Dread and Hope
- A personal reflection on mortality and faith.
- Expresses a fear of losing his wife of 40 years.
- Hopes to be taken first, acknowledging her strength.
- Affirms conviction in God’s unchanging nature and goodness.
- Finds specialization in God during times of heartbreak.
- Believes God helps during times of tears, heartbreak, compassion, concern, worry, or fear.
Psalms 106:1
- Focus on praising and thanking God for His goodness and enduring mercy.
- “Praise ye the Lord. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.”
- A prayer for God to bless the word, songs, and testimonies shared.
- Asks for guidance and for God to speak to hearts.
- Requests that the message be food for souls, salve for wounds, and a fix for what is broken.
- Prays for the lost to find repentance and recognize God as their Lord.
- Trusts God to do what is needed in the hearts of those present.
God’s Unchanging Goodness
- God’s goodness is a constant reminder in the Word.
- Even when circumstances seem bad, God remains good.
- God knows exactly what is needed.
- Comfort in knowing God is faithful and unchanging.
- God is good to sinners, saints, those who trust Him, and even those who don’t.
- God’s goodness is irrespective of who you are.
- Salvation through being born again is necessary to enter heaven.
- God reigns on the just and the unjust.
- Gratitude for being safe in God’s hand and within the shepherd’s view.
- Even when wandering, God remains a good shepherd who saves, feeds, protects, and guides.
Remembering God’s Goodness
- Times of uncertainty and not knowing what to do.
- Finding God to still be good, regardless of circumstances.
- The importance of remembering what God has done.
- Reflection on being lost and the gratitude for no longer being in that state.
- Regardless of past struggles, being able to thank God for the present state.
- God’s goodness is not just a little, but “real good.”
- A comment made in jest about the righteous being made fat, referencing scripture.
- God’s constant presence and unchanging nature.
- God will be there when no one else is.
- Thankfulness for not being raised in a Buddhist home or worshipping statues.
- Crying out to God for help in desperate times.
Praising God and His Mercy
- Praising the Lord is a personal responsibility.
- “Praise ye the Lord… Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.”
- Gratitude that God’s mercy has no expiration date.
- Acknowledging personal struggles and discouragement.
- Battling the devil’s lies and finding reassurance in God’s Word.
- Thanking God for His faithfulness in every step.
- God’s goodness during times of financial hardship, uncertainty, sickness, and seeking salvation.
Good Family and Salvation
- Gratitude for a good family.
- Thankfulness for being raised in church.
- Saved at a young age.
- Testimony of Tracy, who believes God saved her from addiction.
- Recognizing tendencies towards addiction in her family.
- God did something she couldn’t do, organizing and creating something out of nothing.
- God is the author and finisher of faith.
- The first and the last, the beginning and the end, and good through it all.
- Having a good extended family.
- Rodney’s testimony of finding joy and a great big family after being brought back into the fold.
- The support and love received from the church family during surgery.
Good Life and God’s Faithfulness
- Gladness for a good family in God and love for the church.
- God’s goodness in every circumstance.
- Faithfulness through sorrow, repentance, and all situations.
- Recommending God to others.
- God lifting from a horrible pit and setting feet on solid rock.
- Acknowledging troubles and God’s role in them.
- Growth through struggles.
- Like trees being stretched by the wind, hard things produce the greatest light.
Good Book (The Bible)
- Thanking God for His Word.
- An anecdote about forgetting the Bible and the importance of keeping the “sword” in hand.
- The Bible can bring one to their knees and break their heart.
- It also reveals God’s enduring mercy and grace.
- God’s love even when living in sin or not following Him.
- Encouragement to read the Bible.
- The importance of investing in this “real good book.”
- The Bible is life, bread, sustenance, a lamp, and a light.
- Hiding God’s word in one’s heart to avoid sinning against Him.
- Jesus came in the volume of the book.
- If only one book could be kept, it would be the Bible.
- It has rescued countless times.
- The Bible speaks to the soul and lifts from dark places.
- Psalms 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
- If unsure how to study, just start reading.
- The Holy Ghost will bear witness.
- Even if one gets nothing out of it one day, the next day, two words can be impactful.
- The Bible is alive, powerful, quick, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
Sharing God’s Goodness with Others
- Wanting to share the good God with those stuck in addiction and sin.
- Gladness for Larry’s return and thanking God for it.
- God is not just a little good, but “real good” right now.
- God has done more than can be imagined.
- Wondering how one can get stuck in a place where they don’t praise and worship God.
Good Spirit (The Holy Spirit)
- Thanking God for His Spirit.
- Considering the Holy Spirit a friend.
- It is expedient that Jesus went away to send the comforter.
- Needing comfort and the Holy Spirit’s help.
- The Holy Ghost has been a constant companion for nearly 50 years.
- Until the Holy Spirit comes, one is not happy.
- Loving when the Holy Spirit shows up and moves among believers.
- The Holy Spirit manifests in ways that bless everyone.
- The Holy Spirit has done things that no one else knew about.
- Sealed to the day of redemption by the Holy Ghost.
- The Holy Spirit abides and lives within.
- Having a good friend in the third part of the Godhead.
- When crippled, a good crutch (the Holy Spirit) is handy.
- The Holy Ghost has never failed.
- It is a shame to quench or offend the Holy Spirit.
- He is a person, not an “it.”
- One can quench Him when He starts to move and work.
- One can offend Him.
- If the Spirit is beginning to move, grab hold of it and let Him have His way.
- Praying for the Holy Spirit to pray for when one doesn’t know what to do.
- The Holy Spirit makes intercession and utters groanings that cannot be uttered.
Good Shepherd
- Having a real good shepherd.
- Sheep are dumb and need shepherding.
- Brad Hedrick’s story of the sheep stuck in the corner.
- The Holy Spirit saying, “Turn around and look up.”
- Without the Spirit, one would be lost.
- Psalms 23: The Lord is my shepherd.
- Goodness and mercy shall follow because of a good shepherd.
- Everything from verse 1 to 6 says He’s real good.
- The good shepherd leads beside still waters and makes one lie down in green pastures.
Good Future
- Serving God even if there was no heaven.
- Having found the way.
- Abraham never made this world his home.
- He was looking for a city whose builder and maker was God.
- He was a sojourner and pilgrim.
- A real good future is ahead.
- Living in a time when everyone worked with is younger.
- The future has nothing to do with this earth.
- This place is simply a place to get ready for a better land.
- A longing in the heart for that better land.
- Witnessing grace and peace in Mary, who had received a terminal diagnosis.
- She had a real good future because she wasn’t concerned about what was left here.
- Perspective changes when realizing the future is not about what is gone through here.
- By faith, one can see the better land afar.
- Everything is about that place and the man in it.
- Live for Him so others know there’s nothing like what’s coming.
- Isaiah said, “The half has not yet been told.”
- The Holy Spirit has revealed more.
- Revelations of gates of pearl, streets of gold, and foundations of precious jewels.
- A land where there’s no need for a sun, where God shall wipe away all tears, and there’s no more death, dying, sorrow, heartache, or sin.
- There’s no reason to put tent stakes down too far because life is short.
- This world doesn’t offer much hope.
Conclusion
- Praise ye the Lord. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.
- There are days when a real good God is needed.
- Pour out everything to Him.
- Everything put in His hands is in a good place.
- God has always been real good.
- Praising Him.
- Multiple times in the Psalms, the same message is written.
- Throughout the ages, there have been glimpses of God’s people figuring out that He’s real good.
- A real good God deserves real good praise and worship all the time
