GOD IS GOOD
DEFINING THE CORE VALUE
God describes Himself as gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. God is good and, by nature, joyful.
Psalm 103:8-13; Exodus 34:6; Joel 2:13; Zephaniah 3:17; Galatians 5:22-23
God is a good Father, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him.
1 John 3:1 (TPT); Ephesians 1:3-6 (TPT); Romans 8:14-17 (TPT); James 1:17; Matthew 7:11
God desires for us to experience His goodness.
Psalm 34:8; Psalm 27:13; Matthew 11:29 (TPT); Psalm 23:5 (TPT)
God’s goodness is evident in His original and perfect design of creation.
Genesis 1:31; Romans 1:20; Psalm 104
God, in His goodness and love, has given every human being free will choice. We choose to follow God's ways that lead to life and freedom or the ways of the world that lead to destruction.
Matthew 7:13-14
Everything Jesus said and did, including His sacrifice, reveals the goodness of our Father.
John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 1:2-3; Titus 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 8:9 (TPT)
God’s goodness is made accessible to us through Jesus, who came to destroy demonic works and give us abundant life.
2 Peter 1:3-8; 1 John 3:8; Acts 10:38; John 10:10–11
God’s goodness is extravagant, deeply intimate, far-reaching, enduring and inclusive.
Eph. 3:18-19 (TPT); Psalm 23:2 (TPT); Psalm 57:10 (TPT);Psalm 36:7 (TPT); 1 John 3:1
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND
We cannot do whatever we want and still expect God to always bless us. God is a righteous judge of every human being.
Galatians 5:13–24: 1 John 1:5–7; Hebrews 10:26–27; 2 Timothy 2:19; Proverbs 8:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:14-30
God is hurt by our sinful actions and will lovingly correct and discipline us.
Hebrews 12:7–11; Ephesians 4:17–32; Isaiah 65:2
The life of a believer is not free from trials or persecution.
John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12; Romans 8:31–39; Philippians 3:10; Psalm 34:19; James 1:2–4
In His goodness, God doesn’t always respond to our prayers in the way or timing we expect.
Isaiah 55:8–9; 2 Peter 3:9; Daniel 10:12-13; John 1:9-10; Acts 1:6-8
God’s goodness is both gentle and fierce. He is described in the book of Revelation as both the Lion and the Lamb. A beautiful description of God’s character is found in C.S. Lewis’ allegory The Chronicles of Narnia: He’s not a tame lion, but he is good.
Revelation 5:5-6; Matthew 11:29; Psalm 24:8; Deuteronomy 3:24
Heaven and hell are real places. God does not send anyone to hell. It is our personal choice that determines where we spend eternity. Despite God’s goodness and love, some people will still choose hell over heaven.
John 3:17–18; Romans 1:20–23, 8:1–8; Matthew 7:21–23
PERSONAL APPLICATION
God is for us to the extreme that while we were yet sinners, far from Him, Christ died in our place.
Romans 5:8; Romans 8:31–32; 2 Corinthians 5:19
We can trust in God’s goodness regardless of our circumstances.
Romans 8:28; Nahum 1:7; James 1:12; Matthew 10:29–31
God is not mad at us.
I Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Peter 3:9; John 10:10; Romans 2:4; Zephaniah 3:17; Romans 14:17–18
God’s desire is to prosper us in every area of our lives: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and vocationally.
Psalm 103:1–5; 2 Corinthians 9:8–10; Isaiah 26:3, 53:4–6; Luke 9:6, 56; Genesis 12:1–3; 3; John 1:2; Jeremiah 29:11
God does not cause sickness to teach people lessons or to punish them, but He can work through it. Jesus is our model. He healed all the sick He encountered and never said sickness was from God.
Matthew 4:23, 8:2–3; Acts 10:38; Mark 3:20–27
We live with the conviction that God’s will is to save and heal everyone.
I Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 6:9-10; Ezekiel 33:11; Acts 10:38; Matthew 4:23–24, 8:1–3, 8:16–17, 9:35, 14:34–36; Mark 6:56; Luke 9:11
God will never take His purposes or His gifts from our life.
Romans 11:29; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:28
In His goodness God wants us to partner with His purposes. Every believer is responsible for stewarding and growing the gifts and talents God has given.
Matthew 25:14–30; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 3:12–14
We are God’s masterpieces. His process, pruning and discipline are always meant to reveal our true identity and release us into the fullness of life.
Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 139:13–17; John 15:1–2; Hebrews 12:5–13
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Even though there are people in our lives who are supposed to exemplify God’s goodness, many times they don’t get it right. It is important we don’t see God through the distorted lens of people’s actions. It is also important that past hurts with people don’t taint our present relationship with God and others.
God describes Himself as gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. God is good and, by nature, joyful.
Psalm 103:8-13; Exodus 34:6; Joel 2:13; Zephaniah 3:17; Galatians 5:22-23
God is a good Father, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him.
1 John 3:1 (TPT); Ephesians 1:3-6 (TPT); Romans 8:14-17 (TPT); James 1:17; Matthew 7:11
God desires for us to experience His goodness.
Psalm 34:8; Psalm 27:13; Matthew 11:29 (TPT); Psalm 23:5 (TPT)
God’s goodness is evident in His original and perfect design of creation.
Genesis 1:31; Romans 1:20; Psalm 104
God, in His goodness and love, has given every human being free will choice. We choose to follow God's ways that lead to life and freedom or the ways of the world that lead to destruction.
Matthew 7:13-14
Everything Jesus said and did, including His sacrifice, reveals the goodness of our Father.
John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 1:2-3; Titus 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 8:9 (TPT)
God’s goodness is made accessible to us through Jesus, who came to destroy demonic works and give us abundant life.
2 Peter 1:3-8; 1 John 3:8; Acts 10:38; John 10:10–11
God’s goodness is extravagant, deeply intimate, far-reaching, enduring and inclusive.
Eph. 3:18-19 (TPT); Psalm 23:2 (TPT); Psalm 57:10 (TPT);Psalm 36:7 (TPT); 1 John 3:1
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND
We cannot do whatever we want and still expect God to always bless us. God is a righteous judge of every human being.
Galatians 5:13–24: 1 John 1:5–7; Hebrews 10:26–27; 2 Timothy 2:19; Proverbs 8:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:14-30
God is hurt by our sinful actions and will lovingly correct and discipline us.
Hebrews 12:7–11; Ephesians 4:17–32; Isaiah 65:2
The life of a believer is not free from trials or persecution.
John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12; Romans 8:31–39; Philippians 3:10; Psalm 34:19; James 1:2–4
In His goodness, God doesn’t always respond to our prayers in the way or timing we expect.
Isaiah 55:8–9; 2 Peter 3:9; Daniel 10:12-13; John 1:9-10; Acts 1:6-8
God’s goodness is both gentle and fierce. He is described in the book of Revelation as both the Lion and the Lamb. A beautiful description of God’s character is found in C.S. Lewis’ allegory The Chronicles of Narnia: He’s not a tame lion, but he is good.
Revelation 5:5-6; Matthew 11:29; Psalm 24:8; Deuteronomy 3:24
Heaven and hell are real places. God does not send anyone to hell. It is our personal choice that determines where we spend eternity. Despite God’s goodness and love, some people will still choose hell over heaven.
John 3:17–18; Romans 1:20–23, 8:1–8; Matthew 7:21–23
PERSONAL APPLICATION
God is for us to the extreme that while we were yet sinners, far from Him, Christ died in our place.
Romans 5:8; Romans 8:31–32; 2 Corinthians 5:19
We can trust in God’s goodness regardless of our circumstances.
Romans 8:28; Nahum 1:7; James 1:12; Matthew 10:29–31
God is not mad at us.
I Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Peter 3:9; John 10:10; Romans 2:4; Zephaniah 3:17; Romans 14:17–18
God’s desire is to prosper us in every area of our lives: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and vocationally.
Psalm 103:1–5; 2 Corinthians 9:8–10; Isaiah 26:3, 53:4–6; Luke 9:6, 56; Genesis 12:1–3; 3; John 1:2; Jeremiah 29:11
God does not cause sickness to teach people lessons or to punish them, but He can work through it. Jesus is our model. He healed all the sick He encountered and never said sickness was from God.
Matthew 4:23, 8:2–3; Acts 10:38; Mark 3:20–27
We live with the conviction that God’s will is to save and heal everyone.
I Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 6:9-10; Ezekiel 33:11; Acts 10:38; Matthew 4:23–24, 8:1–3, 8:16–17, 9:35, 14:34–36; Mark 6:56; Luke 9:11
God will never take His purposes or His gifts from our life.
Romans 11:29; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:28
In His goodness God wants us to partner with His purposes. Every believer is responsible for stewarding and growing the gifts and talents God has given.
Matthew 25:14–30; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 3:12–14
We are God’s masterpieces. His process, pruning and discipline are always meant to reveal our true identity and release us into the fullness of life.
Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 139:13–17; John 15:1–2; Hebrews 12:5–13
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Even though there are people in our lives who are supposed to exemplify God’s goodness, many times they don’t get it right. It is important we don’t see God through the distorted lens of people’s actions. It is also important that past hurts with people don’t taint our present relationship with God and others.
- What will help us to see God’s character clearly?
- How do we identify and resist the accusations against God, ourselves and others?
- How do we keep our hearts from being offended with God or people?