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Date Posted: 13:56:14 10/21/22 Fri
Author: c
Subject: Supplementary teachings 10/2022

Today in the Word

10/14/22

Submission to authority

Brad Baurain

(edited)


Peter reminded his readers that spiritual freedom is not an excuse for license, throwing aside restraint and responsibility (1 Peter 2:16), see also Galatians 5:13). As Christ-followers, we're in but not of this world. The Gospel's reputation shouldn't be tarnished by the "ignorant talk of foolish people" (vv. 15, 16). Paradoxically, freedom in Christ means we should "live as God's slaves" (v. 16).

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PowerPoint by Pastor Jack Graham 9/8/22

Where you can go to have every need met

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

--Philippians 4:19

Several years ago, our church did an outreach project in our community where we distributed clothes and food to people in need. There was one man who came in and told us, “I’m looking for some work boots. Do you have any?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” one of the workers told him. “I don’t think we have any work boots.” So she walked with the man over to the shoes area, and they searched for a bit. And what do you know, they found one pair of work boots that were just the man’s size.

The man began to weep with joy. And what he said next made everyone there weep too. “My boss said that if I didn’t have any work boots by tomorrow, I was going to be fired. I didn’t have any money to buy them, so I prayed yesterday that God would provide for me, and He has!”

God is a faithful provider. He will never, ever fail to provide for your every need if you cling tightly to Him. So whether you find yourself in need today or in abundance, trust in God to continually meet your every need. He’ll never let you down!

WHETHER you're IN GREAT NEED OR ABUNDANCE, TRUST IN GOD TO MEET EVERY NEED you HAVE!

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Turning Point 9/23/22

Then Came Surrender

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6

Samuel Chadwick was a British Methodist, born in 1860, who began working twelve-hour shifts in the cotton mill at age eight. He was converted at ten and started preaching when he was sixteen. He developed fifteen sermons and preached with all his might. When no one was converted, he discerned something was wrong. A biographer said, “He realized that God must be in control of everything. Then came surrender, which brought him to realize Christ’s full salvation, a fresh vision of the Almighty, and a heartfelt yearning to see people saved.”

The very next day Chadwick led seven people to Christ, and it was the beginning of a fruitful ministry that lasted for decades and led thousands to Christ.

As we worship God and give Him glory, He does mighty works on our behalf. It’s not our skill, but His strength; not our will, but His willingness; not our ability, but His capability.

Let your work for the Lord flow from your worship of Him—and there will be power.

The energy of the flesh can run bazaars, organize amusements, and raise millions; but it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes a Temple of the Living God.

Samuel Chadwick

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intouch.org Daily devotion 9/7/22

The Impact of Knowing God

An intimate relationship with God transforms every area of life.

1 John 2:1-17

Are you seeking to know and understand the Lord? Even though He’s beyond human comprehension in many ways, God has revealed much of Himself in His Word. And as we search for Him in Scripture, we’ll grow in our understanding of His nature. But this isn’t merely an academic pursuit. Knowing God practically impacts every area of life.

For one thing, knowledge of God influences our prayers. Instead of asking for whatever we want, we’ll seek to ask according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). And we won’t limit our requests in size or scope because we’ll realize that nothing is impossible with God.

The way we view the Lord also affects how we think, behave, and relate to other people. Knowing Him intimately transforms our natural tendency toward doubt and sin. Then we desire to walk obediently before Him, with a pure heart. Instead of loving the world, we seek to please Him by loving His people unselfishly and resisting sinful lusts.

Paul thought knowing the Lord was so important that he made it the primary pursuit of his life (Philippians 3:8-10). Could that be said of you? Self-reformation soon fails, but knowledge of God renews you from the inside out.

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intouch.org

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Privilege of Loving Others

When we allow God to live through us, the possibilities are endless.

Gayle Reynolds September 25, 2022

Think about this. You have the privilege of exerting a godly influence on maybe one person or two, your friends, your family, the people you work around, your children, your grandchildren. All of us have the awesome possibility, responsibility, and privilege of being a godly influence.

—Charles F. Stanley, “The Requirements of a Godly Influence”


My mother, sisters, and I went to church every Sunday in dresses Mom sewed—with little puffed sleeves, Peter Pan collars, skirts that fell to just above the knees, and bows that tied in the back. Our hair was brushed and secured with a barrette; our feet were in lace ruffle ankle socks and patent leather Mary Janes. On Easter Sunday, we added white hats and little purses.

I still remember the pressure and guilt I felt when turning in the weekly Sunday School envelope with boxes to check for each spiritual discipline: Sunday School and church attendance? Lesson studied? Scripture read? Gospel shared? Later in the sanctuary, a stained-glass Jesus looked out over the congregation with a lamb in His arms, while sacred music emanated from the organ, reminding us to enter the house of God with reverence.

After we sang hymns, the pastor—with his suit, well-polished shoes, and jet-black pomaded hair—would stand and deliver the Word of God. His voice boomed, and I felt as if he were yelling at me every week. I was scared of the man who pointed out our failings and warned of the consequences that would follow if we did not repent. At the same time, his other words nourished my soul. He took the time to visit in our home and patiently explained the gospel with drawings on the back of a church bulletin. He was the first of many who told me that I had the responsibility to share the good news that had been given to me: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

In trying to be a faithful steward of my God-given gift of salvation, I’d been trying to choose who and when and where. But salvation is the Lord’s work from beginning to end. We become influencers for Christ when we let the Holy Spirit direct us.

So I did what any good Christian would do. Full of evangelistic zeal, I shared first with my best friend. I regurgitated the gospel presentation, convinced that, like me, she would be grateful to escape the hell that comes unless one has a personal relationship with our Savior. But she didn’t believe in life after death. My next attempts to share the gospel targeted my alcoholic uncles. Neither of them believed in God. One made a joke and the other asked me hard questions like, How could a loving and all-powerful God still allow bad things to happen? I concluded that I didn’t know enough, so I spent years trying to change that. However, these efforts did not improve my results in soul winning.

Years later, my husband demonstrated the piece I was missing. He simply talks to people and serves them when possible. The gospel conversations just happen as he goes about his day. In trying to be a faithful steward of my God-given gift of salvation, I’d been trying to choose who and when and where. But salvation is the Lord’s work from beginning to end. We become influencers for Christ when we let the Holy Spirit direct us. Some of the fruit of our efforts on earth may not even be revealed until heaven.

Almost 50 years have passed since my first rudimentary efforts to reach out to others for Christ, and while I’m grateful for the disciplines developed from well-meaning Sunday school teachers, I’ve quit trying to check boxes. People aren’t tools to be used so I can feel good about where I am with God. They are gifts that many times leave or are taken away too soon. When I make the effort to get to know them individually, I find that each person is a beautiful hodgepodge of strengths and weaknesses with a unique story, and I am blessed by those willing to share with me any part of their time on this planet. I still believe Christians have a responsibility to be a godly influence, but these days I’m more focused on what a privilege it is to know and love others. And it’s always exciting when the Lord gives me an opportunity to share what He’s done for me.

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Our Daily Bread

11/9/22

Wise or Unwise?

(edited)

When I was ten, I brought home a cassette tape from a friend at youth group that contained the music of a contemporary Christian band. My dad, who had been raised in a Hindu home but had received salvation in Jesus, didn't approve. I explained it was a Christian band, but that didn't change his mind. After a while, he suggested that I listen to the songs for a week and then decide if they brought me closer to God or pushed me further away from Him. There was some helpful wisdom in that advice.

There are things in life that are clearly right or wrong, but many times we wrestle with disputable matters (Romans 14:1 - 19). In seeking what to do, we can seek the wisdom found in Scripture.....A life of wisdom is an invitation to pursue discernment and good decisions as God guides us even when we wrestle with what might be disputable.

Glenn Packiam

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Our Daily Bread

11/16/22

Keep your guard up

(edited)

As Israel prepared to go into the promised land, God wanted His people to keep their guard up - to be careful and alert. So He commanded them to obey all His "decrees and laws" (Deuteronomy 4:1 - 2) and remember His past judgment on those who disobeyed (vv. 3 - 4). They needed to "be careful" to examine themselves and keep their guard up against spiritual dangers from without and spiritual apathy from within.

It's easy for us to let our guard down and fall into apathy and self-deception. But God can give us strength to avoid falling in life and forgiveness by His grace when we do. By following Him and resting in His wisdom and provision, we can keep our guard up and make good decisions!

Marvin Williams

------------------------------=

Our Daily Bread

11/18/22

Thoughts and prayers

(edited)

"You'll be in my thoughts and prayers." If you hear those words, you might wonder if the person really means it. But you never had to wonder when Edna Davis said them. Everyone in the small, one stoplight town knew of "Ms. Edna's" yellow legal pad - page after page, lined with name after name. Early each morning the aging woman prayed out loud to God. Not everyone on her list received the answer to prayer they wanted, but several testified at her funeral that something God-sized had happened in their lives, and they credited it to the earnest prayers of Ms. Edna.


It's possible some may use "thoughts and prayers" without really meaning it. But our Father knows our thoughts, listens to our prayers, and acts on our behalf according to His perfect will. To be prayed for and to pray for others is no small thing when we serve the great and powerful God.

John Blase

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Our Daily Bread

11/22/22

Faith in Action

(edited)

...As John and Barb drove by on their way to church the next morning, they saw the damage and wondered how they might help. So they stopped and learned that the family needed assistance with cleanup. Turning their car around quickly, they headed back home to change clothes and returned to stay for the day to clean up the mess the violent winds had created. They put their faith into action as they served the family.


..."Faith is the root, good works are the fruits," comments Matthew Henry, " and we must see to it that we have both." God doesn't need our good deeds, but our faith is proven by our actions.

Anne Cetas

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intouch.org Daily devotion 10/2/22

Sunday Reflection: The Abundance in Being Different

From the friction of diversity comes the polish that makes us more accurate reflections of our Savior.

To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the scriptures referenced throughout.

The poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” In other words, each of us is an individual, but we weren’t meant to be alone (Gen. 2:18). What’s more, we aren’t all meant to be carbon copies of one another.

When we try to make community according to our own preferences and perspectives, we inadvertently diminish the rich blessings God intends for us. Like a vine with meager fruit, we miss out on the full beauty and abundance of being in Christ.

Consider the apostle John’s vision of God’s kingdom: “Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9).

As believers, we live in that reality even now. Knowing that should affect the way we think about who belongs in our pews and around our kitchen tables. By demonstrating Jesus’ love to one another, especially when our differences collide, we become like Him—and more authentically ourselves.

Think about it

How do you view Christians who aren’t like you? What needs to change?

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Turning Point devotional 10/2022

The Opportunity of Uncertainty: Your choice in the matter

by Dr. David Jeremiah

(edited)

p 17

Walter Hunt, a Quaker in New York in the 1900s, was in financial distress. He owed fifteen dollars for the month's rent, and the owner was demanding payment. Hunt was an inventor. As he sat and worried about his uncertain future, he began twisting a piece of wire. His attention fixated on the wire, and he kept bending it one way and the other until he...well, he invented the safety pin.

He sold the design for four-hundred dollars, and his invention has kept us in stitches ever since.


From personal experience I've found that great opportunities tend to bubble up from puddles of uncertainty. We can make safety pins out of wires and testimonies out of traumas. In the broad canvas of humanity - and in the individual sketches of our personal lives - peril brings promise within the remarkable parameters of God's providence.

The great thing is this: You have a choice in how things turn out. Because of all we read in God's Word, we have the capacity, through Christ, to thrive rather than survive.


p 18

...When we sink our roots deeply into Christ, we move beyond surviving. We find ourselves, by grace, thriving in these pre-Rapture days.


It's disquieting when we watch brooks dry up. Every day they run a little lower until the trickle disappears. But the Lord has appointments for us in Zarephath if we'll just follow the creek bed.


Opportunities to Trust

You'll start thriving when you view uncertainty as an opportunity to trust God in fresh ways. Faith doesn't have much to do on sunny days. It's not put to the test when everything feels perfect. Tenacious trust happens when things go wrong, uncertainties arise, perils threaten, and disappointments come.


p 19

Opportunities to Move Forward

As you trust the Lord amid trials, you'll find a new impulse to move forward and make progress in life....Ezekiel was a young priest who, just as he was getting ready for service in the glorious temple of Solomon, was seized by the Babylonians and taken into exile...Ezekiel would never be able to serve in the presence of the glory of God.

But wait!

The glory of God came to Ezekiel in his thirtieth year, when, according to the Mosaic Law, he was old enough for temple service. There in Babylon the Lord appeared to Ezekiel in one of the most glorious visions of the Bible and commissioned him as both priest and prophet to the exiles.

For the child of God, there is always a "But wait!" moment when misfortune leads to fresh encounters with God's will. Ephesians 1:10 says, "At the right time He will bring everything together" (NLT). The Lord is always moving forward, and He takes His children with Him - at the right time.

Opportunities to Share Christ

Finally, we thrive amid the difficulties when we learn to find ways of bringing Jesus into the conversations around us.


...Even if all you have left is a piece of wire, bend it into a safety pin! Turn the Last Days into lasting ministries, and make up your mind to be a thriver, not just a survivor.

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PowerPoint Jack Graham 10/6/22

The divine privilege you have in Christ

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

--Romans 12:1

It seems like more and more today, I meet people who have a slot-machine religion. You know what I mean… they think of serving God like putting a quarter in a slot machine. So they volunteer at church, pull the lever, and wait and see if God will pay out.

Now, you may hear that and think, “That’s preposterous! How could anyone believe something like that?!” But the truth is there’s an inkling of that feeling in all of us. It may not be as blatant as the example above, but we all have that little voice that comes from our flesh that says, “God is really lucky to have me on His team.”

But the Bible gives us a very different paradigm of thinking when it comes to serving God. Instead of elevating ourselves and thinking we’re really helping God out, the reality is that serving God is a privilege for those of us who are in Jesus Christ.

Give cheerfully. Serve humbly. You have nothing to offer God except for what He’s already given you – a holy life. Exercise your divine privilege of serving Him every day and thank God for the wonderful blessing of being able to live for His glory!

EXERCISE your DIVINE PRIVILEGE BY SERVING GOD WITH A HUMBLE HEART AND EXPECTING NOTHING MORE THAN THE GRACE HE’S ALREADY GIVEN TO you.

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GrowingChristians.org

A Good Thing Gone Bad

Would God ever specifically instruct anyone to make an idol?

Sounds like a dumb question, right? God would never do that. It’s spelled out right in the Ten Commandments: “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind…” (Exodus 20:4).

However, in Numbers 21 we find a strange story that sounds confusing and contradictory. God instructed Moses to fashion a bronze serpent, put it on a pole, and have the people look upon it for healing. Wait, what? Why would the Lord give this puzzling command to His people?

Well, let’s back up a few days on the timeline. The Israelites had been in a bad way since leaving Egypt almost 40 years earlier. They were bitter and disgruntled about wandering in the wilderness. They were angry at Moses and God, and complained about their situation. (Numbers 21:5)

Although the frustrations of desert life were understandable, the Israelites had taken it too far. As a wake-up call, the Lord allowed a plague of poisonous snakes to enter the camp. A rattlesnake in the kitchen would get your attention too, right?!

The people came to their senses quickly and repented for their poor attitudes. God drove the snakes away, but the story wasn’t over. People had been bitten and were dying from the lethal venom. They begged the Lord for healing, and that’s where God gave Moses the unusual order in Numbers 21:8-9:

“Create an image of a serpent made of bronze and set it on a pole in the middle of the camp. Anyone bitten by a snake must look at the serpent. Those who looked would be healed, those who refused would perish.”

Taken at face value, the whole story sounds pretty bizarre. If they repented, why didn’t God just heal them? What was the point of this idol-esque serpent?

First, it’s important to recognize that God didn’t order Moses to make an idol. And He never commanded His people to worship the bronze image. Rather, the serpent was a symbol to which the people could look in faith and accept God’s healing.

We see the bigger picture in the New Testament. This unusual method of healing is an illustration of God’s way of salvation through Jesus. John 3:14-16 says: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

So how does looking at the bronze serpent represent salvation?

1. It was the only way to be healed.

2. It didn’t involve human works.

3. It was available to everyone, but only effective for the individuals who actually believed and looked.


Why a bronze serpent?


If this whole scenario was to be a picture of Christ on the cross, you might wonder why Moses wasn’t instructed to make something more like a bronze lamb? Wouldn’t a lamb be a better image to represent Jesus rather than a snake?

While Jesus is definitely the Lamb of God, lifting up the bronze serpent is a picture of substitution. When Jesus hung on the cross, He took on our sin. “He became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “He was made sin on our behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). The serpent represents the ugliness of sin that was taken away on the cross.

When symbols become idols

So the bronze serpent is a great picture of salvation through Jesus, but here’s where things got a little dicey. After the events in the wilderness, the Israelites preserved the serpent for centuries as a spiritual/historical relic. Gradually, it became somewhat of a religious icon, and ultimately the object of some sacrificial offerings. The serpent had become an idol — a stumbling block to the pure worship of God!

When Hezekiah was crowned king of Israel about 700 years after the original events in the wilderness, he took drastic action. 2 Kings 18:4 says Hezekiah “broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.”

He smashed the serpent into pieces!

Think of all the backlash Hezekiah must have received for destroying a priceless item that had been used by God. The bronze serpent was a treasured relic. It was even a representation of the coming Savior. Yet the people took something good—something used by God—and made it into an idol.

Sometimes good things in our lives become idols and must be removed or destroyed. Certain material possessions and lifestyle patterns can be obstructions in our spiritual path. Are there areas of our lives that were once treasured and used by God, but now have become an area of spiritual distraction?

Let’s take social media, as a possible example. Think of Christians getting involved in social media with the greatest of intentions: friendly communication with other believers, support for local church events, even posting inspirational quotes or devotional thoughts. But then slowly social media begins taking up a larger amount of their time and energy. Their posts become more self-centered. Seeking validation through “likes” becomes more of a focus and an emotional need. Soon they’re reaching for their phone every free moment to check / maintain their social media status — sometimes even during their personal devotion times or church services! Social media has become a bronze serpent for them. Something that started out as a good thing, with a potential to be used by God, has degenerated into an obstruction in their spiritual life.

Removing Idols

When we read the Old Testament today, there’s a tendency to look down on the Israelites and wonder, “Why were these people always falling into idolatry? What was wrong with them?” However, if they could see all the “idols” we bow down to these days, they’d probably question our behavior! If an idol is anything that takes the place of God in our lives, many believers today aren’t much different than the Israelites.

Not everything we love or enjoy is an idol. But if we find ourselves dwelling on certain things more than God, then we may have found an area that needs to be addressed. It’s been said, “Sometimes good things can become bad things if they keep us from the Best Thing.”

Like Hezekiah, we need to take drastic action in our lives: identify the idols and break down our bronze serpents. When we do this, we give our best to a God who offers the peace, hope, joy and lasting contentment that nothing else in this world can ever provide.

- Ron Reid

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intouch.org Daily devotion October 10, 2022

Responding to God’s Discipline

God's discipline is another example of His great love for us.

Hebrews 12:4-13

Do you remember how much you dreaded your parents’ discipline when you were a child? They were doing it for your sake so you’d learn that sin and disobedience have negative consequences. Their goal was to train you to be responsible and good.

Our Heavenly Father also disciplines His children, but His purposes are even higher. He does it to train us in holiness so we’ll reflect His likeness. Divine discipline is corrective; the Lord uses difficult trials and painful circumstances to turn us away from unholy practices and to teach us the way of godliness.

So when experiencing God’s discipline, we should understand that we’ve sinned and take His correction seriously. Instead of fighting the process, we’d be wise to cooperate by strengthening our area of weakness so we don’t fall again. At the same time, we should keep our eyes fixed on the promised harvest of righteousness and peace.

If your troubles are a result of your own ungodly actions, confess them immediately and turn back to the Father in repentance and obedience. Not every hardship is a result of sin, but God will use all of our adversity to build faith and develop Christlike character.

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Today in the Word

11/25/22

Pray for One Another

(edited)


Billy Graham once admitted, "The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me," or 'Help me.'" The late evangelist was echoing the sentiments that James talks about in chapter 5. Everybody suffers and everyone needs prayer. But James also builds to this truth that the effective prayer of a righteous person has tremendous power.

He begins by stating that if anyone is in trouble, which can mean suffering in difficult circumstances, let him pray (v. 13). He then says that if anyone is happy, let him sing song, which is a way of singing one's prayers (v. 13)....

....When God's Word is on your heart and mind, It will also be in your prayers, so make sure your prayers are soaked in Scripture. Look for opportunities to pray for and over people. It might just be the remedy they need.

Your greatest superpower is prayer. So make sure you are using it daily. It has the power to help people in their darkest times and keep them going when they are down.

Chris Rappazini

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Today in the Word

11/29/22

Fellowship with One Another

If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another - 1 John 1:7

(edited)

One scholar explains, "Christian fellowship is not the sentimental and superficial attachment of a random collection of individuals, but the profoundly mutual relationship of those who remain in Christ, and therefore belong to each other." In other words, fellowship is not an easy task! It requires time and commitment. And it cannot truly happen outside of Christ.

Out of all the people in the Bible, the apostle John would have known what true fellowship was like. He was part of Jesus' inner circle and experienced fellowship with Jesus and the other disciples that changed his life forever. In today's passage, he reminds his readers that it is impossible to have fellowship with Jesus and continually live in sin. When we remain in our sinful living, we are not living out the truth of the Gospel (v. 6).

Instead, John says that when we are unshamedly Christian and live our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel, not only do we have fellowship with Jesus but also have fellowship with one another (v. 7). John knows that every person is on a journey to "walking in the light," so he assures his readers that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross purifies us from every sin that trips us up (v. 7). This removes the pressure and anxiety of having to be perfect, and instead helps us rely on the love and grace from God and on one another.

Are there sins in your life that are keeping you away from fellowship with one another? If so, confess those sins to God, so you can start on a path to reconnecting with your brother and sister in Christ, as well as with God.

Chris Rappazini

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Turning Point daily devotion 10/11/22

Dr. David Jeremiah

Tuesday, October 11

The Anchor of Hope

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Thanks to technology, we see the joy and celebrations of life that occur all over the world, but we also see the heartbreak and despair—most recently during the 2022 war in Ukraine. Cities were demolished; thousands were killed; millions fled for safety. And we see the images daily. It is easy to be discouraged and disheartened by such events. Such struggles threaten to tear us loose from our moorings in God whom we know to be good and just.


But we have an anchor that keeps us in place regardless of how strongly the winds of trouble blow: hope. This is not “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow” hope. Rather, it is “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). It is a better hope than any other, brought through Christ (Hebrews 7:19), offered to all (Hebrews 6:18), based on God’s faithfulness (Hebrews 10:23), and mediated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

As disheartening as life can be at times, hope never disappoints (Romans 5:5). In this ever-changing world, let your hope remain fixed on the never-changing God.

(Hope) is an anchor that is cast upon the rock, the Rock of ages. - Matthew Henry

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intouch.org Daily devotion 10/11/22

The Hard Way or the Easy Way

Studying and obeying the Bible can help us avoid painful correction.


2 Timothy 3:16-17

No one likes the pain of discipline, but parents know it’s necessary. In a family, there may be one child who learns lessons the hard way—through disobedience and the resulting penalty—while another child observes, learns, and does what’s necessary to avoid painful discipline.

The same is true for us as believers—we can be trained by our Heavenly Father the hard way or the easy way. Because we aren’t perfect, it’s impossible to avoid all discipline, but we can lessen it. By diligently studying the Scriptures, we learn what pleases and displeases God.

The Word teaches us Who God is and how He wants us to live. It also rebukes us when we sin and shows us how to correct course. Then it explains how to live in a manner worthy of the Lord. Being part of a sound biblical church is also a safeguard. We need godly people to counsel us and hold us accountable.

You needn’t fear God’s discipline. Though His correction may hurt, it brings great spiritual benefit. So whenever you sin, be quick to humble yourself, admit your wrongdoing, and turn back to the Lord with a heart of obedience.

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