Breakpoint Podcast: "What We Need This Thanksgiving"
Host: John Stonestreet
Date: November 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this Thanksgiving-themed episode of Breakpoint, John Stonestreet explores the role of gratitude in the Christian life, especially in challenging times. Drawing wisdom from G.K. Chesterton, Chuck Colson, Ellen Vaughan, and Jonathan Edwards, the episode unpacks the idea of "radical gratitude," its Biblical roots, and its profound impact as a witness in a troubled world.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Challenge and Duty of Gratitude

(00:01)

• G.K. Chesterton is quoted to set the stage:

  "Gratitude was nearly the greatest of all human duties and nearly the most difficult."

• Gratitude is our duty as Christians because, following Paul’s words to the Corinthians, “What do we have that we did not receive?”
• John Stonestreet observes gratitude’s difficulty especially "after a year like this one," highlighting the struggle to remain grateful amid hardships.

2. Scientific Perspective on Gratitude

(00:46)

• John shares findings from university psychologist research:
  • People who practiced gratitude daily (e.g., keeping a gratitude journal) reported higher energy, optimism, and lower depression and stress.
  • Being thankful, even outside of religious context, improves one’s well-being:

    “Anybody can increase his sense of well-being just from counting his blessings.”

• However, the episode quickly pivots: generic or "to-whom-it-may-concern" gratitude isn't enough, especially in life's darkest times.

3. Radical Gratitude: Beyond Counting Blessings

(01:55)

• Referencing Ellen Vaughan’s book "Radical Gratitude":
  • Gratitude must go deeper than simply acknowledging blessings when things are good.
  • The crucial question:

    “What do we do when cancer strikes? ... Or when we find ourselves in the midst of brokenness and real suffering? That… is where gratitude gets radical.”

• Vaughan, via Stonestreet, distinguishes two types of gratitude:
  • Secondary/Natural Gratitude: Thankfulness for tangible blessings (health, home, family, etc.).
    • Quoting Jonathan Edwards: "Natural gratitude."
    • Good, but doesn’t always persist in adversity and isn’t distinctly Christian.
  • Primary/Gracious Gratitude: Thankfulness for who God is—his character and love—regardless of life circumstances.
    • “It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is… regardless of favors received, and it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life.”

4. The Power of Gracious (Radical) Gratitude

(02:56)

• Gracious gratitude roots us in Christ, making our sense of joy and security unshakeable, no matter our external reality.
• Romans 8:28–39 is referenced: Nothing can separate us from the love of God, the "fount of our joy."
• Such gratitude, Stonestreet summarizes, is:

  “…unstoppable, irrepressible, overflowing with what C.S. Lewis called the good infection—the supernatural, refreshing love of God that draws others to Him.”

• This radical gratitude becomes a powerful witness:

  “God’s power is real and his presence very relevant, even in a world full of brokenness as well as blessings.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• John Stonestreet (00:01):

  "It's especially difficult after a year like this one because we see in so many ways things can get better."

• Research Finding (00:46):

  "Anybody can increase his sense of well-being just from counting his blessings."

• On Suffering (01:55):

  “No one is going to disagree with the fact that gratitude is a virtue. But… counting our blessings and conjuring an attitude of to whom it may concern gratitude, Pollyanna style, is not enough. What do we do when cancer strikes?... That is where gratitude gets radical.”

• Jonathan Edwards’ Distinction (02:29):

  "Edwards calls the deeper primary form of thankfulness gracious gratitude. It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is… and it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life."

• C.S. Lewis Reference (03:20):

  “People who are filled with such radical gratitude are unstoppable, irrepressible, overflowing with what C.S. Lewis called the good infection—the supernatural, refreshing love of God that draws others to him.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:01 – The challenge and significance of gratitude
• 00:46 – Psychological benefits of gratitude and its secular appeal
• 01:55 – The call to radical gratitude in suffering
• 02:29 – Jonathan Edwards’ distinction between natural and gracious gratitude
• 03:20 – The contagious, witness-bearing power of gracious gratitude
• 03:37 – Blessings and closing

Tone and Style

The tone is reflective, thoughtful, and encouraging, blending practical insight with deep Christian theology. John Stonestreet challenges listeners to a deeper, more resilient form of gratitude anchored in the unchanging character of God—especially in difficult times.

Summary for Listeners:
The episode challenges you to cultivate not just surface-level thankfulness, but to develop a deep, radical gratitude rooted in God’s character—a gratitude that persists through hardship and shines as a testament to faith in a broken world.