Summit Bible Center, Ellenton, FL (2026)

05/26/2026

My Bible reading took me into Proverbs this morning. Allow me to share some thoughts that I believe can help the sincere believer.
What does it cost a man when he thinks he's found the right road — but never checks the right map?
Proverbs 16 is like a masterclass on the invisible government of God. Every verse pulses with this truth: "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD" (v. 1). Man proposes, God disposes. We make our little plans, but the Lord directs our steps (v. 9).
The chapter builds to a devastating climax in verses 25-30 — six verses that strip away every excuse a fool uses to stay a fool.
THE SETUP: Pride Before Destruction (vv. 18-24) Before we hit verse 25, Solomon loads the gun:
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (v. 18). This isn't poetry — it's physics.
Pride is the setup.
The fall is inevitable.
The contrast is stark: "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" (v. 19).
It is better that we have nothing but do it God’s way, then if we fulfill every appetite and suffer the fall. You can have your treasure and your arrogance — but not for long.
NOW THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH (vv. 25-30):
Verse 25: "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." This is probably one of the most terrifying verses in Proverbs — and Solomon says it twice (Prov 14:12). A man can be sincere, confident, even passionate about his path. He can have good intentions and strong convictions, but if he never checked his route against God's Word, he's driving toward a cliff in the dark. The word "seemeth" — *yashar* — means straight, right, pleasant to the eyes. It FEELS right. It LOOKS right. But feelings lie, observations can be deceitful. Only the Word of God is truth.
Verse 26: "He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him."
Here's the engine that drives the fool down that deadly path — appetite. The laborer works for his belly, and his belly is never satisfied. When a man lives for his cravings, his cravings become his master. He'll justify any path that feeds them. These cravings can be money, prestige, influence, platform, legacy, even likes on social media. While these things are not necessarily evil in an of themselves, it’s the fact that this person is laboring (working to fulfill his own appetites not God's desires), that makes him dangerous.
Verse 27: "An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire."
Now we see what that appetite produces — a man who mines for trouble. The Hebrew *karah* means to dig, to excavate. This isn't accidental evil — this is a man with a shovel, looking for dirt to throw. His words aren't just careless — they're incendiary. "In his lips there is as a burning fire." He sets the world ablaze with his tongue. Take note: The person that digs up dirt on another person, the person that goes around repeating dirt on another person, is called an “ungodly man” by God.
Verse 28: "A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends."
The froward man — *tahpukah* — is twisted, perverse, upside-down in his thinking. He plants division like a farmer plants seed. Deliberate. Systematic. And the whisperer? He doesn't need to shout to destroy. A whisper in the right ear can end a twenty-year friendship over night. The enemy knows this — why don't we? Take Note: The person that sows strife in another person’s life through deliberate rumors, division, and words with the sole purpose of destruction and separating friends is called, by God, a “froward man”.
Verse 29: "A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good."
Violence here isn't just physical — it's *chamas* — ruthless, destructive force. This man is a recruiter for destruction. He doesn't just walk the wrong path — he builds a sales team. He makes his rebellion look attractive, his defiance look reasonable. He gathers others to him and his “mission of desolation” by deception, enticement and force. Any method is ok to acquire his goal.
Verse 30: "He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips bringeth evil to pass."
The final picture is chilling — a man (person) with his eyes closed, lost in wicked imagination, his lips moving as he plots. He's not just stumbled into evil — he's an architect of it. Eyes shut to reality, mouth open to destruction. Truth does not factor into his plans, for he has long ago convinced himself that he is right. Evidence? He does not need evidence to back up his whispers, he has placed himself in the stead of God and therefore he should be believed. He will attack anyone that questions his narrative.
God says that the person who does these things is a froward (perverse, fraud), ungodly (without profit), and violent (wrong, unjust), However, the Bible does not say that this person is unsaved, or unrecoverable. Could this person be an anti-christ, a wolf? Yes. But it could just as likely be a solid Christian that chose a poor path, based on their desires and never course corrected to be in alignment with God’s Word.
God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are in the business of forgiveness and restoration, The person described in these verses is choosing to stand in direct opposition to the very reason Christ came. He is the architect of evil for the purpose of fulfilling his own desires and he does not consider those he destroys in the process. In this way he has placed himself in the stead of God. Until he searches God ‘s Word and reinstitutes it as his final authority, he is dangerous.
So then, what do we do with the truth in these verses. I believe that our responsibility when reading God’s word is two-fold.
First, study the warning in Proverbs 16 and see if you have started down this path. Insert your name in the verses and see if any ring true. Ask yourself if you are guilty of the 6 patterns listed below. If you find yourself guilty of acting in the manner written here-in, repent (change your direction), ask for forgiveness and realign yourself with scripture. After all, that is why God left us His word. So that we could order ourselves aright. He has the final authority. His Word is the only truth.
Secondly, In a world where observation gets you labeled as being judgmental, I remind you that God’s Word gives us the metrics whereby we will know whether to believe the whispers of another.
Romans 16:17 — "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
Mark them and avoid them. Not debate them. Not try to change them. Avoid them.
1 John 4:1 — "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God". Every teacher, every voice, every influence gets the doctrine exam. No exceptions.
Proverbs 16:18 — "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Watch for arrogance. It's a flashing red light.
If you want to know if a person in your life falls into the categories listed in Proverbs 16:25-30, insert their name in the verses and see if those verses ring true.
Let us root out this pattern in our lives and recognize it quickly in the lives of others, lest we fall and bring reproach to our Saviour.
THE PATTERN — HOW A MAN FALLS:
1. Self-reliance (v. 25) — "I know the way" “This seems right to me”
2. Appetite-driven (v. 26) — "I work for what I want” “I want that person gone” “I want more followers, money, influence, people on my side”
3. Troublemaker (v. 27) — "I dig up dirt on others"
4. Division-sower (v. 28) — "I separate friends"
5. Recruiter for evil (v. 29) — "I entice others to join me"
6. Premeditated wickedness (v. 30) — "I plot evil with my eyes closed" Becoming our own final authority and not concerning ourselves with the truth or evidence. I am more concerned with winning then with aligning myself with truth.
This is the progression? It starts with a man who thinks he knows better than God's Word and ends with a man who has become the devil's hiring manager.
THE REMEDY: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov 3:5-6).
The way that seems right to a man leads to death. But the way that IS right is found in God's Word. Check your map. Check it daily. Check it before you move. What path are you walking today? And more importantly — who showed you the way?
~Heather Close See less

05/26/2026

Jesus made people think, he made people choose, and he made people commit!

04/26/2026

Potential

04/16/2026

"He gave them their request — but sent leanness into their soul." (Psalm 106:15)
That verse stopped me cold this morning — and the more I studied it, the more I realized Solomon was right. There truly is nothing new under the sun.
The Hebrew word for "request" here is she'elah — a demanding petition. Not humble asking. Demanding. And "leanness" is razon — wasting away. Emaciation of the soul.
They got their meat. They got spiritual anorexia with it.
Here's what's wild — psychologists today have a name for what Israel was experiencing in the wilderness. It's called hedonic adaptation. You get the thing you've been craving. You feel satisfied — briefly. Then you return to the same baseline emptiness. So you crave something else. The appetite grows. The soul shrinks.
Israel wasn't just hungry for quail. They were operating from what researchers call deficiency-driven desire — an inner emptiness that no external satisfaction can fill. They had manna. God's daily provision. But it wasn't exciting enough. Wasn't enough enough. So they wept. Not once — repeatedly. Numbers 11 says they "wept again." That's the psychological signature of chronic dissatisfaction — a heart that has learned to find fault with blessing.
And they romanticized Egypt's food while forgetting Egypt's whips. That's not nostalgia. That's memory distortion in service of present craving. The brain rewrites the past to justify what the flesh wants right now.
God gave them the quail. He also gave them graves to bury their craving in. Kibroth-hattaavah — the place is still named in Scripture. Graves of lust. A geographic tombstone for what happens when the belly wins and the soul loses.
Sometimes the fastest way God cures a man of his appetite is to let him feast until he's sick. Psychologically, that's natural consequences learning. Spiritually, it's God allowing you to discover what you were actually hungry for.
The modern applications don't require much imagination:

The career that gave you the success you demanded — and consumed your family getting it
The relationship that gave you passion but cost you peace
The lifestyle that provides comfort but starves your spirit
The ministry that built your platform but emptied your prayer closet

External increase. Internal decrease. Growing audience, shrinking presence with God.
Gratitude before petition isn't just good theology — psychological research confirms it rewires the brain away from deficiency thinking toward abundance recognition. Scripture said it first. Science caught up.
David understood something Israel missed. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Not "I want nothing" — but "I lack nothing essential because my Shepherd knows what I need better than I do." That's a man praying from fullness, not panic. From identity, not fear.
The question that cuts through all of it — both the psychology and the theology — is this:
Do you want God's best for you? Or do you want what you think is best for you?
Because sometimes He'll give you the second one just to teach you why you needed the first.
The soul that learns to want what God provides will never know leanness. The soul that demands God provide what it wants will feast its way to famine.
What has God already given you that you've stopped calling provision?
— Pastor Tave
📖 Psalm 106:15 | Numbers 11 | Psalm 23

03/27/2026

Why does the King James Bible use "thee" and "thou" when modern English has moved to "you"? Because precision in God's Word matters more than convenience in our ears.

**THE GRAMMATICAL FOUNDATION**

In 1611, English still preserved a distinction that most languages maintain but modern English has lost â€” the difference between singular and plural "you."

- **Thou, thee, thy, thine** = singular (one person)
- **Ye, you, your, yours** = plural (more than one person)

This wasn't old-fashioned formality. This was grammatical precision. The translators could tell from the Hebrew and Greek whether God was addressing one person or many â€” and they preserved that distinction in English.

**WHY IT MATTERS DOCTRINALLY**

Consider Jesus in Luke 22:31-32: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have **you**, that he may sift **you** as wheat: But I have prayed for **thee**, that **thy** faith fail not."

The first "you" is plural â€” Satan wants all the disciples. The second "you" is plural â€” he wants to sift all of them. But then Jesus turns to Peter individually: "I have prayed for **thee**" â€” singular. One man. Personal. Direct.

Modern translations that use "you" for everything lose this distinction. You cannot tell who Jesus is addressing at which moment without checking the Greek.

**THE REVERENCE FACTOR**

Here's where modern thinking gets it backward. Today we think "you" is more respectful than "thou." But in 1611, it was the opposite. "You" was formal, used with superiors or strangers. "Thou" was intimate â€” used with family, close friends, and in prayer.

When the translators chose "thou" for addressing God, they were not being casual. They were following Christ's pattern â€” "Our Father" in Matthew 6:9. The intimate pronoun for the God who knows us by name.

**SPECIFIC BIBLICAL EXAMPLES**

John 3:7 â€” "Marvel not that I said unto **thee**, **Ye** must be born again."
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus personally (thee), then makes a universal statement (ye â€” to all people).

Galatians 6:1 â€” "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, **ye** which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering **thyself**, lest **thou** also be tempted."
Paul addresses the church corporately (ye), then each individual member (thyself, thou).

**THE PASTOR'S TAKE**

When you're reading your King James Bible and you see "thou," God is speaking to you personally. When you see "ye," He's addressing the group. That's not grammatical trivia â€” that's the difference between a personal word from heaven and a general principle.

Modern English flattened this precision for the sake of simplicity. The King James preserves it for the sake of accuracy.

**Your challenge:** Next time you're reading and hit a "thou" or "thee," stop. Ask yourself â€” why is God speaking to this one person individually? What does He want me to hear that's just for me?

The old pronouns aren't obstacles to understanding. They're doorways to precision. And in God's Word, every word matters â€” including the little ones that tell you exactly who He's talking to.
Scripture: Luke 22:31-32, Matthew 6:9, John 3:7, Galatians 6:1

03/24/2026

Tave Close here; I got grabbed by this verse and decided to go deep. Turns out, there is something for everyone in this. I have an oversized vision and serve an overwhelming God!

**1 Thessalonians 5:24 — "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."**

# # Core Truth
God's faithfulness is not passive — it's active performance. The same God who called you into salvation will complete what He started. This is promise, not possibility, even if it DOES sound like AI wrote this.

---

# # Short Burst Lessons

# # # **1. The Character Behind the Call**
*"Faithful is HE..."*
Your salvation didn't begin with your decision — it began with God's character. Faithfulness isn't something God does; it's who God is. When doubt whispers "What if I fail?" the text answers: "Look at Him, not you."

# # # **2. Divine Initiative**
*"...that calleth you..."*
He called you first. Before you sought Him, He sought you. The gospel call isn't God responding to your interest — it's God creating your interest. Romans 8:30 confirms: "whom he called, them he also justified" and Proverbs promises us the HE will give us the desire of our heart.

# # # **3. Present Tense Promise**
*"...who also will do it."*
Not "might do it" or "could do it." Will. This is divine determination in future tense. What God starts, God finishes. Philippians 1:6 echoes this: "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it."

---

# # Pastoral Applications

**For the Doubting Believer:** Your perseverance isn't based on your strength but His faithfulness. When you feel weak, remember — the same power that called you out of darkness will keep you walking in the light.

**For the New Convert:** You don't have to figure out how to live the Christian life perfectly. The God who saved you is actively working to complete what He began. Trust His faithfulness, not your feelings.

**For the Struggling Saint:** That battle with sin, that fear you're not good enough, that worry you might fall away — all of it crashes against this rock: "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

---

# # Doctrinal Foundation

This verse stands guard over the doctrine of eternal security. Not because we hold on to God, but because God holds on to us. Our salvation rests on His faithfulness, not our performance.

The text gives no room for works-based assurance. You don't maintain your salvation — He does. You don't perfect your salvation — He will.

**God's faithfulness + God's calling + God's completion = Your security.**

That's the Gospel according to 1 Thessalonians 5:24.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Romans 8:30
Philippians 1:6

03/24/2026

**Philippians 2:12** — "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

Let me give you the full context that makes this verse clear.

# # THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT (Philippians 2:5-16)

Paul has just finished the great Christ hymn (verses 5-11), showing how Jesus "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant" and "humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Then God "highly exalted him" and gave him "a name which is above every name."

**The flow is crucial**: Because Christ worked out God's plan of salvation by his obedience unto death (verse 8), and because God vindicated that obedience by exaltation (verses 9-11), **therefore** ("wherefore" in verse 12) you must work out the salvation he accomplished.

Verse 13 immediately explains the power source: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." You work it out because God works it in.

# # THE CHURCH CONTEXT

Paul is writing to **the whole church at Philippi** (1:1). This isn't individual pietism — it's corporate obedience. The Philippians have "always obeyed" as a church body. Now, in Paul's physical absence, they must continue that pattern.

The surrounding verses show this is about **unity and witness**:
- Verse 14: "Do all things without murmurings and disputings"
- Verse 15: "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation"
- Verse 16: "Holding forth the word of life"

# # THE BOOK CONTEXT

The entire letter battles **division in the church**:
- Chapter 1: Unity in the gospel despite opposition
- Chapter 2: Unity through Christ's example of humble service
- Chapter 4: Paul specifically names Euodias and Syntyche who need to "be of the same mind in the Lord" (4:2)

"Work out your own salvation" means **work out the salvation you possess as a church body** — stop the internal fighting and demonstrate to pagan Philippi what redeemed people look like.

# # WHAT "WORK OUT" MEANS

The Greek word is *katergazomai* — to work something to its completion, to fully accomplish what's already begun. It's used in Romans 7:18 where Paul says sin "worketh" (same word) evil in him. It means bringing something to its full expression.

This isn't "work FOR your salvation" — it's "work OUT the salvation God has already worked IN you."

# # THE "FEAR AND TREMBLING"

This phrase appears throughout Scripture for **reverent awe before God's holiness**:
- The Israelites at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16)
- Paul's ministry attitude (1 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:15)
- How we should serve the Lord (Psalm 2:11)

It's not terror of punishment — it's the proper reverence of creatures handling holy things.

# # PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Paul is telling the Philippian church: "You have the salvation Christ accomplished. Now live it out together with the same careful reverence you'd show handling something infinitely precious. Stop your petty divisions and show this pagan city what God's people look like when they walk worthy of the gospel."

The context makes it unmistakably clear this is about **sanctification, not justification** — about living out corporately what God has worked in individually.
Philippians 2:12
Philippians 2:5-16
Romans 7:18
Exodus 19:16
1 Corinthians 2:3
2 Corinthians 7:15
Psalm 2:11

03/19/2026

# Obstacles to Mental Transformation
*What Hinders the Renewing of Your Mind*

The enemy doesn't want your mind renewed. He's invested too much in keeping you thinking like the world. Here are the most common obstacles believers face — and how Scripture addresses each one.

# # 1. THE ENTERTAINMENT TRAP

**Philippians 4:8** commands us to think on things that are pure, lovely, and of good report. Yet many believers fill their minds with entertainment that directly contradicts these standards.

**The obstacle:** You cannot feed your mind garbage all week and expect it to think godly thoughts. Television, movies, music, social media, and books that celebrate sin, mock righteousness, or promote worldly values are programming your mind against transformation.

**Psalm 101:3** - "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

David understood something we've forgotten: what you look at shapes how you think.

**Practical solution:** Conduct an honest audit of your entertainment. If it wouldn't honor Christ, remove it. This isn't legalism — it's mental hygiene. You're protecting the very mind God wants to renew.

# # 2. FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD

**James 4:4** - "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

**The obstacle:** You cannot maintain close fellowship with people whose minds are unregenerate and expect your own mind to be consistently renewed. Their perspectives, values, and counsel will pull you back toward worldly thinking patterns.

This doesn't mean you avoid unbelievers — Christ ate with sinners. But your closest advisors, your regular companions, the people whose opinions matter most to you — these relationships shape your mind more than you realize.

**Practical solution:** Examine your inner circle. Are the people closest to you helping or hindering your spiritual growth? Some relationships may need boundaries. Others may need to change entirely.

# # 3. NEGLECTING THE WORD

**Matthew 4:4** - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

**The obstacle:** Your mind will be renewed by something. If it's not being renewed by Scripture, it's being conformed by the world. There's no neutral position. A mind not actively fed on God's Word will default to worldly patterns.

Many believers read their Bible occasionally, but sporadic exposure to Scripture cannot overcome constant exposure to worldly thinking. You need consistent, daily, substantial time in the Word.

**Practical solution:** Establish a non-negotiable daily Bible reading schedule. Not just devotional thoughts — actual Bible reading. Your mind needs the steady diet of God's thoughts to crowd out the world's influence.

# # 4. UNCONFESSED SIN

**Psalm 66:18** - "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

**The obstacle:** Sin creates static in your spiritual reception. When you're harboring known sin, the Holy Spirit's transforming work is hindered. You cannot simultaneously hold onto sin and expect your mind to be renewed according to righteousness.

This includes:
- Bitterness toward others
- Sexual sin (in action or thought)
- Pride and rebellion
- Deception and lying
- Covetousness and envy

**1 John 1:9** - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

**Practical solution:** Regular, honest confession before God. Don't let sin accumulate. Deal with it immediately when the Spirit convicts you.

# # 5. EMOTIONAL WOUNDS AND TRAUMA

**Psalm 147:3** - "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

**The obstacle:** Past trauma, abuse, or deep emotional wounds can create mental strongholds that resist transformation. Your mind may have developed protective patterns that once served you but now hinder spiritual growth.

This isn't about excusing sin or avoiding responsibility — it's recognizing that some obstacles to mental renewal have deep roots that require patient, sometimes professional, biblical intervention.

**Practical solution:** Seek biblical counseling from someone who will address your wounds through Scripture, not merely through secular psychology. Some battles require help from mature believers who can guide you through the healing process.

# # 6. PRIDE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY

**Proverbs 16:18** - "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

**The obstacle:** The mind that thinks it doesn't need transformation is the mind most resistant to it. Pride makes you defensive when confronted with areas that need renewal. It makes you compare yourself to others rather than to Christ's standard.

Pride also keeps you from receiving correction from Scripture or from other believers. You filter God's Word through your own understanding rather than allowing it to correct your understanding.

**Practical solution:** Regularly pray **Psalm 139:23-24** - "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

# # 7. WRONG EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS

**Philippians 1:6** - "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

**The obstacle:** Some believers expect instant transformation and become discouraged when renewal takes time. Others use the gradual nature of sanctification as an excuse to remain comfortable in old patterns.

The truth is biblical: transformation is both immediate (you're a new creature in Christ) and progressive (you're being transformed day by day). Wrong expectations in either direction hinder the process.

**Practical solution:** Accept that mental renewal is a lifelong process while actively cooperating with the Holy Spirit's work. Don't use grace as an excuse for laziness, but don't despair when growth takes time.

# # 8. LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY

**Ecclesiastes 4:12** - "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

**The obstacle:** The mind lies to itself. You need other believers who know you well enough to speak truth when you're deceiving yourself about your spiritual condition.

Without accountability, you can rationalize patterns that are hindering your renewal. You need people who will lovingly confront you when you're drifting toward worldly thinking.

**Practical solution:** Find at least one mature believer who has permission to ask you hard questions about your spiritual life. Meet regularly. Be honest about your struggles.

# # THE UNDERLYING ISSUE

Behind most of these obstacles is a single root problem: **divided loyalty**.

**Matthew 6:24** - "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other."

You cannot have a renewed mind while trying to keep one foot in the world. Mental transformation requires a wholehearted commitment to think God's thoughts after Him — which means abandoning the world's way of thinking.

The obstacles are real, but they're not insurmountable. Each one can be addressed through biblical means. The question is whether you want transformation enough to remove whatever hinders it.

Which of these obstacles do you recognize in your own life? Let's address the specific barriers keeping your mind from being fully renewed.

03/19/2026

# Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind
*A Study in Romans 12:2 and Practical Sanctification*

# # The Foundation Text

**Romans 12:2** - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

This verse sits at the hinge of Romans — after eleven chapters of doctrine comes the practical call: *Now live it.*

# # What Does "Renewing Your Mind" Actually Mean?

The Greek word for "renewing" is *anakainosis* — not just patching up old thinking, but a complete renovation from the inside out. It's the same root used in **2 Corinthians 4:16**: "the inward man is renewed day by day."

This isn't positive thinking or mental discipline. This is the Holy Spirit rebuilding your thought patterns according to the Word of God. The mind that was once "enmity against God" (**Romans 8:7**) is being reconstructed to think God's thoughts after Him.

# # Five Practical Steps to Mental Transformation

# # # 1. SATURATE YOUR MIND WITH SCRIPTURE

**Psalm 119:11** - "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

**Practical step:** Choose one verse each week to memorize completely. Not just read — hide it in your heart. Write it on cards. Meditate on it while you walk. Let it become the background music of your thoughts.

Why this works: You cannot think two thoughts at once. When Scripture fills your mind, there's less room for worldly patterns.

# # # 2. IDENTIFY THE LIES YOU'VE BELIEVED

**John 8:44** tells us Satan is "the father of lies." Much of what needs renewing in your mind are lies you've accepted as truth:
- "I'm worthless" (but **Psalm 139:14** says you're "fearfully and wonderfully made")
- "God doesn't care about my problems" (but **1 Peter 5:7** says He cares for you)
- "I can't change" (but **2 Corinthians 5:17** says you're a new creature)

**Practical step:** Keep a journal for one week. When you notice negative, defeated, or anxious thoughts, write them down. Then find the Scripture that speaks truth to that lie.

# # # 3. PRACTICE TAKING THOUGHTS CAPTIVE

**2 Corinthians 10:5** - "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

This is warfare, not wishful thinking. When a thought comes that contradicts God's Word, you arrest it like a criminal.

**Practical step:** The moment you recognize an ungodly thought pattern, stop and pray: "Lord, I reject this thought. I choose to think on [insert relevant Scripture]." Do this immediately, every time. Don't negotiate with the lie.

# # # 4. FELLOWSHIP WITH THOSE WHO THINK BIBLICALLY

**Proverbs 27:17** - "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

The people you spend time with shape how you think. If you're surrounded by worldly perspectives, worldly thinking will feel normal.

**Practical step:** Intentionally spend time with believers who love the Word and live it. Join a Bible study. Find a mentor whose mind has been renewed. Distance yourself from relationships that pull you back toward worldly thinking patterns.

# # # 5. PRACTICE THINKING ON GOOD THINGS

**Philippians 4:8** - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

This isn't about ignoring reality — it's about choosing what occupies your mental energy.

**Practical step:** Before bed each night, spend five minutes consciously thinking on something good God has done. Not just "count your blessings" — actively meditate on His goodness, His faithfulness, His character. Train your mind to end each day on truth rather than worry.

# # The Daily Battle

Understand this: your mind was programmed by the world for years before you came to Christ. The renewing process takes time and requires daily attention. **Ephesians 4:23** calls it being "renewed in the spirit of your mind" — it's ongoing, not a one-time event.

You will have days when old patterns resurface. When they do, don't despair — that's the battlefield where transformation happens. Each time you choose God's thoughts over your old thoughts, you're being renewed.

# # The Goal: Proving God's Will

Notice Romans 12:2 doesn't end with a renewed mind — it ends with proving "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." The renewed mind isn't the destination; it's the instrument through which you discern and live God's will.

When your mind thinks like God thinks, you naturally choose what God chooses. You don't have to force righteousness — it flows from right thinking.

# # A Warning

Don't try to renew your mind through human effort alone. This is a work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Your job is to cooperate with what He's already doing. Submit your mind to Him daily, fill it with His Word, and trust Him to do the transforming work.

The goal isn't just better thoughts or a happy smile— it's a transformed life that proves to a watching world what God's will looks like when lived out in human flesh.

Summit Bible Center

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

04/26/2026

04/16/2026

03/27/2026

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

03/19/2026

03/19/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share

Category