“Good” means having desired qualities: morally excellent; beneficial;
sound/wholesome; worthwhile.
“Best” means finest in quality; most advantageous, most excellent,
wisest, most worthwhile.
Mk. 3:21, 31-35 Who
came to Jesus while He was with the multitude?
What decision did Jesus have to
make?
[Gk. “hoi par autou” – meaning “those from Him”, a Greek idiom for “kinspeople or family”].
What did Jesus answer the
multitudes who told Him that His family was looking for Him?
What do you think Jesus meant by
His answer?
[“the will of God” is to believe in Jesus as
God’s Son, Christ, and Savior – Jn.
Would it have
been good for Jesus to spend time with His family, and why (vs. 21)?
What did Jesus do instead (as implied by His answer)?
What are some modern day examples of good long-term
and/or short-term family activities that can become the enemy of the best (which is concentrating one’s time and
efforts on seeking and saving the lost and/or ministering to the family of
God/Christians)?
Have you ever had to
say “no” to spending time with your parents or other relatives because of your
ministry responsibilities?
Do you go along with every request of your family
for your time when you should be doing things like: attending or teaching a
Bible study, evangelizing, training or building up other Christians spiritually
that you’re responsible for, or being trained or built up spiritually by more
mature Christian leaders yourself?
If you don’t go along with every request of your
family, is it because of being intent on the Christian’s one purpose in life of
evangelizing the lost while being Christ-like in character yourself (Phil. 2:2 with 1:27; Matt. 28:19, 20; 2
Tim. 4:5; 1 Pet. 1:15; Eph. 4:11-13)?
What did your relatives
think of you, if you said “no” to their request?
[While it is
true that we are commanded to honor our mother and father, and love them; we
are also commanded to love God supremely
(realizing that He is the one who created our parents and gave them to
us). It is possible that our love for
our parents (which is good) can be greater than our love for God (which is
best). Obedience to our parents is good,
but obedience to God is best should a conflict of time commitment and
priorities arise. If our parents ever
tell us to do something good (that isn’t a sin), but it’s going to keep us from
obeying God in His plan and priorities for our lives, then to obey whatever our
parents tell us becomes sinful (even though it isn’t sinful in and of
itself) because it hinders us from obeying God. At this point, the good of obeying our
parents becomes the enemy of the best, which is obeying God and His Word, the
Bible. See Matthew 10:37.].
Lk. 2:41-50 How old was Jesus at this time?
Would it have
been good for Jesus to go home with His family, and why?
Instead of going home with His
parents, what did Jesus do, and why?
What was Jesus doing at the temple with the teachers (vs. 46)?
What
was the result (vs. 52)?
What does this show about Jesus’
priorities, even as a boy?
Do you put growing in wisdom by listening to accurate Bible teachers and asking good questions ahead of doing family activities and/or courtesies, and why?
How did Jesus’ family respond to
the decision that He made (vss. 48, 50)?
How do you think your family would respond to your decision
to put God and His will and work of ministry ahead of doing things with them?
Does it sound like Jesus’ mother
was offended by Jesus’ decision to stay behind in
But was it right and the best thing for Him to do, and why (vs. 49)?
[Because of
Jesus’ priorities to do God the Father’s will (Jn.
Can you think of any decisions that you need to
make in your family life (i.e., changing
your choices from good to best, in how you spend your time, direct your
attention, etc.) because of higher biblical priorities? If so, what?
What is the good in your situation,
and what would be the best?
Lk. 4:42-44 What did the
multitudes try to keep Jesus from doing?
What decision did Jesus have to
make?
Would it have
been good for Jesus to stay in the area to minister to the people, and why?
What did Jesus say He had to do
instead, and why?
[Notice how Jesus’ purpose in life, as sent by God, influenced His
decision.].
What are some examples of good ministry or church activities
that often distract Christians from fulfilling their God-given purpose in life
of evangelism (Matt. 28:19, 20; Phil.
1:27 with 2:2; 2 Tim. 4:5) and building up and training other Christians
spiritually (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11;
Eph. 4:11-13)?
Have you ever had to say “no” to good ministry
opportunities because they didn’t help you fulfill God’s purpose and/or goals
for your life of evangelism and building up and training Christians for service
to God? If so, what was (were) it (they)?
What will you do the next time opportunities to be
involved in good church activities (e.g.,
sing in the choir, be on the church baseball team, run the youth group
recreation program, visit the old folks, feed the homeless, etc.) hinder
you from being trained full-time or from evangelizing and training others
full-time? Why?
Lk. 9:57-62 What did
Jesus say to the first man who said he would follow Jesus wherever He went?
[Jesus meant that to be a follower of Him, a person would have to be
willing to give up material comforts, like having a bed of his own or a home of
his own to go to each night.].
Is it normally
good to have material possessions (e.g., a home, car, several sets of clothing,
etc.)?
Before following Jesus, what did
the second man want to do?
What did Jesus say to the second
man?
[Jesus meant that there
are certain jobs/tasks that any non-believer can do just as good if not better
than believers while believers are best suited for other tasks, like
evangelizing/sharing the gospel.].
Is it good to have tasks/jobs/responsibilities or a
career to accomplish?
But isn’t it better to do what God has told all
disciples/believers to specifically do, that being to evangelize/make converts
or disciples (Matt. 28:19, 20; Phil. 2:2
with 1:27; 2 Tim. 4:5)?
What did the third man say to
Jesus?
What did Jesus reply?
When leaving home, is it good to go
back and say good-bye to your family?
However, if God tells you to do something right
away, who should be a higher priority to obey: God and/or His Word, the Bible,
or your family and common courtesy? Why?
[So, here we see three things that are usually good, but they become
the enemy of the best, when immediate obedience to the specific commands of
God/Jesus are hindered.].
Have you ever allowed material possessions, a job/task/career,
or close relationships/family ties hinder you from following Jesus or being
trained to serve God and be Christ-like? Why?
Do you plan on changing from doing
what is good to doing what is best? When? How?
Do you see how things
that are usually good can cause would-be followers of Jesus to be “not fit for
the
Is there presently anything hindering you from following Jesus in obedience and being trained to seek and save the lost and have Christ-like character? If so, what do you plan to do about it, and why?
Lk. 10:38-42 What was Mary doing, and what was Martha doing when Jesus
visited their house?
Was it good for Martha to prepare food for Jesus, and why?
However, what did the preparations
do to Martha?
Out of the two sisters, which one
did the good thing and which one did the best, and why?
What did Jesus say about Martha’s
choice?
What did Jesus say about Mary’s
choice?
Have you ever been so busy, busy, busy doing a lot
of good things (driving people around,
helping people out, singing in the choir, etc.) that you got distracted
from doing the most important things in life (e.g., time alone with God in His Word and prayer, evangelizing the
spiritually lost, and building up believers spiritually and training them to be
Christ-like)?
What were the things that distracted you?
How can you keep those things from
distracting you in the future (be
specific)?
Lk. 14:15-24 What was the
first man’s excuse for not going to the dinner?
What had an undue concern for
material possessions done for the first person?
What was the second man’s excuse?
What had an undue concern for a
job/occupation/career done to this second person?
What was the third man’s excuse?
What had an undue concern for
married life done to the third person?
Is there
anything wrong with material possessions, careers, or marriage in and of
themselves?
[In this parable, going to dinner
represented entering into the kingdom of heaven or receiving salvation.].
Can you see how doing good things
can keep people from doing what’s best?
Have you ever heard people give excuses like: “I’ll
become a Christian and get into the Bible after I finish college, get married,
get a good-paying job, settle down and start a family, etc.?” Or, “I’ll get trained to be Christ-like in
character and mission, start evangelizing, building up spiritually and training
other believers, serve God, etc. after I get a new car, get my college degree, finish
all my eligible years of being on the sports team, etc.?”
Do you see how something that is
normally good becomes bad when it hinders you from doing what’s best in God’s
eyes?
What other kinds of things do Christians get
involved in that are usually good but become bad when substituted for what God
says is best, which is loving God through holy/obedient-to-the-Bible living,
trusting and obeying God in doing evangelism and building up believers
spiritually (Matt. 22:37-38; Jn. 14:15,
21, 23; Phil. 2:2 with 1:27; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 2:2, 10; Eph. 1:5, 6; 4:11-13; 2
Cor. 5:15 with Lk. 9:60; Matt. 28:19, 20, with Acts 10:42, 43; Lk. 19:9, 10;
Mk. 1:36-38, 14-17; 10:28-30; Lk. 18:28-30 with 4:38)?
Jn. 12:3-8 What did
Judas say about Mary using the costly perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet?
Did Jesus agree with Judas’
evaluation of how the perfume should be used? What
did Jesus say about the poor?
[The perfume was used
wisely according to how it related to the purposes and needs of the Lord Jesus
Christ, that being the custom of anointing in anticipation of His burial.].
Do you ever ask yourself the question, “How does
making this decision or doing this activity relate to Jesus’/God’s purpose for
my life?” Are you
willing to drop your good plans, choices, or good activities and do God’s, if
you find out that yours have nothing to do with God’s perfect and best will for
your life?
How can you know whether your plans, decisions, or
activities are merely good and not the best?
Will you change if they’re not the best plans or activities, and why?
Acts
Would it have been good for Paul to go to
Have you ever had to give up good opportunities to minister to certain people because they did not fit with your God-given goals or objective? If so, what were they?
Why is knowing your
God-given purpose in life and, thereby, having biblical objectives and goals
important in determining the good from the best?
Do you have any God-given goals or a life objective
by which you can evaluate all your actions and decisions to see if they are
merely good or the very best? If
so, what are they?
Rom. 12:2 Why should
Christians renew their minds?
What is one way a Christian can
renew his/her mind (2 Tim.
What does God’s Word give to people
so that they can discern good from best (Psa.
119:24, 66, 99, 100, 104, 105, 130)?
[Having our minds renewed by God’s word will help us discern what is
the perfect will of God and will, therefore, help us
to distinguish good from best.].
Are you basing what you think is best for your life
on what the world, your parents, or your friends say, or on
what the Word of God says? Why?
[The reason
so many Christians are making merely good decisions instead of the best
decisions is because they have a worldly set of values from which to base their
choices.].
Acts 6:1-4 What was not desirable for the twelve apostles?
Is it good to serve food and help
widows out? However, what was
more desirable for the apostles?
Have you ever had to lay aside a
good work or ministry in order to concentrate on and pursue the best ministry (e.g., the ministry of the word, which is
evangelism, as seen in Acts 14:3, 7, 15, 21, 25; 15:7, 35, 36; 16:6, 10)?
If so, what was the good ministry
and what was the best?
How did you know which one was good
and which one was best?
Can you think of any tips to give
to people to help them distinguish the good from the best? If so, what?
1 Cor. 13:1-3 What are some
of the good actions that Paul mentions?
[It
should be mentioned that the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and special knowledge ceased
by AD 70 and 95 respectively – 1 Cor. 13:8-10; 14:21, 22 with Isa. 28:13].
What did Paul
say was best to have in spite of doing all these other good things?
Have you ever seen people doing good things (e.g., learning Christian doctrine and
apologetics, boldly sharing the gospel, giving money/food to the poor, etc.)
but weren’t loving? What
did you think about that person?
Have you ever caught yourself wrapped up in
ministry activities and good deeds but were not exhibiting love toward others?
What happened?
Have you changed, and why?
How can a person be loving
(2 Cor.
1 Cor.
What are some examples of good things (that aren’t sinful in and of themselves)
that become the enemy of the best (things
that will help you fulfill God’s purpose for your life) because they are
neither profitable (not aiding you in
helping you to fulfill your God-given goals, objectives or priorities) nor
edifying (things that don’t build up to
spiritual maturity, either yourself or others)?
Are the activities in your life (i.e., how you spend your time, talents, and
treasure) profitable (having great
eternal value; spiritually constructive; helping you to accomplish your
God-given goals/objectives/priorities), or are they merely lawful (legitimate, not sinful in and of
themselves)? Why?
Eph. 5:15, 16 What are Christians told to do with their time?
Why do you think
it is important for us to make the most of our time (2 Cor.
What does the command to make the
most of your time have to do with discerning good from best?
What are some good things that you are involved
with that are stealing/sapping your time so that you don’t have any or little
time left for doing what’s best (i.e.,
loving obedience to God in holy living, evangelism and building up and training
other Christians to be Christ-like in character and mission)?
Is involvement in traditional church activities
robbing you of time alone with God in daily Bible reading, daily prayer, and
scripture meditation/memorization (1 Pet.
2:2; Col. 4:2; Josh. 1:8)?
Is taking too many credit hours in school or having
a steady girlfriend/boyfriend keeping you from being taught and trained to be
Christ-like in character and mission in life (Eph. 4:11-13)?
Is working too many hours hindering you from
aggressively evangelizing the lost a lot or building believers into Christ-like
maturity in character and mission (1
Thes. 5:11; Rom. 14:19; Gal. 4:19)?
Do you plan to change your activities from good to
best? If so, when?
Remember, life is short (James
1 Tim. 4:7b-8 What are we to discipline ourselves for?
Of what profit
is physical training/exercise?
Of what profit
is godliness?
Why is bodily
discipline/exercise merely good when compared to godliness, which is
best?
Are you spending a lot of time on
your physical body and little or no time on building up your spiritual well-being,
and why?
Can you think of any other things, that aren’t sin, but are only of little profit (like physical training) because they offer only temporal benefits in this life and not benefits both here and hereafter?
How can a person become godly (Eph.
Are you focusing your time, energy, and money on
things that are only of little profit, or on things that are profitable for all
things? Why?
Phil.
1:9, 10 Why does Paul pray
that the Philippian Christian’s love would abound still more and more in real
knowledge and discernment?
Of
the “things that are excellent” Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown’s Commentary on
the Whole Bible reads, “Not merely the things not bad, but the things best
among those that are good; the things of more advanced excellence. Ask as to things, not merely, ‘Is there no harm, but is there any good, and which is
best?’”
From where do we get
real knowledge and discernment (2 Tim.
Is your love for reaching lost/unsaved people with
the gospel growing?
Is your love for trusting God and obeying Him abounding
more and more?
Is your love for following up new Christians
increasing?
Is your love for building up believers spiritually overflowing?
If so (to any of the above questions), how?
Col. 1:28, 29 What is
the first thing in verse 28 that Paul and Timothy are mentioned as doing?
What is another name for proclaiming Christ?
[In Jn. 17:17-20, Jesus
prays that both His disciples and all future believers would be sanctified (Gk.
“hegiasmenoi” – meaning “set apart” for God and His
purposes) in truth (which is God’s word, vs. 17, specifically, the preaching of
the gospel, Col. 1:5; Eph. 1:13), even as He Himself had been a role model of
setting Himself apart for the purpose of preaching the truth/gospel.].
What else did
Paul and Timothy do to every man?
For what purpose were Paul and Timothy
laboring (i.e., proclaiming, admonishing,
and teaching)?
What is the biblical way of
presenting every man complete/mature in Christ (1 Thes.
How does knowing your God-given purpose in life help you to discern good from best?
[If my purpose is to
get a college degree and make straight A’s, then I will eliminate the things
that will hinder me from achieving it. Instead of going to parties and social
events, I will engulf myself in books and studies.
In
the spiritual realm, we see a similar truth. We must eliminate activities that
hinder us from accomplishing our God-given goals, objective or purpose in life.
There are many good activities that we as Christians can be involved in,
but we must choose the best things which help us to accomplish our
God-given goals. If we choose a good thing that hinders us from obeying God
(i.e., the best), then that good thing becomes bad/sinful because it
keeps us from obeying God. Remember, too, that there is no such thing as
half-obedience (e.g., 1 Sam. 15:3, 13, 14, 22, 23).].
Col. 1:9, 10 Why did Paul pray that the Colossian Christians be filled
with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding?
Of the things that you do (activities, priorities, etc.), do you
take the time before you do them to ask:
Is this activity, plan, or event
going to help me walk/live in a manner worthy of the Lord?
Is this activity going to be
pleasing to God?
Or, do you just wander through life
doing the first thing that presents itself in the course of the day, and why?
Gal.
Who are we to
especially do good to?
If you had a choice to do good to a
non-believer or to a believer, which would be good and which would be best to
do good to, and why?
What are some examples of good
things (deeds) that you could do to a
believer?
Are you doing good
to those of the household of the faith (Christians),
and why?
More verses giving examples and principles
on the Christian’s purpose in life.
Phil. 1:23-25 What was Paul’s
purpose for remaining in the flesh?
1
Thes. 2:9, 11-12 What was Paul’s purpose for being
with the Thessalonians?
2 Tim.
And
what was Paul’s purpose in life (Acts
Phil. 2:2 What
were the Philippian Christians to be intent on? Which
was (
Are you intent (concentrating on, eagerly aiming for)
being Christ-like in character (
1 Cor. 4:15-17 Why
did Paul send Timothy to the Corinthians?
[So we see
that Paul’s purpose in life was to evangelize the lost and build up believers
spiritually. He taught Timothy his ways
and purpose. Timothy then taught others
(including the Corinthians) Paul’s ways and purpose (of evangelism and building
up believers into Christ-likeness – Gal.
1 Pet. 2:9 Why are Christians a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession?
[“the excellencies of God” – are God’s
character traits/attributes in action, like His grace, mercy, forgiveness, etc.
as demonstrated in the gospel message, Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Col. 2:13, 14].
Are you proclaiming God’s excellencies via the gospel, and why?
Eph. 4:11-13 Why did God
give Christians their spiritual gifts?
Are you training/equipping other Christians to do the work of service (i.e., evangelizing the lost and edifying believers, Acts 14:7, 15, 21-23, 26) to be able to build up Christ’s Church in quantity and quality, and why?