Hebrews 12:5-13

1. Read Hebrews 12:5–8. Discouragement would be the expected reaction if discipline signified the Lord’s anger with us. But that is not what this text is saying. According to this passage, what is the relationship between God’s discipline and God’s love?
2. To run the race well, you must get serious about the things that are holding you back. You must learn to view God’s discipline as an act of love and as proof that you are indeed a child of God. As you study this passage today, be honest with yourself and with the Lord. Where have you grown weary, slothful, or rebellious?
3. Read Hebrews 12:9–11. Not all discipline is due to sin; but some discipline is given in order to wean believers away from sin. It’s part of God’s training for His children, meant to grow us in righteousness. Share about a time in your life when you sensed God disciplining you in order to wean you away from sin. Describe the sin, the process of discipline, and the outcome.
4. Read Hebrews 12:12–13. Putting the exhortation in this passage into practice, where do you need to “make straight paths for your feet”? In other words, where have you been sinfully or unwisely wandering from the path of Jesus in the race God has set before you? Spend some time confessing to one another, and then bring all of these things to God in prayer.