Subtitle: What the Pilgrims Got Right About Thanksgiving
Main Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Supporting Scriptures: Psalm 34:1; Psalm 107:1; Habakkuk 3:17–18; Hebrews 12:28; Exodus 15:2; 2 Corinthians 4:15
INTRODUCTION
- Thanksgiving often exposes real struggles more than it produces automatic gratitude.
- Scripture commands thankfulness in all circumstances, not just the easy ones.
- The first Thanksgiving makes sense only when we understand the suffering that came before it.
- Big question: How do you give thanks on the hard ground?
I. THEIR ARRIVAL WASN’T A CELEBRATION — IT WAS A SURVIVAL
Historical Background:
- Pilgrims landed in December 1620, exhausted from persecution and the long voyage.
- Within the first year, over half died from disease, starvation, and the brutal winter.
- Dead were buried at night to hide their losses.
Spiritual Connection:
- They didn’t give thanks because life was good — they gave thanks because God preserved a remnant.
- Psalm 34:1: “I will bless the Lord at all times…”
- “All times” includes grief, loss, uncertainty, and frozen ground.
Preaching Emphasis:
- The first Thanksgiving wasn’t born from abundance — it was born from aftermath.
- Gratitude was their act of defiance against despair.
II. THANKSGIVING ISN’T AN EMOTION — IT’S A CHOICE OF FAITH
Biblical Truth:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18: Give thanks in all circumstances, not for them.
- Circumstances may not be good — God still is.
Pilgrim Example:
- Their 1621 gathering wasn’t bragging — it was declaring God’s provision.
- They thanked Him for survival, sovereignty, the harvest, and peace with the Wampanoag.
Scriptural Example:
- Habakkuk 3:17–18: Even when the fields fail and nothing grows — “yet I will rejoice.”
Preaching Emphasis:
- Real thanksgiving sounds like: “God, You’re still good.”
- Gratitude is not an emotion that appears when life softens — it’s a choice rooted in faith.
III. GRATITUDE GROWS IN THE SOIL OF REMEMBRANCE
Biblical Foundation:
- Psalm 107:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good…”
- Scripture repeatedly commands God’s people to remember.
Spiritual Reason:
- Gratitude fades when we forget who God has been.
- The Pilgrims remembered persecution, storms, and loss — and thanked God anyway.
Kingdom Perspective:
- Hebrews 12:28: We belong to a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
- Shaken circumstances don’t mean a shaken God.
Modern Application:
- Many stop being grateful because they’ve forgotten how far God has brought them.
- Thanksgiving isn’t about the pantry — it’s about the memory of God’s faithfulness.
Preaching Emphasis:
- Gratitude rooted in comfort will collapse.
- Gratitude rooted in God’s character will hold through feast or famine.
IV. THEY GATHERED AS A COVENANT PEOPLE — NOT JUST SETTLERS
Historical/Theological Lens:
- Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact — a covenant to govern themselves under God.
- They sought a worship-centered community, not personal opportunity.
Core Insight:
- Survival without God is just existence.
- They understood that worship had to be the center of their new life.
Scriptural Anchor:
- Exodus 15:2: “The Lord is my strength and my song… I will praise Him.”
Preaching Emphasis:
- A Thanksgiving table without God is just a meal.
- A life centered on God becomes a covenant life, even in hardship.
V. THANKSGIVING TODAY IS A CALL BACK TO SPIRITUAL REALITY
The Pilgrim Challenge to Us:
- They weren’t perfect — but their example is powerful.
- They thanked God even when grief was fresh and the future was unclear.
The Questions We Must Face:
- Do we thank God only when we’re full… or when we’re faithful?
- Are we teaching our families to tie gratitude to comfort… or to Christ?
Scriptural Anchor:
- 2 Corinthians 4:15: Grace produces overflowing thanksgiving to the glory of God.
Preaching Emphasis:
- Thanksgiving is not seasonal — it is a spiritual reality check.
- Gratitude must overflow from a heart that remembers God’s grace.
CLOSING CHALLENGE
Ask yourself:
- Am I waiting for things to get better before I give thanks?
- Have I tied my gratitude to what’s on the table—or to who sits on the throne?
- Will I remember that the first thanksgiving was held on the same ground where they buried their dead?
- Will I choose gratitude here — even on my own hard ground?
Full Sermon: