We may not be able to choose the situation we find ourselves in, but we can choose how we respond.

1. We Must Learn to Rejoice Perpetually (5:16)
   • We can never truly rejoice if we have not been liberated from our sin.
   • Christian joy is not a switch we turn on and off but rather exists as a reflection of our encounter with Jesus and the Word of God.
   • The fulfillment of Jesus’ miraculous birth, life, death, resurrection and promise of ultimate return provide us with sufficient reason to rejoice in every circumstance.
2. We Must Learn to Pray Constantly (5:17)
   • Prayer is far more than a last-ditched call for divine intervention.
   • Our approach to prayer reveals what we believe to be true about God.
   • Learning to pray requires intentional effort and ongoing practice. We must seek to cultivate a lifestyle approach to prayer.
3. We Must Learn to Live with Invariable Thanksgiving (5:18)
   • If we believe that God has the whole world in His hands, then we must live with a heart filled with gratitude.
   • Thanksgiving is not an act we partake in once a year but rather a continual response to what God has done and is doing in our lives.
   • No matter how challenging our current situation may be, we must remember that God is working His plan to fruition.

What God has willed; we cannot ignore.

To follow a man named Jesus is to commit to living a life that rejoices, prays, and is grateful no matter the roughness of the road.