discipline

GOD’S DISCIPLINE IN A FALLEN WORLD

Posted on May 19, 2026 by West Oaks Fellowship

On Sunday, April 26, 2026, I received the following inquiry from a faithful, serving, long-term member of West Oaks Fellowship … “How can we tell the difference between God’s discipline and bad things happening because we live in a fallen world?” Needless to say, I love these questions, but I only could offer a short, concise answer at that moment after church. Since then, I’ve developed many outlines on the topic, but all way too long to publish in Fusion or even teach on Sunday or Wednesday evenings, because it would take several weeks.

Here is a condensed version of my study, research, and writings.

Few questions cause more spiritual anguish and confusion for believers than this one: When suffering or difficulty enters our lives, what’s really happening?

Is the Lord God trying to correct us? Is He teaching us something we desperately need to learn? Or are we simply experiencing the brokenness of a world marred by sin—the kind of pain that comes to everyone who lives in a fallen creation?

The distinction matters deeply. For a committed believer desiring to live a faith-based life that glorifies the Lord, knowing the difference between these two realities can reshape how we respond, what we repent of, and how we move forward.

If we’re under God’s discipline, we need to examine our own hearts… if err is found, repent, and then realign our lives with His Word. However, if we’re suffering simply because we live in a fallen world — where catastrophe strikes, friends and family die, accidents happen, and hearts become broken for numerous reasons, then our enemy’s tool of guilt will only compound our pain and anguish or the confusion we may be experiencing. Yet in the midst of hardships, when emotions run high and clarity feels elusive, discerning between these two life-long realities may be difficult or seem almost impossible.

This confusion is not a sign of weak faith. Even mature believers struggle to interpret their various sufferings, especially when well-meaning friends (remember Job’s buddies), and or fellow believers may offer conflicting counsel. Some insist that all hardship is discipline, leaving sufferers to search desperately for hidden rebellion and sins that might not even exist. Others dismiss the possibility of divine correction entirely, potentially missing opportunities for maturing growth, impending correction and spiritually liberating repentance. The truth is more complex than either of those somewhat extreme positions. The Scriptures and God’s Holy Spirit provide us, as Christ’s disciples, with wisdom and direction to navigate these difficult waters. We don’t always enjoy absolute certainty, but we know the light of God’s Truth and the voice of our “Good Shepherd” enough to move forward in faith, trusting our Lord’s direction!

Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Proverbs 4:18-19 reminds us, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble”.

When our house flooded as a result of Hurricane Harvey, I did break down crying one short time in the arms of brother Joseph Hay at the sight of the pile of all our really nice furniture (that we had had all of our lives together) and irreplaceable family heirlooms that had been accumulated for years and years. The loss was real. The grief was genuine. In that moment, standing in the wreckage of our home, the question at the heart of this entire essay became intensely personal: Were we being punished or disciplined due to our rebellion or sin? Was this simply the consequence of living in a fallen world where hurricanes destroy homes? Or was it somehow both?

The answer, I discovered, reveals exactly why discerning between God’s discipline and fallen-world suffering is so challenging—because they often operate simultaneously, on multiple levels, in the same event. Ultimately the Lord had many, many plans in play. Undoubtedly some were being disciplined, or even punished … individuals, families, and perhaps even communities or businesses. Others were appointed to die (see Hebrews 9:27) and still others would experience severe consequences. The damage to our home alone would cost 80-100K to repair.

Isaiah 55:8-9 speaks clearly – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Yet at the same time—and this is crucial—opportunities arose. Churches and Christians saw the needs and mobilized to minister to anyone and everyone, including those involved in their ministries that were suffering. In our case, church members and friends came to completely demo everything under 4 feet throughout our entire house. Someone set up a Go Fund Me account which we didn’t ask for, but it became a huge blessing! Many people were indeed blessed by giving and simply helping out in many, many ways. I will never forget Melanie and Connie showing up with their special cleaning supplies and Filipino style brooms! FEMA helped nominally, providing some temporary housing, and Fort Bend County came along and replaced our entire A/C unit and water header over a year after the flood because it was considered a bio-hazard.

Psalm 145:17-19 expresses the Truth, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.”

Throughout the whole process, we suffered lots of difficulties and discomfort, but we just kept going in the strength our Lord was providing every day. This is what makes the distinction between discipline and fallen-world suffering so complex in real life: both realities can be present in the same circumstance. The flood was a consequence of living in a broken creation. God’s redemptive purposes were simultaneously at work through His people. Some were experiencing correction. Others were experiencing loss. And many—like us—were experiencing both suffering and blessing, woven together in ways only God could orchestrate. Ultimately, we suffered greatly, but at the same time, were abundantly blessed!

Romans 11:33-36 lays it out –“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

The good news is that God is not playing games with us, hiding His intentions while we guess frantically at the meanings of our struggles or pain. He is a loving Father who communicates with His children, a Good Shepherd who guides His flock, and a faithful God whose character remains constant (unchanging / unchangeable / immutable – see Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17) even when our circumstances feel chaotic. While absolutely perfect discernment may elude us this side of eternity, we can know and learn to recognize the distinguishing marks of His discipline and the fingerprints of a fallen world that continually remain under His sovereignty. However, more importantly, we can fully trust that whether we’re experiencing correction from our loving Lord, or simply living in a broken creation, God’s purposes for us remain redemptive and purposeful! His presence (omnipresence) remains, and His unending love remains perfectly steadfast.

So if God is truly this good, this communicative, this committed to our growth—then what does His discipline actually look like in practice? How do we recognize it when it comes? The answer lies in learning to see the distinguishing marks of divine correction; the particular fingerprints God leaves on our lives when He’s calling us back to Himself. Let’s explore what biblical discipline looks like so you can move forward with confidence, knowing whether the Lord is speaking correction into your life or whether you’re simply weathering the storms that come to all of us in this broken world.

The Character of God’s Discipline

When God disciplines His children, He does so with the precision of a skilled surgeon and the tenderness of a devoted, godly parent. Biblical discipline is never arbitrary, vindictive, or designed to crush us; rather, it is corrective, purposeful, and redemptive. Hebrews 12:5-11 provides the definitive framework for understanding divine discipline, reminding us that “the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.” This discipline targets specific areas of rebellion, sin, spiritual immaturity, or dangerous trajectories in our lives. It comes with conviction, a very clear, Holy Spirit-led awareness of that which needs modification, rather than invoking shame, guilt, or some form of paralyzing despair. When the Lord corrects us, there is typically a discernible connection between the area of our disobedience and the nature of the discipline we are experiencing. A person who has been dishonest in business dealings might face exposure or financial consequences; someone who has neglected their family might experience relational breakdown that forces them to confront their priorities. This discipline feels personal because it is personal! God always knows exactly what we need to mature and grow into Christlikeness. Moreover, His discipline is always proportionate and apparently time-limited.

Hebrews 12:11 reminds us – “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Our Lord, Jesus Christ’s goal is not punishment but transformation (See Romans 12:1-2), not retribution but restoration. His discipline is an expression of His commitment to our total sanctification, which proves that He loves us too much to leave us as we are!

This concludes part 1. I will try to get part 2 out ASAP, but perhaps it won’t be finished until it’s time for next month’s Fusion.

His and yours, Because of G R A C E (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense),

CHANGE

Posted on May 10, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

Have you ever noticed that almost everything in our world changes? Change is sometimes very difficult to embrace and often, even more difficult to accomplish. Clergyman Henry Ward Beecher put it this way:

Our days are a kaleidoscope. Every instant a change takes place. … New harmonies, new contrasts, new combinations of every sort. … The most familiar people stand each moment in some new relation to each other, to their work, to surrounding objects.

How many changes have you experienced in the last ten years, last year, last week, today? Certainly there are many realms of change . . . physical and spiritual, ideological and philosophical, likes and dislikes, mental and emotional, even family, relationships, careers, etc. Needless to say, change is an inevitable component of human existence, even if one doesn’t like it, works against it, or in denial, refuses to accept it.

Even though change is certain and unavoidable, that doesn’t make it all good or right, nor does it deem change all bad or evil. Some changes work in excellence (even though it may be extremely troublesome or painful), causing great improvements in one’s life, family, nation, business, organization, and/or ministry, while others seem to reap havoc, damage, and/or even destruction.

However, in a world and life of much and constant, inexorable change, only one thing escapes modification, alteration or transformation . . . the nature/character of our Lord. Scripture clearly declares God’s immutability in Malachi 3:6, as He clearly announces His own incomputable, invariable, inalterable, and unchangeable character:

For I, the Lord, do not change. (also I Samuel 15:29, James 1:17, Hebrews 6:18; 13:8)

In this Hebrew text, God chooses to call Himself, Yahweh . . . the covenant-name of God to the Hebrews (See Exodus 6:3), and a name which fully implies His immutable character and inalterable faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. In this case, because He is a God Who does not, and will not change, His people are not, and will not be destroyed (even though they without a doubt, absolutely deserved it). Thanks be to God for His invariable nature of grace and mercy towards His people, who are not without discipline, but certainly don’t get what’s fully deserved.

Now, consider this spin. God, Who is unchanging and unchangeable, created a world that is constantly being modified, and filled it with His most exalted and valued creation — humanity — who is constantly in a process of alteration and transformation. Those changes being wrought in Christ are excellent, but those produced by adaptation to our world’s thinking, philosophies, and self-proclaimed wisdom continuously harvest mayhem, injury, harm, devastation, and ruin.

As an example, I’m constantly amazed by all the “Christian” parents who completely ignore God’s instructions concerning appropriate discipline and sound (proven) principles for correcting their children. Then they wonder why their children are out-of-control, spoiled, disobedient, and disrespectful. They may pray 24/7 for their family and offspring, but if they discount and ignore His immutable truth, those prayers are simply a waste of words and breath.

How about “believers” who are gainfully employed and refuse to provide significant, consistent, sacrificial financial support for their church? The New Testament clearly teaches the God-ordained concept of giving (Did He not give His Son, did His Son not give His life?) as a significant part of Christian living. They may pray 24/7 for His financial blessing and help, but if His immutable truth is denied and ignored, or even discounted, those prayers are simply another waste of words and breath!

Ultimately, one’s unchangeable Lord is the active and effective change agent in a believer’s life Who designs, directs, and empowers significant spiritual modifications within His people . . . even complete emotional, as well as mental, alterations and healing. The definitive and obvious goal is the complete transformation of Christ’s followers, molding and shaping them into functional vessels of honor and glory for His purposes! What a calling — what a blessing! It’s almost incomprehensible to consider or grasp the fact that Christ changes us for the fulfillment of His immutable everlasting purposes.

As a result of God’s purpose in each and every one of His follower’s lives, believers are, without a doubt, challenged, as well as spiritually encouraged, and convicted to change. Consider these essential questions: Are you affirmatively willing to change? Are you passive about change? Are you persistently resistant to change? No matter what the answer, be confidently assured that your unchanging Lord is immutably committed to your spiritual, mental and emotional transformation! So one chooses, almost on a daily basis, to enthusiastically comply and embrace His move/work in one’s life, act nonchalantly about His purpose in you, or defiantly ignore/revolt.

Since I was 17 years old, my senior year in high school, I’ve been fully committed to Christ and serving Him. During these years, I’ve embraced His change. However, at times, I’ve also acted indifferently about His call, and even openly resisted spiritual, emotional, mental healing and transformation. I’ve been privileged to organize numerous ministries, serve in several others, and with the exception of just a few years in the construction business, been actively engaged in ministry for 40 years.

Here’s what I’ve (sometimes painfully) learned:

all change, personal or in a church/ministry, is good, as well as beneficial if initiated by the Lord.
if I will move beyond the past, what was, and fully grip the opportunity that lies ahead through change, it’s always proven to be forever better!

At West Oaks Fellowship, we are on the precipice of change, both as individual believers and our entire ministry. New vision is being birthed and the Lord is challenging us to step towards Him, fully embracing His improvements. Therefore, please always remember, change is inevitable, and our immutable Lord demands it of His followers. Will you join me in responding affirmatively and enthusiastically to all the transforming work He is bringing to our lives and our church?

— His & Yours, Pastor Frank

SUMMER

Posted on May 3, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

In Psalm 32, David speaks of summer in reference to its unpleasant and exhausting “fever heat” as an example of how he’s feeling when bogged down by his own un-dealt-with sin. Without doubt, all of us in Houston, as well as those from many other parts of the world, are fully aware one’s vitality can easily be depleted in the midst of a summer day. In this case, the Psalmist is experiencing that feeling, yet not because of the outside temperature, but because of internal conflict. According to verse 4, God’s hand was “heavy” upon him both “day and night.” The seriousness of this emotional and spiritual internal conflict is revealed when David declares that his body is “wasting away” and that he is “groaning all day long.”

One of the things one should admire about this psalm, as well as many others, is David’s ability to identify exactly what’s causing the struggle. It’s not some physical illness, and even though he feels sick, beat down, defeated, etc., he knows the truth. He understands that he’s not in depression, that he doesn’t need different medication, nor does he need to read another self-help book, listen to feel-good theological mumbo-jumbo, or the psychobabble of some worldly psychiatrist. No, David simply needs to be honest and at that point he can deal with his issue … sin!

However, in much of today’s contemporary, culturized church, (particularly those in liberal denominations and/or in the emerging/emergent church movements) sin will not be identified as/for what it is . . . instead those things which are reprehensible to our Lord, Jesus Christ are simply brushed under the carpet, ignored, or actually viewed as tolerable behavior. Is everything really ok? In a futile attempt to recognize that God truly loves all humanity and genuinely desires for them to come to the knowledge of the truth, many church’s are indiscriminately and openly, without guilt, shame, or conviction, declaring that everyone is all right/ok.

How can this be when God alone, through His inerrant scripture defines good and evil, right and wrong, and according to Him, no one is spiritually ok? This is not a matter of one’s own opinion and feelings are certainly not able to determine an individual’s spiritual well-being. Instead, a commendable spiritual condition occurs through an objective and resolute commitment to the Lord, Jesus Christ, accompanied by adherence to His Word/Truth without reference to a particular social or cultural bias.

In/by/through the “fever heat of summer” David is being graciously disciplined by the Lord (see I Corinthians 11:32; Revelation 3:19) Who desires him to effectively and forthrightly deal with his sin. This simple, yet substantial action will result in the restoration of David’s spiritual fortitude, as well as his physical, spiritual and emotional healing (see Psalm 32:5-7).

Perhaps one should look at the heat of summer not as a restrictive, confining environment, but a catalyst in one’s life that spawns spiritual growth and stirs the development of godly character. No doubt, David matured through this process and even learned the benefit of the Lord’s disciplinary, yet merciful hand. How faithful is our Lord, who undeniably caused this “fever heat of summer” in David’s life so he could learn to deal with issues/sin promptly and resolutely. Therefore, when you’re basking or baking in this summer’s sun, remember that the Son provides tremendous opportunities for spiritual development in every situation and season of life. May we, as His children, fully embrace the indelible imprints of His firm, yet gracious and glorious grip/hand/touch in our lives.

There is always heat in the kitchen when something good is cookin’! – Pastor Frank