Why Jesus? God Disciplines His Children

Introduction:

3 Reasons for Discipline:

1. Correction
2. Prevention
3. Edification

Discipline is Good for Me (Hebrews 12:4-11):

1. Because it is From God . (Heb 12:4-5)

   1 Thessalonians 5:18 - ...give thanks in all circumstances...

2. Because it Proves I'm His Child. (Heb 12:6-8)
3. Because it makes me Like Jesus . (Heb 12:9-11)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Hebrews 12:4-11

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. “All of your hardships are ultimately God’s sovereign plan to discipline you.” How can you support this Biblically?
   

3. Tell of a specific lesson you have learned through God’s discipline. How did He discipline you? How did you come to realize the lesson?
   

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Why Jesus? Faith Endures.

Introduction:

Why I Am Not Motivated to Run the Faith Race As I Should (Hebrews 12:1-3):

1. I Sabotage myself. (Heb 12:1)
2. I'm too Near Sighted . (Heb 12:2)

   Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

3. People have worn me out. (Heb 12:3)

   Luke 23:34 - And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus Endured Hostility from Sinners By:

1. Understanding their condition.
2. Praying for them.
3. Loving them.

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Small Group Discussion
Read Hebrews 12:1-3

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. Which of these 3 do you think hinders your race the most…?

   - Self-Sabotage

   - Near-Sightedness

   - Dealing with Difficult People
   

3. How do the “cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1) inspire you to endure in your race? Who have you known personally that has inspired you?
   

4. How did Jesus endure hostility from sinners (Hebrews 12:3 - and see Luke 23:34)? How does Jesus inspire and empower you to do the same?

   Bonus: Would you say that you “hate” running or that you “despise” running?

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Why Jesus? Faith Gives Courage

Introduction:

Courageous Faith... (Hebrews 11:32-40)

1. Gloriously conquers What Seems Unconquerable . (Heb 11:32-35a)

   Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.

2. Steadfastly endures Pain and Persecution . (Heb 11:35b-38)
3. Patiently waits for God’s Deliverance . (Heb 11:39-40)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Hebrews 11:32-40

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. What fears and doubts has the Lord helped you to overcome in the past? What fears/doubts do you currently struggle with?
   

3. What is God calling you to do right now that seems impossible?
   

4. What does it mean/look like to live as a person “the world is not worthy of”? (Hebrews 11:38)

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Why Jesus? Faith Makes My Choices

Introduction:

Three Choices Faith Makes (Hebrews 11:23-31):

1. “I Fear God , not Man .” (Heb 11:23)
2. “What God offers me is Better than what the world offers me.” (Heb 11:24-27)
3. “I obey God even when it doesn't make Sense .” (Heb 11:28-31)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Hebrews 11:23-31

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. The Bible says we should submit to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1). But in this passage, we see 2 instances where people did NOT submit to the government (Hebrews 11:23,27). How do you know when and how to disobey the government?
   

3. What specifically motivated Moses to walk away from being royalty to identifying with his people Israel? How can you allow these things to motivate you?
   

4. Tell of a time you obeyed God when it didn’t make sense to you, and you saw Him do something only He could do.

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Why Jesus? Faith Blesses Others.

Introduction:

Real faith shows up not only in how you Live , but how you Die .

Three Things That Don't Have to Keep You from Finishing Faithful (Hebrews 11:20-22):

1. What your Parents have done. (Heb 11:20)
2. What You've done. (Heb 11:21)
3. What's Been Done to you. (Heb 11:22)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Hebrews 11:20-22

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. What sticks out to you about the stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph? Why do you think the Hebrews writer didn’t mention any of the volumes of details about the lives of Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph?
   

3. What can you be doing today to ensure you will finish your race strong? Be specific!

Breakout
Pray for one another.