He delivered this teaching on January 21, during the month dedicated to thanksgiving for God who protected and guided believers from 2025 into 2026.

Pastor Gisanura explained that there is one true God, the Creator of all things, whose name is written with a capital “G.” At the same time, there are also many “gods” — written with a small “g” — which represent anything a person gives first place and ultimate honor in their life.

Referring to 2 Samuel 7:21–29, he emphasized that thanksgiving is the foundation of true worship and of making God the priority in daily life.

He noted that many people are not used to thanking God because they rarely look back to reflect on where God has taken them from and where He has brought them. He gave the example of King David, who constantly remembered his past — from shepherding sheep to sitting on the throne — and trusted God for what lay ahead.

This reflection humbled David’s heart and led him to thank God for what He had done, what He was doing, and what He would do. That is why David declared: “Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you” (verse 22).

In his teaching, Pastor Gisanura also shared a personal testimony. Between 1995 and 1997, he was involved in 13 accidents, yet God preserved and healed him. He explained that his survival was not by chance, but by God’s grace and purpose, as God had prepared him for His service.

He encouraged everyone to look back at their journeys — whether traveling by car or on foot — and ask themselves why they are still alive, why they were not struck by accidents, and to recognize that it is God who has protected them.

God and gods: What do you honor?

A central question in the teaching was: “What have you given first place in your life?”
Pastor Gisanura explained that whatever you honor most becomes your god — whether it is children, family, husband or wife, money, education, intelligence, strength, or personal interests.

He warned that a person may claim to be serving God, yet in reality be serving their own gods, when everything they do is driven by personal gain rather than God’s will.
What does it mean to serve the true God?

Serving the true God means loving Him with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength. And because God is invisible, serving Him is shown through serving others.

When you help others, uplift the poor and the vulnerable, act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and when people thank you, you give the glory back to God — that is how you truly honor Him.
Pastor Gisanura reminded believers that Christians no longer belong to themselves, but are God’s possession. Therefore, everything we do should be done with God’s interests in mind rather than our own.

These January teachings are a powerful call to self-examination: Are we serving God, or are we serving gods?

Thanking God requires looking back, acknowledging that it is He who brought us from far and led us to where we are today, and making Him first in our lives.

Those who truly love God make Him their priority — in their actions, in their daily lives, and in the love they show to others.

As believers enter 2026, they are encouraged to live remembering that they belong to God, to do everything with the purpose of giving Him glory, because He alone is the mighty God, and there is none like Him.