Sermon Recap: “What Do I Do After Thanksgiving?”
Author: Pastor Steven T. Morrow
After the Holiday Ends
Thanksgiving has come and gone. The food has been eaten, the family gatherings have ended, and the leftovers are disappearing. As we move toward Christmas and the New Year, many people shift immediately into decorating, shopping, planning, and resolution-making. But Sunday’s message asked us to slow down long enough to consider a deeper spiritual question: What do I do after Thanksgiving? Not the holiday itself, but the kind of thanksgiving Psalm 107 describes—the kind rooted in God’s goodness and mercy.
Thanksgiving Begins With Mercy
Psalm 107 opens with the powerful reminder, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Israel had come out of exile broken, scattered, and undeserving, yet God restored them. Not because they were loyal, but because He was loyal. Their thanksgiving came from recognizing that mercy had carried them. And the same is true for us. God preserved us through storms, doubts, mistakes, depression, loneliness, and danger. When we look back, we see moments we should not have survived—but mercy stepped in. Thanksgiving becomes our confession that God’s mercy is the reason we’re still here.
Testimony Is the Evidence of Thanksgiving
After thanksgiving comes testimony. Psalm 107:2 declares, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.” Testimony means to speak openly and boldly about what God has done. Redeemed people do not whisper; redeemed people speak up. If God brought you out of emotional battles, spiritual bondage, unexpected storms, or situations that were designed to break you, then you have something to talk about. Your testimony becomes the sound of your gratitude. It is worship, obedience, evangelism, and memory all wrapped into one. When we testify, we honor the God who redeemed us.
Thanksgiving and Testimony Lead to Transformation
Psalm 107 shows a repeated pattern throughout the chapter: Problem → Cry → Redemption → Thanksgiving → Lifestyle Change. Thanksgiving is not the finish line—it is the turning point. Once God rescues us, we begin to live differently. Wanderers become purposeful, prisoners become free, reckless hearts become obedient, and fearful survivors become worshipers. Just like someone who survives a near-fatal accident becomes more intentional and careful, believers who have experienced God’s deliverance walk with deeper reverence. Thanksgiving leads to testimony, and testimony leads to transformation.
The Message in One Line
The heart of the sermon is this:
After Thanksgiving, I keep giving thanks, I testify about what God has done, and I choose to live a transformed, holy life.
Thanksgiving is the moment.
Testimony is the message.
Transformation is the movement.
We don’t stop at gratitude—we walk it out.
Join Us This Sunday!
If this message encouraged you, you’re warmly invited to worship with us this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. We are located at 1009 East Stockbridge Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan. We are a small church—small enough to see you come in, but big enough to love you all the way through. Come as you are. Leave strengthened. Experience God’s presence in a real and refreshing way. We can’t wait to welcome you.
