The Church Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Okoro, Oke-Itunu, Ibadan, Reverend S. A. Adeleke, has called on Christians to move beyond occasional expressions of gratitude to God and embrace a consistent lifestyle of thanksgiving, emphasising that genuine appreciation must be rooted in faith, conscious reflection and deliberate preparation.
Reverend Adeleke made the call while delivering a sermon titled “Thanksgiving: A Matter of Our Perception” during the English Service session of the church on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Drawing biblical lessons from Luke 17:11–19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he challenged worshippers to develop a deeper understanding of thanksgiving as an essential expression of their relationship with God.
Speaking on the theme, “Moving from Being Thankful to Living a Thankful Life,” the cleric explained that being thankful goes beyond acknowledging a good deed or a particular blessing; it requires a deliberate commitment to recognising God’s goodness in every circumstance.
According to him, appreciation is a fundamental response expected from anyone who has received kindness, stressing that even Jesus Christ expected gratitude from those who benefited from His miraculous intervention.
“When somebody has done something for you, he is not asking too much by expecting appreciation. Even Jesus expected ‘thank you’ as an expression of appreciation for what He had done. Expression of appreciation is the minimum God is expecting from us,” he said.
The pastor cautioned Christians against taking the everyday blessings of life for granted, noting that good health, family, journey mercies and other seemingly ordinary experiences should never be regarded as automatic entitlements.
He urged believers to cultivate an attitude of gratitude that acknowledges God’s faithfulness in both the extraordinary breakthroughs and the seemingly routine experiences of daily living.
Reverend Adeleke further explained that a life of thanksgiving must be firmly connected to faith, which transcends present circumstances and embraces confidence in what God is capable of doing in the future.
He noted that genuine thanksgiving should not be limited to blessings already received or situations currently enjoyed, but should also reflect a believer’s trust in God’s ability to transform circumstances and fulfil future expectations.
“Living a life of faith is part of living a thankful life. We are not thanking Him only for what is happening, but also for our expectations from God,” he stated.
Referencing John 11:41–42, the preacher highlighted the example of Jesus Christ, who gave thanks to the Father before the manifestation of the miracle involving Lazarus. He used the passage to illustrate that thanksgiving can be an expression of faith in God’s power, even before the expected outcome becomes visible.
He therefore encouraged Christians to develop the spiritual maturity to thank God not only for what He has done and what He is doing, but also for what they trust Him to accomplish.
In his concluding remarks, Reverend Adeleke stressed that thanksgiving should be a deliberate act of worship rather than a spontaneous response reserved for emergencies or moments of extraordinary breakthrough.
He maintained that meaningful thanksgiving requires planning, intentionality and a conscious determination to offer God the best, rather than waiting until a special occasion or unexpected situation arises.
“Thankfulness is not an emergency; it is what is being planned for,” he declared.
The message served as a call to renewed spiritual consciousness, urging Christians to examine their attitudes towards gratitude and make thanksgiving an integral part of their daily lives.
The sermon ultimately reinforced the message that thanksgiving is not merely an event to be observed but a lifestyle to be cultivated—a sustained expression of faith, humility and recognition of God’s unfailing goodness.
Through the message, worshippers were reminded that a grateful heart sees beyond present circumstances, recognises blessings that might otherwise be overlooked and maintains confidence in God’s faithfulness concerning the future.
The central message was clear: thanksgiving should not be reserved for the moment a miracle happens; it should be a way of life, sustained by faith and prepared for with purpose.
