Glimpses of Goodness in a Life Remembered

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Goodness Through Smoke and Seasoned Chicken

The image of Michael grilling during the pandemic to feed the hungry becomes a portrait of God’s mercy in hard times. When crisis strips away illusions of control, simple acts of provision reveal divine care that outlasts every struggle. Just as smoke carried the promise of nourishment, God’s goodness sustains even when unseen. His mercy flavors bitter seasons with grace. [45:25]

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
(Psalm 136:1, ESV)

Reflection: What practical skill or resource has God given you to meet others’ needs in difficult seasons? How might using it intentionally become an act of worship this week?

Day 2: When a Prison Buddy Becomes a Deacon Candidate

Michael’s journey from incarceration to church leadership mirrors the biblical truth that past failures don’t define God’s children. Chains broken become testimonies forged. The same hands that once distributed harm now extended in service. Redemption rewrites resumes. [49:39]

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
(Ephesians 4:32, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you assumed someone’s past actions permanently disqualify them from doing good? How might God be calling you to affirm His redemptive work in their life?

Day 3: Lighting Up a Care Home Room Like Christmas

Johnny’s radiant smile when Michael visited reveals how presence heals more than platitudes. In a sterile room, two men found sacred ground through shared history and compassion. Small obediences create disproportionate joy. [46:50]

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
(James 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs the kind of visit that requires no words, just faithful presence? What practical step will you take to bring Christ’s nearness to them this month?

Day 4: Grandbabies That Aren’t Yours But Are

Michael’s adoption of Mimi as his grandchild embodies God’s expansive love beyond biological ties. Through chosen kinship, he mirrored divine adoption—claiming the unclaimed, blessing the overlooked. Family becomes a verb when mercy writes the story. [48:03]

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
(Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: Who has God placed in your sphere that needs to experience family beyond blood relations? How can you actively “adopt” them into your circle of care this season?

Day 5: Dropping Rocks to Pick Up Grace

The sermon’s climax echoes Jesus’ challenge to stone-throwers—only those without sin can condemn. But the rocks we drop become stepping stones toward redemption. Releasing judgment creates hands free to extend mercy. [48:52]

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’”
(John 8:7, ESV)

Reflection: What “rock” of judgment toward yourself or others are you still clutching? How might releasing it free you to participate in God’s work of restoration today?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 136:1 calls God’s people to give thanks because the Lord is good and His mercy endureth forever. God’s goodness does not run out, does not shift with the morning or the night, and does not depend on whether anybody else has been good. God is good all the time, because God is perfect, powerful, unchanging, and merciful.

Human life stands in contrast to that steady goodness. Human beings are not always good, because human beings are not God. Human beings are finite, imperfect, and inconsistent. Yet the call is not to pretend that bad has never been done. The call is to make sure there are some glimpses of goodness in a life, some moments where somebody can say, “They did good. They said good. They did good for somebody.”

Michael Holes, known as Bro Fast, carried a past that included bad decisions, the streets, incarceration, and debts paid to society. But God has a way of stopping somebody from being bad and calling them to start doing good. God changed the relationship from Ray and Bro Fast into Pastor Beckham and Brother Holes. That change did not erase the past by pretending it was not there, but it gave the past no right to have the final word.

Michael’s life showed glimpses of goodness when he began seeking the Lord, attending church, serving as an usher, and setting himself apart to become a deacon. His goodness showed up during the pandemic, when he brought his grill to the church and fed hungry people week after week. His goodness showed up when he visited Johnny in a care home, bringing a smile that lit up the room like a Christmas tree. His goodness showed up in the love he gave Mimi, treating her as his own grandbaby.

Jesus’ words to those holding stones still speak: “He who is without sin” can throw the first stone. Everybody else needs to drop their rocks. The bad of the past can keep somebody from doing good today and tomorrow, but forgiveness in Jesus washes bad away. God’s call is to let go of the past, be good to oneself, be good to other folk, do good, talk good, and leave behind glimpses of goodness.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s goodness never runs out God’s goodness is not seasonal, moody, or dependent on human behavior. His mercy endureth forever because His character does not change. Grief can raise hard questions, but God still knows exactly what He is doing. [35:48]
2. Nobody is good all the time Human beings must tell the truth about sin, weakness, and inconsistency. Honest repentance begins when a person stops acting as though personal failure is somebody else’s problem. God’s perfection does not excuse human sin, but it gives mercy to those who face it honestly. [37:26]
3. Leave glimpses of goodness behind A life should contain real evidence that somebody was helped, encouraged, fed, visited, or loved. Goodness does not require a spotless record, but it does require a changed direction. Somebody ought to be able to remember more than the bad. [39:39]
4. Drop the rocks and forgive Jesus does not permit sinful people to stand over another sinner with stones in hand. Judgment becomes especially dangerous when it refuses to see repentance, growth, and mercy. God calls people to remember the bad without making the bad the whole story. [48:28]
5. Do not let yesterday rule today The bad of the past can become an excuse to remain stuck in the bad. Forgiveness frees a person to start doing good now, taking better care of oneself, and extending goodness to others. A changed life begins when the past loses its grip.

## [50:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:29] - God Is Still Good
[33:51] - Glimpses of Goodness
[35:31] - God’s Mercy Endureth Forever
[37:26] - Human Goodness Is Inconsistent
[39:39] - A Life With Some Good
[40:47] - Michael Holes and a Changed Life
[44:20] - Feeding the Hungry During the Pandemic
[46:25] - Visiting a Friend in Need
[47:34] - Loving Mimi Like His Own
[48:28] - Drop Your Rocks
[49:39] - Let Go of the Past
[50:58] - Be Good and Do Good
[52:21] - Remembering the Glimpses of Goodness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 136:1
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” [33:51]

John 8:7
“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” [48:28]

Romans 3:23
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Observation questions

According to Psalm 136:1, what two reasons are given for offering thanks to the Lord?
What contrast is made between God’s goodness and human goodness? [37:26]
What were some of the “glimpses of goodness” shown through serving hungry people and visiting someone in a care home? [45:35]
In John 8:7, what does Jesus’ statement about the first stone require from those who are ready to condemn someone else? [48:37]

Interpretation questions

Psalm 136:1 connects thanksgiving to God’s goodness and enduring mercy. How does God’s mercy give people a reason to thank Him even when life is painful, confusing, or marked by grief? [35:48]
Romans 3:23 teaches that all have sinned. How should that truth shape the way believers speak about another person’s past failures without pretending that sin does not matter?
Jesus’ words in John 8:7 do not excuse sin, but they do confront self-righteous judgment. What is the difference between holding someone accountable and standing over them with stones in hand? [49:39]
A changed life does not erase the past, but it shows that the past does not get the final word. What signs of change might show that a person is moving from harmful patterns toward doing good? [42:48]

Application questions

Where has God shown His goodness and mercy in your life recently—especially in a season that did not fully make sense at the time? [31:46]
Is there a past mistake, sin, or painful experience that still keeps you from doing good today? What would it look like to bring that burden to Jesus and let yesterday lose its grip? [50:07]
Are you carrying a rock against someone because of what they did in the past? What might it look like to drop that rock while still keeping wise and healthy boundaries? [49:05]
What is one tangible glimpse of goodness you could leave this week: feeding someone, checking on a sick person, encouraging someone, helping a neighbor, or welcoming someone who feels left out? [39:11]
The call to do good begins with being good to oneself. What is one way you need to care for yourself better or speak more positively to yourself this week? [51:22]
If people looked back over your life today, what glimpse of goodness would they see? What kind of goodness do you hope will become more visible in the days ahead? [52:45]

Sermon Clips

30s

#ChooseGoodness

“And I want you to know today as you continue to live this life because we're still here, that's what I want you to do. I don't want you to focus on the bad that you've done, and I don't want you to allow folk to keep you living in your bad. If you've done some bad, ask god to forgive you, and and Jesus will wash your bad away. But I also want you to understand that we need to start looking and focusing on and making efforts to do good,”

35s

#LegacyOfGoodness

“There were some glimpses of goodness in his life. And here's what I'm... Here's what... Here's here's here's my whole point of this, not just to elaborate upon the good things that he did and not to dismiss the bad. But what I'm saying to you y'all that in all of our lives, there's gonna come a day when people are gonna examine our lives and they're gonna see some bad. Is there a witness in here? But make sure that you do something in life where there are some glimpses of goodness.”

46s

#GodIsAlwaysGood

“He's never bad. He... He's always good. But here's what I want you to understand something of y'all. God's goodness is consistent, and it never ends. And and God is always good, but we on the other hand. We are not always good. Oh, have mercy. Have mercy. I wish I had somebody in here who could look in the mirror and be honest with themselves. I am not always good. You are not always good. You don't always do the good thing, and I don't always do the good thing. We are not always good, but god is always good.”

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