Point # 1 Christian, don’t think something strange is happening when you face suffering in this life. God disciplines his children (3-6).

a) In the midst of life’s hardships, consider Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners (3).
b) In your struggle against sin you have not yet shed your blood (4).
c) Remember the scriptures: the Lord disciplines and chastens everyone he accepts as a child (5-6).

Point # 2 Christian, we glory in our sufferings because we know what it produces in us (7-11).

a) The necessity of parental discipline (7-8)
b) The right response to it (9)
c) The benefits of nurture through divine discipline (10-11).

Point # 3 A call to Christian action in the face of suffering - individually, and as a church (12-13).