Renewed Minds Ministries

Renewed Minds Ministries Renewed Minds is an online ministry of Rev. James Jones born on March 1, 2026. God First. And then the rest is our motto.

The Mission is to lead others to Christ via the preaching and teaching of His Word.

Dear Lord, You see the weight I am carrying right now. You know why my spirit feels heavy. Forgive me for the times I fa...
06/01/2026

Dear Lord,
You see the weight I am carrying right now. You know why my spirit feels heavy. Forgive me for the times I fail to bring my burdens to You. Staying in my feelings and not praising You through it all.
Today, I choose to place my hope in You, even when I can't see the way forward. Thank You for being my Savior, my God, and my constant anchor. I trust that I will yet praise You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Reflect & Respond on Psalm 42:11 Take Inventory: What is currently making your soul feel "downcast" or "disturbed"? Name...
06/01/2026

Reflect & Respond on Psalm 42:11
Take Inventory: What is currently making your soul feel "downcast" or "disturbed"? Name it honestly before God—He can handle your heaviest emotions.
Speak Truth: Today, practice talking to your soul. When an anxious thought arises, counter it by reminding yourself of who God is: your rock, your provider, and your peace.

There is a profound comfort in the raw honesty of the Psalms. The writer doesn’t pretend everything is fine. They don't ...
06/01/2026

There is a profound comfort in the raw honesty of the Psalms. The writer doesn’t pretend everything is fine. They don't mask their pain with a superficial smile. Instead, they openly admit to a heavy heart and a restless, disturbed spirit.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or downcast today, notice what the psalmist does here. They don’t ignore their emotions, but they don't let their emotions have the final say, either. They actively talk to themselves instead of just listening to themselves.
It’s a subtle but life-changing shift. When we listen to our downcast souls, we tend to replay our worries, fears, and worst-case scenarios on a loop. But when we speak to our souls, we introduce a greater reality into the room: the unchanging character of God.
The turning point of this verse hinges on a single, powerful word: "Yet."
“I will yet praise him..."
This is a declaration of defiance against current circumstances. It means: Right now, things feel dark. Right now, I am hurting. But this season is not the end of my story. I will see God's goodness again.
Putting your hope in God doesn't mean your problems instantly vanish or that your sadness magically evaporates. It means you are anchoring your soul to something unshakeable while the storm passes. He is still your Savior. He is still your God. He hasn’t moved, and He hasn't forgotten you.
Will you join me as I praise God, my Creator? Amen

05/31/2026

Today’s Sunday School Lesson
JOYOUS FAITH - Bible Basis: Luke 19:1-10 NLT
INTRODUCTION - The story of Zacchaeus offers a powerful lesson on divine grace, intentionality, and unexpected redemption. Zacchaeus, a wealthy but despised tax collector, was too short to see Jesus over a Jericho crowd. Desperate for a glimpse, the outcast climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus stopped, called him by name, and invited Himself to Zacchaeus's home, shocking the crowd by choosing to dine with a notorious sinner.
"Have you ever gone out of your way just to catch a glimpse of someone famous or important?"

LESSON SCRIPTURES LUKE 19:1-10 NLT
1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

INSIGHTS: Luke 19:1-6
• Overcoming Obstacles: Zacchaeus was short and couldn't see over the crowd. Instead of giving up, he humbled himself—a wealthy man running and climbing a tree.
• Divine Interruption (Verses 5-6): Jesus stops, looks up, and calls Zacchaeus by name. Jesus invites Himself to stay at Zacchaeus's house.

Discussion Question: How does it feel to know that Jesus notices us in the crowd and calls us by name, even when we feel unworthy or overlooked?

7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man (“Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself). came to seek and save those who are lost. (Memory Verse)

INSIGHTS: Luke 19:7-10
• The Crowd's Grumbling (Verse 7): The people are outraged that Jesus would associate with a "sinner." They fail to see that they need grace just as much as Zacchaeus does.
• The Fruit of Grace (Verses 8-9): Zacchaeus’s encounter with Jesus results in immediate repentance and restitution. He promises to give half his wealth to the poor and repay anyone he cheated fourfold.
• The Mission (Verse 10): Jesus declares, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Discussion Question: Zacchaeus’s salvation didn't come after he fixed his life; his life was fixed because he accepted Jesus’s invitation. How does this reframe the way we view God's grace?

CONCLUSION
Jesus specializes in looking past our labels and past mistakes to see our souls. No one is ever too old, too set in their ways, or too far gone for His grace to transform them. In this season of life, think about any "Zacchaeus-like" figures in your community that you might be overlooking, avoiding, or judging. Do your part.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for looking up into our trees and calling us by name. Thank You for a grace that seeks us out and transforms the way we live. Help us this week to see others through Your eyes and extend Your radical hospitality. Amen.

Dear Lord God, I confess that I often try to rely on my own strength and hide my weaknesses. Please forgive me. Today, I...
05/31/2026

Dear Lord God,
I confess that I often try to rely on my own strength and hide my weaknesses. Please forgive me.
Today, I bring my fatigue, my anxieties, and my limitations to You. Thank You that Your grace is completely enough for me.
Let Your power be made perfect in my weakness today. In Jesus’ holy name, we pray. Amen.

Reflection Question on 2 Corinthians 12:9What is the "thorn" or area of weakness in your life right now that you are try...
05/31/2026

Reflection Question on 2 Corinthians 12:9
What is the "thorn" or area of weakness in your life right now that you are trying to handle in your own strength? How can you actively surrender it to God's sufficient grace today? Surrender your limitations and weaknesses—those "thorns in the flesh"—and offering them to God. As you look at this man releasing these burdens, consider what anxieties or fatigues you need to place in God’s hands today, trusting that His power is made perfect in your weakness.

Our world worships self-sufficiency. We are told to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, hide our flaws, and project an ...
05/31/2026

Our world worships self-sufficiency. We are told to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, hide our flaws, and project an image of unshakeable strength. We treat weakness like a liability—something to be edited out of our lives.
Apostle Paul had a different experience. He begged God three times to remove a grueling, painful obstacle from his life—what he called his "thorn in the flesh." He assumed he could serve God better without it. But God’s response flipped his entire perspective upside down: “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Notice that God didn’t remove the problem. Instead, He offered a promise.
God's grace isn't just a safety net for when things go wrong; it is an active, sustaining power. When we reach the absolute end of our own strength, patience, and resolve, we don't fall into an empty void. We fall right into His sufficiency.
Our weaknesses are not disruptions to God’s plan; often, they are the very platforms where His strength becomes visible. When we stop trying to fake our way through our own power, we clear the way for His power to rest upon us. If you feel weary, overwhelmed, or unqualified today, take heart. Your empty hands are exactly what makes room for His overflowing grace.
Praise God. Amen.

Dear Lord, Please forgive me for the times I have settled for a passive faith. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Giv...
05/30/2026

Dear Lord,
Please forgive me for the times I have settled for a passive faith.
Break my heart for what breaks Yours.
Give me the eyes to see the vulnerable around me and the courage to move toward them with love.
Teach me to do good, grant me the strength to seek justice, and let my life be a reflection of Your fierce, protective love for the hurting. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Reflect from Isaiah 1:17Is there a specific area in your life where you have chosen the comfort of passive innocence ove...
05/30/2026

Reflect from Isaiah 1:17
Is there a specific area in your life where you have chosen the comfort of passive innocence over the sacrifice of active love? Who is the "orphan" or the "widow"—the vulnerable or voiceless person—in your immediate circle right now?

We live in a world that tends to think that if we aren’t actively causing harm, breaking laws, or hurting others, we are...
05/30/2026

We live in a world that tends to think that if we aren’t actively causing harm, breaking laws, or hurting others, we are doing just fine. We check off our spiritual boxes—showing up to services, saying our prayers, avoiding the "big" sins—and feel a sense of peace. But in the opening chapter of Isaiah, the people of Israel were also checking all the religious boxes. They were offering sacrifices, keeping the festivals, and saying the right words. Yet, God told them He was weary of it all. Why? Because their hands were full of apathy while the vulnerable around them suffered.
God wasn't looking for a flawless ritual; He was looking for a reformed heart. And a reformed heart is always an active heart.
Look at the verbs Isaiah uses in verse 17. They are aggressive, action-oriented, and demanding:
"Learn to do good..." Goodness doesn't always come naturally. It is a discipline, a muscle we must train, requiring us to consciously unlearn our default settings of selfishness and convenience.
"Seek justice..." Justice isn't something we just notice when it happens to cross our path. We are called to pursue it, to actively search for places where things are broken and need to be made right.
"Correct oppression..." This requires courage. It means stepping into uncomfortable spaces, confronting unfair systems, or standing between a bully and a victim.
"Bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." God explicitly commands His people to lend them their voice and their strength. True devotion to God is inseparable from how we treat the most vulnerable people in our communities. God does not separate our vertical relationship with Him from our horizontal responsibility to our neighbors.
Today, God is inviting us out of the comfort zone of passive innocence and into the beautiful, messy work of active love. It might mean speaking up for a coworker who is being mistreated. It might mean adjusting your budget to support a foster family or a local shelter. It might mean sitting with someone who is lonely and listening to their story.
Whatever it looks like for you today, remember: holiness isn't just the absence of bad behavior. It is the active presence of God's love, justice, and mercy in a hurting world.

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Lees Summit, MO
64064

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