Sound Mind Set

One of the aspects of Jesus’ life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples. Listen to Mark 1:35 … Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. This is one of those verses where you don’t need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it’s literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace. Let’s look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I’ll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her. Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being. When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don’t follow Christ's example in this? Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

While Revelation can certainly be a challenging book for us to understand, there are some very powerful passages of what we are promised as Christ-followers. Listen to Revelation 21:3-5 … I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” The next time you feel like you are never going to have enough and you may never get to the place you want to be, I want to encourage you to look past this life and remind yourself of your home in Heaven. One day, this life will be a blip on the radar of eternity. Listen to today’s passage in the Message Bible … I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. I want to close this week by allowing a few moments to reflect on Heaven. The peace, the provision, the protection. Close your eyes and envision the place that today’s passage described to you. …. The next time life is crashing down, close your eyes and recall this moment. And remember—no matter how things look now, God is making everything new. Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I look forward to the day when I get to experience no tears and no pain and everything being made new. Thank You for providing me with that hope, now and for eternity. As above, so below.”

Jesus taught some fascinating principles about the persistence we should have in prayer in Luke 11 … Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” There is so much in this passage. But what did you hear? How do these words challenge you to pray? And how should you change your prayers to match these principles? More persistence? More honesty? More expectation? A healthier perspective that God wants to bless you? Listen to this passage again in The Message Bible … Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ “The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ “But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need. “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?” So, how much do you ask? Seek? Knock? Do you pray one or two times and then assume you have already prayed for it? Or do you pray for fish but in your heart expect snakes? Jesus made a lot of promises to us here. Maybe we should start to take Him up on them? As you ruminate on this, let’s take some slow deep breaths once again. Breathe deep then slowly exhale and let go of your strife and stress. Move into the balance God offers you in this new day by trusting Him. Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, forgive me when I expect but don’t ask. Forgive me when I ask for fish but think you’re going to hand me a snake. Help me change my mind so You can change my heart. Let my prayers be like a child expecting good gifts from a Father. As above, so below.”

I want to encourage you that no matter how many times you have read or heard this passage, try to hear this today with new ears and a fresh heart. Listen to Matthew 15 … Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”  Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.” So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. Then Jesus sent the people home. (32-39 NLT) Today, in this moment, where are you lacking? Where is there not enough? The difference made in this story was Jesus being given what the people had. He will always be a Gentleman, so He will never take what is not handed over to Him. Wherever you are lacking, hand that over to Jesus right now in this moment. Listen to today’s passage in the Message Bible … But Jesus wasn’t finished with them. He called his disciples and said, “I hurt for these people. For three days now they’ve been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can’t send them away without a meal—they’d probably collapse on the road.” His disciples said, “But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?” Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” “Seven loaves,” they said, “plus a few fish.” At that, Jesus directed the people to sit down. He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. Everyone ate. They had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the leftovers. Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. Even though we live in this world, God also has His Kingdom here. He has His own economy. He has His own people. He has His own way of working. Ask Him to let you see your own version of this miracle and then believe Him for the rest. Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, this is such a crazy story, yet I know You can do anything You want. Please take the things in my life that I feel are subtracted and divided and add to them and multiply them in Your will. As above, so below.”

One of the greatest prayers in the New Testament was actually a cry for help to Jesus. An honest, vulnerable plea from a dad about his son’s hopeless dilemma. Listen to the story in Mark 9… One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief! (NLT) Of course, Jesus healed the boy and he was fully restored in front of the crowd. But think about this dad’s prayer. How many times have we all known that we believe God for something yet we also know we have doubts and struggles too? So our belief is in the same heart with our unbelief, somehow all mixed together. What if the very reason this story and this father’s plea was included in the Bible is to show us that God knows we battle faith and doubt so we should just be honest about our sense of what we lack. Listen again to the interaction between the dad and Jesus… Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief! Today, let’s go ahead and join this dad in our confession. Let’s get real about our belief and our unbelief. Be honest with God and ask for His help where we are struggling to believe Him. Because Jesus did heal the boy after the man’s full confession. And what do you think that did to the dad’s faith? Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I believe You in so many ways, but then, being honest, there are so many places where I struggle. Help me overcome my unbelief today. As above, so below.”

The idea of “having enough” is really about perspective, right? Saying we don’t have enough in the U.S. is a very different concept than not having enough in a third world country. Or maybe at some point in life, we have had a lot, and now there’s not nearly as much. Everything compares to when there were better days. I heard ex-pro ball player and sports analyst Charles Barkley talking about his childhood recently where he said, “I was raised by a single mom and we were very happy, so as a kid, I really didn’t realize we were poor.” … Perspective. So this week let’s do what we do here at Sound Mind Set and look for some biblical perspective from God’s Word on a tough topic. In 1 Kings 20, Syria was planning to attack Israel again. The Syrian leaders made this decision: Last time, Israel defeated us in the hills, so that’s the reason we lost. If we can fight them on flat land, in the valley between the mountains, we can win. Listen to verses 26-28 … “The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek. Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (1 Kings 20:26-28 NLT). In verses 29 and 30, we read that the Israelites were victorious and what was left of the Aramean army fled. We see God prove He is Lord, not only of the hills, but the valleys as well. Today, we can read a passage like this and think, “How ridiculous! Why would they excuse their defeat by thinking God is limited to certain areas? Why would they blame location?” Listen once again to the key part of this passage … Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Here’s how we often create this same scenario in our own lives… I believe He is God over my family, but I can’t trust Him with my finances. I believe He is God over my church, but not my career. I believe He will watch over my kids, but not my future. I believe He is God over forgiveness of sin, but He can’t heal my heart. I believe He blesses everyone I know—but not me. Do you see the God-of-the-hills-but-not-the-valleys syndrome that we can so easily create? The limitations we place on a limitless God? The way we apply faith in one area and not another? Where are you most struggling with believing God? I want to encourage you to take a few minutes and talk to Him. Be honest with Him about how you feel and why you are struggling.  Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please help me to remember that You are God everywhere in my life—my mountains and my valleys. Show me Your power in my weakest places. As above, so below.”

Today, I want us to take a close and honest look at where we are spiritually. Guiding our kids spiritually starts with us, in our life. Here’s a question … was there a time in your life when you were closer to Christ? When was that? Why were you closer then? What happened? Regardless of your answer, what will it take for you to grow and mature to the next place God has for you? Listen to Hebrews 6:1-3 … So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. Now, granted, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement are some heady topics, but we don’t need to miss the real point of the passage: Don’t keep re-learning what you already know. Don’t go backwards spiritually. Move forward and grow. Listen to today’s passage in the Message Bible … So come on, let’s leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it! What has to happen for you to grow in Jesus? Can we ask Him to reveal what He wants to lead you in growth, what might a next step, a new area of focus be? What needs to happen for you to help your kids grow with you? That, my friend, is your next step. Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to be solid in what I know to be true about You and then start (or keep) growing and maturing in You. Help me to be constantly moving forward to a new place in You and taking my kids with me. As above, so below.”

Today, I want to focus on a very simple yet profound statement that I hope you will memorize and repeat as needed. What I allow God to transform in me, I will be able to transfer to my children. Let’s repeat that … What I allow God to transform in me, I will be able to transfer to my children Listen to Paul in Romans 12:1-2 … Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Notice how God transforms us into a new person … by changing the way we think. And the way God thinks is opposite of the world. Listen to this passage again in The Message Bible … So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. If changing your thinking can transform you, what needs to change about your thinking? How does God want to transform you by changing the way you think? And how will that transformation positively transform your children? Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, change my mind. Change my heart. Help me to be shaped by You and not the world. And please help me to stay motivated to grow in You for the sake of my kids. As above, so below.”

A huge part of training our children in the ways of God is, first, not being afraid to do it in a culture that is going in the opposite direction. And two, is to be confident that, regardless of your past and whatever has happened in your family, God wants you to teach your kids. Let go of your fears. Let go of the “who am I to teach anyone about God?” lies. Please know that in Christ you have all you need to take your children wherever God wants you all to go. Listen to Psalm 34:1-4 … Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!  Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. Is it time for you to believe that you will have all that you need? Can you say it aloud - I have all that I need today Is it time for you to believe that you lack no good thing? Can you say it - Thank you Father, I lack no good thing Listen to part of today’s passage in the Message … Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God. Come, children, listen closely; I’ll give you a lesson in God worship. Who out there has a lust for life? Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty? As we are halfway through this week, what are you sensing from God in our time together? As you hear His Word? What is He saying to you? What is saying to you about your kids? Whatever you sense God is saying, follow that. And point your kids in the same direction. And always remember—it’s a relationship, not a religion. Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please deepen me in my relationship with You. For me, but for my kids. As above, so below.”

The old saying goes: “We can’t take anyone any farther than we are.” I can’t teach you things that I don’t know. I can tell you, but I can’t teach you. So, that is a challenge for us that if we want our kids to grow deep in Christ, we will have to go deep first. Listen to Psalm 25:4-10 … Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. (NLT) So much of the Psalms we can pray as our own prayers. Imagine praying these words. Doing what these verses say. Imagine our kids seeing us do these things and choosing to follow. Listen to The Message in these same verses … Show me how you work, God; School me in your ways. Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren’t you? Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God; Rebuild the ancient landmarks! Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, God! God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, Sends them in the right direction. He gives the rejects his hand, And leads them step-by-step. From now on every road you travel Will take you to God. Follow the Covenant signs; Read the charted directions. The scripture says - Show me how you work, God; School me in your ways. Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. Let me ask you, How teachable are you right now? So often we get stuck in the way we have always done something that we fail to see new possibilities. Can you ask God right now to show you areas that you may need to be schooled in His ways? And ask him to take you by your hand and lead you down the path of truth, open your eyes to His way of seeing things? Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, show me how you work. School me in your ways. Take me by the hand. Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior. As above, so below.”