Mind Games | Digging Deeper | Week of October 9th

Renewing Our Mind | Mind Games | Week 4
Pastor Dave Pretlove, Lead Pastor

1. Choosing to have my mind renewed just makes sense!

• Romans 12:1-2                                                                       

2. Pursuing mind renewal is a constant commitment and a lifelong process.
2A. Ask the Holy Spirit to change my mind.

• Romans 8:5-6

2B. Saturate my mind with Scripture.

• Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16

2C. Think about what I am thinking about -- patterns and inputs matter!

• Philippians 4:8; Romans 8:5-6

       
3. Experiencing the renewal of mind will be noticeable.
3A. I will know more of what God wants for me.

• Romans 12:2

3B. I will walk in greater humility.

• Romans 12:3

3C. I will desire to sin less.

• Romans 8:5-6

3D. I will experience incredible peace.

• Philippians 4:8-9

3E. I will care more about the things God cares about.

• Colossians 3:1-3

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2 NIV

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

1. On Sunday, Pastor Dave talked about renewing our minds. What concepts from his sermon helped you or taught you in this area?

2. Read Philippians 4:8-9. Do you actively try and think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable?  What are ways you try to incorporate this daily?

3. Pastor Dave talked about things that are eternal and how we should think about these things. Can you give some examples of things that are eternal?

4. Read "Something to Think About" and discuss.

5. Read Romans 12:1-2. How can renewing your mind transform you?

6. What are some ways you renew your mind? 

7. Look at the list of seven things that can help renew your mind. Do you have personal examples where any of these practices have helped renewed your mind or helped heal your soul?

Wednesday morning, I was in what can only be described as an ADHD frenzy on my phone. I was checking email, checking our ranch page on Facebook, answering messages, reading my daily scriptures, texting my sister, all while listening to an old George Strait song.  When out of nowhere, I came upon an article about my friend’s famous Grandpa that I had always been curious about but never took the time to read about. I started reading his story, and I had to stop. It was full of yuck. Dusty was in the room with me, and I said to him, “I will never know the details of this story because it is getting bad. I don’t want to put this in my mind. I will need to scrub my soul for days if I continue to read this.” Later that same day, I was writing Digging Deeper and this thought came to me, “We need to care more about guarding our minds than our curiosity,” and I immediately thought about the example I have always had in my dad. 

Growing up, we did not have TV channels. We only had a VHS player. There was a video store in Fallon named “Night Owl Video” where we would get movies once a month. Back then, ratings could not be trusted. A PG rating was all over the place, and I cannot tell you how many times I watched my dad get up and just turn a movie off. We didn’t have a remote, so we would watch his tall, 6’4” figure, simply walk over and push the power button. His example wasn’t saying, “This is too inappropriate for young children.” His example was saying, “This isn’t something he wanted in his children’s minds or his own mind.” After he turned the movie off, he would say something like, “Well, that’s not something we need to be watching. Let’s all go play hide and seek or sardines!” Even if the movie had only fifteen minutes left, and we really wanted to know how it ended, dad would still turn it off. Guarding our minds and his own mind was more important to my dad than his or our curiosity. 

I share this story with you about guarding our minds because guarding our minds goes along with renewing our minds. Part of renewing our minds involves starving them from the “yuck” that so easily finds us. We are basically carrying around all the yuck of the world in our back pockets. It was a lot easier when it could only be found on our TVs.  Now, we are bombarded constantly with our phones and devices. We have to guard our minds and renew them daily.

I am going to give you a list of some things that can help renew your mind. I would love for you all to discuss this in more depth in your LifeGroups this week:

1. Reading and meditating on Scripture. The Bible is God’s living Word and it heals our souls.
2. Listening to worship music and worshiping our creator.
3. Prayer and meditation. Asking the Holy Spirit to wash over our minds and renew them.
4. Being in nature. God’s creation restores our souls. 
5. Journal and mediate about things mentioned in Philippians 4:8-9: Beautiful things, pure things, just things, good things.
6. Starving our minds from all the noise and yuck. Take a break from media and your phones. Be very mindful about what you are allowing to come into your mind.

I love you all! I know this is a battle! It would be so much easier for us all to just have someone come turn the TV off for us. I know the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you and renew your minds as you invite His Presence into this space in your lives. I am cheering for you in this battle. Blessings,
Christie Braun
Adult Ministries Pastor