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Put your hands in the pocket of a brand-new pair of pants, and you might pull out a slip of paper that reads, "PROUDLY INSPECTED BY 9." Whoever "9" is, they want you to know that they've checked the seams, zippers, pockets, and belt loops on your new britches and want you to feel confident in the construction. Quality assurance may not be a glamorous job, but it's sure better than having a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of the grocery store!

In this What's Good study, we've been inspecting the quality of our thoughts. If we're thinking about whatever is "true ... honorable ... just ... pure ... lovely" and "commendable" (Phil. 4:8), we know we're thinking long-lasting and time-tested thoughts. So, as we wrap up these conversations, let's look back at the big ideas we've tackled, praising God for his incredible goodness.

God's Good Gifts

• When we don't take in the natural world, we miss a window into the wonder of God's goodness and greatness.
• The chance to do good work and appreciate the work of others is worth celebrating.
• Work is good, but God also created us to enjoy the sweetness of rest.
• God manifests his wisdom and glory in the diversity he has filled his good world with.
• Singing expresses what's inside us — what we believe, feel, and decide.
• It pleases and glorifies God when we gratefully enjoy his blessings together.
• Family bonds can give us love and acceptance that reflects our Heavenly Father's.
• Through consistent acts of loyal love, we stockpile trust that friends draw on for a lifetime.

Praiseworthy Virtues

• Though we're not perfect, we glorify God by stretching daily to be better and do better.
• God teaches us to appreciate kindness by pouring his unimaginable love and mercy into our lives.
• We love truthful words because they're the language our God uses to speak to us.
• When we lift ourselves above others, we forget that our King lowered himself for us.
• Filling our hearts and minds with goodness leaves no room for the filth of sin.

How has this study changed the kinds of things you think about?

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I looked out my window this fall morning, expecting to see brown. But instead, everything I saw outside my window was covered in snow. Untouched by footprints or car tracks, it seemed to have baptized the world I knew — parked cars, trees, mailboxes — under a blanket of white. When you see how clean it looks, sparkling in the sunlight, you understand the Lord's invitation: "Come now, let us reason together ... though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." He says, "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes.” And he wants his people to “learn to do good” and “seek justice” for the oppressed (Isa. 1:16-18). So let's complete our study with one final praiseworthy virtue, filling our hearts with "whatever is pure" (Phil. 4:8).

The Big Idea

Filling our hearts and minds with goodness leaves no room for the filth of sin. After David's sin, he prayed for God to wash him "whiter than snow" (Ps. 51:7). But he didn't stop at a prayer for forgiveness. Instead, he asked God to create something new in him. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10)

Rather than impure, fleshly thoughts, "those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:5). The old you died. In baptism, you rose with Christ (Rom. 6:1-5), who reigns above. So set your mind on what's above and put to death "what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:2, 5).

What do supermarket labels mean when they say, "100% Pure"? Purity is about completeness. It's "100% pure Canadian maple syrup" only if the entire product is Canadian maple. And we're "pure in heart" (Matt. 5:8) when we devote ourselves entirely to the Lord, with single-minded sincerity.

Big Question

What sin is it easy for you to overlook, and how can you give it more attention?

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What's the perfect foil for a Beast? How about a handsome but arrogant villain? When Gaston calls himself "a specimen," brags about cheap shots, and invites Belle to admire his trophies, he seems silly until he self-servingly commits Belle's father and incites a mob. We know a villain when we see selfish pride. It's why we loathe the Dursleys, despise Prince Humperdinck, and find satisfying justice in the demise of Esther's real-life nemesis, Haman. Because, at our core, we admire those who humbly lower themselves while lifting up others. It's another noble virtue worth celebrating.

The Big Idea

When we lift ourselves above others, we forget that our King lowered himself for us. The Lord of Lords is "gentle and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29). What an unexpected path to the top Jesus illuminates! We don't climb over others; we hold them up! "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:25).

Galileo challenged the belief that the universe revolves around our world. Four hundred years later, some still think they're the center of the universe. The delusion that everyone owes you makes life a battle for what's yours. But we deserved death, Jesus paid what he didn't owe, and everything changed because of that gift (Rom. 6:23). We're happy debtors, loving others and sharing the gift (Rom. 1:15; 13:8). Narcissism stains our politics, entertainment, and interactions. Pride is fashionable, but we can still find humility. We can show our kids a first responder's selflessness or an expert who keeps listening (Prov. 1:5), staying "open to reason" (James 3:14-17).

Where pride looks out for "number one." Humility looks "not only" to your "own interests but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4). Seeing others as equals, we consider them significant, sharing the glory of Christ's lowliness (Phil. 2:3-11). Andrew Murray rightly calls humility "the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all."

The Big Question

Will you be a "servant of all" today?

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If there’s anything we know from our modern media-fueled marketing landscape, we shouldn’t trust what we see in advertisements. Commercials, billboards, and store signs usually make bold claims without the substance to back it up. The “miracle pill” turns out to be a placebo. The “world’s best cup of coffee” is mediocre at best. The “get rich quick” scheme turns out pyramid-shaped. With the daily deluge of deception, it shocks our skepticism when we encounter someone honest and trustworthy. That “handshake deal” is a breath of fresh air in a world of snake oil salesmen and swindlers. So, as we continue to appreciate God’s good virtues, let’s feel the freedom truthfulness provides.

The Big Idea

We love truthful words because they’re the language our God uses to speak to us. We have a stable foundation of truth and honesty on which we build our lives when we hear our Lord and obey (Matt. 7:24). While it’s easy to imagine a stranger lying to us, it stings more when someone we love leads us astray. Because God loves us so much, it’s impossible to imagine him saying anything to deceive us — God never lies (Titus 1:2)!

And because God can’t lie, he won’t tolerate us dabbling in deception either. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight” (Prov. 12:22). Rather than leaving us tangled in a web of dishonesty, the truth breaks those chains and sets us free (John 8:32)!

Honesty is a rare occurrence in our world, so it’s refreshing to see it on display. We acknowledge those around us who act with integrity. We take seriously the impact we have on others when we make bold claims and deliver on them. And we speak healthy and wholesome words, not to make ourselves look good, but to speak like our Father speaks — truthfully and honestly.

The Big Question

How would it change your relationships if you were more open?

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As our seemingly-inevitable robotic uprising inches closer and closer, some concerned engineers have started thinking about how we talk to our smart home devices. We've barked orders at Alexa for too long, expecting it to set timers, deliver the weather report, or order more toilet paper. But you'd never talk to a person like that — would you? To encourage a gentler approach to our automated assistants, did you know there's a "politeness mode"? If Alexa hears a command without a "Please" attached, you'll hear the response: "What's the magic word?" Should we really be kind to our ... technology?! Maybe that's a bit extreme, but as we continue to appreciate God's good virtues, let's see the value in constantly filling our hearts with his love in all areas of our life!

The Big Idea

God teaches us to appreciate kindness by pouring his unimaginable love and mercy into our lives. We wonder in awe at the kind of sacrificial love Christ showed, as "... he laid down his life for us," leading us to "lay down our lives for the brothers" (1 John 3:16). Though we were once enemies of God in our sins (Rom. 5:10), we marvel at Jesus' mercy and willingness to suffer even for us (Luke 6:35-36).

Like a young child learns from their mom and dad's words and actions, we're educated by our Heavenly Father as his children. We follow his example and become "kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32). When we see love and mercy on display in the world, we acknowledge and honor it — not just because it’s polite, but because of its divine source.

Who would disagree that kindness is good? We all know that warm and welcoming feeling when someone treats us well. And while not everyone’s easy to be kind to, let's reflect the light of God's love throughout our lives, one "magic word" at a time.

The Big Question

Is there someone that you've struggled to be kind to?

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How are you doing with your resolutions? New Year's resolution #fails have become a familiar joke every January — only 9-12% of us hang on to them as we close the year[1]. Most have a half-baked "resolve" unworthy of calling "resolution," but that doesn't diminish the value of goals, even if we never achieve all our aspirations. Sure, we could vedge our life away with cheese doodles on the couch, but God created us to strive for growth. So as we shift our focus from God's gifts to virtues, let's pursue Christlike excellence.

The Big Idea

Though we're not perfect, we glorify God by stretching daily to be better and do better. Perfectionists lose their way, craving acceptance and chasing peace through flawlessness. But through Christ, we receive God's favor despite our faults (Eph. 2:4-10). We'll never reach God's perfection. But he "called us to his own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3; 2:10) to imitate him (Matt. 5:48).

So "press on ... straining forward" (Phil. 3:12-14), growing "to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). Hone your character, sharpen yourself (Eccl. 10:10). Make your life the masterwork you never tire of crafting in Christ's image (2 Cor. 3:18). Aspire to a "life ... worthy of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

Love is "the more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31ff), so may it "abound more and more ... so that you may approve what is excellent" (Phil. 1:9-10). And when you find "any excellence ... think on these things" (Phil. 4:8), noticing and appreciating it.

Sometimes "Whatever!" means we don't care. But Scripture says, "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31)! If we long to hear "well done" from Christ who "has done all things well" (Mark 7:37), we'll try to "excel in everything ... in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness" (2 Cor. 8:7).

The Big Question

Where do you need to strive for greater excellence?

[1]: New Year's Resolution Statistics (2022 Updated)

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You never know where you'll find a good friend. Like classic TV's Felix and Oscar, Pixar's Woody and Buzz, or Scripture's David and Jonathan, sometimes we find ourselves in an Odd Couple, a surprising friendship that somehow works. We don't measure friendships by what we have in common but by faithfulness, fondness, and memories. Our victories mean more; our misfortunes a little less when shared (Rom. 12:15). God gives many gifts, but few more precious than the people who care about us. Those bonds are worth strengthening.

The Big Idea

Through consistent acts of loyal love, we stockpile trust that friends draw on for a lifetime. We invest in friendships like money in the bank; the currency is kindness. As Paulo Coelho said, "friendship isn't a big thing — it's a million little things." Brick by brick, we build lasting bonds by being available, discrete, and willing to listen. If you want friendship, you act like a friend. Imitate Timothy's genuine concern (Phil. 2:20-21) and Ruth's devotion (Ruth 1:5-19). "But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up" (Eccl. 4:10).

Quality beats quantity every time in friendship — better one reliable friend than hundreds who disappear when you need them (Prov. 18:24). A friend "loves at all times;" they're built for "adversity" (Prov. 17:17). They know "the real you" and love you anyway. So their "earnest counsel" tastes sweeter (Prov. 27:9), and even their "wounds" are "faithful" (Prov. 27:6).

You have the makings of a "soul-knit" friend (1 Sam. 18:1) when someone, like Jonathan, strengthens your hands in God (1 Sam. 23:16-17). Friends care about more than your happiness (1 Cor. 13:6)! They "pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul" (3 John 2).

Jesus wants friendship with us (John 15:13-15), like God's faithful friends before us (James 2:23; Ex. 33:11; Job 29:4). So, friendship, like many of the greatest gifts, can last forever.

The Big Question

Who in your life needs encouragement and connection?

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Grandmas tend to go a bit overboard around the holidays. My wife's Grandma Dean was a prolific baker, always bringing some of the tastiest desserts to our family gatherings. But you had to be very careful when asking her to bring a dish. One time we assigned her the task of bringing a pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving, so instead of one pie, she brought nine! Of course, from then on, she was jokingly known as Grandma Nine-Pies.

There's almost nothing we wouldn't do for our families — going above and beyond to express our love. So as we continue to consider God's amazing gifts, let's stop to feel the fulfillment of a fruitful family.

The Big Idea

Family bonds can give us love and acceptance that reflects our Heavenly Father's. Our earthly family prepares us to understand the love we have from our Maker. Since, as Paul said when you're "... led by the Spirit of God" you "are sons of God" and"have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom. 8:14-15). What intimacy and depth we experience both at home and with God!

A fruitful family comes as a gift from our Father. He blesses us with richness and fulfillment in our homes, as the psalmist sang, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table" (Ps. 128:3). It takes a lot of work and cultivation on our part. Still, when the home works well, it shines a light on God's perfect plan for our well-being.

But our families aren't always perfect — maybe it rarely feels like a "home sweet home" — but don't forget that God's design for the bond we share extends to our "brothers" and "sisters" in the church. As we follow our Lord together, we richly bless each other in unity as if we were blood relatives.

The Big Question

What could you do to bring your family closer in God's love?

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