Who’s your favorite superhero?
Seriously — think about it for a second. Maybe it’s Spider-Man or Wonder Woman. Maybe it’s Black Panther, or Captain America. We all probably have one… or had one growing up.
Now, I want to tell you about a superhero you’ve probably never heard of — Booster Gold.
Booster Gold is a DC Comics character, and he’s not exactly an icon. He was a failed football star from the future, racked up a bunch of gambling debt, and decided to steal a bunch of tech from a museum — including a time machine and a robot sidekick — and travel back to our time to become a celebrity superhero.
The thing is… he didn’t actually know how to use any of the stuff he stole.
He had all the gear. All the tools. He just didn’t know what it was for.
And along the way — through failure, embarrassment, and a lot of humbling — he begins to change. He stops trying to make a name for himself… and starts learning how to serve others. And eventually, Booster Gold becomes one of the most strategically important heroes in the DC universe — saving the timeline over and over again, even though hardly anyone knows his name.
Here’s the point:
He was thoroughly equipped from the beginning.
He just didn’t know it.
He didn’t know what the gear was for.
And until he reoriented his purpose, all that equipment didn’t really help.
We just heard these words from 2 Timothy 3:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (NLT)
Other translations say it this way:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (NIV)
You might be more equipped than you realize.
Deep down, you probably already know that.
You’ve got a Bible.
You’ve heard sermons.
You know some truth.
You’ve even felt God calling you to something bigger — to good works.
And I just want to say:
You have all you need.
God has thoroughly equipped you.
That’s what the Word of God is for.
Not to collect dust on a shelf.
Not to puff us up with knowledge.
But to move us. To change us.
To equip us to do good in the name of Jesus.
Last week, we talked about being doers of the Word, not hearers only—straight from James 1.
Remember the progression we walked through?
And now Paul in 2 Timothy picks up on that same idea. He’s writing from a prison cell, and he says:
"All Scripture is God-breathed… so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
He’s saying: You’ve got what you need.
Let’s bring in another verse—Colossians 1:9-10.
Paul says this:
“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit…”
There it is again. The pattern:
So the question is: if God’s Word is this powerful, this equipping, why don’t we act on it more often?
Here’s a possible reason:
Because we think we need more than we have.
We tell ourselves, “I just need the right strategy. I need better training. I need a theology degree. I need a life plan. I need to memorize a script for evangelism, then maybe I’ll be ready.”
But Paul says.
You’re already equipped. Not just partially. Not just emotionally inspired.
You are thoroughly equipped.
Like we talked about earlier—Booster Gold had the gear, he just didn’t know how to use it yet. And he didn’t know what it was for.
That might be you.
You might have the tools.
You’ve read Scripture. You’ve prayed. You’ve had spiritual mentors. You’ve seen God work. You’ve felt the Spirit stir something in you.
And maybe what’s missing is not more equipment—but clarity about what the equipment is for.
Maybe the leap forward is simply obedience.
God has already breathed out his Word. You have access to it. You’re being shaped by it. You are ready for action.
You don’t need to have it all together. You just need to be willing.
Because every time you obey—no matter how small—it grows your spiritual reflexes. It makes you more agile. More courageous. More fruitful.
Let me ask you:
Could it be that the readiness is already there?
The word Paul uses here in 2 Timothy 3:17 — exērtismenos (ἐξαρτίζω) — means to be completely outfitted, like a ship loaded with everything it needs for the voyage. It’s not halfway built, not missing supplies. It’s not still waiting for some crucial piece before it sets sail. It’s ready.
This is what the Word of God does for us: it thoroughly equips us — fully supplied, nothing lacking, ready for whatever comes our way.
Let me give you a picture.
You remember the Titanic, right? Some of you were there, I know.
Most people think it sank because of the iceberg. But it’s a little more complicated than that. The Titanic had these “watertight” compartments, meant to contain flooding in case of an accident. But they were only sealed on the sides. The tops were left open — which meant once a few compartments flooded, the water just spilled over into the next one, like a set of dominoes. If the ship had been properly constructed, with sealed compartments all the way around, it might have survived the iceberg. It wouldn’t have been good, but it wouldn’t have been catastrophic.
Now take that picture and apply it to your own life.
When Paul says we are “thoroughly equipped,” he’s saying we’re built like a ship meant to survive impact. Not invincible in our own strength — but complete in Christ. Lacking nothing we truly need for the journey ahead.
But how often do we act like we’re missing something?
Some years ago, before we had kids, we went tubing with some friends in South Carolina. You ever floated down a lazy river on a summer day? We heard it was fun to tie the tubes together, so you could relax and talk as you drifted. Sounded awesome. But pretty much the moment we got in, our friend flipped out of her tube — boom, sunglasses gone. Within the first 5 minutes, we’d lost two pairs of sunglasses. People were falling out left and right. Nobody was relaxing. It was chaos.
But imagine this: imagine showing up to float the river without a tube.
Just you. Fully clothed. Stepping into the water and saying: “Let’s do this.”
How far are you going to get?
That’s what it’s like when we try to live out the Christian life without the Word of God.
We’re stepping into the rushing river of real life — disappointments, temptations, suffering, spiritual warfare, parenting, work stress, anxiety, grief — and we’re saying: “God, take me down river! I’m ready.”
But we’re not ready.
We’ve left the one thing behind that can carry us. We’ve skipped the tube. We’re kicking and flailing, asking God why we’re not going anywhere.
Why we feel stuck. Why life still feels the same.
Because we’ve left the equipment He already gave us behind.
The Word of God doesn’t leave you unprepared.
And if you are daily drinking from that well of living water — if you are making space for Scripture to soak into you — then you already have what you need. You don’t need to be more talented. You don’t need a seminary degree. You don’t need to memorize a script or master every apologetics answer.
Paul says: The Word equips you for every good work.
Every good conversation.
Every hard obedience.
Every act of faith.
Every moment of compassion, courage, endurance, sacrifice.
You have what you need.
So instead of asking, “What more do I need?”
Ask: What has God already placed in my hands?
Where is He inviting me to trust that His Word is enough?
Because the point is not to sit on the shore and wish for more gear.
The point is: receive, respond, and get moving.
God has thoroughly equipped you.
The question is: Are you willing to trust Him enough to move forward?
Now that we’ve seen that you are thoroughly equipped, the next question naturally comes: equipped for what?
Like our friend Booster Gold — he had all the gear and gadgets from the future, but what was it really for? His journey wasn’t about personal fame or glory. It was about serving others, protecting the timeline, doing good work.
This is the key point for us: God equips us for good work, not for selfish motives.
And maybe this is where many of us get tripped up.
Look back at the passage we read earlier from 2 Timothy 3:1-5 — it paints a grim picture of the “last days.” People loving only themselves and their money, boastful and proud, scoffing at God, ungrateful, unloving, unforgiving. They act religious but deny the power that makes them godly.
Sound familiar? Unfortunately, it’s a reality we see all around us — and sometimes even within us.
Paul warns Timothy, “Stay away from people like that!”
And why? Because when we pursue autonomy, self-glory, and self-sufficiency, we are not equipped for that.
God does not give you strength to chase your ego.
He does not give you Scripture just so you can win arguments.
You are not equipped for evil.
You are not equipped for sin.
You are not equipped for a life that rejects the power of God.
This is where it gets hard, right? Because sometimes the line between what we want and what God wants can get blurry. Even the “good” things we want can sometimes miss the mark of what God truly calls “good work.”
But here’s the reassurance:
God’s Word equips us for good work — godly work — and not for anything else.
Romans 8:12-14 says it clearly:
“So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
God’s Word teaches us what counts as good work. It shows us what pleases Him, what benefits others, what lines up with the Spirit’s leading.
If you find yourself trying to use Scripture or God’s strength to justify selfish ambitions, to win a fight, or to avoid obedience — that’s a sign you’re out of alignment.
Don’t expect God to provide wisdom or strength for that.
He equips us for every good work — and He equips us specifically for that.
So the question for each of us is:
Am I pursuing the good God calls good?
Or am I chasing shadows — good things that miss the heart of God’s call?
Remember, every good that God expects us to do, His Word equips us to do.
FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY
I want to be honest with you — sometimes the hardest part isn’t figuring out what good we’re supposed to do or whether we’re equipped for it. Sometimes, it’s just the feeling that we’re not enough.
Maybe you know what I mean — that nagging voice inside that says, “Who am I to do this? I’m not ready. I’m not smart enough, strong enough, faithful enough.” That feeling of imposter syndrome — persistent self-doubt even when there’s evidence all around you that God has already equipped you.
And here’s the surprising truth: Paul struggled with this too.
Look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Paul talks about a “thorn in the flesh” — something that tormented him, something that kept him painfully aware of his weaknesses. He begged God three times to remove it.
But God’s response was powerful:
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
Paul’s response?
“That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses... For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul didn’t feel fully adequate, and yet God’s grace made him strong in the very places where he felt weak.
This feeling of inadequacy isn’t a failure; it’s often what leads us to humble ourselves and rely fully on God.
Paul knows this well, because earlier in 2 Corinthians (1:8-9), he shares about a time when he and his companions were overwhelmed — crushed beyond what they thought they could bear, expecting even to die. Yet through that, they stopped relying on themselves and learned to rely only on God.
This is important for us to remember:
Knowing the good we should do doesn’t always make it easy to do it.
Knowing we are equipped doesn’t always make us feel equipped.
Remember Moses — God called him to lead a whole nation, but Moses doubted he could do it.
Remember Joshua — following the great Moses, he worried he wasn’t up for the task.
Remember Esther — a young woman scared to approach a king, yet she obeyed.
And Paul — the great apostle who spread the gospel despite feeling weak and undeserving.
The point isn’t that we feel perfect or ready — the point is that God’s grace enables us to cast off fear and trust Him anyway.
We don’t need to wait until we feel equipped. God has already equipped us, and He meets us in our weakness.
So if you’re feeling inadequate today — take heart. You’re in good company. And God’s power is made perfect in your weakness.
This might sound strange — but sometimes our feelings of inadequacy are actually symptoms of trying to depend on our own goodness.
It might seem like a contradiction, but hear me out.
Depending on your own goodness usually shows up in one of two ways:
Either you’re distracted by pride — thinking, “I’m better than those people. I’m doing okay.”
Or you’re paralyzed by shame — feeling like, “I’m just not enough. I’ll never measure up.”
Both come from the same root problem: thinking you’ve earned your own goodness.
When you believe that your standing before God depends on how good you are — or how much you’ve done — Scripture can become a weapon. You might use it to beat yourself up with self-condemnation, or worse, to puff yourself up in pride.
And the longer you walk with Christ, the easier it is to fall into this trap.
There’s a story in Luke 7 that helps us see this clearly. Jesus is dining at the house of Simon, a Pharisee — a religious leader who probably thought he had it all together. Then a woman, known for her sinful life — a prostitute — comes in, anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive oil, and washes them with her tears.
Simon is judgmental, thinking, “If this man were a prophet, he’d know what kind of woman this is.”
Jesus tells Simon a parable about two debtors — one owed a huge debt, the other a small one. Both were forgiven. Jesus then asks Simon, “Who do you think will love the creditor more?” Simon answers correctly, “The one who was forgiven more.”
Jesus finishes with these powerful words: “He who has been forgiven much loves much.”
Think about that — those who truly understand the vastness of God’s forgiveness develop a greater capacity for love. For God, and for others.
But here’s the problem: many of us aren’t fully aware of our own need for God’s forgiveness and grace. We forget how deeply we need a Savior.
We live our lives as if we are good enough on our own, even if we don’t say it out loud. This blinds us to the brokenness around us, makes us indifferent, or worse, judgmental.
We start standing on a mound of our so-called goodness, looking down on others.
But here’s the truth:
We cannot come to God with our goodness — because we have none.
Isaiah 64:6 says,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”
Our best efforts at holiness? They’re filthy compared to God’s perfect standard.
God isn’t impressed with performance.
We don’t come to God with our goodness — we come with our need.
And it is faith that pleases Him.
Our good works don’t earn us the Spirit. They flow out of a heart already filled by the Spirit.
Galatians 4:6 says,
“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
God gives us His Spirit not because we earned it, but because He counts us as His children.
This means our starting point is never our own goodness — it’s always our need for grace.
That’s where real transformation begins.
We are all turtles on fenceposts.
What do you know about a turtle on a fencepost?
It didn’t get there by accident. It didn’t climb up there by itself.
It was placed there.
It was lifted. Carried. Set where it could never get on its own.
And that’s us.
We are not self-made.
We didn’t equip ourselves. We didn’t save ourselves.
We were rescued. We were raised.
And now—we’ve been thoroughly equipped.
Listen—
Something you are going through right now—this week, today, maybe even this morning—is equipping you for the good work God has for you tomorrow.
James 1:2–4, which we looked at last week, says:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
That last phrase—lacking in nothing—
That’s another way of saying: “thoroughly equipped.”
God isn’t wasting your today.
Even if it feels like He is.
Even if all you see is stress or conflict or discouragement—He’s working through it to strengthen your faith, deepen your love, refine your hope.
Romans 5:3–5 puts it like this:
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…”
So let me say it again:
You’ve been thoroughly equipped.
Not because you’re good—but because God is.
You’ve been equipped for every good work.
Every act of faith.
Every step of courage.
Every moment of love.
You’ve been equipped to walk by the Spirit.
To love sacrificially.
To obey when it’s hard.
To forgive when it costs you.
To trust when you can’t see the ending.
His Word forms you. His Spirit shapes you.
And slowly, steadily, the ways of sin and self become less appealing.
And the ways of God become more beautiful.
That’s the work of being thoroughly equipped.
You’ve been thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Amen.
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