What's Really Good | Dr Dharius Daniels | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

What's Really Good

Dr Dharius Daniels

Change Church • Dec 10, 2025 • 55 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

Dr. Dharius Daniels explores Romans 12:9–13 to redefine what it truly means to be good from a biblical perspective. Rather than following culture's self-centered definitions or church culture's superficial performative rules, believers are called to align with the King's way of active, covenant-based goodness. By examining conditional, comfortable, and cautious goodness, this message challenges us to let the Holy Spirit transform our internal posture and outward generosity.

Themes

Biblical GoodnessCovenant vs. ContractFaith and HopeSpiritual FervorGenerosityBoundaries and Discernment

Pastor's Points

1.

Deprogramming from the myth of conditional goodness

2.

Deprogramming from the myth of comfortable goodness

3.

Deprogramming from the myth of cautious goodness

Key Points

1.
Godly curiosity causes believers to re-examine old ideas and leads to divine unlearning and deprogramming.
2.
Biblical goodness is active rather than passive; it is not merely avoiding wrong, but actively practicing right.
3.
Conditional goodness acts contractually, whereas covenant goodness extends grace based on internal transformation rather than external behavior.
4.
Reciprocity is a natural desire, but feeling entitled to reciprocity leads to conditional goodness instead of operating from grace.
5.
Biblical hope is not mere optimism; it is the confident expectation of God's promises being performed in our lives.
6.
Faith acts as the current substance and title deed for the future things we hope for.
7.
Patience in affliction is the fruit of the Spirit that enables us to manage our emotions and arrest impulsiveness while waiting.
8.

Sermon Moments

“Curiosity is the key that unlocks the door to the next level in any area. It is the precursor to excellence.”

“Goodness from God's perspective isn't just tied to what I don't do. Goodness from God's perspective is tied to what I do.”

“Conditional goodness says, 'I'm only going to be good to those that meet certain conditions.' That is contractual goodness, not covenant goodness.”

“I am doing this not because of who you are; I am doing this because of who I am.”

“Faith believes that the promises of God are true. Hope anxiously awaits the performance of the promise in my life.”

“If the promise is property, faith isn't the property, but it's the title deed.”

“Don't become less generous, become more wise.”

“If I got to destroy me to be with you, you're not assigned to me.”

This Week

Actively look for practical opportunities to perform good deeds this week rather than just avoiding bad behavior.

Examine your relationships to identify where you might be operating out of contractual expectations instead of covenant grace.

Release expectations of immediate reciprocity when showing kindness and serving others.

Practice being joyful in hope by giving God praise for His promises before seeing them physically fulfilled.

Maintain daily consistency in prayer to guard your spiritual fervor during stressful or afflictive seasons.

Evaluate whether past relationship wounds have made you stingy with your generosity rather than spiritually wise.

Stop rescuing capable loved ones from the personal responsibilities and consequences God intends for them to carry.

Remember This

Biblical goodness is an active, covenant-driven response rooted in who God has made us to be, rather than a passive, comfortable, or conditional reaction to others.

A Challenge for You

What's really good in your life? Does your goodness have conditions attached to it, does it have comfort attached to it, or does it have cautiousness attached to it?

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.