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* It's good to suffer loss, for it draws me to the Cross where God's loss is more than what anyone ever lost. * We cannot hear what the stories of the Bible are saying until we hear them as stories about ourselves. * Let go of control. * Trust God. Thank God. Think about God. Talk to God. Talk about God.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

When God Disciplines You, You Discipline Yourself (Hebrews 12:1-13)

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however..."
(Heb 12:11).


Overview: What do you do when you are disciplined? 3 verbs + a few more:
  1. FIX (Heb 12:1-3), "throw off," "run" (Heb 12:1) and "consider" (Heb 12:3).
  2. ENDURE (Heb 12:4-10).
  3. WAIT (Heb 12:11-13), "strengthen" (Heb 12:12), and "make level paths" (Heb 12:13).
Caveat: If the discipline is tolerable, bearable, not too bad, and not too painful, it's NOT discipline.
  1. How do you fix your "eyes on Jesus" (Heb 12:2)? 
    • Why do you need to "throw off," "run" (Heb 12:1), and "consider" (Heb 12:3)?
  2. How do you "endure hardship as discipline" (Heb 12:7)?
    • How should you struggle and resist sin (Heb 12:4)?
    • What should you not forget (Heb 12:5-6; Prov 3:11-12)?
    • Why should you endure hardship (Heb 12:7-8)?
    • What's the difference between our father's discipline and God's discipline (Heb 12:9-10)?
  3. How do you wait during God's painful discipline until "later on" (Heb 12:11)?
    • How do you "strengthen" your weakness (Heb 12:12) and "make level paths" in your unsteadiness (Heb 12:13a)? Why should you (Heb 12:13b)?
    • How and why does discipline and suffering help you to obey God (Heb 5:8)?
  • What may be hindering progress in your life (Heb 12:1)?
  • Do you compare your life with others (Heb 12:2)?
  • Do you feel punished during a time of painful discipline (Heb 12:6)?
  • Have you experienced peace after a period of pain (Heb 12:11)?
  • Have you allowed yourself to feel pulverized and paralyzed (Heb 12:12-13)?

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