Opening

Sing "The Lord's My Shepherd" (LW 416, TLH 436, LBW 451) or "God is So Good" (All God's People Sing 107).

Heavenly Father, Send Your Holy Spirit to guide us as we study Your Word. Help us to realize that only because of Your goodness are we able to spread goodness to others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Introduction

What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word good or goodness? Good tasting food? That could be a matter of opinion. A good car? That could mean how well it handles or how few times it needs repairs. Good behavior? We may tell people they did a good job or compliment our children by telling them they are being good. Even our pets may get that commendation. But what does it mean to be good? Random House Dictionary defines good in part as "morally excellent, virtuous, well behaved, kind or friendly, honorable or worthy, kindness." When we speak of goodness as a gift of the Spirit, we speak of this type of goodness.

God is Good

God is the perfect example of goodness. Read the following passages and note the ways God is good.

Psalm 116:5-8

Psalm 145:7-9, 13-20

2 Peter 1:2-4

How has God shown His goodness to you? Share ways that are applicable to your daily life on earth.

Living the "Good Life"

Are you good? Have you lived the life God wants you to live? No matter how hard we try to live a good life, our sinfulness gets in the way. How does Paul describe this struggle in Romans 7:15-25?

What solution does God offer? See Galatians 4:4-7.

Our goodness is a result of God bringing us to faith and living in us. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we could not do works that are good in the sight of God.

What does Galatians 6:9-10 tell us about doing good works?

According to Ephesians 2:10 for what purpose has God saved us?

What virtues besides goodness are mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-9? Why are these qualities important?

The goodness that we demonstrate in our lives is a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. We read in James 2:26b that Faith without deeds is dead. In other words, a living faith will produce good works. As we read Ephesians 2:10 we are created by God to do good works. We are not saved because we do good works, but rather we do good works because we have been saved.

Reflecting God's Goodness

God is the perfect example of goodness. He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, good to all, He helps those who stumble and fall, He is faithful to His promises and He satisfies the needs of all. By the Holy Spirit's power, we can reflect God's goodness to others. As we go about our daily routines let's be aware of the goodness of God and allow His goodness to flow through us to others.

Read Matthew 5:16.

Do you know someone whose life shows the goodness God wants us to demonstrate?

Ask God to show you ways you can show your love for God and other people by doing good deeds. Start your list here:

Closing

Sing together "O That The Lord would Guide My Ways" (TLH 446, LW 392, LBW 480) or "Wake Us to Human Need" (All God's People Sing 250).

Heavenly Father, We thank You for the goodness You have shown to us through the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ who gave His life for us that we might spend eternity in heaven with You. Help us to make the most of opportunities to show that goodness to others through our words and actions. Amen