Sound Mind! (2)

'...God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

The second step to a sound mind is: Start saying what God says about you in His Word. Words matter, especially when they’re God’s words! Look around you; everything in creation was first a word that was thought and spoken by God. ‘Then God said, “Let there be…And it was so.”’ (Genesis 1:14–15 NIV) His words contain the power of who He is. So when you believe and speak God’s Word, you’re connecting with His mighty creative ‘Logos’. Why is it necessary to speak God’s Word and not just think it? First, because hearing yourself speaking God’s Word is a powerful reinforcer. Second, because you remember what you recite. Third, because the enemy hears you. When Jesus spoke God’s Word to Satan in the wilderness temptation, he fled (Matthew 4:11).

The third step to a sound mind: Act on what God says about you. God has given you ‘a sound mind’—that means you’re a good thinker. Now, if you really believed that, what would you do that you’re not doing now? How big a step of faith would you be willing to take? God has given you the ability to ‘love’. If you really be-lieved that, how would you demonstrate your love for God and others? Would you begin or resume giving to your church? Would you forgive someone who has hurt you? Would you serve others instead of being self–absorbed? Nothing builds your faith like acting on God’s Word. Take these steps and it will change the way you believe about yourself and God’s Word. You are loved!

Sound Minds!

'...God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Good Morning,
Let me encourage you today. No matter what others say about you, God says you have ‘a sound mind’! Many people live their lives believing that they’re intellectually inferior—born that way, and will always be that way. When I was young my father would always tell me I was stupid. The problem with believing this is that you begin to live accordingly. Not because it’s true—but because you be-lieve it’s true! God created us so that whatever we really believe, we act on. So our self–concept becomes a self–fulfilling prophecy. For example, we may act stupidly because we believe we’re stupid, or we may act wisely because we believe we’re wise. So we must choose to believe God’s opinion of what we are, and by faith adapt our actions accordingly, until His opinion becomes our opinion! The Bible calls this ‘…the renewing of your mind…’ (Romans 12:2 NKJV) This calls for an attitude transformation that I talked about yesterday; and it can begin with a few small steps. Step 1: Choose to believe what God says about you. Every outcome begins with a choice—an act of your will. No matter what your emotions say, choose to ‘…let God be true, but every man [and every contrary emotion] a liar…’ (Romans 3:4 NKJV) Whatever you’ve said about yourself previously, or whatever others have said, God says He has not given you an attitude of fear, ‘…but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’ He has ‘given’ it to you, but you must choose to believe and receive His gift of ‘…power, love and a sound mind.’ Memorize it, and meditate on it until it takes root in you. You are loved!

Overlook the Flaws

'...Love covers a multitude of sins.' 1 Peter 4:8 NLT
A person’s sense of self–worth is often based on the reactions, positive or negative, of those around them. So your words and attitudes can literally build them up or tear someone down. Dr Paul Brand was a flight surgeon during World War II. He tells in one of his books of a man named Peter Foster, a Royal Air Force pilot. Foster flew a Hurricane, a fighter plane with a design flaw: the single–propeller engine was mounted in the front, and the fuel lines ran past the cockpit. In a direct hit, the pilot would instantly be engulfed in flames before he could eject. The consequences were often tragic. Some RAF pilots caught in that inferno would undergo ten or twenty surgeries to reconstruct their faces. Peter Foster was one of those downed pilots whose face was burned beyond recognition. But Foster had the support of his family and the love of his fiancée. She assured him that nothing had changed except a few millimeters of skin. Two years later they were married. Foster said of his wife, ‘She became my mirror. She gave me a new image of myself. When I look at her, she gives me a warm, loving smile that tells me I’m ok.’ Your marriage, and other valued relationships in your life, ought to work that same way too—even when disfigurement has not occurred. It should be like a mutual admiration society that builds each other’s self–esteem, and overlooks flaws that could otherwise be destructive. There’s a Biblical word for this kind of commitment: it’s called love.

Faith Walker 2

'...We walk by faith, not by sight.' 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

If you have ever flown in a airplane, you must decide to fly to a certain destination. It would be nice to just hop on the plane and go somewhere, but for most of us it doesn't work that way.

(1) You must identify the right airline and flight schedule that will get you to your intended destination.

(2) The plane must operate on a timetable that tells you when it’s leaving and when it’s arriving, and that the pilot has the route worked out in advance.

(3) The airline has to set a price you can afford to pay. Then they put your name in a computer, and everything is ready to go. However, here’s what’s not going to happen when you arrive at the airport. You’re not going to ask them to explain how the plane works; what buttons the pilot plans to push and what the equipment will do when he or she pushes them. You’re not going to check on the route they plan to take, or ask how fast they plan to fly, or how high, or whether the pilot plans to fly by manual control or autopilot. You’re not going to argue about the price after you’ve already made your reservation and paid your fare. Why? Because you’re confident that the equipment is sound and the pilot is experienced; you know you’ll safely reach your destination. You say, ‘What if the plane goes down?’ If you’re a redeemed child of God, you go up! ‘…to depart, and to be with Christ …is far better.’ (Philippians 1:23 NKJV) Either way, you win. Basically, you put your trust in the plane, the pilot, and the airline. Today God is asking you to do the same with Him—no more and no less! You are Loved!

Faith Walker

'...We walk by faith, not by sight.' 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV
Was thinking about how we learn to walk by faith this morning. Yesterday I was enjoying our guests from Teen challenge; they did a drama, some testimonies, and 10 minutes later, he says here you go. I had communicated to them they had 30 minutes; but there I was mustering up the faith asking God to give me a message I had not prepared for. think about this for a moment, a blind man with a guide dog ‘walks by faith’ in his dog. He believes that what the dog sees will be translated into a signal that tells him when it’s time to go, stop, turn right or left. And he picks up on those signals by holding the harness that connects him with the dog. Why does he trust the dog? Because it has something he doesn’t have: sight. And it’s the same with you and God. Today it might be unclear where God is taking you. That’s why the blind man must hold the harness and stay con-nected to the dog. He may wonder, ‘Why am I stopping at this corner so long?’ Because there’s traffic coming and he’s being protected from unseen danger. God says, ‘I will bring the blind by a way they did not know…I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.’ (Isaiah 42:16 NKJV) God has your tomorrow already planned out, even though you haven’t been there yet. He works outside of time, so He’s not held back by the limitations we labor with. Paul writes, ‘I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future He has called you to share…I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him. It is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honour at God’s right hand…’ (Ephesians 1:18–20 TLB) You are Loved!

The Huddle

'I appeal to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another...' 1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV

This morning as I was thinking about what to say, something from my past jumped out at me. To lead your family effectively, you need to learn how to huddle regularly. When I worked for Safeway we used to do the Huddle. The ‘huddle’ is where a team: (1) sets its goals; (2) discusses the division of responsibilities; (3) tackles the issues that determine whether it wins or loses. Parent, even though you call the plays from overhead, your family must be taught how to accomplish them on the field. That means working through things, talking through the disagreements, motivating and appreciating each member. It's what we try to inspire in the church. So try to listen with an open heart. Don’t just hear what your children say, try to understand how they feel. Yes, you’re the boss, and yes, you can try to enforce your will if you want to. But sooner or later you’ll have trouble, for resentment grows when people feel left out. Every member of your team has got to be part of the decision–making process. Involve them! Ask God to help you look beyond what you want to what’s best for all of you. And don’t fall under the spell of instant gratification. What looks good to you today could be taking you off the path to a better tomorrow. And don’t let ‘outsiders’ into your huddle. Tell them to stay in their own. Too often their opinions are based on hearsay, self–interest or jealousy. Respect the privacy of your team. Build loyalty. Huddle regularly in prayer. When you do that, everybody wins! You are loved!

Overcoming Doubt

'...If you have faith and do not doubt...' Matthew 21:21 NIV


Doubt is a doorway through which Satan enters your life. It causes the ‘fight of faith’ to become the ‘flight of faith’. When fear, confusion, discouragement and despair take up residence within you, they rob you of confidence, joy and peace. But isn’t doubting just human? Of course it is and it’s also Satan’s ploy! ‘…whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given…’ (1 John 5:10 NIV) Your doubts reveal a lack of confidence in what God says. So how can you stop doubting? The same way you deal with other sin—by acknowledging you have a problem and doing something about it. Doubt cannot be conquered by reason or even resistance; it will only submit to complete relinquishment. Trying to overcome your doubts one by one is like an alcoholic trying to reduce his or her alcohol intake one drink at a time. It doesn’t work. The solution is two–fold. (1) It begins with a once–for–all decision. It calls for a total relinquishing of your right to doubt anything God promised. It’s saying, ‘From now on, I will not doubt God!’ It’s believing that when you surrender a thing to Him, He takes it and deals with it. (2) By faith declare, ‘Lord, I absolutely trust Your every Word!’ Will doubt come knocking again at your door? Yes, but instead of letting it in, ‘...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’ (Ephesians 6:16 NIV) Don’t fret, wrestle, or reason with your doubts. Instead, repeat your Scriptural declaration of faith, disregard your feelings, and trust God to do what He says. You are Loved!