1. His Loving Discipline Hebrews 12:4-11

2. Our Father’s Motive: Love 1.Creates identity and value Discipline God our Father Deuteronomy 26:18 “The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you....”

3. Our Father’s Motive: Love 1.Creates identity and value 2.Sets clear expectations 3.Establishes appropriate consequences 4.Applies consequences consistently 5.Reassures love and commitment 6.Clarifies the purpose Discipline God our Father

4. Our Father’s Purpose: Character Discipline God our Father Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

5. Our Father’s Purpose: Character Discipline God our Father Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children....

6. Our Father’s Purpose: Character Discipline God our Father Matthew 5:43–45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Y OU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven....”

7. Our Father’s Purpose: Character Discipline God our Father 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

8. Our Father’s Methods Discipline God our Father Webster’s “[Discipline is] training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.”

9. Our Father’s Methods – Suffering for our faith – Suffering in a fallen world – Consequences for our sin Discipline God our Father

10. Our Father’s Methods Discipline God our Father Howard Hendricks Freedom includes fences and accepts responsibility. One is always free to choose but never free to escape the consequences of those choices. The law of gravity provides a choice illustration. A person is free to jump from a high bridge...but once he is over the railing...he is no longer free.

11. Our Father’s Methods Discipline God our Father

12. Our Response Discipline God our Father Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

13. Our Response Discipline God our Father James 1:2–4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

14. Are you fighting against your circumstances? How badly do you want to be like your heavenly Father? Application God our Father

15. @briangfisher Brian G. Fisher grace-bible.org/resources Grace Bible Church App Resources