Rebuke?

~Friday for Friends~

Our friends do wrong things. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not, but they do sin. Just like us. And the truth is that it's often easier to let it pass than to mention it. We don't want to be judgmental so we just don't say anything and hope it'll go away. 

Yes, we are not supposed to judge. But sometimes we need to rebuke.

"“If your brother or sister[a] sins,[b] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[c] If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."" Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV)

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1(NIV)

Here's some more on the topic.

It might be hard to decide if you should rebuke your friend or not. So pray! A bunch. And let God guide your words.

Rebuke and discipline? Why do I need THAT?

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19 (NIV) 

We as human beings don’t like being rebuked or disciplined. Punishment doesn’t come in a natural “oh, you want to punish me? sure” way. We go kicking and screaming – almost every time. 

But God says he disciplines and rebukes those He loves. He knows what is better for us and guides us each day. We get to choose if we want to listen right off or go the other way. And when we do go the other way He “rebukes and disciplines.” Isn’t that just so much better than letting us go our own way (which, btw, would lead us straight to hell)? 

How about you? Has God been rebuking you lately? What have you learned from that? 

"Being alive means being able to trust" and other quotes

~Saturday Stories~

"Being alive means being willing to trust the people you care about, even though you know they will make mistakes, believing that tomorrow they may be stronger or more reliable, or more truthful than they are today.” ~Sadie, Shades of Truth

"You are one of God's excellent young women - one of His precious and priceless jewels." ~ Elizabeth George, A Young Woman After God's Own Heart

“I’m talking about self-discipline, which has nothing to do with punishment. It’s about focus and control. You have to discipline yourself to listen to God, to watch for Him, and to act on what He’s telling you whether it scares you or not.” ~ Mrs. Isaacsen, False Friends and True Strangers 

How about you? What do you think of these quotes? What quotes can you share?

Making time for our Savior and His Word

~Tuesday Thoughts~

I don't know about you, but sometimes my Bible readings, which I do in the mornings, are pretty skimpy. And I can't even recall what they were about by the end of the day. So not like it should be.


1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3(NIV)

Notice the "delight is in the law of the Lord" and the "meditates on his law day and night" parts in verse 2. Somehow, we don't do that 24/7 or maybe even 1/7.


The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 (NIV)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)


With Christ's help and self-discipline we can learn to dig deeper into the Word.

Small steps are so okay to start with.  Maybe you'll start by whispering a prayer in the morning before you get out of bed or you'll have a Bible verse "reminder" on your phone. Maybe you'll take 15 minutes and press the "study" button on Biblegateway. Or look up a bunch of Bible verses on a theme that you've been pondering.

Small steps day by day. They'll make a difference.

How about you? Are you up for it? What will you try doing?