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DISCIPLINE

For Jeff Colon, being kicked out of church was the best thing that ever happened to him. Jeff says his pastor told him that he would have to leave the church until he got his life in order. The pastor acknowledged there was nothing else he could do for Jeff, but pointed him to a ministry in Kentucky that might be able to help. 

Jeff got the help he needed, and has since been involved in circumstances where church discipline was used effectively. He says, unfortunately many pastors have not used this God-given tool for restoration. Jeff acknowledges that excommunication such as he experienced should be the last step in a lengthy process of correction. 

Jeff says, that although some men want their sin and will not listen, he is convinced that many of the people he dealt with would have stopped if they had heard “a timely word of reproof, and on-going ‘correction’ and ‘training in righteousness.’” 

Jeff believes that biblical reproof done in the right spirit is the most loving tool a pastor can use to help those who struggle. There is a place for church discipline in the 21^st Century church. Jeff says, “Our loving Savior has been in the business of correcting wayward souls for a long time. I think it is time we return to the methods offered to us by He who created us.” He adds, “The pastor who only uses God’s word for teaching is limiting his ministry to one-fourth of its power.” 

—http://headlines.agapepress.org, Using Church Discipline to help Men in Sexual Sin, August 12, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell 

2 Timothy 3:16 NIV “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” 

Gal 6:1 NIV. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

Researchers in Sweden recently announced the results of a study examining the impact of physical exercise on student’s grades. The researchers tracked 200 children for nine years during their elementary and mid-school years. Some of the students received physical education five days a week, along with additional training to help them develop enhanced balance and coordination.  For comparison, the other group of children only received the standard levels of physical education which amounted to training roughly three days a week.

The study discovered that the student who received more physical education and training made better grades at every level of their education experience. 96 percent of those students received admission to post secondary courses, while 89 percent of the student from the other group did. The study found the biggest difference in males. The boys are the group with more training also had significantly higher grades in English, math, and health. Author of the study, Ingegerd Ericsson of Malmo University said, “We scientifically confirm here that not only improves motor skills but also school achievement.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

--Physical Education Is Good for Kid’s grades, Study Finds, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/05/27/physical-education-is-good-for-kids-grades-study-finds; May 27, 2012

I Timothy 4:7b-8 CEV Keep yourself in training for a godly life. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future. 

Peter’s Church in East Blatchington, Sussex has found a way to help their parishioners who struggle with practicing the spiritual discipline of silence. A parishioner of the 900-year-old church suggested they set a microphone in the middle of the sanctuary and sell the recording as a meditation tool. 

The resulting album is a 30-minute recording with a two-minute spoken introduction followed by 28 minutes of the silent sounds of an empty sanctuary. Listeners can hear the murmurings of a few distant conversations, the occasional creaking of a church pew, and the whisper of traffic outside. The album has sold out.-- Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

World, February 23, 2013 p. 20

Psalm 46:10 (ESV) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 

Pastor and author John Ortberg has written a new book to help people understand the only part of the human being that is eternal, the soul. In the book, he  equates the soul to the king on a chessboard. He explains, saying “The king is the most limited of chess pieces; it can only move one square at a time. But if you lose the king, game over. Your soul is vulnerable because it is needy.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Megachurch Pastor and Bestselling Author John Ortberg on Why Your Soul Is 'Kind of Like a Car', By Nicola Menzie, http://www.christianpost.com/news/megachurch-pastor-and-bestselling-author-john-ortberg-on-why-your-soul-is-kind-of-like-a-car-118431; Accessed April 24, 2014.

Matthew 16:26 (HCSB) What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 

Research conducted by Duke University suggests that aspects of a person’s personality may indicate the possibility certain medical disorders later in life. Results indicated that people who are conscientious or self-disciplined or orderly at age 12 were generally in better health 12 years later. Less conscientious people tended to develop problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even gum disease by age 38. The research found similar results for a trait termed, “openness to experience.” People with this trait tend to be more curious, imaginative, and often prefer variety to routine. Even when researchers took factors such as socioeconomic status, weight, and smoking habits into account, the results did not change. The results suggest that looking at personality measures in routine doctor visits could help anticipate which people are at greater risk of developing poor health. The authors of the study wrote, “Integrating personality measurement into primary care may be an inexpensive and accessible way to identify which young adults are in need of their doctor’s attention to promote a healthy lifestyle while they are yet young, in time to prevent disease onset.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Are you orderly? Imaginative? How personality affects health, By Rachael Rettner, 
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/03/12/are-orderly-imaginative-how-personality-affects-health/?intcmp=obnetwork; Accessed March 12, 2014.

1 Corinthians 9:25 (HCSB) Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. 
 

The latest survey by the American Time Use Survey shows that Americans spend an average of two hours and 46 minutes each day watching TV. It is our most frequent past time. Americans over the age of 14 also spend eight hours and 44 minutes a night sleeping 10 minutes more per night than we did a decade ago. Other leisure activities have decreased slightly since 2003. Use of computers on the internet has increased by 13 minutes per day. 
 
It would be good for serious Christians to consider Paul’s admonition that we redeem the time. As discretionary time increases, we might think about disciplining ourselves for Godliness and redeem the time for spiritual growth. Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

http://online.wsj.com/articles/aging-americans-sleep-more-work-less-survey-finds-1403121530

Ephesians 5:16 (NIV) making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
 

Discipline

New York City orthopedic surgeon Claudette M. Lajam repeats the message of James 1:8 when she says, “You can’t really pay attention to more than one thing at a time”. Dr. Lajam has treated many injuries caused by people trying to walk while using their smart phones. An Ohio State University study found that injuries due to distracted walking doubled between 2004 and 2010.

“Preoccupied pedestrians are walking off train platforms, falling down stairs, walking into poles, or moving cars in crosswalks.” Such accidents have resulted in more than 1,500 emergency room visits for broken pelvises, legs and wrists, and injuries to the head.

James says we must focus our attention on one Lord, just as we should keep looking in front of us not down at our phone while walking. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

The Week, January 15, 2016 p. 19

James 1:8 (HCSB) An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.

DISCIPLINE

A picture of a young man taken in a Starbucks coffee shop in Hong Kong became an Internet sensation because it apparently showed that the man would let nothing come between him and the daily news. The Chinese city was hit by heavy rain and severe flooding as residents braved two typhoons, flooding, and a black rainstorm.  The pictures show the man sitting in the shop peacefully reading the paper, unaffected, as water covered the floor around his feet.  The medical worker who took the picture said there were other people in the store at the time, and at one time another person joined the young man for a few minutes. The picture was shared on social media, and the man was nicknamed “Starbucks Uncle.” On the day the photo was taken, local officials had closed schools and government offices for the day and advised the public to exercise extreme caution due to extreme weather conditions. –By Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

No Hong Kong Flood Will Keep This Man From His Starbucks,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/no-hong-kong-flood-will-keep-this-man-from-his-starbucks_us_5809add2e4b0cdea3d86a76f?section=us_weird-news, Accessed October 21, 2016.

Luke 9:23 (HCSB) “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”

DISCIPLINE

On the T.V. show Psych, Shawn Spencer is a psychic detective. He consistently solves crimes, but his immaturity often gets the best of him, resulting in his father, Henry Spencer, stepping in to help him solve the cases. Sometimes, Dad uses the opportunity to teach his son a life lesson.

In one episode, part of the way through his fatherly lesson, Shawn began jumping up and down because he had just figured out the case. His father Henry says, “Shawn, don't you dare learn a wrong lesson while I'm trying to teach you a right lesson!” —Jim L. Wilson and Jeremiah Cannon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491738/quotes

Hebrews 12:5–6 (HCSB) “And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or faint when you are reproved by Him, ⁶ for the Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He receives.”

DISCIPLINE

The movie “Groundhog Day” tells the story of TV weatherman Phil Connors as he relived a single day over and over again. This lighthearted comedy sees Connors, played by Bill Murray, go from confused, to annoyed, to suicidal, to resigned, and finally to teachable. As the movie progresses, he finally learns to love, and becomes a decent human being. In that final reliving of Groundhog Day, Connors gives up fighting and accepts his new reality having gone through a lengthy refining process. It is only then that he finally wakes up to a new morning, a new Groundhog-Day-plus-one. —Jim L. Wilson & Eric Mann

“Groundhog Day” Movie 1993 by Columbia Pictures

Hebrews 12:9–11 (HCSB) “Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

DISCIPLINE

Many people like to start the day with a hot shower or a cup of coffee. A survey conducted by One Poll, found many Americans report they no longer have a set morning routine and as a result they experience feelings of confusion each day, and 81 percent say they feel “off.” The company that commissioned the poll suggested the changes experienced suggest that most people’s routines may not be that healthy after all. The company, Goli Nutrition, said one unhealthy choice usually leads to others. Many people were rushing out of the house after only having a cup of coffee or forgetting to brush their or pack a lunch. The company encouraged people to start new healthier habits like eating a better breakfast during while they have more time to establish them. President of Goli Nutrition, Michael Bitensky, said, “Our survey results have a strong, recurrent theme, revealing that mornings are extremely hectic. I think all of us who live busy lives can relate.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.studyfinds.org/living-in-quarantine-ruined-morning-routine/

2 Timothy 2:15 (CSB)

Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.