14/12/2025
SUNDAY SERVICE, 14/12/2025
Topic: "START ALL OVER"
Teacher: Prop Rose. N. Evakise
As we gather for annual thanksgiving, many hearts are conflicted. Some are asking silently, “What exactly am I thanking God for?” The year did not unfold as planned. Prayers were delayed, expectations were unmet, efforts did not produce the results we hoped for. Yet biblical thanksgiving is not a celebration of perfect outcomes; it is an acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness in imperfect seasons. Thanksgiving is not denial of pain; it is recognition that God kept us alive, sane, and standing. The call to “start all over” is not an insult to your effort this year, it is God’s way of saying that this year did not finish you.
Scripture teaches that God’s mercies are new every morning. This truth is especially important when a year ends with disappointment. Thanksgiving becomes an act of faith, not emotion. We thank God not because everything worked, but because His mercy carried us through what did not work. When we thank God at the end of a difficult year, we are declaring that our story is not concluded by this season. Starting all over is an extension of thanksgiving, it is gratitude that believes God is not done.
NOAH: THANKSGIVING AFTER LOSS, NOT AFTER SUCCESS
Genesis 8:13–22
Noah’s thanksgiving altar was built after loss, not after achievement. The world he knew was gone. Yet he thanked God not for what he lost, but for being preserved. This speaks directly to those who feel this year took more than it gave. Noah’s thanksgiving was not celebration; it was surrender. By building an altar, Noah acknowledged that survival itself was grace.
Some in this service did not get what they prayed for, but you are still here. Thanksgiving is your altar. Starting all over begins when you stop mourning what did not happen and begin thanking God for being kept through it.
ISRAEL: THANKSGIVING IN THE MIDST OF UNFULFILLED PROMISES
Deuteronomy 30:1–6
Israel entered thanksgiving seasons while still in captivity. God asked them to remember Him even when restoration was still ahead. Their thanksgiving was not based on arrival, but on covenant. This teaches us that gratitude reconnects us to God when disappointment tries to disconnect us.
This year may have ended without visible breakthroughs, but thanksgiving realigns the heart. When we thank God in disappointment, we are saying, “I still trust You with my future.” Starting all over becomes possible when thanksgiving softens a hardened heart.
DAVID: THANKSGIVING AFTER PERSONAL FAILURE
Psalm 51
David did not write Psalm 51 from a place of victory. He wrote it from regret, brokenness, and loss. Yet embedded in his repentance was thanksgiving, gratitude that God did not reject him. David understood that God’s mercy was greater than his failure.
Some are disappointed not because of circumstances, but because of personal decisions. Thanksgiving is not pretending you did well; it is thanking God that He is willing to cleanse, restore, and give you another chance. Starting all over begins when shame no longer silences gratitude.
PETER: THANKSGIVING AFTER A YEAR OF DISAPPOINTMENT
John 21
Peter’s year ended in denial and shame. He had promised loyalty and failed publicly. Yet Jesus did not end the story there. The resurrection encounter was a quiet moment of restoration. Peter’s thanksgiving was not verbal; it was shown in obedience when he followed Jesus again.
Some feel they let God down this year. Thanksgiving is not thanking God for success, but for restoration. When Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” He was offering a restart. Thanksgiving accepts that restart.
CHRIST: THANKSGIVING THAT CREATES NEW BEGINNINGS
2 Corinthians 5:17
In Christ, thanksgiving is not tied to outcomes but to identity. You may not have achieved all you planned, but if you are still in Christ, something greater remains intact. New creation theology teaches us that every ending in Christ is a doorway, not a dead end.
We thank God not because the year was perfect, but because we are still new in Him. Starting all over is possible because our identity was not damaged by this year.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO START ALL OVER
First, acknowledge the disappointment honestly before God, like the psalmists did. Thanksgiving that ignores pain is shallow, but thanksgiving that includes pain is powerful.
Next, thank God deliberately for preservation—life, strength, sanity, relationships, and lessons learned. Deuteronomy 8 teaches us to remember God, not only for what we received, but for how He led us.
Then, release the year into God’s hands. Isaiah 43 reminds us not to cling to former things. Thanksgiving helps us release without bitterness.
Finally, recommit with faith. Starting all over does not mean starting empty; it means starting wiser. Thanksgiving positions the heart to receive fresh direction.
What did not work this year did not cancel God’s plan. It prepared you for a new beginning.
What did not work this year did not cancel God’s plan. It prepared you for a new beginning. Today, your thanksgiving is not the end of a hard year—it is the beginning of a new chapter.
