Lesson 101: The Worship of a Grateful Heart (Luke 17:11-19)

From our earliest days, our parents may have taught us the etiquette of saying “thank you.” Whether someone passed us the mashed potatoes at the dinner table or we opened a gift of socks and underwear from great Aunt Nelma at Christmas, those words were to be our automatic response. But as we grow up, we learn that a thankful heart is something different than mere thank you words said out of politeness. The story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed provide us with a prime example of what it looks like to have a worshipful, grateful heart to God…and what it looks like when such a heart is absent. Pastor Daniel explains what went on in the heart of the one leper who returned and what we should desire for own hearts as well: “Gratitude manifests itself in unrestrained worship of Jesus Christ.” This story teaches us to 1) cry out to Jesus, 2) see God in His grace, and 3) demonstrate gratitude through worship, not legalism.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff