{"id":969,"date":"2023-09-01T06:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T11:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/?p=969"},"modified":"2023-08-30T03:20:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:20:52","slug":"exhortation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/exhortation\/","title":{"rendered":"Exhortation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-aligncenter\"><a class=\"fusion-button button-flat fusion-button-default-size button-custom fusion-button-default button-1 fusion-button-default-span fusion-button-default-type fusion-has-button-gradient\" style=\"--button_accent_color:#000000;--button_accent_hover_color:#000000;--button_border_hover_color:#000000;--button_gradient_top_color:#dead36;--button_gradient_bottom_color:rgba(222,173,54,0.85);--button_gradient_top_color_hover:rgba(222,173,54,0.85);--button_gradient_bottom_color_hover:#dead36;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Flourish-Sep-2023_French.pdf\"><span class=\"fusion-button-text\">\u2022\u2022T\u00e9l\u00e9chargez les documents en fran\u00e7ais\u2022\u2022<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>Imagine an experienced guide taking a group of hikers up a mountain. Their goal is to reach the summit safely. The guide helps the hikers to know where they are so they don\u2019t get lost. Along the path, the guide gives advice to the hikers about how to avoid dangers and overcome difficult terrain. He makes sure they are taking proper safety precautions. And when the hikers are tired and weary, the guide encourages them to keep going, saying, \u201cThe view from the summit will be worth all the effort! Don\u2019t give up!\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>This is exhortation!<\/h4>\n<p>The Greek word for exhortation is paraklesis. It is also translated as encouragement, teaching, comfort, admonishment (correction) and appeal. Indeed, exhortation encompasses all those things. Exhortation is often understood as a way to uplift or help someone to continue by pointing out the positive, as well as by guiding and correcting.<\/p>\n<p>As people of God, we are called to give exhortation to each other. The author of Hebrews describes the book as a \u2018word of exhortation\u2019 (Hebrews 13:22). Paul also uses the word paraklesis 19 times in his letters. This is because, in his letters, he gives a lot of correction and warning; he speaks truth to strengthen his readers in areas where they are weak; he warns them about situations that may be harmful to them.<\/p>\n<p>Exhortation can sometimes be difficult to hear, but it is always for our good. We need it to grow so we become the person God wants us to be. Can you imagine what would happen if the hikers didn\u2019t like the exhortation of their guide and decided to ignore it?<\/p>\n<p>The reason Paul was able to give strong exhortations in his letters was because of the relationships that he had built with the churches. What about us? Are we taking the time to build relationships and really understand and support each other so that, when the time comes, we could give exhortations that would encourage, teach, comfort, strengthen, and correct?<\/p>\n<p>In our devotion this month, we will look at several key passages about paraklesis and consider how we can incorporate exhortation into our work, ministry, and relationships at RW.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-aligncenter\"><a class=\"fusion-button button-flat fusion-button-default-size button-custom fusion-button-default button-2 fusion-button-default-span fusion-button-default-type fusion-has-button-gradient\" style=\"--button_accent_color:#000000;--button_accent_hover_color:#000000;--button_border_hover_color:#000000;--button_gradient_top_color:#dead36;--button_gradient_bottom_color:rgba(222,173,54,0.85);--button_gradient_top_color_hover:rgba(222,173,54,0.85);--button_gradient_bottom_color_hover:#dead36;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Flourish-Sep-2023_English.pdf\"><span class=\"fusion-button-text\">\u2022\u2022Download the Devotions\u2022\u2022<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spiritual-growth","category-leadership-skills"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=969"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":973,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969\/revisions\/973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}