How do you explain the fine-tuning of the universe and the moral laws that people live by? Where did it begin? Join Pastor Craig as he unearths the very nature of God.
In this week’s message Pastor Craig discussed with us that God is good no matter what is going on around us. When we take in all that we see on social media and our news feeds currently many are asking the question, “Is God good?” Foundational to our Christian faith, is the belief that God is good.
1. What does it mean to you when someone says that they are a good person?
2. We often will describe people as good without knowing about their salvation. Do you believe that good people will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? Why or why not?
3. How would you comfort someone who asks why do good things happen to bad people?
4. Have a volunteer read Habakkuk 1:2-3 - What’s the difference between doubting God and wanting to understand God’s purposes? Is it wrong to question God?
5. What effect does circumstance have on your faith in God?
6. Where are you still waiting for God to act? Are you ready to rejoice in the Lord anyway? Why or why not?
7. Knowing that God is good if all your earthly sources of security were taken away, how would you continue to hope in the Lord?
Our perspective of what is good and bad to be accurate must come from God, not our belief system, or background, or upbringing, or experience. Many right now, seem to have forgotten this, and America is on fire because everyone is doing what seems “good” in their own eyes. This is a sign of the times Jesus said would happen in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy. 2 Timothy 3:2
When we begin to question the goodness of God, we are deceiving ourselves. It is easy to look at what comes our way in life and if bad, question God’s goodness. But here James tells us that it’s the good and perfect gifts that come from God. Not everything that comes our way is from God.
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.” James 1:16-17
Luke 18:18-19 - And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
1 John 1:5, “God is light; in Him, there is no darkness at all.”
Psalm 119:68a CEB “You are good, and you do good.”
Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
1 Timothy 4:4 “Everything that has been created by God is good.”
Romans 7:12 “The Law is holy, righteous, and good.”
James 1:16-17 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.”
Genesis 50:20 CEB “You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.”
Habakkuk 1:2-3 “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?”
Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: each person did what they thought to be right.”
Wherever you are in life, you have a purpose. At Upward Church, we want to help you become the person God created you to be.
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