Church Blog

July 12 2011 at 1:12 pm

The Father’s Discipline

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Joshua preached on Sunday morning from Hebrews 12:1-11, titling his message “The Father’s Discipline.” Audio and an outline are available in the Resource Library.

As Covenant Life Church is walking through what is surely one of its most difficult challenges, Joshua sought to help us interpret from God’s Word what is taking place. He taught that God disciplines us because he loves us, that his discipline hurts, and that we must be trained by it. He encouraged us all to welcome and invite the good discipline of the Lord in our lives as his sons and daughters.

In his conclusion, Joshua shared a poignant illustration from Charles Spurgeon:

A child had a little garden in which she planted many flowers, but they never grew. She put them in, as she thought tenderly and carefully, but they would not live.  She sowed seeds and they sprang up; but very soon they withered away. So she ran to her father’s gardener, and when he came to look at it, he said, “I will make it a nice garden for you, that you may grow whatever you want.”  He fetched a pick, and when the little child saw the terrible pick, she was afraid for her little garden. The gardener struck his tool into the ground and began to make the earth heave and shake for his pickaxe had caught the edge of a huge stone which underplayed almost all the little plot of ground. All the little flowers were turned out of their places and the garden spoiled for a season so that the little maid wept much. He told her he would make it a fair garden yet, and so he did, for having removed that stone which had prevented all the plants from striking root he soon filled the ground with flowers which lived and flourished.


Just so, the Lord has come, and has turned up all the soil of your present comfort to get rid of some big stone that was at the bottom of all your spiritual prosperity, and would not let your soul flourish. Do not weep with the child, but be comforted by the blessed results and thank your Father’s tender hand!





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