Good Things // 9.13.26

Devotional

Day 1: The Marathon with a 26,000-Mile Finish Line

A man runs toward a horizon he can never reach, measuring his worth by miles conquered. Jesus interrupts this race, not to condemn the runner, but to reveal the futility of earning what only God can give. The finish line isn’t a distant mark to achieve—it’s a gift carried to us by a God who knows our limits. His holiness cannot be diluted, yet His grace cannot be outrun. The call isn’t to run harder but to receive the goodness He brings to our starting line. [38:30]

“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’… Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”
(Matthew 19:16, 21–22, NIV)

Reflection: What “treasure” do you cling to as proof of your worth? How might releasing it free you to receive grace?

Day 2: The Doctor’s Test That Reveals the Diagnosis

We often approach God like a physician, demanding tests to confirm our self-diagnosed righteousness. The rich young ruler wanted validation, not truth, but Jesus loved him enough to expose the sickness beneath his surface. God’s standard isn’t a checklist to complete but a mirror revealing our need. Holiness isn’t a performance—it’s surrender to the only One who is truly good. [32:30]

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you sought approval instead of transformation? What diagnosis might you be avoiding?

Day 3: The Checklist That Misses the First Commandment

We tally commandments kept like trophies, skipping the first: “You shall have no other gods.” The rich man’s wealth wasn’t the problem—it was the altar he built to his own capability. Jesus’ question—“Why ask me about what is good?”—unmasks our idolatry of self-sufficiency. True goodness begins when we stop comparing and start confessing: only God is God. [44:47]

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
(1 Corinthians 13:3, NIV)

Reflection: What “good deeds” subtly compete with your dependence on God? Where is love missing from your checklist?

Day 4: The Ladder That Doesn’t Reach Heaven

We climb rungs of morality, service, and discipline, believing heaven waits at the top. But the ladder’s height mocks our efforts—no amount of climbing bridges the gap. Jesus doesn’t shout advice from the clouds; He demolishes the ladder and says, “Follow me.” Salvation isn’t a summit to conquer but a surrender to the One who descended. [56:27]

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8–9, NIV)

Reflection: What rungs exhaust you? How might laying down the ladder deepen your rest?

Day 5: The Scandal of a Moved Finish Line

Grace is scandalous: it gifts what we could never grab. Jesus doesn’t lower heaven’s standard—He fulfills it, then carries the finish line to our feet. The rich man walked away because grace felt like loss, not gain. Yet those who release their rags of righteousness receive a kingdom woven with divine thread. [58:02]

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
(John 1:12–13, NIV)

Reflection: Where does grace feel uncomfortable? How might embracing it shift your identity from “striver” to “child”?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 19 opens with a man who wants a checklist. The rich young ruler comes eager, not broken down or desperate for Jesus to fix his life, but hoping Jesus will put a gold star on the life he already thinks is working. His question, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” sounds relatable because everybody wants to know the qualifications, what is on the test, and exactly which boxes need checking.

Jesus refuses to play along with that version of goodness. Jesus starts by asking why the man is asking about what is good, because only God is good. God does not measure human lives against the people nearby, against the person doing worse, or against the imaginary score sheet that keeps more good in one column than bad in the other. God judges by the standard of His own holiness, and that finish line is not 26.2 miles away. It is 26,000 miles away. No amount of effort, speed, religious activity, or good intentions gets anybody there.

Jesus names commandments, not to hand the man a works based path to salvation, but to diagnose his heart. The commandments expose the god this man has placed before God. Wealth is not the whole point, because riches can mean money, good works, intentions, reputation, or the belief that life is secure because somebody has worked hard enough. The man wants kingdom benefits added onto an already successful life, but Jesus calls him to surrender the thing he trusts more than God and then to follow.

Jesus does not expose this man to condemn him. Mark says Jesus looked at him and loved him. Divine authority and divine grace belong together: God will not lower the standard of His goodness, but Christ crosses the finish line on behalf of those who cannot. Jesus picks up the finish line and brings it to the people He came to save.

Grace does not create a blank check for apathy. Striving to prove worth eventually makes people bitter, cynical, and exhausted, while gratitude creates a deeper and more lasting desire to follow. The ladder of good deeds does not reach heaven, and Jesus did not come down to help people climb better. Jesus brought heaven to earth. The gospel is not “do more.” The gospel is “follow me.” Christ loves people for who they are, not for what they do, and He invites them to live in the kingdom He has already brought near.

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Key Takeaways

1. Only God is truly good God’s goodness is not a slightly improved version of human decency. God does not compare one person’s record with another person’s failures, because His standard is His own holiness. The recognition that no one is “all good” clears away both pride and despair, making room for the righteousness Christ gives. [38:57]
2. The checklist cannot save anyone The rich young ruler wants a manageable assignment, but Jesus reveals a finish line no human effort can reach. Religious habits, moral restraint, generosity, and self-improvement cannot become a ladder into God’s favor. Salvation begins where self-righteousness finally admits that it cannot finish the race. [48:07]
3. Jesus exposes idols with love Jesus does not name the man’s wealth in order to shame him. Jesus names it because the heart’s false security must be uncovered before the heart can truly follow God. An idol can be money, but it can also be competence, reputation, good intentions, or the need to be seen as enough. [44:47]
4. Gratitude outlasts compulsion Compulsion eventually turns obedience into a bitter tally sheet. Gratitude begins when people see that Christ has already done what they could never accomplish, and it becomes a stronger motive for faithful living. God’s grace does not make goodness irrelevant; God’s grace gives goodness its right source. [55:05]
5. Jesus brought heaven to earth The gospel is not Christ helping people climb their way up to heaven through better performance. Jesus brings the kingdom near and invites people to follow Him into the life He freely gives. The scandal of grace is that Christ comes for those who realize they have nothing worth boasting about apart from Him.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:00] - The Rich Young Ruler’s Question
[30:05] - Looking for a Spiritual Checklist
[32:13] - Wanting Jesus’ Seal of Approval
[35:36] - Only God Is Good
[38:06] - The Finish Line Is Too Far
[41:35] - Grace and God’s Holy Standard
[44:47] - Commandments That Diagnose the Heart
[48:07] - Impossible With Man, Possible With God
[49:21] - Jesus Moves the Finish Line
[52:04] - Grace Is Not a Blank Check
[55:05] - Gratitude Over Compulsion
[56:27] - The Ladder Does Not Reach Heaven
[57:42] - The Gospel Is Follow Me

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 19:16-26
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” [28:30] [30:05] [48:07]

Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [35:25] [35:42]

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. [46:05]

Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me. [45:01]

Observation questions

What does the young man ask Jesus for, and what do his follow-up questions—“Which ones?” and “What do I still lack?”—show that he is looking for?
Which commandments does Jesus name in Matthew 19, and which commandment from Exodus 20 helps reveal the deeper heart issue? [44:47]
What details in the passage show the young man’s response when Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him?
How do the disciples respond to Jesus’ words about wealth, and how does Jesus answer their question about who can be saved? [29:41]

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus begin by saying that only God is good rather than simply giving the man a list of good things to do? [38:57]
How does Jesus’ command to sell possessions work as a diagnosis of the young man’s heart, not merely as another item on a spiritual checklist? [45:01]
Mark says that Jesus looked at the man and loved him. How does that detail shape the way Jesus’ hard words should be understood? [35:25]
Jesus says salvation is impossible with man but possible with God. What does this reveal about the difference between earning acceptance from God and receiving the life Jesus offers? [49:33]

Application questions

Where is the temptation strongest to keep a personal score sheet—comparing good choices against bad ones, or comparing oneself with other people? What does that score sheet do to joy, peace, or honesty before God? [50:15]
Wealth was the young man’s false security, but false security can also be competence, reputation, good intentions, ministry activity, or being seen as a good person. Which of these is most tempting to trust when life feels uncertain? [49:52]
Is there an area of life where following Jesus feels costly because it may require releasing control, comfort, approval, or security? What would it look like to bring that area honestly before Him this week?
When efforts to “do better” become the main source of spiritual motivation, bitterness and exhaustion can grow. Where has striving begun to make obedience feel heavy or resentful? [53:10]
Gratitude is a stronger motivator than compulsion. What is one specific expression of God’s grace that could move obedience from “I have to” toward “I get to” this week? [55:05]
Jesus does not call people to climb a ladder of good deeds into heaven; He calls them to follow Him in the kingdom He has brought near. What is one simple, concrete way to follow Jesus in daily life this week—not to earn His love, but because His love is already given? [57:37]

Sermon Clips

50s

#FollowJesusNotWorks

“And for some of you then, your first understanding of faith was that Jesus came down to help you climb better. And can I tell you that that is not at all the gospel? Jesus didn't come down to help us climb better to heaven. Jesus brought heaven to earth. The gospel isn't do more, it's follow me. And so when Jesus looked at this man and he looks at us and he loves us, He says, will you please take me up on my invitation to follow me?”

41s

#ScandalOfGrace

“And so when Jesus looked at this man and he looks at us and he loves us, He says, will you please take me up on my invitation to follow me? Not to earn your way into the kingdom, but to live in the kingdom that I have already brought near. And, y'all, that's the scandal of grace. The scandal of grace is that Jesus doesn't come looking for people who've done enough to deserve him. He comes looking for people who finally realize that they can't do anything worth doing without him.”

48s

#FinishLineMovedToYou

“He says if you're trying to get there by your own merit and on your own terms, it can't be done because it's impossible for you. But it's possible for God because he is good. So I want you to see what just happened here. Jesus took the finish line in our marathon and pointed out the fact that it is 26,000 miles down the road, farther than any of us will ever get. And then he looks at the man, and he goes, but I got some good news for you. I picked up the finish line, and I moved it back to where you are.”

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Ashley Ridge Church This sermon · AI assistant

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