Seeking Goodness: Embracing Community and Kindness

Devotional

Day 1: We Belong to One Another as Siblings in Christ

In Christ, we are made into a new family, bound together not by blood or agreement but by the love and unity that Jesus brings. This means that regardless of our differences or disagreements, we are called to see each other as siblings—cherished members of God’s household. Our presence with one another is a gift, and our commitment to community is a reflection of God’s heart for unity. When we look around and recognize each person as part of our spiritual family, we remember that we are never alone and that we belong to each other in a profound and holy way. [11:59]

Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)
"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

Reflection: Who in your church family do you find it hardest to connect with? How might you reach out to them this week as a sibling in Christ, even if it’s just a simple greeting or prayer?

Day 2: Seek to Do Good to One Another and to All

Doing good is not a passive act or something reserved for moments of convenience; it is an intentional, daily pursuit. We are called to actively seek opportunities to bless others, both within our community and beyond, reflecting God’s love in tangible ways. When we make it our mission to do good, we often find that the blessings we give return to us in unexpected and beautiful ways, creating a cycle of generosity and grace that transforms both giver and receiver. [48:11]

1 Thessalonians 5:15 (ESV)
"See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone."

Reflection: What is one specific act of kindness you can plan and carry out today for someone outside your usual circle?

Day 3: Our Purpose Is to Reflect God’s Goodness

God created us in the divine image and called us “very good,” giving us the purpose of reflecting God’s character to the world. Just as a good watch fulfills its purpose by keeping time, we fulfill our purpose by letting God’s love and goodness flow through us to others. When we live out this calling, we become living testimonies of God’s grace, and our actions point others to the source of all goodness. [58:14]

Genesis 1:27, 31 (ESV)
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them... And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally reflect God’s goodness to someone who may not expect it from you today?

Day 4: Small Acts of Kindness Change Our Perspective and the World

Choosing to do good, even in small ways, can transform not only the lives of others but also our own hearts and outlook. When we seek to bless others daily, we begin to see the world through the lens of God’s grace rather than fear or cynicism. This practice can even lead us to forgive those who have hurt us, opening our hearts to compassion and healing, and allowing us to see everyone—even our enemies—through the eyes of Christ. [01:02:26]

Matthew 5:44 (ESV)
"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Reflection: Is there someone who has hurt you or whom you struggle to forgive? What is one small, concrete step you can take today to show them kindness or to pray for them?

Day 5: Our Goodness Reveals God to the World

How we live and treat others shapes not only our community but also how people perceive God. When we choose to do good, especially to those with whom we disagree or who are outside our community, we reveal the true character of Jesus—one of love, grace, and radical inclusion. By living out this goodness, we offer hope that the world can change, and we invite others to experience the amazing love that God pours out on us every day. [01:04:34]

Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: Think of someone with whom you disagree or have tension. How can you let your light shine before them this week in a way that points them to God’s love?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered as a family—siblings in Christ—reminded that we belong to one another, not because we always agree or get along, but because Jesus has made us one. In this community, every person is valued, and our presence together is a gift. We celebrated the giving of Bibles to our children, a symbol of passing on wisdom, love, and the call to live out God’s goodness in our daily lives. As we let go of the burdens of the week, we opened ourselves to God’s presence, ready to be drawn into the Spirit and to be transformed.

Reflecting on the simple childhood game of hide and seek, we recognized our deep desire to be found, to be seen, and to belong. This longing mirrors our spiritual journey: we are called not to hide away, but to seek and to be sought, to do good actively and intentionally. Doing good is not a passive act or something reserved for convenience; it is a daily pursuit, a way of life that reflects the very heart of God. The story of Ignacy Paderewski and Herbert Hoover illustrated how acts of goodness ripple through time, returning to us in unexpected and beautiful ways. This cycle of giving and receiving is at the core of the Christian life, echoing the Ubuntu spirit: “I am because we are.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, the oldest writing in the New Testament, reminds us that following Jesus means forming a new kind of family—one that transcends bloodlines and social boundaries. In a world that often encourages division and mistrust, we are called to live louder, to let our actions speak of God’s love and goodness. Our purpose, like a good watch, is to fulfill what we were created for: to reflect God’s image and goodness to the world.

Through stories of kindness, forgiveness, and transformation, we saw how seeking to do good—even in small, daily ways—can change our perspective and heal our hearts. When we choose to bless others, especially those we struggle with, we participate in God’s ongoing work of redemption. This is not just about being nice; it is about embodying the radical love and grace of Jesus, so that others might see God through us. Let us commit to seeking good every day, trusting that God’s love will flow through us and change the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Community as Family in Christ We are not just individuals gathered in a building; we are siblings in Christ, bound together by Jesus’ love. This spiritual family transcends our differences and disagreements, calling us to belong to one another and to care for each other deeply. Our presence and participation are vital gifts to the community, reminding us that no one is alone in the journey of faith. [11:59]
2. Doing Good is an Active Calling Goodness is not something that happens by accident or only when it is easy. We are called to seek out opportunities to do good every single day, to both those within our community and to all people. This pursuit requires intention, courage, and a willingness to step beyond our comfort zones, trusting that God’s blessings will return to us in ways we cannot predict. [47:45]
3. The Cycle of Giving and Receiving Acts of kindness and generosity are never wasted; they create a cycle of blessing that often comes back to us in unexpected ways. The story of Paderewski and Hoover shows how a single act of goodness can echo across generations, shaping lives and even nations. When we give freely, we participate in God’s ongoing work of grace and provision. [51:59]
4. Living as God’s Image-Bearers Our purpose is to reflect God’s goodness and love to the world, just as a good watch fulfills its purpose by keeping time. Being “good” means living out our true identity as those created in God’s image, allowing God’s love to flow through us to others. This is not about perfection, but about faithfully representing God’s character in our actions and relationships. [58:14]
5. Transforming the World through Small Acts of Kindness Even the smallest acts of goodness can change our perspective and the world around us. When we intentionally seek to bless others—especially those we find difficult to love—we open ourselves to God’s transforming power. This daily practice of kindness can heal old wounds, foster forgiveness, and reveal the abundance of goodness that still exists in the world.

** [61:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:59] - Embracing Community as Family
[12:31] - The Gift of Presence and Belonging
[13:21] - Entering God’s Presence
[28:04] - Bible Gifts to Children
[28:46] - Putting God’s Love into Action
[45:58] - Hide and Seek: The Desire to Be Found
[47:45] - Seeking to Do Good
[48:49] - The Story of Paderewski and Hoover
[51:59] - The Cycle of Giving and Receiving
[52:38] - Paul’s Letter and the New Christian Family
[54:40] - God as Father: A Subversive Claim
[56:48] - Living Louder: Doing Good to All
[58:14] - Reflecting God’s Goodness
[59:35] - Kindness that Transforms
[61:39] - Seeing the World through God’s Goodness
[64:34] - A Challenge to Seek Good Daily
[68:37] - Closing Blessing and Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:12–24 (ESV) — > 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
> 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
> 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
> 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
> 16 Rejoice always,
> 17 pray without ceasing,
> 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
> 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
> 20 Do not despise prophecies,
> 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
> 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
> 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
> 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Observation Questions

According to Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:14–15, what are some specific ways the church family is called to treat one another?
In the sermon, what does the pastor say is the reason we belong to one another as a church family, even when we don’t always agree? [[11:59]]
What story did the pastor share to illustrate how acts of goodness can come back to us in unexpected ways? [[48:49]]
How does the sermon describe the purpose of a “good watch,” and how is that connected to our purpose as God’s people? [[57:26]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize seeking to do good “to one another and to everyone” rather than just to those inside the church? What might this look like in a divided world? [[56:48]]
The sermon mentions that the early Christian family was meant to transcend bloodlines and social boundaries. Why was this so radical in Paul’s time, and what does it mean for us today? [[54:04]]
The pastor shared about the Ubuntu spirit: “I am because we are.” How does this idea reflect the biblical teaching about community and belonging? [[51:59]]
In the story of Bernadette Russell, how did daily acts of kindness begin to change her perspective and even bring healing to old wounds? [[01:01:39]]

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to see our church as a true family, not just a group of individuals. What is one way you can intentionally show someone in this group that they belong and are valued this week? [[12:31]]
Paul says to “seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Think of a person outside your usual circle—what is one specific act of goodness you could do for them this week? [[47:45]]
The story of Paderewski and Hoover shows how kindness can ripple through generations. Can you recall a time when someone’s kindness impacted you in a lasting way? How might you “pay it forward” to someone else? [[51:59]]
The pastor described how even small acts of kindness can change our outlook and heal our hearts. Is there a small, practical way you could bless someone you find difficult to love? What would it look like to take that step? [[01:01:39]]
The sermon invites us to “live louder” so that our actions speak of God’s love. What is one area of your life where you feel called to let your actions reflect God’s goodness more boldly? [[56:48]]
Bernadette Russell’s story included forgiving someone who had hurt her deeply. Is there someone in your life you need to forgive, or at least begin to see through the lens of God’s goodness? What is one step you could take toward that? [[01:02:26]]
The pastor suggested trying to do one good deed each day, even for someone who gets on your nerves. Are you willing to take up this challenge for a week? What might help you remember and follow through? [[01:04:34]]

Sermon Clips

And I have to say that this has discouraged me at times because of all the Christian nationalism and some of the Christian focus that empathy is a sin. And I just, I struggle with that because I think, wow, if people see Christians, and think that it means hating other people, thinks that it means somehow harming other people, then Christianity is going to die. But that's where we have to live louder. We have to live louder than they do. We have to live in a way that says, no, following Jesus means that we do good. That we seek to do good to one another and to all. [00:56:03] (49 seconds) #GoodnessBeyondCommunity

And so Paul encourages them to seek to do good. And what does it mean to do good? Well, I think there are a couple of things. If I say that I have a good watch, right, that means that it keeps good time, right? It fulfills its purpose. It does what it's supposed to do. And so when we are called to be good, and I'm sorry, I'm going to have to get a sip of water. When we are called to be good, we are called to live our purpose. [00:57:26] (36 seconds) #ReflectingGodsGoodness

And if you remember at the beginning in Genesis, God calls us very good when God creates us. But we were also created in the image of God. And so that means our purpose is to reflect who God is to other people. And that's what that goodness is. [00:58:03] (21 seconds) #BlessedByGiving

And so she decided that every single day she was going to seek to do good to somebody. And so she said that meant every day when she got up, she thought, okay, who's it going to be today? How am I going to be, the way we would put it is, how am I going to be part of God's blessing to somebody today? She said, how am I going to do good to somebody today? And so she would get up each day, she would look for someone that she could bless, and she would do good to them. And she said, suddenly, her whole perspective on the world changed. [01:00:47] (38 seconds) #ChoosingBlessingOverFear

Because what happened was, when she was seeking to do good to other people, what she found was that there was a lot of goodness in this world. There was far more goodness. Than there was evil. And so she felt more and more encouraged, because she was seeing the world through the lens of God's goodness and grace, and not through the lens of fear or cynicism or anxiety or distrust. [01:01:26] (31 seconds) #ForgivenessHealsWithin

And she said suddenly, she saw not only good people, in a good way, but she saw people who hurt her, in a kind and compassionate way. And she sought to do good, even to her enemies. Isn't that exactly what Jesus preaches, right? Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. [01:03:18] (24 seconds) #CommitToGoodnessDaily

And so I think about us. I think about the times we're living in, the times that are saying that we should be mistrustful of each other, that we should be angry at each other, that we should hate one another. And I think, what if, what if we committed every single day to do good, not only to those who care about us, but to do good especially to those with whom we disagree? And how might that change people's perception, not only of Epworth, not only of you, but of God? Of Jesus. [01:03:57] (44 seconds)

Instead of seeing Jesus as someone who is legalistic and judgmental, they could begin to experience this amazing goodness that we have already experienced, that God pours out on us every single moment of every day. And that, to me, gives me hope that our world can change, because God is good. God has created you in that image. We also, can be good. [01:04:42] (30 seconds)

``So I want to invite you, try it. Maybe try it for a month. Try to think about every day getting up and doing a good deed to someone. Maybe someone who gets on your nerves. Maybe someone you don't like. Maybe someone who thinks differently than you. But I guarantee you, and I want to hear those stories when you do it, I guarantee you, we will change our world. Amen. [01:05:12] (30 seconds)

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