by weareclctinley on May 06, 2024
Today, I explored the profound nature of God's character and His relationship with us, focusing on His role as a loving Father, a provider, and a disciplinarian. I began by discussing the foundational Christian doctrine of the Trinity, emphasizing that God exists eternally in three distinct but co-equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This concept, though complex, is crucial for understanding the fullness of God's nature and His interaction with humanity.
I then transitioned to the personal and relational aspects of God, particularly highlighting His paternal nature. God's fatherhood is central to His identity and our understanding of Him. This relationship is not just a theological concept but a very intimate reality. God's love for us is perfect and unconditional, unlike human love which can often be flawed. I shared how this divine love empowers us to call Him 'Dad'—a term that signifies closeness and affection.
Furthermore, I delved into the practical implications of God's love, which includes His discipline. Unlike human punishment, God's discipline is a manifestation of His love, designed not to harm but to mold and improve us, making us more like Christ. This discipline, though sometimes hard to accept, is meant to produce righteousness and peace in us.
In addition to love and discipline, I spoke about God's provision. Drawing from personal anecdotes and biblical principles, I illustrated how God delights in providing for His children, just as a good earthly father enjoys giving gifts to his children. This provision, however, may not always align with our expectations but is always what we truly need.
Lastly, I addressed the importance of honoring God, not just with our words but through our actions. This involves obedience and a lifestyle that reflects our reverence and love for Him. I challenged the congregation to examine their lives for areas where they might be withholding honor from God and encouraged a commitment to live in a way that consistently honors Him.
### Key Takeaways:
1. **Understanding the Trinity**
The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to our faith, revealing that God is one in essence but three in persons. This understanding helps us grasp the complexity and the unity of God's nature, which is crucial for deepening our relationship with Him. It's a mystery that invites us into a deeper exploration of who God is and how we relate to Him. [53:08]
2. **The Nature of God's Discipline**
God's discipline stems from His love and is intended for our growth and maturity, not as a punishment. This discipline, though painful at times, is designed to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. Embracing God's discipline is essential for living a life that is aligned with His will and purpose for us. [01:18:43]
3. **God as Our Provider**
Just as a good father delights in giving gifts to his children, God delights in providing for us. His provisions, however, are not always in the form we expect but are always what we need. Recognizing and trusting in God's provision is a vital part of living a faith-filled life. [01:16:28]
4. **The Importance of Honoring God**
Honoring God goes beyond verbal expressions; it must be reflected in our actions and decisions. This means obeying His commands and living a life that visibly honors Him. When we fail to honor God with our lives, we are essentially disregarding His lordship over us. [01:24:49]
5. **Receiving God's Love**
Understanding and receiving God's perfect and unconditional love is fundamental to our identity as His children. This love is not based on our performance but on His nature. Daily, we must remind ourselves of this truth and live in the security of His love. [01:13:45]
### Youtube Chapters:
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [51:16] - Introduction to the Trinity
- [01:11:52] - Receiving God's Love
- [01:14:20] - Understanding God's Provision
- [01:17:35] - The Gift of Discipline
- [01:24:25] - Honoring God in Life
### Bible Reading:
1. **Hebrews 12:5-11** - "And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you endure. God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
2. **Malachi 1:6** - "'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'"
3. **Matthew 7:9-11** - "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
### Observation Questions:
1. In Hebrews 12:5-11, what reasons does the author give for why God disciplines His children?
2. How does the passage in Hebrews describe the outcome of God's discipline?
3. In Malachi 1:6, what does God equate to a lack of honor towards Him?
4. According to Matthew 7:9-11, how does Jesus illustrate the nature of God's provision compared to human fathers?
### Interpretation Questions:
1. Considering the reasons for discipline mentioned in Hebrews 12:5-11, how might understanding God's purpose in discipline change our response to difficult situations?
2. What does the "peaceful fruit of righteousness" mentioned in Hebrews imply about the long-term effects of divine discipline?
3. In Malachi 1:6, God challenges the priests about honoring Him. What might this imply about our daily actions and attitudes towards God?
4. Reflecting on Matthew 7:9-11, how does Jesus' analogy help us understand the nature of God's responses to our prayers and needs?
### Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent difficult situation. How can you view it as an opportunity for discipline and growth in righteousness, as described in Hebrews 12?
2. Identify a specific area in your life where you may not be honoring God fully. What practical step can you take this week to begin changing this?
3. Think about a time when you prayed for something and received an unexpected answer. How does understanding God as a perfect provider help you trust His provisions more deeply?
4. Choose one way this week to demonstrate honor to God through your actions. How will you ensure that your daily routine reflects this commitment?
Day 1: Exploring the Mystery of the Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity is not merely a theological puzzle to solve but a profound truth about the nature of God that affects our daily lives. Understanding that God is one in essence but three in persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—helps us appreciate the unity and diversity within God Himself. This foundational belief shapes how we interact with God, recognizing that each Person of the Trinity works harmoniously in our lives. Embracing this mystery invites us into a deeper, more relational understanding of God, where we can experience His presence in multiple dimensions. [53:08]
Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Reflection: How does understanding the Trinity change the way you relate to God in prayer and worship?
Day 2: God's Discipline: A Manifestation of Love
God's discipline, though often misunderstood, is a vital aspect of His loving nature. Unlike human punishment, which can stem from anger or frustration, God's discipline is always motivated by love and aimed at our growth and maturity. This divine discipline is designed not to harm but to help us develop the character of Christ within us. It can be painful, yet it is always purposed to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in those who are trained by it. Embracing this truth can transform our perspective on trials and corrections in life. [01:18:43]
Hebrews 12:10-11, "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced God's discipline, and how has it helped you grow spiritually?
Day 3: Recognizing God as Our Provider
God delights in providing for His children, much like a good earthly father enjoys giving gifts to his children. This provision from God may not always come in the form we anticipate or desire, but it is always exactly what we need for our growth and sustenance. Trusting in God's provision requires faith, especially when His ways do not align with our expectations. By acknowledging God as our provider, we learn to rely not on our understanding but on His perfect wisdom and timing. [01:16:28]
Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: Can you identify a time when God provided for you in an unexpected way? How did this experience affect your trust in Him?
Day 4: The Importance of Honoring God in All We Do
Honoring God is an essential expression of our love and reverence for Him. It goes beyond mere words and must be evident in our actions and decisions. This means living in obedience to His commands and reflecting His character in our daily lives. When we fail to honor God, we disregard His lordship over us. By consciously choosing to honor God in all aspects of life, we demonstrate our gratitude and respect for His sovereignty and goodness. [01:24:49]
1 Samuel 2:30, "Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.'"
Reflection: What are practical ways you can honor God in your daily routines and interactions?
Day 5: Living in the Security of God's Love
Understanding and receiving God's perfect and unconditional love is crucial for our identity as His children. This love is not contingent on our performance or worthiness but is rooted in His very nature. Living daily in the security of this love allows us to face life's challenges with confidence and to extend this same love to others. It is essential for every believer to continually remind themselves of this truth and to allow it to shape their interactions and self-perception. [01:13:45]
Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Reflection: How does the assurance of God's unconditional love change your view of yourself and your interactions with others?
All right. Well, before we jump into all of that, I want to give you a quick missions update because last week we told you that we were just a little bit short of our $250,000 goal. And I'm sure you want to know how that went. Well, guess what? Y'all showed up and showed out, and we actually exceeded the $250,000 goal because of your faithful giving. And I just think that's awesome.
This is a three-year project. We've been working on this thing for three years. It's the largest campaign we've ever attempted to do in regards to missions. And what's so beautiful about this is the nation of Senegal is only about 4% Christian. And so through this campaign for the entire month of May, we're just bombarding the capital of Senegal, Dakar, with messages of hope in Jesus Christ. Testimonies from Senegalese people who have given their lives to Christ. It's going to be on billboards and TV broadcasts and radio stations and social media. And everywhere you look in Dakar, you're going to see Jesus. And it's going to be pretty awesome.
And it actually kicked off on Wednesday. And we already have our first testimony. So this is so cool. So Wednesday, there was a fire at the television studio that we're doing the main broadcast from. And so panic mode set in. So we contacted a lot of our intercessors and said, "Hey, start praying because I don't know what's going to happen here."
Well, the founder of the organization that we're working with found out that that was the only television studio that we were contracted with. And he said, "Guys, we gotta get another television studio." And we said, "Buddy, we're out of money. Like, it's $250,000. We're tapped." And he said, "All right. I'll pay for it." So he wrote a check for $30,000 so we could book a second television studio.
Check this out, though. Shortly after we signed the contract there, the original studio got back to us and said, "Hey, the fire has been contained. No essential equipment was damaged. We're going to be able to go forward with the broadcast as originally planned." So the enemy tried to shut down the message, and God doubled it. Like, come on. That's awesome.
And so we're... We're just, we're excited. We've already gotten reports. Hundreds of calls have come into the call center in response. We've seen thousands of reactions and interactions on the website and on the social media side of this campaign. And we're only five days in, and we're just, we're so excited for what God's going to be doing in the nation of Senegal, all because you gave.
In fact, that's not the only thing happening in Senegal. We have a team of doctors, actually. They just sent me a picture. We have a team of doctors that we just sent from CLC in Senegal right now, putting on free medical clinics for people. We're giving the gospel. We're giving tangible help. This is pretty cool.
And later this month, we're going to be sending a group of ladies to the Philippines to put on a women's retreat for our CLC Philippines campuses. And man, God is just doing some really cool things.
And then I want to let you know that there are still two more opportunities for you to be involved in missions at CLC. Go to clc.tv forward slash missions. It has all of the details, all of the information there for you about those two final trips. One I got to tell you is to Honduras, where we're working with Living Water to provide clean, drinkable water for a village in need. And so if you like humanitarian efforts, you want to be a part of that. The deadline for signing up for that trip is actually in the next week or two. It is a rush. So if you are interested at all in that project or in that trip, then please go to the website, sign up today.
Or you can talk to Pastor Carlton, the really big guy that was just joining us today. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's just on stage before me. He's leading the team that's going. And so find him in the lobby. He's hard to miss because he just like towers above everyone. So find him in the lobby and ask any questions that you might have about the trip. He'll help you out.
And then our last trip of the year is one I really love. We're going to Japan again in November. And the team will be working with a local church there again, where we're putting on some outreach projects. Because we talk about Senegal only being 4% Christian. Japan's only about 1% Christian. And so we're bringing the gospel to Japan and really being an encouragement to the body of believers there. It's an amazing trip. We went on it for the first time last year. And I really encourage you, if you want to get involved in missions in 2024, you should take advantage of that. So that is happening on the website. You can check out all the information.
So on to business today. I feel like after our last series, you know, answering 250 of your just really tough questions, I felt like we all needed a break. Like we all needed a nice, easy Sunday. You know, and so, I mean, tackling these complex, deep thoughts like LGBTQ issues and abortion and politics. It was just like, that's really heavy. Let's just put our brains on autopilot and let's just coast into the next series.
And so we're going to be talking about the Trinity today. There's only a few chuckles because the rest of you don't even know what that is. And the others that are laughing are going, "Oh, and how is that not complex and heavy?" And yeah, so we're talking about the Trinity. It's this thing that has confused people for thousands of years only because it's really confusing, right? We're monotheistic. We worship one God, but there's three of them. That's a head scratcher.
Like, it's okay to be confused by some things. You know, the doctrine of the Trinity, this thing that is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible and yet is a core foundation of our beliefs and our practices, right? But the Trinity, the thing that some believers have even said to try and fully understand will make you lose your mind. So who's ready to lose their mind today? This is going to be great. It's going to be fun.
So we're diving into the doctrine of the Trinity today. And this really is an important conversation for us because it is foundational to our faith. There we go. It is crucial for properly understanding God, what he's like, how he relates to God, how he relates to us, how we relate to him. All of that is found within this doctrine of the Trinity.
And so we worship a triune God. And that simply means three in one. Okay? You could say that God is one in essence and three in persons. And so essence is what you are. Person is who you are. So you could say that God is one what and three who's. Are you confused yet? Awesome. I think that our definition of God is one in essence and three who's.
Are you confused yet? Awesome. I think that our definition of the Trinity is going to help us today. And so this is the doctrine of the Trinity that we believe in one God who eternally exists in three distinct, co-equal, co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And every single part of this statement is essential. It's part of the core of our faith.
It starts with we believe in one God. Okay? This is monotheism. This is not tritheism. Okay? It's not three gods. It's one God who eternally exists. That means before time began, there was God. Right? So the God of the universe is eternal. He has no beginning. He has no end. He is not a created God. He is the creator God.
Okay? Eternally exists in three distinct persons. So they are distinct from one another. The Father is not the Son, is not the Holy Spirit. They are distinct. They're separate from one another. But they're also co-equal, meaning each member of the Trinity is fully God. Like 100% God. All of God's power, all of God's nature, all of God's attributes, all of God's qualities are present in each of them. They are co-equal, and they're also co-eternal, which simply means that one did not create the other two.
Okay? So each of these elements is foundational to our faith as Christians. And so there's, what you have to understand is with all of this, this isn't just our ideas. It isn't that somebody sat down and said, "Hey, what would be really cool if we made a God that was three but only one?" No, this isn't man's ideas. This is what we see laid out for us in scripture.
And so I don't want you to just take my word for it. I want you to go to your Bibles. We don't have enough time in the message today to go through all of these scriptures. So what I did is in the app for CLC's app, in today's sermon notes, I put a bunch of scriptures in there to show you where does the Bible say there's only one God? Where does the Bible say these three persons are distinct from one another? Where does it say that God the Father is God? Where does it say that Jesus is God? Where does it say the Holy Spirit is God?
And so all of those scriptures are there for you to study. Okay? Because I don't want you to just take my word for it. I want you to look in the Bible and see this for yourselves. And then for the rest of the series, what we're going to be doing is looking at each person of the Trinity in depth. And so you're going to get more scripture for each of those. We're going to start today with God the Father. Pastor Chris is going to be to talk about Jesus the Son. And then Pastor Carlton is going to close out the series with a look at the Holy Spirit.
But for today, what I want to start off with is really quickly two verses that I think are essential, are pivotal to our understanding of the Trinity because they set up the distinction and the unity, which I think is the vital part of the Trinity, that there is distinction, there's separation, but there's also unity.
And so two passages to help us see that. First one is Mark 1. This is where Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. And it says, when he, being Jesus, came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son. With you, I'm well pleased."
Okay, so the voice from heaven, who's that? More specifically? God the Father, right? Because he's calling him Son, right? Only fathers. Yeah, you get the relation there. Okay, who's the he? Jesus. Who's the Spirit? Are all of them present in this scene? Are all of them the same in this scene? No, because God's in heaven, Jesus is in the water, and the Holy Spirit's floating somewhere in between them. Three distinct persons, okay?
Next passage, Matthew 28. This is where Jesus sends out his followers to go and make disciples. He says, "Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Singularity, plurality. It's a very interesting combination, right? But this shows us again the distinction of the three, and yet the unity of them, because we're going to baptize in the name of all of them because they're co-equal, right? One doesn't supersede the others, okay?
So this is what we have to understand, that the doctrine of the Trinity is about the distinction and the unity, and over the years, there's been a lot of attempts to try and make this understandable, because how many of you are still a little bit confused? I'm raising my hand, okay? Because this is confusing. It naturally is.
And so we've tried to make it easier to understand with different illustrations and diagrams, and the best one I've ever seen is actually really simple. It's just this diagram. It's triangles and circles. You could draw this on a napkin at lunch today, and maybe you should. But I love this because it gives us all of the key elements of the Trinity in one very easy to follow and grasp image.
We have the essence of God, right? There is one God, but you get the three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You get their distinction, because the Father is not the Son, is not the Holy Spirit, is not the Father. But you also get their unity, because the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.
So while this is a very simplistic image, it's absolutely beautiful because it gives us a lot of information about the Trinity, and it gives us every single key element of the doctrine of the Trinity in one nice, easy package, okay? The other thing that it does is it helps combat what's known as heresies. A heresy is a false teaching. It's something that is opposed to the truth of Scripture.
And when it comes to the Trinity, I think there's more heresy wrapped around the Trinity than any other doctrine that we believe. And so it's really important for us to get this one right. And here's where I'm going to make you have a really bad day, and I'm so sorry, but I have to do it. Every analogy you have ever heard to describe the Trinity is bad. Every single one, even the one you've been telling people, even the one your favorite YouTube preacher used recently, okay?
Every analogy for the Trinity introduces either fails to describe him accurately or introduces a heresy. Here's what I mean by that. I'm going to show you five of the most common analogies that I've heard, that you've probably heard, and we're going to use our diagram to try and illustrate it.
So first we have H2O. Anybody ever hear the, the Trinity is like water, right? Yeah, because water can be a solid, it's a liquid, it's a gas. You know what the problem with this is? That is called modalism. It is a heresy that says that God puts on different hats. So sometimes God shows up and he's Jesus. And then sometimes God shows up and he's the Father. And then sometimes God shows up and he's the Holy Spirit.
We already disprove that heresy with one Bible verse, the baptism of Jesus. He's not changing modes. You see all three of them in the same place. So this is heresy called modalism. You want to see another version of modalism? The man. Right? Because a man can be a father, he can be a husband, he can be a son. It's a great analogy for God that he can be the, that's just modalism all over again.
Because, because if the son is talking to the husband, we got a problem. If it's the same person, right? That would make them a schizophrenic. Okay? And that's the problem with some misunderstandings. How many of you have seen the meme where Jesus is talking to himself and trying to make fun of the fact that Jesus is crazy? But Jesus is praying to God the Father. Are they the same person? No, they're not the same person. They're the same God.
And this is why we're like, this is confusing, right? How many of you are really upset right now? All right, here's another one. How about the egg? This is actually, I think this is the first one I was ever taught as a kid in Sunday school at CLC, but don't, don't tell the children's department. Okay? So they try and say the egg is like the Trinity because an egg has a shell, it has a white, and it has a yolk. There's probably a more technical name for white. I don't know what it is though, but you get the idea, right?
Here's the problem. Is a shell a white egg? Is a shell an egg? No, it's a part of an egg. Is a yolk an egg? No, it's a part of an egg. This is a heresy called partialism. You're learning all the cool, fancy theology words today. But partialism says that each element or each member of the Trinity is only partially God. That Jesus is a third God, and the Father is a third God, and the Holy Spirit is a third God. It's like this weird Captain Planet where the three of them combine their powers. Save the world. That's heresy. That's not the Trinity. That is partialism.
You want to see it again? The clover. This one is actually really popular because of St. Patrick, which we've got roots to right here in Chicago. And so he presented the three-leaf clover and said the three-leaf clover is like the Trinity. Each leaf is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The problem is if you remove one of those leaves, is it still a three-leaf clover? No. So it's just parts of the clover. If you remove Jesus, guess what? He's still God.
Oh man, I love this. This is great. All right. And our last heresy we'll look at is the sun. I don't know if you've seen this one before. This is the idea that the Trinity is like the sun, right? It's a star, and it's also heat, and it's also light. The problem is this is a heresy known as Arianism. And Arianism says that one creates the others. And so how many of you know that a star creates heat? It isn't heat. It's something that it's a byproduct of it. The Holy Spirit is not a byproduct of God the Father. They are co-equal, co-eternal. So the sun is a fail.
All right. So the Trinity, let's recap. It is not water, or a man, or an egg, or a three-leaf clover, or a sun in the sky. The Trinity is one God who eternally exists in three distinct co-equal, co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I love that we want analogies to be able to understand this and teach this better. We just have to be careful that our analogy doesn't teach something the Bible doesn't. We got to be careful with this because this is how we understand God. And we don't want to misunderstand him. We want to make sure that we're worshiping the right God. Okay?
And so this definition is really what we need to be rooted in and hold on to. And it is, the doctrine of the Trinity is a beautiful mystery. And it is a mystery simply because our finite minds cannot fully comprehend or fully grasp an infinite God. It's just not possible. There is no thing in all of creation that is the same as our God. He is unique.
Okay? I want you to read Job chapter 36 and 37 sometime this week as a reminder of how awesome God is. If you know the story of Job, Job suffers this incredible time of his life. And he has some friends that try and console him. They sit with him for a while. And then they start talking to him. And they bring up all these issues. And Job eventually gets really frustrated.
And Job kind of lashes out on them to talk about his own righteousness. And that's the cue that we have that Job is actually not as good as some people try and make him out to be. Job is not perfect. Job was trusting in his own righteousness instead of looking to the righteousness of God. That's a big issue. And one of his friends, his friend Elihu, sees it and calls it out by going into several chapters worth of, "You're not God because God is amazing."
God is awesome. And he goes over and over of how great this God is. And then he says right in the middle of that conversation in verse 26, "How great is God beyond our understanding." As much as we want to understand our God, he is still beyond our understanding, beyond our fullness of understanding.
The Trinity is to a degree a mystery because our minds just can't fully grasp how infinite, how great, how amazing, how mighty this God that we serve is. In fact, Paul says something very similar in 1 Corinthians. He says, "Now we see God as if we're looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then in the future, we'll see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time, I will know fully as God knows me fully."
And so as Christians, here's what we do. We spend our entire lives trying to understand this incredible, unknowable God. And then when this life ends, we step into eternity and we walk face to face with the God of all creation. And I guarantee you, every single one of us is going to go, "Wow, God, you're so much more than I ever imagined you to be." That's a beautiful moment that we get to look forward to.
The Trinity, it's complicated, but it's also beautiful because it's within this understanding of the Trinity that we come to truly know who God is, what his qualities are like, how he relates to us, and how we can relate back to him. And that's a beautiful thing.
And so for the rest of the time that we have together, we're going to focus in on the first person of the Trinity, God, the Father. And we're going to start with this verse in 1 John 3:1 that says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." And that is what we are.
So right here in 1 John, we have God, the Father. Now my job's really easy today because I don't really feel like I need to convince anybody that the Father in scripture is God. I think it's pretty obvious when you read scripture, every time it talks about the Father, it's talking about God, right? So I don't have to prove his divinity to you today.
The way that some people will question whether or not Jesus is really God or the Holy Spirit is really God, we're going to do that in the other parts of the series. But today, really, my job is to help you understand the significance of his title of Father is found in an understanding that that makes us his kids. And it's really, what an honor it is that we get to call the creator of heaven and earth, the one who spoke galaxies into existence, what an honor it is that we get to call him dad, right?
It is really, it's the father to son and son to father. It's the father to daughter, daughter to father. It's that relationship. It's that understanding that makes the title God the Father so incredible for us. And in fact, of all of the titles that God has in the Bible, do you know which one Jesus focuses on infinitely more than any other? Father.
189 times in the four gospels, Jesus calls God father. And you might say, "Well, that's, you know, it's obvious. I mean, it's because it's Jesus's dad." But here's what's interesting. He often will actually connect that title to us. Think about the most famous prayer in scripture. Jesus gives a model for his disciples to pray. And how does it start? Whose father? Oh, he isn't just Jesus's dad. He's your dad too. He's our father. Incredible.
That's how we're supposed to relate to him, that he's our dad. But that introduces a problem for a lot of people. Because when it comes to relating to your heavenly father, you can't help but think about your relationship with your earthly father. We just can't help it. And for some, that's not a bad thing because you love your dad and your dad's awesome and he's been the best. And you're like, "Man, that's, I love being able to call God my father."
But then for some people, you didn't have that kind of dad. Some people didn't have a dad at all. Some people had a dad that was kind of there. You had that father that's in the background. He's in the picture, but there's no real relationship. There's no connection. He just goes to work and comes home sometimes.
And then there's people in this room right now that you're saying to yourself, "Man, I would kill for that kind of dad," as opposed to the father that I had that abused me or the father that I had that abandoned me and my family. And it becomes so difficult for you to relate to a heavenly father because you just think about how awful your earthly father was.
And I hate that about this description, but can I just press on you today for an understanding that he's not a reflection of your dad. He is the perfection of your dad. So for everyone in the room that had, for everyone that had a great dad, he's better. For everyone that had no dad or an imperfect dad or an abusive dad, he is not just a bigger version. He is a perfect version.
In fact, he says that he is father to the fatherless. He is a father to the fatherless. He is a father to the fatherless. He is a father to the fatherless. This heavenly father is the dad you've always dreamed of having, the one you always wished you had, the one that you've always needed. That is the father that he is to you. He is the perfect father.
And so how we relate to the father then becomes really important for us in our faith. And so I think that the answer to how we relate to God, the father is bear with me. It's a little bit weird maybe, but I think it's all in the arms. I think we relate to God, the father like this. And then like this.
Let me, let me explain. First, we open our arms to receive because our father has things he wants to give us because he's a perfect father. Makes him a really, really good dad. And dads love to give gifts to their kids. And there's three gifts that I want to highlight today that he wants to give you. There's more than that, but there's three that I think are the most important.
The first one is this gift of love. And so, in relating to our father in heaven, we put out our arms to receive his love. And really the other two gifts that we're going to talk about are found within this first gift, love. They don't really make sense without the love gift. And so that's the first one that we have to receive.
In fact, the very fact that we can call him dad, the creator of the universe, this great cosmic being, we call him dad because of love. Remember John 3:1, we read it a moment ago. "See what great love the father has lavished on us." It's the love of the father poured out of us. It's the love of the father that even puts us in a position to call him father.
And I love that the verse starts with the word see because this is something that we need to recognize. We need to look for the love of the father. There’s a song that we sang earlier today by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. And the song's called "Jireh." I'm not going to sing it. I'm going to let LaShawn do that. He's much better at that than I am.
But it says, "I'll never be more loved than I am right now. So there's nothing I can do to let you down. It doesn't take a trophy to make you proud. I'll never be more loved than I am right now." And this isn't just pretty song lyrics. This is foundational truth found in the word of God, that his love for you is not based on performance. It's not based on who you are or what you do. It's not rooted in you at all.
It's actually rooted in him. He loves you at your best and he loves you at your worst because love is rooted in the nature of who God is. He doesn't have another choice. He can't go against his nature. So when he looks at you, he loves you, which means I can stand on the stage without knowing a single thing about you and correctly and confidently declare to you today that your heavenly father loves you more than you could possibly imagine.
And so we put out our arms to receive the love of a father, a perfect father. And we have to take time every single day to actually receive that love, to see it for what it is. And every time a voice comes in your head that says you couldn't possibly be loved by him, you know that it's a part of his nature to love you. So it doesn't matter what you do. His love is still there. And that voice is alive from the pit of hell. You are loved by God. Receive that love.
The second thing that we have to receive from him is actually, it's kind of funny. It's found in the title of the song, "Jireh," because the second thing that we need to receive from God is his provision. Because good dads delight in giving their kids things. And God, the father, isn't just a good dad. He's a perfect dad.
I took my kids to the Chicago Fire Game last night. And of course, they wanted hot dogs and pizza and a pretzel. And then they wanted a jersey. And then Kelsey got cold and she wanted a coat, or not a blanket. So we bought a blanket. And I came home from that game broke. But with a smile on my face. Because I love being able to provide for my kids.
And if me, I don't claim to be a great dad. I'm just an average dad at best. And if I delight in giving my kids things, how much more do you think your heavenly father delights in providing for his kids? In fact, this is what Jesus says about it in Matthew 7. He says, "Ask and it'll be given to you. Seek and you'll find. Knock and it'll be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And the one who seeks, finds. And to the one who knocks, it will be opened."
So Jesus is saying, you need to ask, seek, and knock. And then he ties it into the relationship between a father and a son. He says, "This is why you can ask, seek, and knock. Because which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, is going to give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who's in heaven give good things to those who ask him?"
And so we go to God the Father with arms outstretched. We ask, we seek, we knock. We say, "Daddy, I need." And he provides. Now, what we have to understand, though, is that when we receive provision from God, it's not always going to look like what we expected. He doesn't always give you the thing you're asking for, but he does always give you the thing you need.
He does provide for his kids because he's a good father. I love what John Piper said about this. He said, "God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, but you may be aware of only three of them." Right? God's doing stuff. So just like we need to see his love, we need to see his provision. You got to look for his provision in your life because it may be the breath in your lungs today is a gift from God.
It may be that it's peace when you need it most. It may be that it's wisdom for you to navigate a difficult decision. It may be an open door of opportunity that you didn't even see coming. It may be the strength to get the job done. It may be the right people around you to encourage you when you need it most. Every single one of those is a provision from God the Father for you.
In fact, that's what James says in James 1. He says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from where? Above. It's coming down from the Father of lights." God the Father is a perfect Father, and he loves to pour out provision on his kids. So we open our arms to receive.
And while we're in that posture, there's one more thing that we need to receive, but you're not going to like it. We got to receive his discipline. We have to recognize that discipline is a gift that every good father gives to his children. It's just not always the gift we want to receive, but it is a gift.
Hebrews 12:5 says, "Have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline.'" I love that the encouraging word for you is, "You're going to be disciplined." His encouraging word is, "Don't lose heart when he rebukes you." His encouragement is, "You're going to get rebuked, and you're going to get disciplined."
But it's a good thing because the Lord disciplines the one he loves. I told you that all these gifts are intertwined. And he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. And then the writer of Hebrews ties this concept again to natural fathers and their kids. And he goes on and on about how good fathers discipline their kids for a season.
And then it jumps into verse 10. He says, "They disciplined us, they being your earthly fathers, disciplined us for a little while as they thought best. But God disciplines us for what? For our good, in order that we may share in his holiness." It is a good gift from your father because this is the gift of God.
There's something that's going to happen in this. It says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, what happens? It produces a harvest of righteousness and of peace for those who've been trained by it." God's discipline is a gift for you. You need to receive it and understand that his love always precedes his discipline.
Receive it from a loving father, knowing that as painful as it may be, guess what? It's going to produce something good in your life. It's going to produce righteousness and peace. Why? Because this is the definition of discipline, to teach and to train.
And so here's what you have to understand. The purpose of discipline is not to punish you. It is to transform you. He has already given out the punishment for your sin onto Jesus at the cross. No one has to suffer twice. His discipline is not punishment. I need you to understand that. I need you to hear this today. His discipline is not punishment.
He's not punishing you. He's trying to transform you so that you can become more and more like Christ. And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he brings discipline in your life, and that looks a lot of different ways. You may be reading your Bible and all of a sudden you read something and it makes you uncomfortable and you're like, "Oh, that sounds like something I've been doing." And you feel this guilt, this weight. That's discipline. That's a good thing.
When you're about to say something or about to do something and God says, "Stop it." Or maybe you've already said something or maybe you've already done something and God comes in and says, "Stop it." That's a gift from God. It's discipline. Even when you're facing difficulties in life, there are times when that difficulty is actually God's discipline, not his punishment.
Please understand that. The punishment only happened one time and it was on Jesus. You put your faith and trust in him, he takes on that punishment. If you don't accept Jesus, then you still got to pay your punishment. But for everyone who has put their faith in Christ, his discipline is not punishment. It's there to transform you, to make you more like Christ.
And so when he brings correction, when he br
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "It's so great to be in your presence. But then you told me to change the way I was living. And I pulled my arms back down. And I stopped the surrender. And I stopped the honor. Here's what we do today. We recognize that that's what we've been doing. We recognize that we've been robbing him of the honor he deserves. And so we repent of it. And then we change our course. And together collectively. We say just with our voices first. We give you honor and praise." [01:28:42]( | | )
2. "You got to look for his provision. In your life. Because it may be the breath in your lungs today. Is a gift from God. It may be that it's peace when you need it most. It may be that it's wisdom for you to navigate a difficult decision. It may be an open door of opportunity that you didn't even see coming. It may be the strength to get the job done. It may be the right people around you. To encourage you when you need it most." [01:17:00]( | | )
3. "I love making them laugh. I love the tickle fights. I love wrestling with them. I love making them laugh. Telling them jokes. I love all of that. But when I tell them to go clean their room. When I tell them to go take out the trash. You know what I want in that moment? I want honor. I want them to obey me as their father. To show honor in what I have just asked them to do, they'll do." [01:25:22]( | | )
### Quotes for Members
1. "God's discipline is a gift for you. You need to receive it. And understand that his love always precedes his discipline. Receive it from a loving father. Knowing that as painful as it may be. Guess what? It's going to produce something good in your life. It's going to produce righteousness and peace." [01:19:21]( | | )
2. "And I read that. And it just knocked the wind out of me. And I know that this verse is talking about Israel. And their idolatry. And all of this stuff. But I couldn't help but read that. And think about my own life. And I was reminded of the Ten Commandments. You know the Ten Commandments? Anybody remember what the fifth one is? Any parent in the room should know this one really well. Children honor your father and mother." [01:22:13]( | | )
3. "Let me explain. First we open our arms to receive. Because our father has things he wants to give us. Because he's a perfect father. Makes him a really, really good dad. And dads love to give gifts to their kids. And there's three gifts that I want to highlight today. That he wants to give you. There's more than that. But there's three that I think are the most important." [01:11:52]( | | )
4. "The Trinity, yeah, it's complicated. But it's also beautiful. Because it's within this understanding of the Trinity. That we come to truly know who God is. What his qualities are like. How he relates to us. And how we can relate back to him. And that's a beautiful thing." [01:06:58]( | | )
5. "This is the doctrine of the Trinity that we believe in one God who eternally exists in three distinct, co-equal, co-eternal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And every single part of this statement is essential. It's part of the core of our faith." [53:08]( | | )
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