“ A Psalm of Praise”

At the intersection of Thanksgiving and Christmas lies a profound invitation to joyful worship found in Psalm 100. This beautiful passage, uniquely titled 'A Psalm of Praise,' challenges us to examine our approach to worship and our understanding of God's worthiness. We're called to make a joyful noise—not a whisper, but a unified shout of celebration—to the Lord who created us. The message confronts our tendency to treat worship as obligation rather than privilege, reminding us that we should be the happiest people on earth regardless of our circumstances. Heaven itself is described as a loud place, filled with constant singing and praise, where 10,000 times 10,000 angels declare God's worthiness. The central question emerges: if we struggle with enthusiastic worship now, how will we embrace eternity? We're challenged to enter God's presence with thanksgiving and praise, not waiting until we're inside the church doors but beginning our worship journey the moment we decide to come. The sermon draws a striking parallel between our emotional investment in sports—the jerseys we buy, the watch parties we host, the passionate celebrations when our team scores—and our often-subdued response to the God who actually died for us. This isn't about performance or showmanship; it's about authentic gratitude flowing from hearts that truly understand what we've been given: everlasting mercy, unchanging truth, and the very definition of goodness itself.