Five Characteristics of Biblical Discipline
Message given Sunday, May 13, 2012
By Pastor Tim Stradling
At Armbrust Wesleyan Church
Welcome to our group! If everyone doesn’t know everyone, go around the room taking turns telling the group your
name. Then, take turns answering these questions. Not everyone need answer each question. Try not to be the person
who is first to answer them all. 
1. Have you had the experience of teaching a child to drive? How did that go? Did your parent teach you? How
did that go?
2. How did your parents discipline you? What did they do or use? Was your mom the disciplinarian or dad?
3. What strategies or philosophies for discipline have worked for you as you parented? Which ones, like that on
the recent Time magazine cover might you find unworkable, unwise, or absurd?
In Hebrews 12, the writer is trying to encourage his readers to look at the
hardships they are facing as if it were discipline from God. If they did this, he
reasons, they could see it as way that good could come from their adversity.
In the process, the author gives us several characteristics of godly discipline.
Read Hebrews 12:1-11.
4. Verse 6 says the motive for discipline is love. Pastor Tim shared a
graphic depicting the relationship of love and discipline from a
research study. How would you classify your parent’s style(s) or
tendency compared to the case study? How would classify your
parenting style? Discuss your answer.
5. The Bible says, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Proverbs 13:24
(NAS). Why do you think our culture and/or media culture opposes spanking and other forms of the “rod.”
6. Verse 5 suggests that discipline includes actions (the Hebrew word for discipline here suggests action) and
words (rebuke is verbal). How do these two work together for effective discipline? Do you have a problem
keeping these two in balance? How so?
7. What are (were) your top two disciplinary problems with your children? What means of consistent
consequences or clear instruction would help your child learn obedience?
8. In verses 10-11, we see the results of discipline: sharing in God’s holiness, righteousness (living right, making
right choices) and peace (personal wholeness and good relationships). How have you seen good discipline
result in some of these in your life or in the life of your children?
9. If these are the results of godly discipline, why would we fail to do all we can to discipline our children well?
10. What specific step do you need to take to align your parenting with God’s pattern to bring out the best in your
child(ren)?
11. Are you facing hardships these days? Could it help you to see these as God trying to accomplish good in you
through the hard process? How?
Closing:
1. Is there anything we didn’t discuss about this Sunday’s message that was interesting or important to you?
2. Go around the room and share any requests for which you would like prayer. Then, either take turns praying
for these prayers, or invite a few who are comfortable with praying in public to pray for these requests.