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Power Point with Jack Graham

Jack Graham - Training Ground

August 17, 2025 | S25 E33 | 29:30

Jack Graham - Training Ground
Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.
#inActive #Bible #SpiritualGrowth #Discipline #Discipleship #SeekGod #TrustGod #Perseverance #Salvation

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Training Ground | August 17, 2025
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • The book of hebrews is all about this race that we're
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  • Running, and that we would endure, that we would
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  • Persevere, that we wouldn't quit, go back or give up, but
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  • That we would go onward and upward to maturity and
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  • Ultimately when we see christ face to face. so we're in this
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  • Race. it's one of the reasons, when we read the passage that
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  • We're about to look at in hebrews 12, that i personally
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  • Lean toward the apostle paul as the writer of hebrews.
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  • Now we don't know who wrote hebrews. we know god the holy
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  • Spirit gave it, breathed it out. god's word is the
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  • Inspired, breathed out, living word of god, inerrant and
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  • Infallible. this is why god's word lives. hebrews tells us
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  • The word of god is active, living; it's alive, sharper
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  • Than a two-edged sword. i never show up here without my sword
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  • If we're going to fight spiritual battles. and neither
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  • Should you in your own life. but this book is breathed out
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  • By god. you know why this book lives? because the breath of
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  • God is in it. human authors were inspired, but not just
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  • Inspired in a human sense, they were inspired by god, so god's
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  • Breath [strike] in this book is alive forevermore. “the grass
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  • Withers, the flower fade, but the word of our god shall stand
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  • Forever.” the word of god lives.
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  • So, in that sense it doesn't matter who the human author is
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  • But you know from other passages that paul was a sports
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  • Fan. and the great arenas of the ancient world... the great
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  • Stadiums where they cheered on the contestants and the
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  • Competitors... these great arenas... paul was familiar
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  • With them. maybe even attended some of these great events
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  • Because he spoke of these so often. and he said, "when you
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  • Run..." and this is in corinthians) he said, "when you
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  • Run, run to win!" don't just go for the participation trophy.
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  • You know... just show up and you participate. you know, you
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  • Know when you talk about "back in the day" that you're old,
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  • Right? [laughter] but back in the day, you know, if your
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  • Little team won, maybe we got a snow cone. now everybody gets a
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  • Trophy; everybody gets a medal; everybody gets a cheer. all
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  • Right, so be it.
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  • But we want more in the christian life than the
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  • Participation trophy! run... compete and win! again, paul...
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  • He ran. he said, "i bring my body under control... under
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  • Discipline, so that having preached to others, i myself
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  • Might be sent to the bench unless i control my life and
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  • Control my mind, my body." he said, "i bring this under the
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  • Discipline of the lord." when we raise our children, we're to
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  • Raise our children in the discipline of the lord... in
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  • The training of the lord. and what we're going to see in this
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  • Passage that the disciplines of god really is training us...
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  • Growing us into full stature, maturity in christ. so, let's
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  • Read it, beginning in verse 3:
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  • 3) consider him [that's jesus... only him] who
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  • Endured... endured from sinners such hostility against himself,
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  • So that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
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  • If you're thinking about quitting, if you're thinking
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  • About going back or giving up, remember jesus, who didn't quit
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  • On you. when every ounce and inch and fiber of his soul and
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  • His body was screaming to quit, when he was nailed to a cross,
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  • It was not the nails that kept him there. they were mocking
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  • Him, saying, “come down if you're the son of god.” he
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  • Refused to come down because nails did not hold jesus to the
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  • Cross; god's love, his love for you nailed him and held him to
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  • The cross! so, look at jesus, consider him, think about that
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  • When you're going through struggles.
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  • 4) and in your struggle (verse 4) against sin...
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  • We are in a battle, a struggle with the world, the flesh, the
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  • Devil.
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  • 4) ...you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your
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  • Blood. 5) and have you forgotten the exhortation that
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  • Addresses you as sons? "my son,...
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  • And this is right out of proverbs 3, quote:
  • 00:05:37.593 --> 00:05:39.729
  • 5) my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the
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  • Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6) for the
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  • Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son
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  • Whom he receives.” 7) it is for discipline that you have to
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  • Endure. god is treating you as sons.
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  • Now just pause right there for just a moment cause you need to
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  • Hear this upfront. god is treating you as his child. if
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  • You are a son, a daughter of god then you will be
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  • Disciplined, trained by the lord. but this is never about
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  • Judgment for the child of god. i can hear some of you thinking
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  • Out loud right now, you're thinking, "well, here we go.
  • 00:06:21.471 --> 00:06:23.639
  • One of those messages... god's gonna get you for that, all the
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  • Rules, all the restrictions. this is why i don't come to
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  • Church, because they just beat you up.
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  • God will never judge his children. if you are a child of
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  • God... "whom the lord loves he chastens and scourges every
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  • Son... chastises every son." every child of god, your
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  • Judgment is already past at the cross. romans 8: "there is
  • 00:06:44.193 --> 00:06:49.031
  • Therefore no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus."
  • 00:06:49.031 --> 00:06:53.302
  • So chastisement is not condemnation! discipline is not
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  • Judgment! god judges the world. god judges unbelief, but as his
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  • Child you will never be judged! thank god for that! but you
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  • Will be disciplined, trained as a child of god. why? that you
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  • May grow stronger in adversity and mature through your
  • 00:07:21.097 --> 00:07:25.201
  • Discipline. he's treating you as a son; he's treating you as
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  • A child.
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  • 7) ...for what son... (back to verse 7) what son is there whom
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  • His father does not discipline? 8) if you are left without
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  • Discipline...
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  • [you] say, "i love my children too much to discipline them."
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  • No, you don't love them enough to discipline them. hard work;
  • 00:07:43.152 --> 00:07:48.591
  • It's holy work to properly discipline our children.
  • 00:07:48.591 --> 00:07:54.764
  • Because i assure you, if you do not discipline your children,
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  • Someone else will. they will have to because you'll raise a
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  • Rebel if you don't discipline your children. and the bible's
  • 00:08:01.671 --> 00:08:05.074
  • Clear on that. more to come on that. [if] you're left without
  • 00:08:05.074 --> 00:08:10.112
  • Discipline even the discipline of god. god has no privileged
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  • Children... pampered children. his love is not a pampering
  • 00:08:14.951 --> 00:08:19.155
  • Love; his love is a purifying love! so, if you're not
  • 00:08:19.155 --> 00:08:23.793
  • Disciplined what's true? verse 8:
  • 00:08:23.793 --> 00:08:26.529
  • 8) if you're left without discipline, in which all have
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  • Participated, then you are illegitimate children and not
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  • Sons.
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  • You say, "well, i never... i don't think i've ever been
  • 00:08:33.235 --> 00:08:35.605
  • Disciplined." be afraid! be very afraid because god
  • 00:08:35.605 --> 00:08:42.178
  • Lovingly disciplines his own. so, if you are "quote" getting
  • 00:08:42.178 --> 00:08:47.416
  • Away with things... you know, "i'm just living my own life
  • 00:08:47.416 --> 00:08:51.821
  • Without god. i don't... you know. god never does anything
  • 00:08:51.821 --> 00:08:54.290
  • To me." be afraid, because you stand and face, not of
  • 00:08:54.290 --> 00:08:57.893
  • Discipline but indeed, judgment. verse 9:
  • 00:08:57.893 --> 00:09:01.664
  • 9) besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined
  • 00:09:01.664 --> 00:09:05.635
  • Us and we respected them. shall we not much more be subject to
  • 00:09:05.635 --> 00:09:11.774
  • The father of spirits and (what?) live?
  • 00:09:11.774 --> 00:09:13.843
  • The way to live is to not resist or reject discipline
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  • From god, but to embrace it and live!
  • 00:09:22.952 --> 00:09:26.989
  • 10) for they disciplined us for a short time (that is, our
  • 00:09:26.989 --> 00:09:30.493
  • Parents) as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for
  • 00:09:30.493 --> 00:09:34.397
  • Our good, that we may share in his holiness.
  • 00:09:34.397 --> 00:09:38.401
  • The purpose of life is not only your happiness, but your
  • 00:09:38.401 --> 00:09:42.104
  • Holiness!
  • 00:09:42.104 --> 00:09:43.339
  • 11) for the moment (verse 11) all discipline seems painful
  • 00:09:43.339 --> 00:09:46.709
  • Rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of
  • 00:09:46.709 --> 00:09:51.313
  • Righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
  • 00:09:51.313 --> 00:09:55.651
  • Thus, “training ground.” what is this mean?
  • 00:09:55.651 --> 00:10:01.791
  • First, god's discipline is protective. every parent who
  • 00:10:01.791 --> 00:10:08.798
  • Cares about his child wants to protect that child. there're
  • 00:10:08.798 --> 00:10:13.069
  • Safety issues involved. you tell your children stay out of
  • 00:10:13.069 --> 00:10:16.338
  • The street, not because you want to ruin their good time
  • 00:10:16.338 --> 00:10:20.409
  • But because you want to keep them safe. we're saying to our
  • 00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:25.281
  • Children don't hurt yourself. so, god has rules... boundaries.
  • 00:10:25.281 --> 00:10:30.720
  • I was watching our little four-year-olds, the two twins
  • 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.789
  • In our family... grandchildren, and granddaughter piper... they
  • 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:37.960
  • Were playing on the four-year-old t-ball team. now
  • 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:40.196
  • That's a hoot, really, to watch little kids! and so they have
  • 00:10:40.196 --> 00:10:43.799
  • To learn all these rules. and one of the first things you
  • 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:47.570
  • Have to teach them is which base to run to because if
  • 00:10:47.570 --> 00:10:49.872
  • You're not careful they'll hit the ball and run to third base!
  • 00:10:49.872 --> 00:10:53.109
  • [laughter] so you teach a child to have fun and enjoy the game
  • 00:10:53.109 --> 00:10:56.679
  • By playing by the rules.
  • 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:58.681
  • Often children are miserable in life because they don't know
  • 00:10:58.681 --> 00:11:01.884
  • The rules! they don't have parents to show them in love
  • 00:11:01.884 --> 00:11:05.554
  • The rules, the boundaries of life so people grown up without
  • 00:11:05.554 --> 00:11:08.858
  • Boundaries. so, the rules... the restrictions, the
  • 00:11:08.858 --> 00:11:12.361
  • Commandments that we find in the bible... these are
  • 00:11:12.361 --> 00:11:17.032
  • Protective, as is god's discipline.
  • 00:11:17.032 --> 00:11:19.435
  • Have you ever wondered why you seem like you're in the waiting
  • 00:11:19.435 --> 00:11:22.538
  • Room in life, that your prayers are not being answered, that
  • 00:11:22.538 --> 00:11:26.108
  • You're not getting what you want? it could be that god is
  • 00:11:26.108 --> 00:11:29.712
  • Putting you in a waiting place, even in the penalty box because
  • 00:11:29.712 --> 00:11:34.984
  • There's something greater, there's something better for
  • 00:11:34.984 --> 00:11:37.153
  • You or you're going in the wrong direction and he wants to
  • 00:11:37.153 --> 00:11:39.955
  • Hold you up and stop you from hurting yourself. that's the
  • 00:11:39.955 --> 00:11:43.592
  • Protective disciplines of god.
  • 00:11:43.592 --> 00:11:45.961
  • ♪♪♪
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  • Take a look at the world today, and i think you'll agree
  • 00:11:56.572 --> 00:11:59.675
  • Something's not right. turn on the television, or scroll
  • 00:11:59.675 --> 00:12:03.078
  • Through your news feed on your phone and watch as war rages.
  • 00:12:03.078 --> 00:12:06.849
  • In our cities, crime and lawlessness is rampant. in our
  • 00:12:06.849 --> 00:12:10.052
  • Classrooms. sin and perversion is celebrated and corruption
  • 00:12:10.052 --> 00:12:13.522
  • Fills our capital. but in the midst of this chaos, god says,
  • 00:12:13.522 --> 00:12:17.593
  • Hope can be yours. for christians, our joy, hope and
  • 00:12:17.593 --> 00:12:21.230
  • Peace is secure. keep coming to me, god pleads, and i promise i
  • 00:12:21.230 --> 00:12:25.968
  • Will fill you up.
  • 00:12:25.968 --> 00:12:27.236
  • I've written a book called “powering up - the fulfillment
  • 00:12:27.236 --> 00:12:30.439
  • And fruit of a god fueled life.” and i want you to know
  • 00:12:30.439 --> 00:12:33.509
  • That no matter how dark our world may seem, god's power is
  • 00:12:33.509 --> 00:12:37.313
  • More than enough for people of faith to prevail. i've spent
  • 00:12:37.313 --> 00:12:41.116
  • Over five decades pastoring a local church, and if there's
  • 00:12:41.116 --> 00:12:44.386
  • One desire i've heard people discuss more than any other, it
  • 00:12:44.386 --> 00:12:48.357
  • Is the certainty that the power of god can make a difference in
  • 00:12:48.357 --> 00:12:51.727
  • Our lives.
  • 00:12:51.727 --> 00:12:52.962
  • In powering up, you'll learn how to lean on the power in the
  • 00:12:52.962 --> 00:12:55.998
  • Hope that the holy spirit provides. this will inspire you
  • 00:12:55.998 --> 00:12:59.635
  • To new heights in your spiritual journey. that's why i
  • 00:12:59.635 --> 00:13:02.338
  • Want to send you the book, “powering up,” to thank you for
  • 00:13:02.338 --> 00:13:05.941
  • Your generous donation to support this broadcast and
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  • Powerpoint ministry.
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  • [announcer] receive your copy of “powering up” today. when
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  • You text power to 59789 and give your best gift. it's
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  • Because of your faithful prayers and support that we are
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  • Able to take the hope of the gospel to people in need all
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  • Around the world.
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  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:13:29.498 --> 00:13:34.870
  • The best example i can think of is moses.
  • 00:13:34.870 --> 00:13:38.140
  • Moses grew up as a prince of egypt. he was a hebrew child
  • 00:13:38.140 --> 00:13:43.545
  • Rescued out of the nile river, raised in the house of pharaoh,
  • 00:13:43.545 --> 00:13:48.984
  • But when he became 40 years of age... after 40 years living as
  • 00:13:48.984 --> 00:13:52.187
  • A prince in egypt, he chooses sides. he chooses the side of
  • 00:13:52.187 --> 00:13:56.592
  • His people and he thinks he's going to deliver his people.
  • 00:13:56.592 --> 00:13:59.161
  • And what did he do? he looked this way, he looked that way,
  • 00:13:59.161 --> 00:14:01.764
  • When he saw an israelite being abused... a hebrew being abused
  • 00:14:01.764 --> 00:14:04.733
  • By an egyptian he killed the egyptian. ran right around the
  • 00:14:04.733 --> 00:14:09.705
  • Will of god, ahead of the will of god for his life. and so, i
  • 00:14:09.705 --> 00:14:13.575
  • Guess he thought he was going to kill every egyptian, but, of
  • 00:14:13.575 --> 00:14:16.779
  • Course, that was impossible.
  • 00:14:16.779 --> 00:14:18.047
  • So now he's a fugitive. and he lives the next 40 years of his
  • 00:14:18.047 --> 00:14:22.751
  • Life on the run, on the lam, hiding in the wilderness. and
  • 00:14:22.751 --> 00:14:29.325
  • He's assumed, i'm certain, that his life was over and that he
  • 00:14:29.325 --> 00:14:33.762
  • Was disdain for the desert for the rest of his days. he was a
  • 00:14:33.762 --> 00:14:38.901
  • Nowhere man, living in a nowhere land. (that's paul and
  • 00:14:38.901 --> 00:14:46.408
  • John... not the apostles, the beatles.) [laughter] he was a
  • 00:14:46.408 --> 00:14:52.014
  • Nowhere man and going nowhere in his life. but all along...
  • 00:14:52.014 --> 00:14:58.087
  • Think about it... god was preparing his man in the
  • 00:14:58.087 --> 00:15:01.090
  • Wilderness. because he would spend the next 40 years of his
  • 00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:04.193
  • Life... the last 40 years of his life shepherding, leading
  • 00:15:04.193 --> 00:15:07.396
  • The children of israel out of egypt and through the desert to
  • 00:15:07.396 --> 00:15:10.799
  • Help them endure this experience in the desert, he
  • 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.969
  • Was god's man at the right time. with god timing means
  • 00:15:13.969 --> 00:15:17.072
  • Nothing, but timing is everything.
  • 00:15:17.072 --> 00:15:19.308
  • So with moses, as with you, there's a time to know and do
  • 00:15:19.308 --> 00:15:25.014
  • The will of god; there's a time to wait on god. you know what
  • 00:15:25.014 --> 00:15:27.516
  • Waiting [clap] is? waiting is refusing to fix things
  • 00:15:27.516 --> 00:15:30.386
  • Yourself! you've been trying to fix things; you've been trying
  • 00:15:30.386 --> 00:15:34.390
  • To do things all on your own like moses. but it's not
  • 00:15:34.390 --> 00:15:37.926
  • Working, and you end up in the wilderness spiritually if
  • 00:15:37.926 --> 00:15:41.030
  • You're not careful because god is training you and wants to
  • 00:15:41.030 --> 00:15:44.033
  • Prepare you for something greater.
  • 00:15:44.033 --> 00:15:46.301
  • I like... somebody said moses spent the first 40 years of his
  • 00:15:46.301 --> 00:15:50.039
  • Life learning to be a somebody as a prince in egypt, the next
  • 00:15:50.039 --> 00:15:54.243
  • 40 years of his life learning to be a nobody as a nomad in
  • 00:15:54.243 --> 00:15:58.580
  • The desert, and the last 40 years of his life learning what
  • 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:01.717
  • God could do with a man who had learned the first two lessons.
  • 00:16:01.717 --> 00:16:06.688
  • So, some of the training that you may be going through right
  • 00:16:06.688 --> 00:16:09.658
  • Now has to do with waiting or preparing for something else.
  • 00:16:09.658 --> 00:16:15.364
  • You want to go; god says no. there is the discipline of
  • 00:16:15.364 --> 00:16:20.169
  • Delay, the discipline of disappointment and the
  • 00:16:20.169 --> 00:16:23.672
  • Discipline of detours in your life. don't go outside of the
  • 00:16:23.672 --> 00:16:29.912
  • Will of god or you will find yourself back in the training
  • 00:16:29.912 --> 00:16:33.549
  • Zone.
  • 00:16:33.549 --> 00:16:35.851
  • You know, [clears throat] god wants something better for us.
  • 00:16:35.851 --> 00:16:37.853
  • Every good parent wants the best for their children. the
  • 00:16:37.853 --> 00:16:41.256
  • Problem is sometimes we don't know how to do that. that's why
  • 00:16:41.256 --> 00:16:43.926
  • You've got this whole thing with helicopter parents. you
  • 00:16:43.926 --> 00:16:46.662
  • Know what a helicopter parent is, right? just hovering and
  • 00:16:46.662 --> 00:16:49.064
  • Smothering over their child, overprotective, overparenting
  • 00:16:49.064 --> 00:16:53.402
  • The child. the goal of parenting is to help that child
  • 00:16:53.402 --> 00:16:58.140
  • Grow, not to do it for them. and now we've got this new
  • 00:16:58.140 --> 00:17:00.476
  • Designation for parents. have you heard it? it's called
  • 00:17:00.476 --> 00:17:03.479
  • Lawnmower parents. you know what a lawnmower... or a
  • 00:17:03.479 --> 00:17:07.416
  • Snowplow parent... you know what that is? you know what a
  • 00:17:07.416 --> 00:17:10.519
  • Snowplow... lawnmower parent? it's that parent that's always
  • 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:14.156
  • Out in front of the church mowing... or out in front of
  • 00:17:14.156 --> 00:17:17.226
  • The children mowing things down, clearing the way, getting
  • 00:17:17.226 --> 00:17:20.729
  • Rid of all the obstacles so their children behind them will
  • 00:17:20.729 --> 00:17:23.432
  • Have it a whole lot easier.
  • 00:17:23.432 --> 00:17:26.902
  • It's that mom. you know your child leaves their water bottle
  • 00:17:26.902 --> 00:17:30.239
  • At home and so what do you do? you go home and get the child's
  • 00:17:30.239 --> 00:17:37.179
  • Water bottle and bring it to them. god forbid that the child
  • 00:17:37.179 --> 00:17:40.883
  • Could go one day without their water bottle. no, what you
  • 00:17:40.883 --> 00:17:44.753
  • Ought to do is let your child be thirsty. the next time
  • 00:17:44.753 --> 00:17:47.623
  • They'll remember to bring their water bottle. don't do it for
  • 00:17:47.623 --> 00:17:50.859
  • Them.
  • 00:17:50.859 --> 00:17:52.361
  • Because the goal is to teach your child physical, mental,
  • 00:17:52.361 --> 00:17:56.798
  • And emotional stability and strength. and our children have
  • 00:17:56.798 --> 00:18:02.671
  • To go through a few things without us helping them.
  • 00:18:02.671 --> 00:18:05.607
  • There's a time to help, but there's a time to let the child
  • 00:18:05.607 --> 00:18:09.678
  • Experience some discipline. and that's important. god will
  • 00:18:09.678 --> 00:18:17.519
  • Discipline us and let us go sometimes and face some
  • 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.323
  • Obstacles and face some problems in order that he might
  • 00:18:21.323 --> 00:18:24.793
  • Teach us and train us through the adversity.
  • 00:18:24.793 --> 00:18:29.198
  • Secondly, god's discipline is corrective. when you read these
  • 00:18:29.198 --> 00:18:34.169
  • Verses here clearly, it's about training but it's also about
  • 00:18:34.169 --> 00:18:39.107
  • Correction. he talks about chastisement which is a word
  • 00:18:39.107 --> 00:18:44.446
  • For punishment. it even describes pain. and at times
  • 00:18:44.446 --> 00:18:49.418
  • God's discipline can be painful. now i want to say god
  • 00:18:49.418 --> 00:18:53.655
  • May hurt you in order to help you, but he will never harm
  • 00:18:53.655 --> 00:18:57.726
  • You. remember, he loves you, but he will choose to correct
  • 00:18:57.726 --> 00:19:02.731
  • You.
  • 00:19:02.731 --> 00:19:03.832
  • Think about jonah. all these stories in the bible are
  • 00:19:03.832 --> 00:19:07.302
  • Examples to us. so jonah ... he ran in the wrong direction,
  • 00:19:07.302 --> 00:19:11.373
  • Running away from god. he was the first chicken of the sea
  • 00:19:11.373 --> 00:19:14.910
  • Because he disobeyed god and he was swallowed by that great
  • 00:19:14.910 --> 00:19:18.614
  • Fish, and that's quite a correction, i would say. that's
  • 00:19:18.614 --> 00:19:21.883
  • A big course correction. and jonah in the belly of that
  • 00:19:21.883 --> 00:19:25.988
  • Fish, repented, and turned his life around by trusting in god
  • 00:19:25.988 --> 00:19:30.058
  • And obeying god, and then god used him mightily in the city
  • 00:19:30.058 --> 00:19:35.130
  • Of nineveh.
  • 00:19:35.130 --> 00:19:37.032
  • Another perfect example is david, a man after god's own
  • 00:19:37.032 --> 00:19:39.635
  • Heart. david... he loved god; no question about that. you
  • 00:19:39.635 --> 00:19:43.805
  • Can't write these psalms... these great psalms, you can't
  • 00:19:43.805 --> 00:19:46.608
  • Lead a nation like the great king david without being a
  • 00:19:46.608 --> 00:19:50.445
  • Great man, a godly man. he's the one who wrote "who will
  • 00:19:50.445 --> 00:19:53.815
  • Ascend unto the hill of the lord? he who has clean hands
  • 00:19:53.815 --> 00:19:57.452
  • And a pure heart." he wrote all that. and yet... and yet, david
  • 00:19:57.452 --> 00:20:01.156
  • Committed the terrible sin of adultery and then he set up a
  • 00:20:01.156 --> 00:20:08.030
  • Friend, a warrior in his army for murder. and then for the
  • 00:20:08.030 --> 00:20:13.935
  • Next year he spent those days hiding it, trying to hide it,
  • 00:20:13.935 --> 00:20:18.540
  • Trying to cover it. the same man who said, "if i regard
  • 00:20:18.540 --> 00:20:23.078
  • Iniquity in my heart, god will not hear me." if i cherish
  • 00:20:23.078 --> 00:20:27.916
  • Sin... if i keep it as a pet... if i hold on to my sin. as the
  • 00:20:27.916 --> 00:20:31.753
  • Hebrew writer said, "the sin that clings so closely to us...
  • 00:20:31.753 --> 00:20:35.524
  • David said god will not hear me." he knew all that!
  • 00:20:35.524 --> 00:20:41.330
  • And yet he sinned big time. and he spent a solid year trying to
  • 00:20:41.330 --> 00:20:49.304
  • Hide it, but he was miserable. he was a broken man. read psalm
  • 00:20:49.304 --> 00:20:54.209
  • 51, a description of what it was like for him in his
  • 00:20:54.209 --> 00:20:57.946
  • Brokenness, as he was bound by his sin. so, what did god do?
  • 00:20:57.946 --> 00:21:03.318
  • God sent illness, god sent brokenness into his life, god
  • 00:21:03.318 --> 00:21:06.755
  • Sent pain into his life in order to get his attention. and
  • 00:21:06.755 --> 00:21:11.460
  • Ultimately god sent a prophet by the name of nathan to point
  • 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:16.098
  • His long prophetic finger in his face to say, "you are the
  • 00:21:16.098 --> 00:21:18.967
  • Man." and he brought david to a time of repentance and david
  • 00:21:18.967 --> 00:21:22.971
  • Was later able to write that god punished him... god
  • 00:21:22.971 --> 00:21:27.376
  • Disciplined him through this great sin in his life, but he
  • 00:21:27.376 --> 00:21:33.348
  • Said he did it in order to teach me his love and his grace
  • 00:21:33.348 --> 00:21:36.385
  • And his power.
  • 00:21:36.385 --> 00:21:38.286
  • David paid for his sin in many ways for the rest of his life.
  • 00:21:38.286 --> 00:21:41.690
  • His children went haywire. the kingdom was at risk. he wasted
  • 00:21:41.690 --> 00:21:46.661
  • So much and yet personally he was able to return to the lord.
  • 00:21:46.661 --> 00:21:51.566
  • Because the lord rebuked him and the lord restored him. and
  • 00:21:51.566 --> 00:21:54.169
  • He'll restore you if you don't run from him. that's why it
  • 00:21:54.169 --> 00:21:58.807
  • Says in this passage, "don't take lightly the discipline of
  • 00:21:58.807 --> 00:22:01.977
  • The lord." don't blow it off, let god do a perfect work
  • 00:22:01.977 --> 00:22:05.814
  • You... his perfecting work in you and bring you to right
  • 00:22:05.814 --> 00:22:11.753
  • Living, righteousness with him.
  • 00:22:11.753 --> 00:22:14.089
  • Is god correcting you? god may be using this message right
  • 00:22:14.089 --> 00:22:19.561
  • Now. to rebuke you, and by his spirit convict you and to bring
  • 00:22:19.561 --> 00:22:26.768
  • You back to his love and his grace. you're going in the
  • 00:22:26.768 --> 00:22:29.805
  • Wrong direction. you can't sin and win. and because he is a
  • 00:22:29.805 --> 00:22:35.911
  • Loving heavenly father he refuses to let you keep going.
  • 00:22:35.911 --> 00:22:41.450
  • Now the picture of god that jesus gave us in luke chapter
  • 00:22:41.450 --> 00:22:46.922
  • 15 is a loving father who loved his son ... that rebellious son
  • 00:22:46.922 --> 00:22:52.394
  • Enough to let him go to a far country. and there in the far
  • 00:22:52.394 --> 00:22:56.965
  • Country he wiped out, he lost everything in riotous,
  • 00:22:56.965 --> 00:23:01.670
  • Rebellious prodigal living, but it was prodigal reckless love
  • 00:23:01.670 --> 00:23:05.640
  • Of god that waited on him and ran to him when that son woke
  • 00:23:05.640 --> 00:23:09.711
  • Up and came back to his father. sometimes... listen to this...
  • 00:23:09.711 --> 00:23:13.348
  • Sometimes god will let you go into rebellion and the world
  • 00:23:13.348 --> 00:23:21.022
  • Will beat you up, and sin will almost kill you, but the father
  • 00:23:21.022 --> 00:23:27.796
  • Is running to you and loving you. it is his love that allows
  • 00:23:27.796 --> 00:23:35.837
  • You to sin in order that you may repent and come back to him.
  • 00:23:35.837 --> 00:23:38.907
  • Now sometime with our children even we're enabling them, you
  • 00:23:38.907 --> 00:23:44.813
  • Know, by not toughening up and telling them the truth. love
  • 00:23:44.813 --> 00:23:50.418
  • Your children enough to tell them the truth. you're not your
  • 00:23:50.418 --> 00:23:53.655
  • Child's best friend; you're their parent! it's good to
  • 00:23:53.655 --> 00:23:57.459
  • Raise them up and they'll return as your friend. but as
  • 00:23:57.459 --> 00:24:00.195
  • Long as they're in your household, keep some respect,
  • 00:24:00.195 --> 00:24:02.898
  • As the scripture here teaches.
  • 00:24:02.898 --> 00:24:04.499
  • You know, in our home we had very few rules growing up with
  • 00:24:04.499 --> 00:24:07.802
  • Our children. one was, always tell the truth; the other was,
  • 00:24:07.802 --> 00:24:11.406
  • Always respect authority. and you know a lot of the other
  • 00:24:11.406 --> 00:24:14.809
  • Things that come under that. but the point is discipline
  • 00:24:14.809 --> 00:24:20.115
  • Teaches us to respect life, to respect others, to respect
  • 00:24:20.115 --> 00:24:24.019
  • Those who care about us, and mainly, to know and love god.
  • 00:24:24.019 --> 00:24:27.989
  • So, god will use certain means in our lives to correct us. god
  • 00:24:27.989 --> 00:24:34.663
  • Is using his word to bring you into his will right now.
  • 00:24:34.663 --> 00:24:42.904
  • One final thing quickly, god's discipline is instructive. in
  • 00:24:42.904 --> 00:24:48.743
  • Fact, the message gives this “god is educating you.” where
  • 00:24:48.743 --> 00:24:53.915
  • It says, god is training you, god is educating you. god uses
  • 00:24:53.915 --> 00:24:59.254
  • Pain, god uses problems, god may use illness, god may use
  • 00:24:59.254 --> 00:25:02.624
  • Sickness, god may use suffering.
  • 00:25:02.624 --> 00:25:05.627
  • And god teaches us things through discipline. that's what
  • 00:25:05.627 --> 00:25:08.530
  • He was showing here these hebrew christians. remember,
  • 00:25:08.530 --> 00:25:10.966
  • They're suffering [clap], they're in pain [clap], they're
  • 00:25:10.966 --> 00:25:12.667
  • Hurting [clap], they're being mocked! and god said all this
  • 00:25:12.667 --> 00:25:16.271
  • Is my discipline for you... my loving, caring disciplining of
  • 00:25:16.271 --> 00:25:21.376
  • Your life so that you may grow and keep growing! god used a
  • 00:25:21.376 --> 00:25:26.481
  • Thorn in the flesh for the apostle paul. remember that?
  • 00:25:26.481 --> 00:25:30.452
  • Paul, the great apostle! he said, "but lest i be exalted
  • 00:25:30.452 --> 00:25:34.255
  • Beyond which i ought to be exalted," he said, "god put a
  • 00:25:34.255 --> 00:25:37.258
  • Stake in my flesh... god put a thorn in my flesh and it hurt."
  • 00:25:37.258 --> 00:25:41.696
  • He prayed that god would remove it again, again, again... three
  • 00:25:41.696 --> 00:25:44.966
  • Times, but each time [clap] god says, "my grace is sufficient."
  • 00:25:44.966 --> 00:25:48.236
  • God was teaching him his grace. god was teaching him to
  • 00:25:48.236 --> 00:25:54.275
  • Persevere. god was teaching him humility. god was teaching him
  • 00:25:54.275 --> 00:25:58.847
  • Through pain how to love others and be sympathetic and
  • 00:25:58.847 --> 00:26:01.983
  • Comforting.
  • 00:26:01.983 --> 00:26:03.218
  • The bible says, "the god of all comfort be the comfort that we
  • 00:26:03.218 --> 00:26:05.620
  • Are comforted enables us to comfort others." so, god uses a
  • 00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:09.791
  • Test, a thorn, a tear to train us. and the ultimate goal for
  • 00:26:09.791 --> 00:26:18.533
  • Our good is to make us like jesus. that's why this passage
  • 00:26:18.533 --> 00:26:25.040
  • Begins, "consider jesus... consider him." he refused to
  • 00:26:25.040 --> 00:26:31.513
  • Quit on you. he was on the way to the cross, he refused to
  • 00:26:31.513 --> 00:26:37.719
  • Quit. when he was dying on the cross in agony, blood pouring
  • 00:26:37.719 --> 00:26:42.123
  • From his flesh, he refused to come down. it was love that
  • 00:26:42.123 --> 00:26:46.528
  • Nailed him to the cross and love that kept him there. and
  • 00:26:46.528 --> 00:26:49.664
  • The one that we serve empowers us to keep going.
  • 00:26:49.664 --> 00:26:53.034
  • And if you're struggling, if you're on training ground right
  • 00:26:53.034 --> 00:26:55.737
  • Now, if you're going through something in your life... it
  • 00:26:55.737 --> 00:26:57.672
  • Could be preventative, it could be corrective, it could be
  • 00:26:57.672 --> 00:27:00.709
  • Instructive... whatever it is, don't resist it, but embrace it
  • 00:27:00.709 --> 00:27:07.982
  • And accept it and honor god, and love god all the more for
  • 00:27:07.982 --> 00:27:13.455
  • Loving you enough to make you more like himself. to share in
  • 00:27:13.455 --> 00:27:18.560
  • (here it is) his holiness.
  • 00:27:18.560 --> 00:27:21.830
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:21.830 --> 00:27:21.830