Celebrating the Good God - Do you believe God is good? We sing about the goodness of God and we talk about it, but what does it really mean that God is good. And how is his goodness good news to me. As I celebrate the goodness of God how will it change me?
Scripture… Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Ps 48:3
Story… Mark Chapter 10:18-22... “Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?” the rich young ruler asked Jesus “why do you call me good? No one is good except God! You know the commandments,” Jesus said. The guy told Jesus that he had kept them all... Jesus looked on him with love said “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” He called him to discipleship and to be good like God but it was too much for the rich guy... “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
Head… What does it mean to say God is good?
Ps. 119:68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Heart… How will God's Goodness change my heart?
Psalm 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.
Galatians 5 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Hands… How does knowing the goodness of God call me to daily live?
Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
1 Peter 2:1-3 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Prayer… Lord we celebrate who you are and what you do... you are all good! Help us to be encouraged by your goodness every day. We thank you for all the goodness you show us continually. We are especially thankful for the good gift of your son and his death on the cross. Help us to live out goodness in all areas of our life.
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