9/21/25 SERMON NOTES - FORGED IN THE FIRE WEEK4 | Tyler Kirby
Psalm 115:1 NLT “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name goes all the glory…”
1John 4:4 NLT “…the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
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Joshua 1:9 NLT "Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Title: Suffering as God’s Loving Discipline
“discipline” (Webster) training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character (Greek) to teach, train, & punish for the purpose of improved behavior
“disciple” is the root word of discipline.
Hebrews 12:11a NLT “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it’s painful!”
1Timothy 4:7b NLT “…train yourself to be godly.”
(‘train’ means to undergo discipline)
God disciplines out of love.
Psalm 13:1-6 NIV “1How long, LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. 6I will sing the LORD’s praise, for He has been good to me.”
What David teaches us while in suffering:
-He’s honest with God about how he feels
-He brings his questions to God instead of turning away
-He puts his trust in God, not his feelings
Our suffering is a tunnel…not a cave.
The suffering of discipline…
1. Reminds us that God’s our Father
Hebrews 12:5-8 NLT “5And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. 6For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.’ 7As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.”
God’s discipline draws us back to Him and molds us into the image of Jesus.
Discipline is proof of love.
Proverbs 13:24 NLT “Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.”
Hebrews 12:6 NLT “…the Lord disciplines those He loves.”
The pain of discipline is evidence that we are God’s children.
The suffering of discipline…
2. Helps us to stay focused
Psalm 119:67 NLT “I used to wander off until You disciplined me; but now I closely follow Your word.”
Revelation 3:19 NLT “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”
The suffering of discipline…
3. Trains us for holiness
Hebrews 12:9-11 NLT “9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness.
(Discipline is suffering with purpose) 11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Discipline is God’s training program for holiness.
A skillful sailor isn’t made on calm seas. A righteous person isn’t made in an environment of comfort