Faith Matters Podcast

#470 - Reset Your Mind; Day 5 - Put It Into Practice

Put It Into PracticeAfter 21 days of rewriting thought, you have wiped out the toxic thought and replaced it with positive, productive thought. Here’s how we change our lives. — Dr. Caroline LeafMatthew 4:1-11 tells about the devil tempting Jesus when He was in the wilderness for 40 days. During that time, Jesus went without food. The devil knew He was weak, and he tempted Jesus to turn from God. With each attack from the devil, Jesus responded with the Word of God. Even though He went without physical sustenance for 40 days, He survived and thrived spiritually. Because Jesus spent time with His Father, He knew the truth. He was prepared for this temptation. We can’t live in freedom if we constantly allow our toxic thoughts to monopolize our thinking. The best way to battle them is by applying Scripture, because that will strengthen us in our own battle. We must gear up ahead of time and not try to do this once we’re in the battle. Soldiers don’t look for their weapons when the bullets are flying. They are prepared—ahead of time and at all times. So, let’s prepare ourselves by putting our minds to the test and choosing to capture toxic thoughts instead of entertaining them. And once we do that, we end that lie that has held us hostage by declaring God’s truth. This is how we live free of toxic thoughts.But it is also true that if we will fix our thoughts on Jesus and live our lives to honor Him, the need for having to test and capture our thoughts will decrease. The author of The Message paraphrase encourages us at the end of Philippians 4:8 to fill our minds with “the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” We must continually be filling our minds with things that bring life. We must look for the good. For when we do, we’ll find it.ReflectOn Day 3, you listed a recurring, toxic thought that you needed to take captive and hopefully, you found a verse to combat that thought. Continue to do this for 21 days. Note the victory you’ve found after this. Make this practice a part of your day everyday until this toxic thought no longer overpowers you.Now, list a second toxic thought you have and find a verse to combat that lie. Follow the same plan as you did for the first lie. Continue this practice over every toxic thought that attempts to rule over you.

#469 - Reset Your Mind; Day 4 - Fix Your Thoughts

Fix Your Thoughts When we fill our thoughts with the right things, the wrong ones have no room to enter. — Joyce Meyer Testing our thoughts and learning to take them captive is a huge part of the mental battle we have with our thoughts. So, when we can learn to do that as a regular practice, we will gain control over our thoughts. But what if we chose to be more proactive with our thoughts in order to prevent reacting later on? There will still be thoughts that have to be tested and taken captive, of course. For we are not perfect. We can, however, choose to follow through with Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:2 NIV, which says, “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” In setting our minds on “things above” we will have less thoughts that need testing and being taken captive.When we set our minds, we are striving for something and directing our mind toward a certain thing. This verse says we shouldn’t set our minds on earthly things. Those “earthly things” usually distract us and cause our thoughts to keep us from God’s best. There are plenty of things we see every day that are out of our control. But, much of what we see can be prevented. What we put in front of our eyes is a big deal. If you feel that you have too many toxic thoughts, what is it that could be causing them? Could it be things on TV, social media, or the news? It’s wise to analyze the things we are viewing daily and ask God to show us what would be a good thing to decrease or eliminate altogether. Much like we need to watch what we put in front of our eyes, we also need to consider what is going into our ears. What we hear affects our thoughts just as much as what we see. Have you noticed what types of music, books, or podcasts possibly cause toxic thoughts in your mind? Are there things you need to include, not just remove, that will build you up and help create healthy thoughts instead? Instead of focusing on and setting our sights on things that could cause toxic thoughts, let’s be proactively mindful of what we choose to put in front of us. When we choose things that honor God and keep us pure in heart, we will have less thoughts to test and take captive. ReflectWhat tends to be your struggle? What you watch or what you listen to?List the biggest thing you need to eliminate from what you normally watch or listen to. Chances are you already know what that is. Give it up for 21 days and see what a difference you see in your thought life.

#468 - Reset Your Mind; Day 3 - Capture Your Thoughts

Capture Your ThoughtsTaking thoughts captive means controlling them instead of letting them control you. — Priscilla ShirerWe were created in the image of God, and we are His masterpieces. What would our lives be like if we lived like we believed that truth? The biggest reason we don’t is because we have let toxic thoughts run rampant in our minds. We can’t let them dictate our lives—we must choose to capture our thoughts. Taking our thoughts captive will be one of the toughest battles we engage in. It’s so much easier to just entertain the toxic thought. The effort comes when we engage in the battle. Even if we entertain the thought, we can still take it captive. It truly is better to do it late than never. When the Bible says to take our thoughts captive, that means we have the power to do something about it. As Christians, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can manage our thoughts. Here’s an example: let’s say there’s someone in your life you need to forgive. Every day, you remember what they did to you. You can’t seem to let it go or heal from it. You might start to have thoughts like, “I don’t really need to forgive this person” or “What they did to me is unforgivable.” These are the toxic thoughts you must take captive. Recognize that it is causing you to inner turmoil. Then, choose truth from God’s Word. You might even pray, “God, I’m choosing to push this thought aside instead of entertaining it. I know you have forgiven me of so much in my life. Help me to extend the same forgiveness to this person.”And then you do it again and again and again until it “takes.” You’ll know healing is occurring when you look back on the situation and the sting of pain isn’t as intense. You will see it as something that happened to you—past tense—not something that is happening to you—present tense.Why is it important that we stop those thoughts? Because they go against God’s best and prevent us from living joy-filled lives. In order to spend our mental energy on things that build up instead of tear down.So they won’t control our minds, which in turn control our actions. Every day is a new day. We get a new set of hours to live the lives that will bring glory to God and joy to our souls. We just have to recognize that and wake up with a newfound determination to be the boss of our thoughts, not the other way around. ReflectWhat is a recurring, toxic thought that you need to start taking captive today? Call it what it is—a lie.Find a verse that will blast that lie. When you think that thought, capture it and speak the verse aloud. Do this as often as you need.

#467 - Reset Your Mind; Day 2 - Test Your Thoughts

Test Your Thoughts The thoughts you keep in a loop determine the direction of your life. — Steven Furtick We have a lot of thoughts every day. In fact, many experts believe we think somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts per day. That averages out to 2,500 to 3,300 per hour. Remarkable, isn’t it? It would be great if our thoughts were all good. But many of them are negative and toxic. The good news is that we have a guide to help us test our thoughts. Philippians 4:8 is a great test as to whether we should think about something. The verse tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Consider each word listed below. TrueOne of the most important things to consider about our thoughts is, “Are they true?” Too often our thoughts are just not true. We need to focus on what is authentic, real, and lines up with God's Word.NobleBecause we are children of God, we’re in the highest of ranks! Our thoughts should be royal and regal. Not in an arrogant way but in not allowing ourselves to think in an unkind or repulsive manner.RightSo many people want to be right—to be the one who is never wrong. But often, we don’t allow that desire for being right to permeate our thoughts. Thinking right thoughts means allowing accuracy and appropriateness to guide us.PureTo be pure in heart and thought is not as difficult as it seems. It’s simply choosing to think on ethical, good, upright, and honest things. LovelyThis is a word that isn’t used much, but it should be. To think lovely thoughts means to see the beautiful and stunning in life and allow our minds to think upon those things. AdmirableTo be admired is something most people want. But do we want admirable thoughts? Thoughts that are credible and distinguished and allow us to live in such a way that is commendable. ExcellentThe best of the best is what excellent is. When our thoughts are excellent, they are superb, exceptional, and fabulous. Excellent thoughts lead us to live excellent lives.Worthy of praiseWhat thoughts are worthy of praise? Thoughts about God. His ways, His plans, and His creation, to name a few. It’s safe to say that when our thoughts are on Him, that’s a good thing. We can test our thoughts every day. As we do this, eventually we won’t have to test many of our thoughts because we will already know if they meet up to the standards in Philippians 4:8. We will never be able to adjust every negative thought that approaches our awareness, but we can certainly try to free our minds from toxic thinking…one thought at a time.ReflectWrite out Philippians 4:8 in three different Bible versions and compare them. Ask God for insight

#466 - Reset Your Mind; Day 1 - Mind Renovation

Mind RenovationWe’ve probably all heard how much our thoughts impact our lives. While theologians, leaders, authors, self-help gurus, and CEOs may have different viewpoints about life and politics, most agree that our thoughts are incredibly important and dictate the trajectory of our lives. Take a look at some popular quotes:“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Teddy Roosevelt“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius “Our thoughts make us what we are.” — Dale Carnegie The Apostle Paul challenges us at the beginning of Romans 12 to “not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” The Greek word for the word renewing is anakainōsis and it literally means renovation. So, according to this verse, our transformation occurs when our mind undergoes a renovation. We know that a renovation happens when someone wants to change the appearance of their home or business. Maybe it’s because something is broken or damaged or perhaps it just needs to be updated. A mind renovation is similar.What kind of renovation does your mind need? Maybe you’re still focused on the broken and damaged thoughts you’ve been thinking for years. It could be that you’ve been playing an outdated recording in your mind that someone said to you during your childhood. Do you find yourself constantly complaining? Is it easier for you to fixate on the things that could go wrong in your life? Are you jealous and envious of others and how their lives seem better than yours? Do you feel overwhelmed and defeated by how you view yourself? Whether we usually have a positive outlook on life or we struggle every day with what our minds obsess over, we could all use some guidance when it comes to our thoughts. Often, we refer to unwanted thoughts as negative or bad, but what they really are is toxic. While many of our thoughts may not have much value, plenty do. Some are incredible thoughts that impact others for the better, while many of our thoughts are bent toward the negative. So, it’s true that we can’t change every thought that needs changing, we can think about our thoughts and attempt to change the ones that are toxic. Over the next four days, we will learn how to test our thoughts, capture toxic thoughts, fix our thoughts on Jesus, and make a plan to put it into practice.ReflectThink about your most common thoughts. How do they make you feel? In what area of your thought life do you need a renovation?

#462 - Faith Matters - A Lesson on Socialism

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this seventh sermon in his series, True Colors.Acts 4:32-3632 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),Acts 4:32-36 NASB1995Venezuela is proof that socialism is a bad idea with 96% of the citizens living below the poverty level. Socialism is more than a bad idea, but the Bible does have something to say about it.Although socialism has never actually worked over a sustained period of time, many Americans seem to embrace, especially people under 30. Right now surveys say that 40% of the American public has a somewhat positive view of socialism, but startlingly the under 30 group 60% say it is very positive.What is drawing a younger generation to socialism? First, the promise of FREE: free health care, free college tuition, ect. Let’s confront that with reality: nothing in life is free! It is an immutable law of the universe. It’s free to you because someone else paid for it.Secondly, we need to face the reality that the church as failed the poor. When many people under the age of 30 look around, what they see many times is churches that seem to have plenty that don’t do anything to respond to the plight of the poor. Jesus talked about the poor and the Bible repeatedly tells us how to respond to those who have less.1. What is Marxism?And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.Acts 2:44-45Some say the church is a socialist organization, based on Acts 2, but here are a couple of reasons why this argument is faulty.They sold THEIR property. Private property is a protected right in the Bible.They were GIVING is strictly voluntary. Socialism takes whereas Christianity gives.Socialism is a softer word for Marxism. This philosophy is incideous It is beginning to work it’s way into every facet of our lives.Marxism is anti-God. Marx was an atheist, calling religion the opiate to keep the masses from rising up. “He had the devil’s view of the world and the devil’s malignity. Sometimes he seemed to know that he was accomplishing the work of evil.” ~ Robert PayneMarxism leads to dictatorship. Freedom and Marxism can not coexist for long. Socialist countries always move to stifle disagreement and dissent with the party line. They offer you free stuff, but the price of that free stuff is your freedom.Marxism is divisive. Divide and conquer is a Marxist idea. Marx believed the only way he could succeed with his philosophy was to create a division between the oppressors and the oppressed. “In todays cultural Marxism in our country, the exploited divide is race. It is one of the reasons race relations are at a low ebb. No matter what the issue, when a Marxist can not logically confront an issue, when they realize their arguments are hollow and pointless, the always, and I mean always cry ‘It’s racism’.” ~Dr. David JeremiahMarxism is deadly. A conservative estimate of Marxism’s victims easily totals over 500,000,000 people, half a billion people, in the last century. There is no sustained example of a successful Marxist Socialist country.Socialism has such a poor record of success that only an intellectual can accept it.2. What is Cultural Marxism?Dismantling the biblical familyThey believe children belong to the state not parents.Redistribution of wealthThe money belongs to the ‘people’ ie:government, not individuals.The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.2 Timothy 2:6 NASB1995The goal is to centralize everything at the federal level.Rejection of private property.Defunding the PoliceRe-writing History4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”Joshua 4:4-7 NLTWoe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!Isaiah 5:20 NASB20203. What does the Bible say about Marxism?Christianity affirms the right of private property.Marxism confiscates possession; Christianity cultivates generosity.You shall not steal.Exodus 20:15 NASB199518 Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every person to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also given him the opportunity to enjoy them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 NASB2020Christianity affirms the dignity of work.The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.Ephesians 4:28 NASB2020Christianity teaches an equality of opportunity; Marxism creates an equality of misery.Eventually, you run out of other people’s money.Marxism removes people’s trust from God to government.16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.Revelation 13:16-17 NASB1995If you want a utopia, Socialism will never deliver it, but Jesus will!