A Bowl of Beans

“Big Idea” A lifestyle of Shortsightedness Never Sees the Big Picture Come Into View

“No, God’s discipline is not the same as punishment. The whole point is, again, that God is the Father of his people; he loves us unimaginably; he is not looking on passively while we get lacerated, and then fixing our wounds in the emergency room of life; he is the infinitely wise surgeon designing how he will operate on us to deepen our faith and make us holy.” John Piper

How can every verse support the Big Ideal?????

Vv.12-13 Clutter Trips Us up, Slows us Down & Hinders Those who Follow in Our Path.

God’s discipline clears the path of anything that would hinder

God’s discipline strenthens and encourage

God’s discipline helps those following us to be encourage

The Epistle to the Hebrews C. Reaction to Chastisement (Hebrews 12:12, 13)

Many Christians are able to recognize what they need to do in order to correct their lives and thus cause the chastening of God to cease. The wise Christian, however, removes the things which cause him to stumble and thus avoids the discipline of God. By doing that, the weak Christian given to easy stumbling will not be injured. Instead, he will grow stronger and eventually he will be healed of his spiritual clumsiness. It is so much better to have never failed than to have to pick oneself up out of the dirt of sin.

The Epistle to the Hebrews D. The Result of Faith—Holiness (Hebrews 12:14–17)

Bitterness will even go so far as to cause one to blame God for all his difficulties. Self-examination is extremely difficult and very unlikely when bitterness rules in one’s heart. Bitterness is especially bad because it almost invariably causes others to be adversely affected

Don’t Fall…short of the Grace of God

Bitterness can consume us to the point that we lose sight of the grace of God.

Beans for Blessing

Temporary Escapism is Never a Substitute for Eternal Fulfillment

We need to be careful in how we run the race now in case we are disqualified

Our immediate selfish actions will have later implications

Implications can be far reaching

A warning to not to live for lesser things.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eleven: Stay in the Running! (Hebrews 12)

What sins will rob us of the enabling of God’s grace? These verses tell us: lack of spiritual diligence, bitterness against others (see Deut. 29:18), sexual immorality, and living for the world and the flesh.

Let God have your sins, setbacks (hindrances) and soups. Christian, God ultimately has a greater blessing for you, ultimately ending in eternal life. What are those things in your life that you need to renounce today so you can fix your eyes upon Jesus and the mission that is set before us?

Get your second wind, clear the course and finish strong with the eternal finish line in view.

Faith is believing in what you will one day experience!

What can you trade?

Esau exchanged his heavenly birthright for a single earthly meal (Hebrews 12:16).

Moses exchanged his earthly birthright of Egyptian wealth for the heavenly birthright of the Messiah

Hebrews 11:24-26 “ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward