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Is your God too Small? - The Goodness of God

Message by Glen Miller

Glen's email of the week:

Dearly beloved,

I asked a few people this week how they were doing and some responded by saying, "I'm good."  But what do we really mean when we use the word good?  This Sunday we will be examining the goodness of God.  According to the dictionary good means:

  • Kind, benevolent, cordial and compassionate.
  • Upright and morally excellent.
  • Admirable, attractive and praiseworthy.
  • Well behaved and obedient.
  • Not spoiled or ruined.
  • Superior to the average.
  • Worthy of respect and honor.
  • In excellent condition.
  • Valuable and useful.
  • Genuine and real.
So how are you doing?  Are you good?  Not so good?  Kind of good?  God is good. The Bible tells me so!
  • "May the good Lord pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God."  2 Chron. 30:18-19
  • "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever."  Ezra 3:11
  • "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.  Psalm 25:8
  • O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."  Psalm 34:8
  • "For You, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive. and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You."  Psalm 86:5
  • "For the Lord is good, His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."  Psalm 100:5
  • "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely."  Psalm 135:3
  • "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.  Lam. 3:25
  • "No one is good except God alone."  Mark 10:18
  • "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."  John 10:11
I hope you will be with us this Sunday because these scriptures just scratch the surface regarding the goodness of God.

We have a Sunday evening service planned at 5:00 p.m. with Dave Talbott, music director at Mt. Hermon.  It will be a wonderful evening of concert hymn arrangements, hymn storytelling, and hymn singing.  Dave is a master of the piano, and his arrangements are very special.

Because God has been good to me,
Glen

P.S.  Just a reminder that we will be taking a special offering this Sunday for building outdoor tennis courts, sports courts and basketball courts.  If someone would like to build a gym - well we won't turn that down either.  When Patty and I first came to Valley 5 years I pictured a gym on our parking lot.  Maybe it was just in my dreams but sometimes dreams come true.

"I have become all things to all men so that, I may by all means save some."

Sermon notes

In Love With Christ

"Experiencing the Father's Kiss - God is Good!" Luke 15:11-32

1. The truth of God's goodness!

· Fact - God is good!

"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way."

Ps. 25:8

"The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works." Ps. 145:9

"For Your ordinances are good." Ps. 119:39

· Fiction - man is good!

"There is none who does good, there is not even one." Rom. 3:12

"No one is good except God alone." Luke 18:19

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

1. The struggle and need for goodness!

· The conflict in the inner man!

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish." Romans 7:18-19

· The stumbling block of pride!

"I thank God I am not like other people." Matt. 18:11

· The necessity of the cross plus faith!

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21

1. The danger of trusting in your own goodness! Luke 15:20

· Anger!

· Comparison!

· Judgmental!

· Ungrateful!

"O taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8

*When bad things happen don't complain because you know you are sinful.

*When bad things happen you know it isn't a punishment because you know God is good.

1. The revelation of God's goodness! Psalm 103

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1:17

· This is from Me - your life! Acts 17:25

· This is from Me - your food! Ps. 145:15-16

· This is from Me - your children! Psalm 127:3

· This is from Me - your mate! Proverbs 18:22

· This is from Me - your wealth! 1 Chron. 29:12

· This is from Me - your deliverance! Rom. 6:6-7

· This is from Me - your heart! Ez. 36:26

· This is from Me - your mind! 1 Cor. 2:16

· This is from Me - your security! Rom. 8:39

· This is from Me - your stability! Isaiah 33:6

· This is from Me - your strength! Isaiah 40:31

· This is from Me - your desires! Psalm 37:4

· This is from Me - your escape! 1 Cor. 10:13

· This is from Me - your training! Ps. 105:18-19

· This is from Me - your trials! James 1:2-4

· This is from Me - your future! Jer. 29:11

"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." Matt. 4:19

1. Our response to God's goodness!

· Endless awe! Romans 11:19-24

· Endless devotion! John 12:3

· Endless gratitude! Psalm 27:4

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