; they had those kids right in line. By the time we left, they were spoiled rotten, and they had the “give-mes” when we left: “Give me this,” because we were giving them everything they asked for, you know. I said, “John McKinney, you know, we’re like, we’re sorry,” you know. And they’re like, “I, Dad, we’ll get them back in line.” Many of Spankins are getting back in line. But I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for my daughter, Sarah, just a 28-year-old, single young lady. There are always forks—many forks in the roads that she travels down—and it seems like she always just takes the right road. I appreciate that. I’m so thankful for that. She just keeps choosing the right path when a fork comes. Praise the Lord for that. I’m very, very thankful for that.

And then the church members—man, we’ve got a great church family. Just amazing. Y’all are better church members than I am a church pastor. Y’all are just awesome. Faithful. I appreciate your faithfulness. That’s huge. I heard a pastor on the radio years ago, and they asked, “What would you like for pastor appreciation month?” He said, “First of all, I like faithfulness.” I said, “Man, you hit the nail on the head.” I appreciate your faith. That’s huge. And then you’re just so willing to do whatever. Today I was texting some folks about something to be done; they’re on it. Praise the Lord for great people, just doing whatever needs to be done for the Lord. It takes a church family like that. I appreciate that very, very much.

And then I want to say, thank the Lord for America. Think back to this time last year when Biden, President Biden, was in office. There was just a little bit of the feeling of oppression. Man, it’s—it’s not even been a year, and so many good things have happened. Praise the Lord for it. I mean, just thank the Lord where we’re at, and praise the Lord for it. God has been very—He is very merciful and gracious to America. He shed His grace on us, no doubt about it. And praise God, it’s far from perfect, but it is the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Praise the Lord for America.

Original File: 2025-11-26 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Thanksgiving＂ - Wednesday PM 11⧸25⧸2025