{"id":2032,"date":"2011-07-30T12:30:08","date_gmt":"2011-07-30T16:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fbclafayette.org\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2011-12-12T09:26:50","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T14:26:50","slug":"youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that a treasure of incredible\u00a0value is hidden somewhere in the old rock cavern located in the woods on the edge of town.\u00a0 For years, rumors of this treasure have been a part of the twilight speculations and campfire stories of those who live in the area.<\/p>\n

You might ask yourself, \u201cIf everybody knows about this treasure, and everybody knows where this cave is located, why hasn\u2019t someone gone in there to claim it?\u201d\u00a0 In fact, many people have entered the cave to find the treasure, but none who has ever ventured into this mysterious cavern has returned to tell the tale of what lies within.<\/p>\n

But, just because no one else has returned doesn\u2019t mean that you <\/em>would suffer the same fate.\u00a0 And besides, if the legend is correct,\u00a0there could be treasure hidden within that goes beyond your wildest dreams.<\/p>\n

So, because you are insatiably curious, stout of heart, and perhaps a wee bit crazy, you decide to ignore the foreboding indicators and explore the contents of the cavern.\u00a0 Equipped with all of the necessary supplies, you set out into the woods and make your way down the murky, leaf-strewn path to the entrance of the cave.<\/p>\n

As you stand there, peering into the darkness, a low and breathy sigh emanates from the depths and a warm draft of air brushes your side like an unseen stranger.\u00a0 You think that seems odd as you had expected the cave to be somewhat cooler than the air outside.\u00a0 For a moment, you think of turning back. But, goaded by the demands of your curiosity, you venture forth.<\/p>\n

The light of the afternoon sun extends but a few yards into to the cave before fading into shadow, so you pull out your flashlight to aid you in your search.\u00a0 As you fumble to turn it on, it falls from your hand and lands with a clank on the rocky floor of the cave, rolling a few feet further into the darkness.\u00a0 You crouch to retrieve it and paw the ground ahead of you.\u00a0 As you do, you feel another rush of air–this time warmer and thicker–pass you with the sound of a hollow rasp.\u00a0 You discover your flashlight and quickly turn it on.\u00a0 Your hand shakes,\u00a0causing the light to dart about the cavern.<\/p>\n

What was that?!\u00a0 For a brief moment, you perceived some movement within the\u00a0shaky beam.\u00a0 You stand, steadying your hand, shining\u00a0the light directly ahead of you, only to be greeted by the startling sight of…<\/p>\n

It’s at this point in the\u00a0story that I flash this image onto the screen:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The image and sound effect of a roaring panther typically sends the 3rd-5th graders, with whom I share this story, jumping out of their seats.\u00a0 Does it scare the kids?\u00a0 Most of them.\u00a0 Do they scream?\u00a0 Sometimes.\u00a0 Is this necessary?\u00a0 Perhaps not\u2026but it’s really effective.\u00a0 It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to help kids viscerally identify and understand a terrifying enemy.<\/p>\n

The Enemy Within<\/h2>\n

If you actually found yourself face to face with a panther in the woods, what would you do?\u00a0 I’m no survivalist, so I have no idea what the best response to this kind of wilderness attack would be, but I think most of us would try to run as fast as humanly possible in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Why?\u00a0 Because of the danger the animal represents.\u00a0 The panther could kill you.<\/p>\n

But you know what?\u00a0 While your chances of a spelunking encounter with a panther are not very high, you are likely to face something just as scary, and a just as deadly.\u00a0 And this attacker\u00a0won’t be hidden in some dark cave in a remote patch of the woods.<\/p>\n

This deadly enemy is something that you will face every single day of your life.<\/strong> It\u2019s hiding behind every door.\u00a0 It\u2019s in your home, it\u2019s in your school, it\u2019s on your computer screen.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s with each of us right here, right now.\u00a0 That\u2019s because this enemy is in each of our minds. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The enemy is sin.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each of us faces the temptation to engage in sinful patterns of thinking.\u00a0 And sinful thinking has the power to destroy our relationships with God, and our relationships with one another.<\/p>\n

When we\u2019re tempted to engage in a sinful pattern of thinking, we ought to view that temptation as a ferocious panther with its mouth open and\u00a0ready to devour us.\u00a0 And when we recognize that, we ought to run as fast as we can in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Repent<\/h2>\n

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul lays out very clearly a three-step process for making changes in our lives.\u00a0 As you read the passage below, see if you can identify what those three steps are.<\/p>\n

Ephesians 4:22-24
\n“…that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,\u00a0 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth<\/em><\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Did you see the three steps Paul lays out?<\/p>\n

Step 1:\u00a0 Put off the old self
\nStep 2:\u00a0 Renew the mind
\nStep 3:\u00a0 Put on the new self<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each of those steps is very important because, without any one of those steps, a person can\u2019t expect to make true and lasting changes.\u00a0 Remarkably, the step in this process that is often overlooked is Step 2\u2014renewing the mind\u2014a phrase closely tied to the concept of repentance.<\/p>\n

“Repentance” is translated from the Greek word “metanoia,” which literally means “change of mind.”\u00a0 Thus, repentance is all about changing the direction of your thinking<\/strong>.\u00a0 You were headed in one direction with your thinking–your mind was filled with thoughts of revenge, self-pity, fear, worry, lust, pride, etc.–and you said, \u201cNo, I\u2019m not going to think those thoughts anymore”, and you turned around.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just what you would do if you were suddenly faced with a panther.\u00a0 You were headed in one direction as you traveled into the cave.\u00a0 Then, you saw the panther, and you turned around and started going the other way.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s repentance.<\/p>\n

Why Should You Repent?<\/h2>\n

For too long, you were pursuing your former manner of life\u2014the way of the old self.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And what was that old self like?\u00a0 According to Ephesians 4:22, your mind was “being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.”<\/p>\n

That means that your old way of thinking had been ruined because you desired things that could never fulfill their promises.\u00a0 You wanted things that wouldn’t satisfy you,\u00a0that couldn’t truly\u00a0make you happy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These “lusts of deceit” come in many different forms\u2014money, convenience, revenge, the praise of men, etc.\u00a0 When you want these things, you think, \u201cIf I can only get this, or if I can only have that, then I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d\u00a0 But these things don’t satisfy us because the joy they deliver is only temporary.\u00a0 They leave us constantly wanting more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t Be a Wolf<\/h2>\n

Do you know how Eskimos trap and kill wolves? \u00a0First, they coat a knife blade in several frozen layers of blood.\u00a0 Then they bury the knife handle in the ground so that the bloody blade is sticking up.\u00a0 When the wolf comes along and smells the blood, it begins to lick the blade.\u00a0 The more the wolf licks, the stronger its thirst for blood becomes.<\/p>\n

That’s a picture of what we become like when be engage in vengeful, proud, or lustful thinking.\u00a0 We know it\u2019s wrong, but we don\u2019t want to stop.<\/p>\n

In short order, the wolf licks down to the blade and slices its own tongue.\u00a0\u00a0But by that point, the wolf has become so ravenous that it doesn\u2019t even notice that it’s consuming its own blood.\u00a0 Eventually, the wolf dies because of its own blood thirst.<\/p>\n

Sinful patterns of thinking can affect us in the same way.\u00a0 To avoid being trapped, we have to renew our minds.<\/strong><\/p>\n

An Extreme Makeover For Your Mind<\/h2>\n

When we begin to renew our minds, we say, \u201cI\u2019m no longer going to pursue those things.\u00a0 I\u2019m repenting.\u00a0 I\u2019m changing directions.\u00a0 And I\u2019m going to clear those things out of my mind.\u00a0 My mind is going through a total makeover.”<\/p>\n

Have you\u2019ve ever seen Extreme Makeover:\u00a0Home Edition<\/em>?\u00a0 On that show, they renovate homes.\u00a0 They clear them out and remake them in such a way that the original home is all but unrecognizable.\u00a0 Some of the things they do are absolutely incredible.<\/p>\n

When we repent, when we renew our minds, we need to go through an extreme thinking makeover.\u00a0 That begins first by changing the things that influence our thinking.\u00a0 Our thinking is affected by all kinds of things.\u00a0 It\u2019s affected by the teaching we receive, by the things we view, by the things we hear, by the people we\u2019re around, and by the games we play.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What are you watching on TV?\u00a0 Are the things you\u2019re watching causing you to think in ways that please the Lord God?\u00a0 What about the music you listen to?\u00a0 Is that music encouraging you to grow closer in your relationship to God?\u00a0 What about the video games you play, or the things you view on the internet?\u00a0 Are these things helping you use your mind for God, or are they hurting your relationship with Him?<\/p>\n

If the things you\u2019re watching and hearing and playing and reading are causing you to pursue the old self, then you need to repent.\u00a0 You need to change your direction and start replacing those things with other sources that are going to encourage you to grow in your relationship with the Lord.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You Can’t Do It By Yourself<\/h2>\n

It’s important to note that you won\u2019t be able to change directions on your own.\u00a0 If you try to make these changes without God\u2019s help, you\u2019ll fail.\u00a0 You won\u2019t be able to do it.\u00a0 You need Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And receiving God’s help begins with placing your faith in Jesus<\/strong>.\u00a0 If there\u2019s never been a definite point in your life when you\u2019ve acknowledged your sin, and your need for Jesus to rescue you from your sins, I would encourage you to do that right away.\u00a0 And, if you have questions about that, talk to someone that you know\u00a0is a follower of Christ.\u00a0 Most would love to sit down with you to help you understand how you can be certain that you’re on your way to heaven.<\/p>\n

For those who have trusted Christ, repentance isn’t a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” kind of thing.\u00a0 God has provided all kinds of resources designed to help you grow in personal holiness.\u00a0 He has provided practical and convicting instruction from His Word, the abiding and empowering presence of His Holy Spirit, along with the encouragement and accountability of His church.\u00a0 We all need to avail ourselves of these resources to help us walk in greater conformity with our Savior.<\/p>\n

For Further Discussion<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. How is temptation like a ferocious animal?\u00a0 How should we respond?<\/li>\n
  2. Read Romans 12:2.\u00a0 What does it mean to “renew our minds?”<\/li>\n
  3. How will renewing our minds equip us to face temptation?<\/li>\n
  4. In each of the following forms of media, what kinds of things can we do to renew our minds?\n
      \n
    • TV<\/li>\n
    • Movies<\/li>\n
    • Music<\/li>\n
    • Internet<\/li>\n
    • Books or Magazines<\/li>\n
    • Video Games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Have you\u2019ve ever seen Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? On that show, they renovate homes. They clear them out and remake them in such a way that the original home is all but unrecognizable. God wants us to do the same thing with our minds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4242,97],"tags":[135,4316,4226,4354,4184],"yoast_head":"\nExtreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you\u2019ve ever seen Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? On that show, they renovate homes. They clear them out and remake them in such a way that the original home is all but unrecognizable. God wants us to do the same thing with our minds.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-07-30T16:30:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-12-12T14:26:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/files\/2011\/07\/Extreme-Makeover-Mind-Edition-e1311947082975.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Trey Garner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Trey Garner\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/\",\"name\":\"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2011-07-30T16:30:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2011-12-12T14:26:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/d97312e41428aa529c70105e859f763e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/\",\"name\":\"Faith Church Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/d97312e41428aa529c70105e859f763e\",\"name\":\"Trey Garner\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408121956\/GarnerTrey.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408121956\/GarnerTrey.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Trey Garner\"},\"description\":\"Trey Garner is the Pastor of Children's Ministries at Faith Church. He has been married to his wife Deb since 2001. They have two children named Noah and Lauren. Originally from Texas, Trey appreciates barnwood, armadillos, and Blue Bell Ice Cream.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/author\/tgarner\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog","og_description":"Have you\u2019ve ever seen Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? On that show, they renovate homes. They clear them out and remake them in such a way that the original home is all but unrecognizable. God wants us to do the same thing with our minds.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/","og_site_name":"Faith Church Blog","article_published_time":"2011-07-30T16:30:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2011-12-12T14:26:50+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/files\/2011\/07\/Extreme-Makeover-Mind-Edition-e1311947082975.jpg"}],"author":"Trey Garner","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Trey Garner","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/","name":"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition - Faith Church Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website"},"datePublished":"2011-07-30T16:30:08+00:00","dateModified":"2011-12-12T14:26:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/d97312e41428aa529c70105e859f763e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/youre-not-entitled-to-change-your-mind-you-have-to\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Extreme Makeover: Mind Edition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/","name":"Faith Church Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/d97312e41428aa529c70105e859f763e","name":"Trey Garner","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408121956\/GarnerTrey.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408121956\/GarnerTrey.jpg","caption":"Trey Garner"},"description":"Trey Garner is the Pastor of Children's Ministries at Faith Church. He has been married to his wife Deb since 2001. They have two children named Noah and Lauren. Originally from Texas, Trey appreciates barnwood, armadillos, and Blue Bell Ice Cream.","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/author\/tgarner\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2805,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions\/2805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}