Sound Mind Set

Psalm 77:11-15I will remember the deeds of the Lord;    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.I will consider all your works    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”Your ways, God, are holy.    What god is as great as our God?You are the God who performs miracles;    you display your power among the peoples.With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.There is a Hebrew word that shows up often in the Bible; the word is  ZAKAR, meaning remember. Often when God had provided a way through or a victory, people who witnessed it would stop what they were doing, and build an altar to celebrate the faithfulness of God. Jesus, on his last night with his disciples before his crucifixion, told us all to do this very thing. To take the bread and the cup in remembrance of him. There’s more to this practice than just calling back to mind something that has happened. It is ruminating on the faithfulness of God that anchors us. Can you think of a situation where you didn’t see a way through, where you had come to the end of yourself, but God came through? Take a moment and put yourself back in that situation of desperation, feel the doubt, feel the fear, and now remember what it felt like when you realized things were going to be OK... when you saw God come through. Ruminate on what it felt like for God to deliver, and know that that same power is available to you right now, whatever you are facingLet’s pray together: “Father, help me to commit myself to the act of remembrance. To remember Your faithful power that I have seen at work in my life. Help me to hold on to that awareness when I come into situations where I don’t know what to do. As above, so below”

Psalm 107:1-9Oh, thank God—he’s so good!    His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world!    Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place,    from the four winds, from the seven seas.Some of you wandered for years in the desert,    looking but not finding a good place to live, Half-starved and parched with thirst,    staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.    He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road    that took you straight to a good place to live. So thank God for his marvelous love,    for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great drafts of water down parched throats;    the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.This is a beautiful Psalm about the goodness of God. So many times in life, we can feel knocked around by circumstances. Feeling overwhelmed by the demands, the responsibilities and the challenges that we all face, can sometimes take our focus off the goodness of God . This Psalm has 34 more verses just like the ones we’ve read. Over and over, describing God coming to our aid in difficult circumstances and challenges. The common thread of all these verses explains the only thing that we are responsible for is calling out to him… and he comes through. Take a moment to realize the goodness of God in your life is just a request away. Crying out to him doesn’t always result in us getting our way, but it does lead us to an abundant life, even amid the circumstances that we find ourselves in. That abundant life is God's goodness, and we can be expectant that he delivers His abundance, peace, and reassurance if we just cry out for him. Be aware that his goodness and presence are all around you regardless of your circumstance.PRAYFather thank you for your goodness which always comes through. Please help me to be patient. Help me to be aware and expectant that amid whatever challenge I find myself in, your abundance… your goodness is always available. As above, so below.

Today our scripture reading is from Colossians 3:15-17 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Having a spirit of gratitude is one of the most powerful tools that God has given us. The act of giving thanks, of feeling gratitude can actually change our brain chemistry. No matter what situation you find yourself in, there’s always something around you worth giving thanks for. It may be a small thing, it may be a significant thing. Every day we wake up with a choice. That choice is what we focus on. We can focus on a sense of lack, or what we’re missing, or we can choose to find and focus on those things we are grateful for. And allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts. Can you think of one thing that you are grateful for ?Maybe its a person, something that has happened, or something that is a blessing - like health, or provision.Focus on that one thing and everything about that one thing that you are grateful for. Feel it in your body, feel the gratitude and worship Your father in the spirit of gratitude.Pray with me: “Father I have so much to be grateful for. Help me to work into the discipline of choosing to be grateful, of choosing to find things to give thanks for. Let your peace rule in my heart. As above So Below. ”

2 Corinthians 12:5-10….I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.When we look at our lives, they are full of victories and full of setbacks. In these verses, Paul clarifies the true source of strength. God's strength. He also speaks of ‘a thorn in the flesh’, placed there to keep him from being conceited. It’s interesting to reframe the challenges in our life, failures in our life, and seeing even those play a divine purpose in our lives. What area of your life feels weak right now? What is the difficulty in your life right now?"When I am weak, then I am strong."This message is countercultural to our society which preaches self-reliance. Can you admit your weakness to God right now?Ask for him to give you not only the strength to make it through but also the awareness that in your weakness, He is strong, Turning all things for your good and His gloryLet’s pray: “Holy Father, thank you for your power that shines in my weakness. I confess my failings, I confess my weakness, and I acknowledge those areas of struggle and hardship in the very areas where are you are shining brightest through me.”

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.”

Discipling our kids comes in two forms—taught and caught. We need to teach them about our faith, how to have a relationship with Christ, and the value of God’s Word. But what is so crucial is to allow them to catch us living out our faith in front of them. Honestly, the “taught” part is often easier than the “caught”. Because it’s more of a “don’t do as I do, do as I say” thing. But God wants to use our kids in our lives to make us more like Jesus just as much as He wants to use us in their lives.Proverbs 22:6 is an often-quoted verse that offers us a clear command but also makes a promise. A promise … not a guarantee.Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. (NLT) Let’s take the verse apart … Direct your children … to direct, you have to be engaged, either beside them or leading them.Onto the right path … in light of being in the Bible, the right path is the one that leads toward God.And when they are older …. Kids are easier to influence when they are young. Leading in the right direction toward God at a young age builds a foundation for later.They will not leave it … again, this can’t be a guarantee because people walk away from their faith, or refuse it. But let’s think of it this way: our job is to pour God into our kids, so later, He can use our influence in their hearts.Listen once again, this time in The Message … Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost.So a great place to start on discipling your kids in spiritual training is simply to keep asking: Where am I pointing my kids? And then to ask: Is my “caught” pointing the same place as my “taught”?What is way I can point my kids in the right direction this week?What is something that should shift in my day to day walk that would provide an opportunity for my kids to catch me walking in faith?Need to make some adjustments? That’s okay, God’s grace and mercy is there to make all the adjustments you need to make, for you and your kids.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I need You to teach me what you need my kids to know about You. Lead me when I pray. Guide me in Your Word. Help me to catch all I can from you in any way I possibly can. As above, so below.”

Today, as we close out our focus on the illusion of control and the reality of God being in control, especially in the area of our parenting and connected relationships, a fair question for us to ask is this: “Okay, God, if You are in control, when will you take total control? Like take away all our false ideas and futile attempts to be in control for ourselves?”Listen once again to Paul, this time in Philippians 3:20-21 … But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. (NLT) So we live in a time when God offers His control of our lives as a choice. One option among thousands. But when we choose Him, two things become a reality. First, we live on the earth, but our citizenship changes to Heaven. And second, we live for the day when the choices end and He takes everything over. Whether we die first or He comes back, we will witness Him “bringing everything under His control.” Meanwhile, today, right now, no matter how tough life gets, no matter how unfair life may seem, we can choose Him, choose His power, choose Heaven.Listen to today’s passage in the Message Bible … But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.This week, how did your view of personal control change?How did your view of God being in control change?And, as always, the biggest question for any of us, what do you need to give up and give God for your best and your kids best?Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You for the hope and the promise, whether here or in Heaven, that the best is always yet to come. Please help me to remember that truth when everything seems to go wrong and I want to give up. Just help me to give it to You. As above, so below.”