Don't Be a Stumbling Block: Rebuke, Forgive, Serve

Devotional

Day 1: Millstones and the Weight of Causing Stumble

Jesus warns that causing others to stumble is so dangerous, it’d be better to drown with a millstone than harm a fellow believer. Sin isn’t just personal—it spreads like a trap, warping how others see God. The disciples heard this as a call to radical accountability: our choices ripple through communities. Modern statistics show Christians often mirror non-believers in hypocrisy, proving how easily we normalize what God calls deadly. Holiness isn’t optional—it’s lifesaving. [41:44]

“Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” (Luke 17:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What habit, attitude, or careless word might unintentionally trip up someone watching your walk with Jesus? How could addressing it protect both you and them?

Day 2: Dead Skunks and the Stench of Unforgiveness

Harboring offense clings like a rotting carcass, poisoning relationships and distorting our witness. Jesus’ story of the dead skunk warns how bitterness seeps into every interaction, making others associate God’s people with decay instead of life. Whether over politics, preferences, or past hurts, unresolved offense divides what Christ died to unite. Forgiveness isn’t approval—it’s releasing the right to retaliate so grace can heal. [38:56]

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: What “dead skunk” have you been carrying that’s making it harder for others to smell Christ’s love in you? What step will you take today to lay it down?

Day 3: Ananias, Sapphira, and the Cost of Pretense

God struck down two believers for lying about their generosity, not because He hates givers, but because He hates hypocrisy. Their sin wasn’t keeping money—it was faking faithfulness to impress others. When we perform spirituality instead of living it, we mock the cross that demands raw honesty. Holiness begins when we stop curating images and let God expose our hidden corners. [44:27]

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet… When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.” (Acts 5:1-2,5, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you pretending spiritual maturity to avoid others’ disapproval? How might confessing that struggle deepen your—and their—faith?

Day 4: Rebuke, Repent, Repeat—The Rhythm of Grace

Jesus commands believers to gently confront sin, not to shame but to restore. Rebuke without love breeds fear; silence without courage breeds complacency. The goal isn’t perfection but progress—forgiving “seven times” mirrors God’s relentless mercy toward us. Maturity means holding truth and grace in tension, knowing we’re all both correctors and repenters in different moments. [46:11]

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Who needs you to courageously speak truth in love this week? How could doing so—or receiving it—strengthen your community?

Day 5: Servants, Not Heroes—The Joy of Duty

Jesus shocks disciples by comparing obedience to a servant doing his job—no applause needed. Serving God isn’t earning favor but responding to rescue. Like parents caring for children without fanfare, disciples give, forgive, and follow because that’s what family does. When we stop demanding recognition, we find freedom in belonging to a story bigger than our role. [01:05:01]

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been serving God resentfully, expecting gratitude? How might embracing “duty” as a privilege renew your joy?

Sermon Summary

Jesus turns from baited Pharisees to battered disciples and says offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one through whom they come. The word scandalon sets the frame as a trap trigger and a stumbling block. Sin in a broken world is inevitable, but becoming the cause of someone else’s fall is not. The image of an arrow missing the whole target presses the point. A life lived off God’s mark becomes an uneven tile that trips others. The picture of a dead skunk in a backpack names what carrying offense does to a soul and a church. James says blessing and cursing flowing from one tongue should not be so. The millstone then lands with full weight. It would be better to sink than to drag others into sin.

Acts 5 then reads like a warning flare. Ananias and Sapphira are not struck for stinginess but for staging righteousness and inviting the church to applaud a lie. God’s holiness and the church’s health are not small things. So Jesus’ order is simple and surgical. Be on your guard. If a brother sins, rebuke. If he repents, forgive. If he sins again, forgive again. Scripture’s rebuke is restoration with a gentle spirit, persuasion not condemnation. A 24 hour rule and a real conversation beat a month of “sharing concerns” with everyone but the person. The goal is repentance, not triumph.

The disciples feel the weight and ask for more faith. Jesus answers with a seed. A mustard seed’s size is the point. Not much faith, truly placed, can uproot what looks immovable. Hebrews 11 then stands up in the room. Even doubting saints did real things because they simply kept trusting the God who exists and rewards those who seek him. Faith does not stop believing when it cannot yet see.

Finally, Jesus brings home the servant story. A servant serves. No confetti. No HR complaint. No tally kept. A parent’s daily grind makes the analogy land. God owes nothing and has given everything. So full obedience is only what is due. Serving is not punishment. It is calling, honor, and rightful worship. The church does not exist to be thanked for basic faithfulness. It exists to give itself away because Christ did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. The call is clear. Stop sin that makes others stumble. Rebuke gently and forgive repeatedly. Remember it is a privilege to serve.

Key Takeaways

1. Do not trip a brother. Sin will swirl in a fallen world, but becoming the reason someone falls is a different kind of wrong. The millstone image says God takes that line seriously, even if people tend to minimize it. Watch the life that leaks from beliefs, because behavior always disciples someone. Refuse to carry offense like a dead skunk that makes everyone smell like death. [41:02]
2. Rebuke gently, aiming to restore. Scripture’s rebuke is not a takedown. It is persuasion toward truth with a gentle spirit and self-watch. Talk to the person, not about the person, and invite clarity, repentance, and repair. Condemnation hardens; humble correction heals. [46:58]
3. Forgive again and again. Seven times in a day is not a limit but a direction. If repentance is real, forgiveness must be ready, even when patterns try patience. People have blind spots and different speeds of growth, and grace has to be as stubborn as sin is sneaky. Let forgiveness be the church’s reflex, not its exception. [52:21]
4. Small faith trusts a big God. Mustard-seed trust is enough when the object is the Lord. The point is not heroic certainty but honest dependence that keeps seeking the Rewarder. Such faith uproots deep habits and reconciles impossible relationships, often quietly and over time. Do not stop believing when sight is scarce. [55:01]
5. Servants serve without keeping score. Obedience is not leverage for applause; it is the right response to grace. God owes nothing and has given everything, so duty becomes delight when the order is set straight. Serving stops being a chore when identity is settled as loved servants of a generous King. [57:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[15:54] - Prayer for open hearts
[31:12] - Air Force brat lesson
[34:42] - Luke 17:1-10 read
[35:08] - Scandalon and stumbling blocks
[38:24] - Offense, gossip, and dead skunk
[41:02] - Millstone warning and gravity
[42:14] - Ananias and Sapphira sobriety
[45:20] - Be on guard: rebuke and forgive
[46:58] - Gentle restoration, not condemnation
[53:19] - Increase our faith
[55:01] - Mustard seed faith explained
[57:49] - Servants and rightful duty
[61:35] - God owes nothing, gives everything
[63:49] - Stop sinning, forgive, and serve

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Luke 17:1-10 (ESV)
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Observation questions

What two consequences does Jesus highlight for causing others to stumble (Luke 17:1-2)?
How does the sermon describe the process of addressing sin in another believer (rebuke, repentance, forgiveness)? [45:20]
What analogy does the sermon use to explain the harm of holding onto offense (e.g., “dead skunk in a backpack”)? [38:24]
What Old Testament story does the sermon reference to emphasize God’s seriousness about sin in the church? [42:14]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus use the imagery of a millstone (Luke 17:2) to warn against causing others to sin? What does this reveal about God’s view of sin’s ripple effects?
The disciples respond to Jesus’ teaching with, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Why might radical forgiveness and accountability feel impossible without faith?
How does the parable of the servant (Luke 17:7-10) challenge common cultural expectations about recognition or reward for obedience?
The sermon contrasts “gentle restoration” with “condemnation” when addressing sin. How does Galatians 6:1 shape this approach? [47:38]

Application questions

What attitudes, habits, or words in your life could unintentionally become a “stumbling block” to others? How might you address one of these this week?
Is there an offense you’ve been “carrying like a dead skunk” (e.g., gossip, resentment, unmet expectations)? What step could you take to release it through forgiveness or a direct conversation? [38:56]
The sermon mentions a “24-hour rule” for addressing conflict. When have you avoided confronting sin directly? What would it look like to lovingly rebuke and forgive someone this week? [46:11]
How can you cultivate “mustard-seed faith” in a situation where God feels silent or circumstances seem immovable? What small act of trust could you practice daily?
In what areas of life do you struggle to serve without expecting recognition (e.g., family, work, church)? How might shifting your perspective to “this is my duty” free you from resentment? [57:49]
The sermon warns against “staging righteousness” like Ananias and Sapphira. Where might you be tempted to perform spirituality instead of living authentically? How can you pursue integrity this week?

Sermon Clips

41s

“Like you're gonna sin, but as soon as you figure out that you're sinning, the soonest somebody points out that you're sinning, stop it. What are you thinking? Don't do that. Confess, repent, return. Right? You you don't be afraid to love somebody well enough to tell them, hey, this is not okay. We don't do this. This is not how we do things. This is not godly. This is not beneficial. You may be surprised how you will save them from their sin if you will do that. Stop your sinning. Quit making other people stumble. Number two, you have got to forgive the people who've offended you. Put down the dead skunk.”

38s

“So if we obey God in everything he commands, all we've done is simply what we should have done in the first place. So it's not a big ask. It's not a big ask at all. When we finally realize that, we can try trying to spend our lives trying to serve ourselves, and instead we can spend our lives giving them over to Jesus by loving him well and loving other people well. God does not exist to serve us and do what we want. We exist to serve him and to do what he wants. You know how we know this? Because Jesus came. And Paul tells us what? Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many, and we're supposed to be just like Jesus.”

30s

“It's crazy to me that Christian behavior statistically does not look any different from people who are non believers. Just as many Christians as non Christians cheat on their taxes, attack people online, treat people serving them as less than acting like they are more important even though scripture would say no to all those things. In other words, Jesus is saying you better watch yourself and your behaviors because they're revealing your heart. Everything you do shows what you're currently believing and you're revealing your heart.”

38s

“So in other words, if they sin against us, we forgive them. And then what happens if five minutes later they do it again that same day? We forgive them. And what happens if five minutes later they do it again? We forgive them. And what happens if five minutes later they do it again? We forgive them. It's almost like Jesus knew what it was like to be a parent of a toddler. Don't do that. No. No. I mean, just over and over and over again. And like, just to make it sure if we're trying to read this too literally, seven times isn't like Jesus' limit. He's not like going like, as soon as you hit eight, like, that's it. You're out of my life. You know? That's not what we're doing here. As long as someone is willing to repent, we are required to forgive.”

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