Hebrews 12:3-11 | What's the lesson for me today?
For Our Profit
There I sat, curled up in a ball on the floor of my bedroom. My arms folded, rested upon my knees. I was catching my breath from long-winded cries as I wept the discipline I had just received from my father. The moment was silent, my heart beating hardily in my chest. A thought occurred to me. "My dad is punishing me because he hates me!" It doesn't take a very mature mind to arrive at such a conclusion. It led me to the next natural conclusion. "Since he hates me, he probably doesn't want me around." And that led me to the next conclusion. "Since he hates me and doesn't want me around, it would be best if I ran away!" I gathered a piece of paper and a crayon, did the best drawing of my house layout that I could and drew a path from my room to the front door. Brilliant. I'd make my escape as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Not too long after, I was visited by both of my parents who expressed their love for me and that it was for my good that I be disciplined.
This very course happened a multitude of times. I never actually ran away, because as much as I hated the discipline, it was obvious that what came as a result benefitted me greatly. Still, discipline can be a scary thing. I don't like letting people down. Even more, I don't want to let the Lord down. His grace and mercy show me an incredible reality. I am not letting Him down. The discipline isn't punitive. The punishment for my sins has been laid on Jesus. The discipline is instead productive.
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
-Hebrews 12:10
The discipline is an act of growth. Much like pruning, it produces a fruitful effect upon us. He desires for us to abound in the blessings of His grace. He longs for us know Him intimately and receive all that comes with it. The flesh must be trained out of the way, however, in order for us to experience the fullness of what He has. This is called sanctification. We are being conformed to the image of His Son. It is His grace and mercy that enable us to do so. The discipline acts as a refining fire that draws us deeper into this. Truly, the discipline of God is for our profit.
What lesson are you taking away?
This very course happened a multitude of times. I never actually ran away, because as much as I hated the discipline, it was obvious that what came as a result benefitted me greatly. Still, discipline can be a scary thing. I don't like letting people down. Even more, I don't want to let the Lord down. His grace and mercy show me an incredible reality. I am not letting Him down. The discipline isn't punitive. The punishment for my sins has been laid on Jesus. The discipline is instead productive.
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
-Hebrews 12:10
The discipline is an act of growth. Much like pruning, it produces a fruitful effect upon us. He desires for us to abound in the blessings of His grace. He longs for us know Him intimately and receive all that comes with it. The flesh must be trained out of the way, however, in order for us to experience the fullness of what He has. This is called sanctification. We are being conformed to the image of His Son. It is His grace and mercy that enable us to do so. The discipline acts as a refining fire that draws us deeper into this. Truly, the discipline of God is for our profit.
What lesson are you taking away?
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Hebrews 12:3-11 | What's the lesson for me today?
August 27th, 2026
Hebrews 12:3-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
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Hebrews 12:3-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
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Passage of the Week: Hebrews 12:3-11
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Archive
2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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