Making A Difference Through Mentorship

To be sober-minded means to possess good judgment, wisdom, and the ability to be level-headed in times of stress or difficulties. A sober mind also means "a sound mind and a sane mind" in a sometimes insane world! This podcast focuses on practical principles that empower us to have and keep a sober mind, no matter what we may encounter—further enabling us to "Think Like God Thinks" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Throughout the course of our day, we listen to a lot of things. We listen to the radio, we watch and listen to videos we listen to the requests of our families and friends, and yet with all that we listen to, we must listen to our King, Jesus. Listening to, inclining our ears to hear the directives, proclamations, ordinances, laws, and commands of the King must hold the preeminence in our lives for Kingdom Living and a Kingdom mindset.

As we shared in last week’s podcast, in accordance with Luke 17:21, Jesus says the "Kingdom of God is within you."With Jesus as our King of kings and Lord of Lords, as citizens of His Kingdom. In the government of His Kingdom, Wisdom is always present to assist. 

In the Good News Translation of Proverbs 1:20-21, the Bible says, "Listen! Wisdom is calling out in the streets and marketplaces, calling loudly at the city gates and wherever people come together."

Proverbs 4:7 in the Amplified Bible declares, “The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].  It is Wisdom's advice, counsel, and sound judgment that guides us through life and ministry as we listen to the voice of God through His Wisdom.

Invite a friend, a family member, or a co-worker as we continue to learn to "Think Like God Thinks" as we adhere to the principles and precepts of "Wisdom: the Call to Listen Part 2."

Throughout the course of our day, we listen to a lot of things. We listen to family members and co-workers. We listen to the sounds of busy traffic on the highway. We listen to the news and our favorite social media outlets. There is a lot for us to listen or to hear throughout our day.

In Proverbs chapter 8, verses 17-18, the NIV, Wisdom says in essence listen to me, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. 18  With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.” Wisdom is saying this: when you make a commitment to her, she makes a commitment to you. We will receive the full and faithful benefit of her devotion. She will not leave you; she will not let you down. Wisdom loves those who love her. 

Wisdom is constant, never changing, and dependable. If we always love and seek wisdom—we will receive the very best, experience the very best, and be empowered by Wisdom to live our best life and live it now! Join us on today's podcast as we share principles and precepts from God's Word as we listen to "The Call of Wisdom."

Kingdom living is a life lived under the authority of a king. For us that King is Jesus. His commands are not for our consideration but for our obedience in harmony with His will and His way. The basic meaning of the word Kingdom in the Bible is “reign.” God’s Kingly rule and reign include His actions, His Lordship, and His Sovereign governance (Isaiah 9: 6- 7). 

Philippians 3: 20, in the Amplified Bible, reminds us that we have dual citizenship.  We are citizens of our country of origin and we are citizens of heaven. “But we are different because our citizenship is in heaven and from there, we eagerly await the coming of the savior the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Luke 17:20-21, in the Living Bible, declares, “One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God begin?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isn’t ushered in with visible signs. 21  You won’t be able to say, ’It has begun here in this place or there in that part of the country.’ For the Kingdom of God is within you."

In Psalm 23:3, KJV), David says, “He restores my soul…”  Restoration denotes giving or receiving something back that was taken or lost; experiencing something again. Restore further means, "to bring back from a state of ruin, decay, or disease, to renew; to recover.

In Psalm 51:12, David the man after God's own heart says, “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Therefore, for Kingdom Living to become a reality in our churches and community, we must restore God’s Kingly rule and reign. His actions, His Lordship, and His Sovereign governance in the minds and hearts of God’s people (Matthew 22:37-39). Invite a friend or co-worker to join us as we continue to learn to "Think Like God Thinks," Restoring Kingdom Living.

In a natural sense, to be strong means to be able to do it all by yourself, without help. To be always in control of one’s emotions. Yet, the Bible is full of language about strength in weakness. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in the Amplified Version of 2 Corinthians 12:10: “For the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).”

The word weak refers to that which lacks strength or intensity. It is the opposite of power and vitality. Weakness in the flesh or in self is overcome by strength in the Spirit. Only in Christianity does the idea exist that someone is strongest in their weakness.

When people are weak, if they submit to God, that is when God can take over and use His full strength. When a person is at their weakest, they are most dependent on the Lord, who is unimaginably and infinitely stronger than we are in our humanness. The writer of Hebrews chapter 4, verses 14-16, declares “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Join us on today's podcast as we continue to "Think More Like God Thinks,"  as He helps us to discover principles and precepts giving us the insight to know that, "When I'm weak, That’s When I'm Strong."

The basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is reign. God’s reign is His Kingly rule — His reign, His actions, His Lordship, and His sovereign governance (Isaiah 9:6-7). The ESV version of Psalm 103:19 declares, “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and His Kingdom rules over all.” God’s Kingly rule is a saving and a redeeming grace for fallen humanity (Ephesians 2:8/Romans 10:9-10).

Our mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. It further means that what you believe about yourself impacts your success or failure in life. as we encounter different situations, our minds trigger a specific mindset that then directly impacts our behavior in that situation. In other words, a mindset is a mind that is set. Winning the battle for a Kingdom Mindset has 3 essential components:

1. A kingdom mindset is a mind that is ruled by God, governed by His perspective, will, purposes, plans, and desires.

2. A kingdom mindset is a fixed mental attitude (emotions, beliefs, and behavior).

3. A kingdom mindset is a person’s predetermined response to life’s situations based on the rule and authority of the King.

Join us and invite a friend or family as we discuss God's perspective on Winning the Battle For A Kingdom Mindset.

Former 1st Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

While combating apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela once said, "The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

Faith is not the absence of fear but rather the ability to face and overcome fear. Fear can take many forms. Fear of losing money. Fear of being ridiculed. Fear of failure. Fear of responsibility. Fear of sickness or death. There are many things in life that cause fear to arise. How we face fear is always a matter of faith.

1st John the 5th chapter, verses 4-5, in the Passion Translation of the Bible declares, “You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

As world conquerors, we conquer and overcome the plots, ploys, and plans of the enemy designed to steal your peace, kill your dreams, and destroy your future through fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of lack. Fear of tomorrow and the parent of all fear, the fear of death. In whatever shape or form fear may take, in the power of God’s word we subdue and overcome them all. "For our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world and our fears."

Join us and invite a friend to listen to principles and precepts from God's word, "Faith That Overcomes Fear."

In Genesis 15:1 and 6, the AMPC version, the Bible says, “After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great. Verse 6 And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God).”

Some researchers have said that the most repeated phrase in the Bible is, “Do not be afraid” mentioned in some form over 350 times. It was never God’s will for mankind to be fearful. It wasn’t until sin came in that fear became a problem for mankind. In Genesis 3, when Adam committed sin, a new word came into his vocabulary. In speaking to God, Adam said, “I was afraid so I hid.” 

Mankind now struggles with fear. We struggle with fear about the past, present, and future, anxiety disorders, phobias, etc. Fear has now become a natural aspect of our human existence, even though, it was never God’s will for us to be afraid.

1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casteth out fear. He who fears has not been made perfect in love.”  For those who know God and are born again, we can experience a love that when perfected in us, can wipe away all our fears!

While Abram struggles with the reality of his fears, God reveals Himself to Abram in Genesis 15:1 to calm his fears. What we learn from Abram is that as we seek God more, we will "fear less" and not be fearful. Join us on today's podcast as we continue to learn to Think Like God Thinks, granting us the ability and authority for Overcoming Fear: The Challenger and Opponent of our Faith Part 2.

The Modern English Version of Joshua 1:9 declares, “Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Fear is a reality of our human experience that may include a fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of people and the list goes on and on. The reality of fear is that it is a powerful human emotion that alerts us to the presence of danger.  

The Amplified Version of 2 Timothy 1:7 proclaims, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].”

No matter what fears we face, we can overcome them all because of the power and love of a sound mind, established in God’s word, knowing that as God said to Joshua in chapter 1, verse 9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with you wherever you go.” And because God is with us we can face fear, the challenger and opponent of our faith and in the end, we always win.

The latter portion of Philippians 2:12 teaches us that we are responsible for "working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” This means that we are responsible for our own spiritual progress and maturity, by practicing a life of salvation and respecting in reverence the holiness of God.

This further means we take the spiritual and make it practical so that it's natural for us to live spiritually.  The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7:15, "I don’t understand what I am doing.  I don’t practice what I want to do, but instead, I do what I hate."

Then Paul says in the 18th verse, "For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out."

As spiritual beings having a human encounter, it is essential to know that there is no such thing as perfection.  We will never get everything right. This is the place of God's grace that is always sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, back in the late 1960s, once declared to his team “there is no such thing as perfection. But, if you chase perfection, you can catch excellence.”

Excellence is the quality of excelling and being the best at something. 1 Corinthians 10:31 in TPT teaches us, “Whether you eat or drink, live your life in a way that glorifies and honors God.”

One definition of glorify that I discovered means "feeling and thinking and acting in ways that reflect and give evidence of the supreme greatness of God’s attributes operating in and through us."

Join us on today's podcast as we discuss and discover principles from God's word of the necessity of Saving Ourselves From Ourselves that reflect and give evidence of God's attributes operating in and through our lives for His own glory.