LIFEhouse
  • ONLINE GIVING
  • WATCH WORSHIP SERVICE LIVE
  • Previous Service recordings
  • Worship Service and Sermon Archive
  • Bible Study@ LIFEhouse
  • Free One-on-One Christian Caregiving (Stephen Ministry)
  • Apple podcast
  • Pastor Dana Teaching Videos
  • LIFEhouse Christian Preschool
  • Bible Story Time with Pastor Dana videos for children
  • Online Learning
  • Racism: A Christian Response
  • Spotify podcast

God Time March 12

Think

How’s it going?

What’s happening?

How are you?

How are you doing?

What’s up?

Or an abbreviated version of that.

‘Sup?

There are so many ways to acknowledge another person and the state of their life at the present moment. These are mainly used as informal greetings.

Or we might greet someone this way.

How are you feeling?

But, when it comes to our overall well being there is one thing that overrules all these other states of being. It is not about feelings, it is thinking.

What occupies our minds has more to do with our health and well being than anything else. The question of critical importance for every one of us is this. At this moment in time in your existence


“How are you thinking?”

But, no one goes around saying, “How are you thinking?” do they?

Well maybe we should. What is on our mind affects our emotional and spiritual health, which in turn affect our physical health, more than anything else we do.

How am I thinking, indeed.

Colossians 2

8 Watch out that nobody uses philosophy and hollow trickery to take you captive!

The word that the Bible is using for “takes you captive” is originally the picture of conquering armies taking the defeated people back to their countries as slaves. To take you captive is to control you against your will.

Well what is philosophy and hollow trickery?

Philosophy means literally, “Love of words.” A philosophy has to do with the words that occupy your thinking. We all have a philosophy of life, a view of the world that we use as a filter for our thinking.

Christianity is a worldview based on the model and teaching of Jesus. Jesus introduced radical teachings into world history, such as:

“Love your enemy”

(“Love”= will the good of another and work for it in your range of influence)

“No revenge”

“The greatest of you is servant to all”

Jesus lived all of these out, and gave the ultimate teaching through his death on the cross. Giving his life for the sake of his enemies.

No one else comes close. Mohammed didn’t do any of this. Neither did Buddha. Neither did Confucius. Only Jesus.

Of course there is that whole resurrection thing, but that’s for another day


ME

There is no philosophy or worldview that comes close to explaining reality better than Christianity.

Deceptive Language

“Hollow trickery” is when language is being used to manipulate us, when people use language on purpose to try to make us anxious and on the edge where it is difficult for us to be our best true selves.

Almost all conversation currently occurring in the public square of media, politics, government, and education is using manipulative and anxiety-producing language in this way.

Human beings will use philosophy and human trickery to try to dominate others. Why? This is the influence of Satan and his lies. This is what the Bible means by the phrase, “elements of the world,” as Satan still has free reign in our world to tempt and use lies to try to influence us.

So, what if the words that occupy my thinking are mainly negative and what if I am being bombarded with manipulative and anxiety-producing language? Well, the filter that you run your thoughts through will have a large influence over your well being.

ME

What are some examples of manipulative and anxiety-producing language a person whom you voted for, for President, used during a campaign?

Negative Filters

There are two prominent negative filters that affect the lives of people today and there is only one positive filter.

One negative filter is to consider yourself a victim. Whatever is happening to you that is negative is the result of people and circumstances outside of yourself harming you. You are never responsible for anything negative that affects you. It is always someone else fault.

The other negative filter can be called neurosis. Anything negative that happens to you must somehow be your fault. The filter you live your life through is how often you mess up, you’re no good and there isn’t anything you can do with the fact that you are a failure.

Both of these philosophies of life that we impose on our thinking are extremely harmful. The more dangerous filter is victimhood. If you are alway right and anything bad that happens to you is because of people and circumstances outside of yourself, there is little that can be done to change this way of thinking. Negative life experiences can’t have anything to do with you in the first place and you will not seek healing from living this lie.

Emotional and spiritual health begin with recognizing that regardless of people and circumstances outside of myself, if I am an adult who does not have physical brain damage or chemical imbalance, then I am fully responsible for the attitudes and actions in my life that follow. While I am not able to control much of what happens to me, I am in control of how I respond. If it is always someone else to blame when things go wrong in my life, then I will become the kind of person who cannot take responsibility. Then I am lost.

Neurotic thinking is different. A person who is thinking it is always my fault is much more likely to seek help. Neurosis can be successfully addressed when a person realizes there is possibility for change through healing from traumas that helped to bring about this type of negative filter in the first place.

ME

Have you had occasions to use either of these negative ways of thinking? 

Right Thinking

-not the king. 9 In him, you see, all the full measure of divinity has taken up bodily residence. 10 What’s more, you are fulfilled in him, since he’s the head of all rule and authority.

The only one who has right thinking all of the time is God. And we can know what God knows and think like God thinks because of Jesus. In Jesus, God becomes human, and Jesus takes on all of God’s way of thinking. So, like Jesus, we just have to live close to God all the time.

Well, how do we find God? We don’t have to find God because he is already there with us wherever we are. Through Jesus, the Kingdom of God is here. Put it this way.

People are seeking all different ways to get ahead in life. Negative ways like trying to manipulate or attack other people. Positive ways like trying to be kind and mindful.

But, none of this works if it is human-powered.

The negative is human beings allowing themselves to be Satan-influenced and using manipulation and evil thinking as a result. This isn’t going to work because God is stronger and defeats this way of thinking in the long run.

And the positive, without God, isn’t enough. You can try to be as kind and mindful as possible, but if this is under your own power you will fail. You will be overwhelmed in the long run. No one is strong enough to save themselves.

But not if we are living with God. God is always where we are. We need the supernatural power of God to live a good life where our thinking is in line with God’s thinking. Where we have the “mind of Christ” as the Bible says. Well, we can have all of this because where we are is the doorway to heaven. We just need to be mindful of this. We need to pay attention. Watch out! In a good way, keeping our mind on Jesus. Like the old song. “I woke up this morning with my mind set on Jesus
”

That’s what this means. What’s more, you are fulfilled in him, since he’s the head of all rule and authority.

To be fulfilled in him means we are full of him. Nowhere is this more important than our thinking! When our thinking matches the thinking of those who dwell with God in the heavens, starting with Jesus, then we know everything is going to be just fine for us here on earth. Then we know we lack nothing because we have access to the heavenly blessings now. Then we know we need not fear evil. No human being, not Satan himself has the power we have because Jesus is the head and we are fulfilled in him.

This is the life available to us right now. God is where we are.

LIFEhouse Information

LIFEhouse Church
18355 Roscoe Boulevard
Northridge, CA 91325
(818) 885-6861
Contact: info@lifehouse.la

Pastor Dana Hanson pastordana@lifehouse.la

10 a.m. Worship

We are a Lutheran church community

LIFEhouse Pre-school is State Licensed
State License #191200164

RSS P. Dana sermons & podcasts

  • Do as I say and what I do- Jesus
    I am intrigued by Stoicism with some teachings rather "Christlike"... But why did Christianity sweep through the Roman world in the first three centuries while Stoicism did not?
  • A first century church for the 21st century...
    First in our new series on the Book of Acts...
  • The Ball is in Our Court...Jonah 4
    What do you do when you don't get your own way?
  • Jonah's Big Surprise...Jonah 3
    People of Nineveh? God is their God, too!

The Start of A New Life

LIFEhouse Worship Leader Rob Reed's latest Worship Music Project

Join us at Twitter

@lifehousechurch, @danahanson, @grandpablog, @robertreed

Pages

  • [PRIVATE]Christmas Concert Team
  • Bible Study@ LIFEhouse
  • Blackberry Bush Course
  • Brain and Bible: New Sunday Preaching Series Begins September 15th!
  • CLICK HERE FOR LIVE WORSHIP AND PRIOR RECORDINGS
  • Free One-on-One Christian Caregiving (Stephen Ministry)
  • God Time February 26
  • God Time 10/15
  • God Time 10/22
  • God Time 8/28-9/1
  • God Time April 10-14
  • God Time August 21-25
  • God Time Daily Devotions for January 17-21
  • God Time Daily Devotions for January 3-7
  • God Time Daily Devotions for January 9-13
  • God Time Daily Devotions for November 7-11
  • God Time Daily Devotions for September 19-23
  • God Time Devotions August 14-18
  • God Time Easter
  • God Time February 12
  • God Time February 21-25
  • God Time February 6-10
  • God Time for August 7-11
  • God Time for Colossians 1:1-2
  • God Time for January 23-27
  • God Time for When You Want What God Wants…
  • God Time January 21
  • God Time January 30- February 3
  • God Time John 7:40-52
  • God Time July 3-7
  • God Time July 9 Message
  • God Time June 12-16
  • God Time June 19-23
  • God Time June 26-30
  • God Time June 5
  • God Time March 12
  • God Time March 13-17
  • God Time March 19
  • God Time March 20-24
  • God Time March 27
  • God Time March 27-31
  • God Time March 5
  • God Time March 6-10
  • God Time May 2-6
  • God Time May 30-June 3
  • God Time May 8-12
  • God Time October 2
  • God Time October 2
  • God Time October 24-28
  • God Time September 11-15
  • God Time September 4-8
  • God Time- Free to Choose…But What?
  • God Time: Joy To The World?
  • God Times May 15-19
  • Join us for Worship!
  • LIFEhouse Calendar
  • LIFEhouse Christian Preschool
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions for December 12-16
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions for December 19-23
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions for December 5-9
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions for Nov. 28-Dec. 2
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions for Oct. 31-Nov. 4
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions November 14-18
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions November 21-25
  • LIFEhouse God Time Daily Devotions October 3-7
  • LIFEhouse God Time for October 17-21
  • LIFEhouse God Time October 10-14
  • LIFEhouse God Time Weekly Devotions for September 12-16
  • LIFEhouse Livestream
  • LIFEhouse Youth
  • Pastor Dana and Nancy Hanson and Family
  • Prime Time for Seniors
  • Racism: A Christian Response
  • This Is It! Celebration Weekend is April 29-30!
  • Vacation Bible School Day Camp
  • Worship@LIFEhouse

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013

Categories

  • 100 Year Anniversary (17)
  • Advent (17)
  • Apologetics (6)
  • Bible (395)
  • Blackberry Bush Course (5)
  • Blog Posts (44)
  • Brain and Bible (42)
  • Christmas (88)
  • Communion (6)
  • Community (46)
  • Daily Word (125)
  • Easter (36)
  • First Communion (2)
  • God Time Devotions (374)
  • Good Friday (3)
  • Grandpa Blogger (1)
  • Holy Week (30)
  • Israel (13)
  • Jesus and The Holy Land (3)
  • Joy Starts Here (19)
  • LCMC (1)
  • Lent (23)
  • Life Model Works (27)
  • lifehouse (3)
  • LIFEHouse Church (221)
  • LIFEhouse Preschool (37)
  • LIFEhouse Rides (1)
  • LIFEhouse Youth (14)
  • lifeHOUSES (5)
  • Live Stream Worship Online (71)
  • Loving our neighbor (33)
  • Luther Study (13)
  • Maundy Thursday (13)
  • Meals of Love (1)
  • Media and Entertainment (8)
  • Music (1)
  • Neighborhood Initiative (11)
  • Northridge Hospital Outreach (8)
  • Online Learning (92)
  • Outreach (28)
  • Philosophy (5)
  • podcast (236)
  • Prayer (12)
  • PreSchool (16)
  • RARE Leadership (15)
  • School outreach (2)
  • Sermons (356)
  • Special Events (74)
  • Special Offering (3)
  • Stephen Ministry (5)
  • Story Time with Pastor Dana (50)
  • Sunday Service (155)
  • The Gospel Primer (22)
  • Uncategorized (41)
  • Vacation Bible School (2)
  • Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2016 (2)
  • Video (364)
  • Worship Service Archive (119)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© LIFEhouse