by leaps and bounds

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).

Back in the Dark Ages (LOL), I remember learning to write in cursive. At first, I wrote too large. My teacher corrected me. Then, I wrote too small. So, my teacher corrected me and worked with me until I did much better.

Did my teacher correct me because she was mean? Did she dislike children? No! She corrected me because she cared about my education and about me as a person.

God corrects us through His Word. He does this because He cares about us and our eternity. We can see and hear His heart in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In our day, sometimes people are offended if ministers preach anything that even sounds negative. However, Scripture is useful for correction and training.

Paul, in I Corinthians 9:27, wrote: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” It seems to me that he saw a need for caution and improvement in his life. Surely, there is room for improvement in my life- what about yours?

The next time you hear a pastor mention things like sin and sanctification out of a heart of concern, remember he or she is trying to help you or someone around you. Speaking for myself as a minister, I am far from mean. Speaking for myself, I truly love God’s people. I also love lost people and if mentioning sin will help them acknowledge sin and accept Jesus, then I will do it. Then, best of all, I will watch God set them free from sin and change them so they can live righteously before Him.

This is the whole purpose of God’s Word. He intends the Word to help us- not to harm us.

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.