Sermon-Based Small Group Lessons

When God Gets Personal: His Goodness

Dr. Les Hughes

February 22, 2009

 

 

Summary: Life-Changing Lessons

 

1.  Because of the goodness of God, we don’t experience unrestrained evil.

2.  The goodness of God is constant, never changing attribute of God.

3.  We need the goodness of God because on our own, we aren’t good.

4.  Although God is good, He does not force His goodness on anyone.

 

 

Scripture

 

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

 

 

Opening Question

 

What have you experienced or seen more of from your personal experience, the goodness of God or the evil of Satan?  (Sometimes the goodness of God is not as evidently visible to us.)

 

 

Digging for Truth

 

1.  Les shared that Satan’s desire is not to dangle trivial sins before us, but to truly destroy us.  This is indicated in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. And also in 1 Peter 5:8, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 

            In what ways do you think many believers trivialize evil and sin?

 

2.  Life Changing Lesson #1 is this:  “Because of the goodness of God, we don’t experience unrestrained evil.”

 

            What do you think this world would look life if God allowed evil to go unrestrained?

 

3.  Lesson 2 says, “The goodness of God is constant, never changing attribute of God.”  Les stated that “God is the only being in the universe that you can count on to be good all the time.” 

 

            What does this tell us about our trust in him when times seem bad for us?

 

4.  Sometimes when something goes well for us we say “God is good.”  Is that an accurate statement in light of the immutability of God (the truth that God is always good).

 

5.  It’s not enough for us to know that God is good.  Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”   How do we actually taste and see?

 

6. Lesson #3 states, “We need the goodness of God because on our own, we aren’t good.”  Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

 

            Other than God’s word, how do we know that man is sinful?

 

7.  Following David’s sin with Bathsheba, after coming to grips with his sin, he wrote about his feelings in Psalm 51.  First let’s think about the sin we’re struggling with as I read the passage.

 

             1 Have mercy on me, O God,
                   according to your unfailing love;
                   according to your great compassion
                   blot out my transgressions.

             2 Wash away all my iniquity
                   and cleanse me from my sin.

             3 For I know my transgressions,
                   and my sin is always before me.

             4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
                   and done what is evil in your sight,
                   so that you are proved right when you speak
                   and justified when you judge.

             5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
                   sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

 

8.  Without the goodness of God we wouldn’t have a standard of what good is because we are flawed.  How do you believe atheists define good?

 

            Isaiah 5:20 says “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

 

9.  A.W. Tozer said, “The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.”

 

            How does that truth make you feel?

 

10.  Matt. 5:45 says that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

            Lesson #4 states, “Although God is good, He does not force His goodness on anyone.”

 

            Why do you believe God causes his goodness to fall on both good and evil?

 

11.  We are to reflect God’s goodness to others.  Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

 

            How are we empowered to show God’s goodness based on His nature of goodness?

 

            What are some ways we can reflect God’s goodness?

 

 

Closing Thought

 

What is God calling you to do or be as a result of today’s study?  (Review these as listed above.)