01-19-2020

Rev. Trevor Johnston, Eric Stewart, Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: Best Year Yet
Week 3: Goodness
English PDF file for printing: here
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español:

1.    Keep practicing our memory verse for this sermon series - 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

2.    Read 2 Peter 1:1-8:
     “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

    3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

     5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.“

3.    This week, our focus is on “adding goodness to our faith.”  What is goodness?  How would you define goodness?

4.    Talk about some ways the word “good” is used in our culture. 

5.    Notice that the word “goodness” comes up in our memory verse above (2 Peter 1:3) and then read Exodus 33:18–19a: “Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’  And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you….’”  What do you learn in these two passages about God?

6.    Read how God defines his character in Exodus 34:6-7a: “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin...’”  What does God want us to know about Him? 

7.    Share some examples of God’s goodness that you’ve experienced.

8.    God revealed Himself in as a human in Jesus Christ.  Note what Acts 10:37–38 says about Jesus: “You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached — how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”  What do you notice? 

Goodness Matters

9.    Read 1 Peter 2:12: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”  What do you notice?  Why is it important that we add goodness to our faith? 

10. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was used by God to work against inequality and injustice fueled by the sin of racism in our nation. He said, “There is within human nature an amazing potential for goodness.”  How could he say this, considering the cruelty he experienced?

Goodness is not moralism

11. A common misperception is that you get to heaven if your good deeds outweigh the bad things you’ve done.  Read the following 2 passages and discuss what they say about this idea.

Psalm 53:3: “Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Isaiah 64:6: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” 

12. Jesus invited a lot of “bad people” to heaven.  How was it possible for them to get to heaven? 

Goodness is a fruit

13. Read Luke 6:43–45a: “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.”  What does this Scripture communicate about how to live a life of goodness?

14. Think about someone you spend a lot of time with.  How have you “rubbed off” on each other? 

15. Read Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  The word translated “excellent” is the same Greek word as “goodness” in 2 Peter 1:5.  What does this verse say about how to see more goodness in your life? 

16. What could you do to see more of the fruit of goodness in your life in 2020?

17. Pete Grieg offers a helpful prayer exercise to do at the end of each day. Get alone and quiet, and then ask God to help you examine your day and your heart, following these steps.  Try this at home on your own. 

·      Replay – Go over the day in your mind.

·      Rejoice – Celebrate with God about the times in your day when you did something good.

·      Repent – Ask God for forgiveness for the moments in your day when you missed it.

·      Reboot – Start the new day fresh in God’s grace for goodness