The theme of poor example finds its clearest illustration in the account of Rapha and his sons found in I Chronicles 20. Rapha, father of Goliath and several other giant sons, raised his children as men of war trained from youth to hate and fight against Israel. When Goliath was killed by David, a mere youth, this represented an unmistakable sign that a mightier God than the Philistine deity was at work. This was a moment when Rapha could have gathered his remaining sons and admitted that they were dealing with a God stronger than their own, urging them to seek peace with Israel rather than continued warfare. Instead, he provided no such correction. Rather than humbling himself and changing course after his first son's death, he allowed his sons to continue fighting Israel one by one, and each was killed in turn across separate wars. In effect, Rapha offered his own sons up as sacrifices to his pagan gods through repeated, futile conflict with Israel, teaching them nothing but violence and stubborn resistance to obvious truth. His sons, though adults capable of making their own decisions, also failed to break from this destructive pattern, choosing to follow the wrong path to their deaths. This account of poor paternal example stands in stark contrast to Ornan the Jebusite, whose sons hid in fear at the appearance of the angel of the Lord, while Ornan himself paused to assess the situation before humbly bowing before King David and offering everything needed for sacrifice. Despite belonging to a people who had warred against Israel for generations, Ornan had reached a point of recognizing the true God and Israel's chosen king, and he did not raise his own sons to hate or fight Israel as Rapha had done. The broader lesson drawn from this contrast centers on the critical importance of parental example. Verbal instruction alone is insufficient; parents must live out the values they attempt to teach, since actions carry more weight than words. Just as Rapha's failure to model humility and wisdom led his sons toward destruction, any parent who fails to embody honesty, loyalty, or godliness risks providing children with an excuse for their own failings. Yet this poor example does not excuse the choices of the children themselves—each of Rapha's sons was an adult capable of independent decision, and using a poor upbringing as a justification for continuing in wrongdoing is not acceptable. The ultimate corrective to any poor human example, whether from an earthly father or other role model, lies in looking to the perfect examples of God the Father and Jesus Christ, who never fail to embody the truths they teach.

The concept of poor example emerges throughout this material as the counterpoint to the credible, gentle, and gracious character God calls His people to display. A poor example is fundamentally marked by inconsistency between word and deed—when what a person believes conflicts with what their actions or speech suggest, credibility is damaged, making that person a false witness of God's way rather than a true one. This inconsistency includes deception, whether deliberate or unintentional, bearing false witness, refusing to admit mistakes or ignorance, and breaking promises, all of which cause others to feel cheated, forgotten, or unimportant. Poor example is also revealed through corrupt and careless speech. Words function as either weapons or tools, and destructive speech—rooted in bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice—corrupts relationships much as rotting fruit spoils. Idle talk, endless disputes, foolish arguments, and rambling conversation that benefits no one are described as loveless acts and a waste of spiritual energy. Similarly, poor listening—distracted, dismissive, or interrupting—reflects disrespect and a failure of common courtesy, showing that one's own words are valued above another's contribution. A significant example of poor conduct is drawn from the disciples James and John, nicknamed the "Sons of Thunder," who wished to call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that refused Jesus hospitality. Their ferocity was mistakenly thought to be appropriate zeal for God, but Jesus rebuked them, reminding them that He came not to destroy lives but to save them. This account illustrates how a harsh, vengeful spirit—rather than gentleness—represents a corruption of true Christian character. Poor example is further tied to worldly wisdom, described as earthly, sensual, and demonic, contrasted with wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, and full of mercy. Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil work follow. Loud, vehement, boastful speech is specifically noted as disqualifying a person from being trusted as a wise counselor, since true wisdom is calm, mild, and gentle. Society at large is also cited as fostering poor example through pop culture's erosion of civility, evident in hate speech, vulgarity, and disrespect—particularly on social media, where anger and rash words destroy relationships. Abraham Lincoln's practice of writing "hot letters" he never sent is offered as a model for avoiding this pitfall, contrasting restraint with the impulsive, damaging communication common today. Ultimately, poor example is depicted as a failure to imitate Christ, whose gentleness, meekness, humility, and self-sacrificial love stand as the perfect standard. Where His followers fall into pride, harshness, insincerity, or self-interest, they misrepresent both His character and God's way of life, undermining their calling to be genuine, credible examples to the world and to fellow believers alike.