We’ve all been there; stuck in a situation so difficult that the only thing we can feel, is bitterness. It’s easy to want to give up when the road ahead seems dark. But what if your current struggle isn’t a dead end, but rather, one of the many setups in God’s plan for your life?

On this episode of Ministering the Word, Pastor Dennis Jones brings us a unique message from the Book of Ruth; where he focuses on, Naomi; who had a hard life, and she felt bitter for what she was going through. But she does not let that bitterness stop her; instead of letting her bitterness pull her away from God, she leans on Him, and keeps going.

Do you have a thankful spirit? Mirriam-Webster defines thanksgiving as: a celebration of divine goodness, and a prayer expressing gratitude. I prefer Dictionary.com’s definition because most of their definitions of thanksgiving end with, especially to God; like this one: Thanksgiving is a grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God. However, I think we can all agree that sometimes we get caught up focusing on the negative which causes us to have a grumbling spirit; rather than focusing on all the many blessings that God has poured out to us, and choosing to have a spirit of thanksgiving, lifting up our prayers of thanks; to God. Today, Pastor Dennis wraps up the final message in our “Jesus Is” series, and discusses the spirit of Thanksgiving that we should all desire, as followers of Jesus.

In today’s world, we are surrounded by people wanting to tell us what to do. We even have people whose job it is to be an influencer on social media. But, have you ever considered who those people are that are influencing your life? Do you consider how they carry themselves in their personal lives? How about the message they are sending you, does it set a Biblical example? If these leaders ask you to do something difficult, or even dangerous, do they care for your best interest, that you have the skills and confidence to succeed; or are they just making a buck? In today’s message on Ministering the Word, Pastor Dennis discusses the leaders and influencers in our lives, and what, as Christians, we should be looking out for.